A novel of psychological suspense. Clare Erskine thought it a wonderful stroke of luck that her 19-year-old daughter, Sarah, was engaged to marry an accountant. This temporarily vaults Clare to the top of what she calls "the Cat Race", that unspoken competition mothers engage in about whose child is ahead in any number of diverse and seemingly unrelated accomplishments at any time.

Clare's husband Ralph reacts to the news of his daughter's engagement:

"I suppose the fellow hasn't a job or anything?" he inquired resignedly; and I rejoiced at being able to inform him that -- in marked contrast to Sarah's previous boyfriends -- Mervyn not only had a job, but a permanent job, in a firm of accountants. Not a firm of psychedelic accountants? inquired my husband unbelievingly. Not a financial rave-in? A fiscal freak-out? No, I assured him, glancing again down the untidy pages: it seemed to be an ordinary firm of real accountants. It seemed too good to be true; and together we pored over our daughter's letter, looking for the snag."

The book was published in 1969; hence the slang of the times!

The horror builds in this book, interspersed with some really funny scenes involving Clare's neighbour, Liz, once the undisputed leader of the Cat Race, who now lives with the horrific embarrassment of three hippie sons who move back into the family home, complete with all their gear, friends, girlfriends, girlfriends' children, etc. and expect good old Mum & Dad to house, feed and support them all. Some welcome comic relief in what is really quite a chilling book. ( )