Jill Dawson on Patricia Highsmith

Patricia Highsmith’s work recently reached a new audience with the release of the tremendous film, Carol. The Crime Writer, the new novel from Jill Dawson, explores the mystery and intrigue in the life of the enigmatic woman behind such creations as Carol and Mr. Ripley.

The story is set in 1964, and sees Highsmith hiding out in a cottage in Suffolk, to concentrate on her writing and escape her fans, as well as a stalker. She has another motive too – a secret romance with a married lover based in London. This is a tour de force from the Orange Prize-shortlisted Dawson – at once a pitch perfect portrait of Patricia Highsmith and a riveting tale of duplicity, madness and murder.