AFTER SHE WROTE HIM

Did she create him, or did he create her? And who killed whom?

A murky prologue reveals the discovery of a dead man at a gallery, triggering a buzz of excitement and speculation. Gentill (Give the Devil His Due, 2019, etc.) introduces a yin-yang pair of protagonists. Lawyer and writer Madeleine d’Leon gets a burst of inspiration about a new character: Edward “Ned” McGinnity, a literary novelist permanently scarred by the loss of his family in a tragic accident. Edward, for his part, is pleased with his new creation, crime writer Madeleine d’Leon. Edward’s lover is Willow Meriwether, whose work is being shown at the gallery where the murder occurred and who is the first witness to be questioned by police. The victim is ruthless editor Geoffrey Vogel, who was far from friendly with Edward. Though Madeleine has made her reputation writing mysteries, she struggles with the very different demands of a police procedural. As Edward emerges as a prime suspect, his portrayal of Madeleine deepens to include her grief over a miscarriage and a largely loveless marriage. And as Madeleine becomes more involved in her creation of Edward to escape her personal problems, so Edward focuses on his own creation in order to deny the seriousness of his plight as a suspect. Lines become even more blurred when the lives of Madeleine and Edward interact and both characters develop a dangerous obsession that threatens to destroy them. This was the winner of Australia’s Ned Kelly Award for best fiction.

Brisk and refreshing. Gentill sustains her tantalizing premise with crisp prose and accelerating suspense.