A fascinating first part, which plunges us into the loss of bearings of a woman about to go through menopause, between hallucinations, obsessions and self-loathing. Cassidy's writing is very precise and credible, and hats off to the author for his plunge into a woman's psyche. The second part, with the discovery of what's going on in the desert town, is rather dull, with the exception of a few scenes of body horror (which are sincerely not as graphic as some readers would have us believe). The novel's ending, which is a typical

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ending, is frankly disappointing. Mary deserved better than that cliché wrap-up!