The elder son, Julian is a successful physician, but his personal life is a mess. He seems to have an unhealthy over fondness for his sister, Joanna. Joanna at eighteen has no confidence in her ability to relate to other people and, although she would like to get to know some young men her own age, Julian has done a good job of preventing that. The other son, Edward, is an estate agent, but he is so lacking in self-esteem he is still trying to satisfy the goals his dead father had for him.

Sarah explains to Julian that her role is simply to assess their financial status and them determine the best way to make sure they are all provided for. This task would be simple enough were it not for the apparent ghost of Charles Tysall, which seems to be lurking in their midst.

Sarah, a redhead, has had a previous encounter with Charles Tysall, a man known for brutalizing women, particularly redheads. Tysall had apparently spent some leisure time in Merton, and one of his wives, Elizabeth, had died in Merton. Her body had been missing for some time, and was discovered buried near the water. The local populace is struck by Sarah’s uncanny resemblance to Elizabeth, which adds to the intrigue already present in the supposedly pleasant seaside village.

Perfectly Pure and Good is at once a murder mystery and a psychological drama. As is true of most of Ms. Fyfield’s works, this one, originally published in 1994 is peopled with distinct characters with very unusual minds. Sarah, though a bright and successful lawyer, has many characteristics in common with a whore. Mouse, apparently became completely unglued upon the death of her husband, or did she? Julian, a successful physician, has an unhealthy interest in his sister. And Edward is still trying to fulfill some goal he fantasizes his father had for him. These people are weird!

Ms Fyfield is a master of description. For example, “the sailing club dance (was).. an acre of gooseflesh sprayed with starch.” Her description of the Pardoe family home is priceless. “All in all the house looked like a woman dressed in a fit of indecision with more money than taste, a vision of half-executed dreams, absent-mindedly amended and finally worn for a careless fit like an old cardigan.” Even had the plot been totally lacking in appeal, which it is most definitely not, Ms. Fyfield’s way with words makes the novel well worth reading.

Ms. Fyfield’s writing is reminiscent of Ruth Rendell. Both authors develop several apparently diverse subplots simultaneously, shifting from one to another without even a chapter break. This method of writing is irritating to some readers, myself included, but, in the case of both of these writers it is well worth the reader’s effort.

The prose itself is beautiful. The words fit together so perfectly - the realization how the disparate parts fit together is enormously satisfying. It is quite like fitting together the pieces of a complex jigsaw puzzle. Although I generally shy away from books written in this style, I am glad I was prodded to read this one. It was well worth my time.

--Andy Plonka