“Twelve years after Robin’s death, no one knew any more about how he had ended up hanged from a tree in his own yard than they had on the day it happened.”

Even though I am not normally drawn to murder mysteries, I read this novel because Donna Tartt demonstrates how a writer can successfully break the rules. None of her characters are likeable; instead, they are suffering, or damaged, or limited, or all three. The plot does not have a satisfying resolution. Good does not triumph over evil. Instead, this book provides a master class in how to captivate readers one sentence at a time with soaring, credulous, and even “gorgeously cruel” prose. The tense scenes are excruciatingly slow, the thoughtful bits are blurred, and yet, it’s  entirely engaging and haunting.

Tart, Donna. The Little Friend. Vintage Books. 2002, p. 17.