UMary Higgins Clark usesimweni esihle kakhulu. Eminyakeni engama-90 ubudala, usabambe ipeni lakhe ngokuqinile ukwethula amanoveli afana nalena. Mnyama njengolwandle. Umqondo oyinhloko wale noveli, isiphakamiso sayo sokuqala sinendawo eningi evamile yezindikimba ezisolisayo, indawo evaliwe, ukubulala, izigebengu eziningi ezingahle zibe khona kanye nophenyo oluhlanjululwe phakathi kwezinkomba ezahlukahlukene, ezifana nezinduna, eziholela umfundi ekungeneni izixazululo abaziphendukayo futhi ezimangazayo.
Ukubheja komfundi ukuthi abambeke kuyenziwa ngokushesha nje lapho uCelia Kilbride engena eQueen Charlotte. Ukusebenza kwakhe njengobucwebe obudumile kulethwa kuLady Emily Haywood ngamandla amakhulu octogenarian, umnikazi wamatshe ayigugu, kufaka phakathi umgexo anethemba lokunikela ngawo emnyuziyamu ukuze kudunyiswe umnyuziyamu futhi kukhanye izivakashi zawo.
U-Lady Emily, njengoba umuntu angacabanga ngokucabanga ngokuthambekela kobugebengu okuvamile, ugcina efile. Kepha leli qiniso kuvela ukuthi ukuphela kwento engabikezelwa. Kusukela ngalowo mzuzu kuqhubeke, kuvela ukuthuthukiswa kwesakhiwo umfundi angakwazi ukusishiya. Phakathi kwabagibeli abaningi kanye nabasebenzi bomkhumbi uqobo, izimbangela zobugebengu nokwebiwa okufanayo komgexo kukhishwa yonke indawo.
Ukuvelela kuyimbangela eyisisekelo yokwenza ubugebengu balezi zici. Ngaphambi kokuba umkhumbi ufike ethekwini, icala kufanele livalwe ukuze ukungabi nabulungisa kungagcini ukuhlanjululwa lapho umkhumbi uqukethe okuguquguqukayo kwangaphandle okungaphazamisa okwenzekile.
Vele, uCelia uqobo uzothinteka ngqo kulolu daba. Ukufuna kwakhe isigebengu kuzombeka engcupheni eseduze. Umkhumbi njengesikhala se-claustrophobia nokungabaza. Ukulingisa ngokuphelele noCelia ukuhlala lezo zigcawu ezixakile maqondana nokuxazululwa kwecala, uma lingacaciswa ngokushesha okukhulu, lingabeka uCelia engozini.
Ulwandle lungagwinya umzimba ngaphandle kokuthi umuntu akubone. Uma uCelia angena ngokujulile kule ndaba, uma ekwazi ukusondela kakhulu kumbulali, ulwandle olumnyama kungahle kube ukuphela kwakhe ...
Manje usungathenga inoveli Mnyama njengolwandle, incwadi entsha kaMary Higgins Clark, lapha: