Drawing on the themes of Shakespeare’s MacBeth, Katherine is a fierce woman, tired of living by her husband’s rules and she has no problem committing murder to get what she wants. And, as is the sign of good storytelling, the audience is tempted to cheer for her.
Miller has written more than a novel; she has drawn a psychological sketch of a previously minor character in the mythological panoply.
McNamara outlines the specifics of the mystery in searing exactitude. She pulls bizarre and vivid details from witness statements and police reports, breathing new life into the cold case.
The Silent Companions is a mysterious, Gothic story that unwinds slowly through diaries, memories, and theories. There are no ghouls jumping off the page. The fear lies in the unknown and for the (un)reliability of sanity.
Two hundred years ago, a young woman — barely more than a teenager — wrote a daring novel that questioned the limits of science and discovery, and challenged notions of agency, self, family and moral obligation. Her character created a monster, but she fabricated something much more complicated.