I read this after re-reading Dial M for Murder – this has all the cleverness of that, some big twists, and many similar themes (a major character is a crime writer, a major plot point is about a man who is having an affair with another man’s wife)… but Shaffer’s a much better writer than Frederick Knott. Don't get me wrong: Knott is a clever writer, and Dial M for Murder a minor masterpiece, but his writing tends to be functional – it’s all about plot. Shaeffer’s dialogue and characterisation are far superior – really clever and complex. The middle aged author obsessed with his virility and playing games - to such a degree he's destroyed his marriage. The younger man with a chip on his shoulder about his Italian heritage. It still holds up even knowing the big second act twist where an actor appears who is actually one of the two leads. Terrific ending.
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