Informazioni generali

Data di nascita: 1927-01-09
Data di morte: 2002-07-29
Sesso: female
Nazionalità: Australia
Luogo di nascita: Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia
Luogo di morte: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Luogo di residenza: Bexley, New South Wales, Australia
Attività lavorative: novelist
short-story writer
Breve biografia: Patricia Carlon was born on a farm in Wagga Wagga, Australia, and lived most of her life with, or next door to, her parents in a suburb of Sydney. She began writing in her teens and had her first story published at age 17. She produced articles, magazine serials, and romance novels, often under the pseudonyms Patricia Bernard and Barbara Christie. She also had several stories in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. Her most notable works were 14 psychological mystery novels published between 1961 and 1970. Then her books went out of print. She became known as the cat lady in her neighborhood because of all her feline companions. She never traveled or gave interviews. Some of her eccentric behavior was explained after her death, when it became known that she had been profoundly deaf since age 11. Some 40 years after first publishing these novels, Miss Carlon had the satisfaction of seeing them "rediscovered." Most of them now have been reissued in Australia and the UK and USA.

Utenti

Recensioni

Whispering Wall di Patricia Carlon

The Whispering Wall by Australian author, Patricia Carlon was originally published in 1969. This is a clever, claustrophobic mystery where the main character, Sarah Oatland has been paralyzed by a stroke. She lies in her bed, unable to move or speak or even convince her nurse or her greedy niece that she can understand what they are saying. Her niece, Gwenyth, appears to have ideas on how Sarah’s estate should be handled and appears to resent spending money Sarah’s care. She arranges to divide the house into three flats, renting out one to a single woman and her young daughter, Rose, and the other to Murray and Valma Phipps.

Sarah finds herself able to listen in on the downstairs tenants through the wall and hears Murray and Valma plot to lure her step-father to visit and then do away with him. When young Rose lets it slip that Sarah can understand what is being said, and the Phipps discover that she knows of their plans, Sarah hears that not only the step father is going to be murdered, they are planning to do away with her as well.

This is a slow burner of a mystery, the tension and suspense build and the author skilfully shows the frustration and terror that Sarah is going through in not being able to communicate. This is the second Patricia Carlon mystery that I have read and I find her work reminds me somewhat of early Ruth Rendell mysteries. The Whispering Wall was a mystery that I found very hard to put down once I started it.… (altro)

Segnalato

DeltaQueen50 | 4 altre recensioni | Jun 1, 2021 |

The Whispering Wall di Patricia Carlon

Sarah has suffered a stroke, and is unable to move, speak, or otherwise communicate. Her doctor and her caregiver Nurse Bragg don't know whether she understands what is going on or is a vegetable. In fact, she is very aware of what is going on, and extremely frustrated by her inability to communicate. When she overhears a plot to murder someone, which may also result in her own death, she struggles to find a way to expose the criminals before it is too late.

This book had a good premise, but I must admit to being dismayed by the stupidity of most of the characters (except for Rose, the little girl). I found this aspect of the book to be unrealistic, and it destroyed my enjoyment of the book.

2 stars… (altro)

Segnalato

arubabookwoman | 4 altre recensioni | Mar 20, 2020 |

The Souvenir di Patricia Carlon

The Souvenir by Australian author, Patricia Carlon was originally published in 1970, yet for me the story felt very fresh and current. Two teenage girls meet on a summer hitch-hiking trip. One of them, stabs a young man to death. Each girl accused the other of the crime and the police could prove neither girl guilty. Four years go by and the sister of the victim hires a very unique private eye to find out which girl actually murdered her brother.

This psychological twister unfolds backwards and forward in time as we learn of the uneasy friendship that develops and the stolen mementos that cause the final argument between the girls. The author, perhaps a little too cleverly writes from an angle that makes one of the girls appear more likely to have committed the crime. I thought the story lost a little steam when it started to include both girls families but over all I found this to be a unique puzzler and quite a gripping read.… (altro)

Segnalato

DeltaQueen50 | 2 altre recensioni | Jul 18, 2019 |

The Souvenir di Patricia Carlon

It's a whodunnit but only in the technical sense. It's one of two girls and the detective, is very craftily kept in the background for a good chunk of this short novel. Carlton is a gifted writer. Her plot is dense and unfolds slowly, playing fair the whole way. If you like locked room mysteries or the armchair detect genre this one is worth a look.

Segnalato

danhammang | 2 altre recensioni | Aug 7, 2018 |

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