Friday, December 22, 2023

The Breaking Point - Mary Roberts Rinehart



Dick Livingstone lives happily with his brother David and is in love with Elizabeth. But something about his past disturbs him, and he soon finds out that he isn't the man he thought, but quite another, and sinister one at that. Long ago, he lived as Judson Clark, who was in love with singer named Beverly Carlysle. There was some quarrel between Judson Clark and some man over Beverly and in the process he killed the man. So to escape conviction David changed his identity and made him into another person, general practitioner Dick Livingstone. But Dick/Judson had to go through that again, and find Beverly Carlysle. After much trouble and abandoning poor Elizabeth he eventually finds Beverly but realizes that bringing up the subject again would only cause trouble for Beverly, and he returns as a free man to find peace and happiness with Elizabeth. Whole story is somewhat reminiscent of Bible, as all good crime novels are, and is very atmospheric, especially in Dicks effort to find his former self. But than again, it is too long and reader gradually loses interest in the story. Modern reader may find it old fashioned and too rosy, but it was enjoyable read for me in this cynical times.

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