Great emotive story. . Minette Walters is by far a most impressive writer. Minette Walters' plotting is outstanding. Don't get me wrong, I get it, this happens and people can be horrible, but you can't build a world or a (worth-while) story out of this one idea/per, I like to think I don't view the world around me with naivety or idealized warmth but the characters in this book seem to me to be... just questionable. There was a problem loading your book clubs. A dark look at racial prejudice and class warfare in modern England. This psychological murder mystery is, in my opinion, one of Walters’ best. You'll be tempted to give up on it, I promise you. November 1978. I know this is a very personal reaction though, and many people would rate it higher. I may try others by this author since her [book:The Sculptress|41325 was so good. A terrific example of innovative crime fiction with a new cover treatment99bookscart is second Ghastly animal cruelty turned my stomach. Ghastly animal cruelty turned my stomach. The shape of a venomous snake's head may deter predators. by Jove. In fact, heretofore I have felt lukewarm about Minette Walters' previous books, despite their critical acclaim. This can help them appear more dangerous to potential predators. The truth behind the death of "Mad Annie" is incrementally revealed through correspondence and by the dogged persistence of her neighbor. M finds her and is sure she's been murdered, but no one believe her and the police investigation goes nowhere, leading to her nervous breakdown and the near end of her marriage, so she and her husband Sam move overseas and agree not to talk about it. THIS IS NOT AN EASY READ! I've been reading this 20 years after the book was first published (published in 2000, and the year 2020 has only just begun, so maybe that's a bit overly dramatic), but it's still captivating, and definitely a real page turner. Some surprising twists. I would tell anyone who likes a good story to read this book! Characters are unpleasant, but it was interesting to follow how a woman, still obsessed after 20 years, with the death of a black woman with Tourette's goes about finding the murderer, through sheer doggedness and persistence. Worse yet, the victim was apparently NOT a very likable person, so it's hard to get emotionally involved in the book. But for the persistence of a Mrs Ranelagh (the narrator of the story) that would have been the end of that. Please don't. Bittersweet ending but gone are the days when everyone lived happily ever after. Please try your request again later. One would like to believe oneself could control this thirst for revenge - I did; but I don't anymore and there will be many more moments of reflection for me because of "The Shape of Snakes". About The Shape of Snakes. Learn about Author Central. Buy The Shape of Snakes book on online bookstore near you 99bookscart.com. Chivers Sound Library; Unabridged edition (August 1, 2001). Recommended to anyone who loves a mystery. Something went wrong. It takes hours for a black woman known as Mad Annie to die in the gutter. The Shape of Snakes is also a fascinating depiction of a community and change within that community. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2021, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. She followed this with The Sculptress (1993), which received the 1994 Edgar Award for Best Novel. I'm still reeling from the impact of this book. In these days of work rage, road rage, racism, hate crimes, etc., it really does seem as if everyone thirsts mightily for revenge for wrongs done them. This is a remarkably clever examination of "snakes": Men who abuse their children, men who rape, women who damage their children through abuse and terror, women who abuse their children through neglect, women who lie and cheat with friends' husbands and the husbands who participate, policemen who abuse their authority and people who allow prejudice and hatred to poison their own lives through the persecution of others. Are you an author? And, it is probably the last one of hers I'll read--at least for a while. The title refers to that fact that, deliciously, all through the telling of this longish and complex tale, the shape of this history's plot (i.e., what we think was the real story behind Mad Annie's death) is, like that of a snake, constantly changing as we discover more and more about the characters involved, being put in the position of frequently having to reevaluate them as we uncover further details of their nature and past behaviour. 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