A review by 12roxy
Duplicate Keys by Jane Smiley

4.0

Jane Smiley, literary chameleon, does a creditable job with this mystery set in NYC in 1980. It's more of a psychological study than a page turner. Of course, the characters are well-developed, and there are many well-written passages. I'm ambivalent about the protagonist (I think I'm supposed to be) who tries to build a fantasy world around herself when the real one (other than the murders, attempted and otherwise!) seems quite cozy, with good job, good lover, great rent-controlled apartment...but I can't decide if it's because she's not too bright or because she doesn't appreciate what she has.