Laura
49. Vera Caspary, Laura
This novel, a quintessential example of noir fiction, centers around the murder of the beautiful and talented Laura Hunt. Police detective Mark McPherson has been assigned to the case, and he investigates the murder by cultivating relationships with Laura’s friends and family members. As he searches for motives, McPherson becomes particularly interested in the men in Laura’s life, her fiancé Shelby Carpenter and her old friend Waldo Lydecker. He also scours Laura’s personal belongings in search of clues; but as he learns more and more about the dead woman, he finds himself falling under her spell.
I read this book because I absolutely love the movie of the same name (starring Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, and Clifton Webb). I was very impressed at how closely the movie follows the book - obviously certain things are left out of the movie, but nothing central to the plot or atmosphere. One interesting aspect of the novel is that it’s divided into sections, each narrated from a different point of view, which gives a unique insight into the characters’ motives. The strength of this book is definitely its plot, which is wonderfully suspenseful and unique; however, the characters and writing aren’t particularly interesting. I would recommend this book in conjunction with the movie, but I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much if I hadn’t seen the film.