Hell Hath No Fury by Ingrid Noll
HarperCollins £14.99 (0 00 232574 8)
Ingrid Noll has that uncanny
ability, an attribute of some the most talented mystery writers, to lead the reader into
the mind of a killer, an individual, who on outward appearances is normal and
well-balanced.Slight nuances in speech or thought are all the indication there is that something is not quite right. You are lulled into believing that, yes of course the victim deserved to die, if you put it like that! These are the most frightening of tales as you become aware of how easy it is, on a slight switch of perception, to accept the fact of murder.
Hell Hath No Fury is a fine example of this technique. Rosemarie Hirte is a respectable middle-aged spinster, working for an insurance company. On first meeting Rainer Engsterm, she falls headlong into obsession. An obsession which takes over her entire life. There is nothing new here, this is often the case when love first presents itself. But this obsession is set to spiral out of control, one dreadful act changes the power balance in the relationship, and Rosemarie’s web of fantasy ensnares them both. Rainer in many ways unwittingly feeds the fantasy, being wilfully ignorant of Rosemarie’s real feelings and having selfish motives of his own for perpetuating the situation.
The story highlights the futility and total desolation of a relationship where each is using the other for their own ends. The same incidents have different meanings for the characters involved, and their understanding of the situation proceed in parallel, never meeting. This is not a mere case of misunderstandings, the story is based on the premise that individuals tend to live under the false assumption that others share our own view of the world, that our reasons for doing things are the same as theirs. Hell Hath No Fury takes this idea to an extreme.
This is a highly entertaining and gripping book. Rosemarie Hirte is an unusual and well-drawn character, I look forward to reading Ingrid Noll’s other novels. (EAL)
See Review by Val McDermid
