The Red Room
Penzler Pick,August  2001:Already a sensation in England, Nicci French (the pseudonym of a  London couple who've turned their marriage into a writing partnership as well)  is quickly gaining recognition and fans on this side of the Atlantic, too.  French's two previous novels published here,Killing Me SoftlyandBeneath the Skin, are romantic  thrillers with hard edges--a little like a marriage of convenience betweenSally BeaumanandIan Rankin.ButThe Red Roomis a change of pace that is reminiscent ofFrances Fyfield,  only without her stylistic quirks. It also asks a lot of the reader in imagining  the deliberately obtuse or arrogant ways in which the police sometimes interfere  in the lives of those not on the public payroll.In this case, the two people whose lives are being most unfairly manipulated  hold opposite, even antagonistic, places in society. One is a clinical  psychologist, Katherine Quinn; the other, Michael Doll, is the troubled young  man who not long ago left her with terrible facial disfigurement, having  suddenly attacked her while undergoing an evaluation in his jail cell. Somehow,  out of curiosity, misplaced duty, and a desire to try to "reduce him to his  human size," Kit Quinn allows a police detective to talk her into seeing Michael  once again. This time her nemesis--about whom she has recurring nightmares of a  blood-spattered red room--stands accused of murder. The trouble is, after coming  face to face with him, Dr. Quinn isn't at all convinced he's guilty.Nicci French has better success with the setup of this suspenseful, twisty  situation than she does with its resolution. ButThe Red Roomprovides  superior entertainment, with a complex and all-too-human heroine at the center  of its drama.--Otto Penzler