Highsmith's 20th novel plays in New York's Greenwich Village. Protagonists are mostly well-to-do upper class people: illustrator artist Jack Sutherland, his wife Natalie and the spoiled daughter Amelie, the gay couple Louis and Bob, another rich couple from the neighbourhood with children in Amelie's age (her friends), a student from a wealthy family who plays nanny for Amelie. I usually detest to read about rich people and their silly, petty problems - but these caught me. Probably because of the Sutherland's concept of a "free marriage": Natalie did marry only under the condition that she may keep her freedom and for example may continue her lesbian relationships. Jack, who is surprisingly capable of not getting jealous, knows better than to constrain his wife. They love each other in a deferential way, and none seems to care about the partner's potentional escapades.
The antagonist to this world of well being is the loner Ralph, an atheist neighbour who lives with his dog named God and works night shifts as security guard. He worries a lot about the decline of morals and cleanliness and sees himself as paragon of a good, upright person.

Here comes Elsie! A young girl from rural Pennsylvania, fresh in town and radiating freshness as well, a striking beauty, ready to discover New York, ready for adventures. She wants to become an actress and works for now in a small coffee shop. She is the catalyst to this story, since everybody loves her on first sight. Ralph tries to warn her from people he'd seen her with, punks and hoodlums who surely will have a bad influence on a young girl. Jack introduces her to his circle of influant artists and gallerists, and soon she is modeling for fashion photographers.

Highsmith builds up tension slowly, slowly, it's more of a very accurate psychological study, an interpersonal story of some interesting, well depicted people. The murder - yes, there is a murder too - takes place very late in the book, and it's not a whodunit; she describes the reaction of the protagonists to the crime. A gripping read until the end.

in the fridge
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