Phyllis A. Whitney: Vermilion

I have missed all of you! :) We've moved in to our new place, and so far, so good. I wanted to review Whitney's Vermilion.

The cover to the left is the same one I have. The publication is 1981, and it is obviously a "later" Whitney novel. I've mentioned before that I like her earlier ones (so far anyway upon rereading), and this one proved to be no exception.

Plot: 3/5 The plot is interesting enough, but not riveting. Lindsay Phillips returns to Sedona, Arizona to find out who murdered her father, Jed Phillips. Sibling rivalry takes center stage, and her love of her sister's husband, Rick, complicates things.

Characterization: 3/5 The most interesting characters were Vermilion (an imaginary friend or maybe even a second personality that Lindsay Phillips has. As a former student of psychology, I was leaning toward MPD. The whole thing was more than a little strange, even with the calm narration.) and the dead man, Jed Phillips.

Atmosphere: 3/5 There was nothing too scary about this one. I liked the eerie drumbeats and the idea of the alien setting of red rocks, but it didn't make me shiver.

Literary: 2/5

Romantic Elements: 3/5 The whole romantic setup is a bit awkward because Lindsay and Rick are getting together as Lindsay's half sister Sybil, his wife, and he are breaking up. One unbelievable thing happens between them. I won't give it away, but any normal wife would have murdered good ole Rick for it.

Rating: 2.5+ stars

This one could be skipped if you're not a hardcore Whitney fan or a lover of Arizona...