The Blank Wall

WITH A PUBLISHER'S NOTE
240pp
ISBN 9781903155325

Raymond Chandler once asked his English publisher, 'Does anybody in England publish Elisabeth Sanxay Holding? For my money she's the top suspense writer of them all. She doesn't pour it on and make you feel irritated. Her characters are wonderful; and she has a sort of inner calm which I find very attractive.'

First published in 1947, the New Yorker described the plot as follows: 'A suburban matron, harassed by wartime domestic problems - her husband is overseas - finds herself implicated in the murder of her young daughter's extremely unattractive beau'. It was filmed as The Reckless Moment, featuring James Mason, in 1949 and as The Deep End, starring Tilda Swinton, in 2001. 

This tense and fast-paced novel is about maternal love and about the heroine's relationship with those around her, especially her children and her maid. It is a truly outstanding example of the psychological thriller genre, as well as a highly unusual one due to its female focus.

Also available as a Persephone eBook.

Endpaper

A late 1940s furnishing fabric was our choice of endpaper for The Blank Wall; it was manufactured and sold in the USA.

Picture Caption

Still from the 1949 film adaptation of The Blank Wall: The Reckless Moment starred Joan Bennett and James Mason.