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The Girl Who Had to Die book cover
The Girl Who Had to Die
1940
First Published
3.53
Average Rating
120
Number of Pages

Here's the most important crime novelty in a month of Sundays, so different in approach and execution from the standard brands as to take first place in any list of current offerings. To come right out with the talking points, Mrs. Holding's narrative style is probably foremost, and if you think that couldn't help turn a brilliant trick, you haven't sampled THE GIRL WHO HAD TO DIE... It is admirably suited to the special kind of shudders, horrid hints, nightmare overtones and general wickedness dealt in by the wicked characters. What is more, Jocelyn Frey, the main show, is the darndest mystery lady we’ve ever met. She's one of those lost souls sure to cause Hades wherever she goes–a major addition to your gallery of mystery acquaintances… The highly unusual quality continues by land and sea to the final page, so don't say there is nothing new in this racket. Contains more real shivers than a carload of ordinary shockers. Three cheers!

Avg Rating
3.53
Number of Ratings
38
5 STARS
8%
4 STARS
45%
3 STARS
39%
2 STARS
8%
1 STARS
0%
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Author

Elisabeth Sanxay Holding
Elisabeth Sanxay Holding
Author · 12 books
Elisabeth Sanxay Holding (1889-1955) was born and brought up in New York and educated at Miss Whitcombe's and other schools for young ladies. In 1913 she married George Holding, a British diplomat. They had two daughters and lived in various South American countries, and then in Bermuda, where her husband was a government official. Elisabeth Sanxay Holding wrote six romantic novels in the 1920s but, after the stock market crash, turned to the more profitable genre of detective novels: from 1929-54 she wrote eighteen, as well as numerous short stories for magazines. In 1949 Raymond Chandler chose her as 'the best character and suspense writer (for consistent but not large production)', picking The Blank Wall (1947) as one of his favourites among her books; it was filmed as The Reckless Moment in 1949 (by Max Ophuls) and as The Deep End (with Tilda Swinton) in 2001. After her husband's retirement the Holdings lived in New York City. Her series character was Lieutenant Levy. Holding also wrote numerous short stories for popular magazines of the day.
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