I picked up this story after a friend raved about it. Tim was a mess as far as obsessive relationships went. Ivo had his own insecurities to worry about but Tim just completely flipped him around. The ending was awful as many reviewers have stated. I did enjoy the psychological twists and turns but I'm not sure about jumping into another of Ms. Vine's books. ( )

Decided I didn't need to continue about unhappy homo love story where one ends up dead and the other alone a la Brokeback Mountain.

Tim Cornish has never had to work much in his life; he relies on his good looks, youth and charm to ensnare older men who end up doing everything for him. But underneath the winsome exterior lies a ruthless and self-absorbed man who has no qualms about doing whatever it takes to get what he wants, even murder. That is, until he falls in love with the most unexpected person…. Barbara Vine is, of course, Ruth Rendell writing in her psychological suspense mode, and "No Night Is Too Long" showcases her brilliance to great effect. Atmospheric, claustrophobic, terrifying and full of passion, the novel includes several twists and turns, some of which I anticipated and some of which I did not. A very enjoyable read; recommended! ( )

I am a little conflicted about this story. While it is suspenseful (if a bit quotidian), the final solution comes out of nowhere. As a reader I like to be able to see my way to the “truth” as the writer presents it. However since this was the account of one man who didn’t know that truth and couldn’t see his way to it himself, I don’t think it could realistically be telegraphed to me. I appreciate it, but also feel kind of taken in by it. I know a twist is something a lot of people love in books, and I do, too, but sometimes it is a little jarring.

That said, the book is really a character-driven tale. I appreciated the fact that the primary relationship is a homosexual one. Everything rang true to me and didn’t feel cliched or prejudicial in the negative. It was a dysfunctional relationship with two people who were attracted to each other, but didn’t belong together. Tim is selfish and perplexed by his sexuality. Ivo is confident in his sexuality, but resents being in love with Tim who writes - “I wanted to make him happy. The trouble with that is, as I now know, you have to keep it up, you have to sustain it. It’s got to be a life’s work.” (p 73) All very well and good, but if that’s the case you have the wrong person. A true match shouldn’t require such work, sacrifice and compromise. There should be compatibility enough so things are smooth even if you aren’t identical.

There’s a bit later on when things are really strained and falling apart. Tim has gone to Alaska against his will and really hates everything about the trip. He hates science, nature, the outdoors and that’s basically all there is to this trip and those things are the core of Ivo’s love of life. Still, he persists in trying to rope Tim into doing things even knowing he’ll hate it. He’s trying in vain to make him a perfect partner. He will never be.

Ok. Spoilers!

The way Tim is gobsmacked by Isabel is very neat considering she is Ivo’s twin. It underscores a chemical attraction that must be present in a very real and tangible way; forming horrible triangle. Isabel sees more clearly into Tim’s character and her letter to her brother in the end is pretty wrenching. She knew full-well that her affair with Tim would likely destroy her relationship with Ivo, but she couldn’t resist. It wasn’t exactly obsession, but it felt that unavoidable. Considering Ivo’s own relationship with the hunky Tim, he should understand Isabel’s plight.

The mysterious letter-writer turned out to be Isabel’s estranged and repulsive husband. After reading what he’d done to other people who “wronged” him, it made sense and then Ivo recognized the writing. Yeah, Ivo turned out not to be dead. At least when we first suspect he is. Since none of the people in the letter-writers’ reports died as a result of their shipwrecks, it seemed the writer had to be Ivo. But there are some red herrings in there, so the suspense is maintained. The ending is happy, but there was a price to be paid and I wonder how that little pairing will pan out.

There is a lot to keep track of and a couple of different timelines, but all in all it's a great example of how good Rendell (Vine) was when she was at the top of her game. It's not as dark or as psychologically twisted as some of her work.

I am a little conflicted about this story. While it is suspenseful (if a bit quotidian), the final solution comes out of nowhere. As a reader I like to be able to see my way to the “truth” as the writer presents it. However since this was the account of one man who didn’t know that truth and couldn’t see his way to it himself, I don’t think it could realistically be telegraphed to me. I appreciate it, but also feel kind of taken in by it. I know a twist is something a lot of people love in books, and I do, too, but sometimes it is a little jarring.

That said, the book is really a character-driven tale. I appreciated the fact that the primary relationship is a homosexual one. Everything rang true to me and didn’t feel cliched or prejudicial in the negative. It was a dysfunctional relationship with two people who were attracted to each other, but didn’t belong together. Tim is selfish and perplexed by his sexuality. Ivo is confident in his sexuality, but resents being in love with Tim who writes - “I wanted to make him happy. The trouble with that is, as I now know, you have to keep it up, you have to sustain it. It’s got to be a life’s work.” (p 73) All very well and good, but if that’s the case you have the wrong person. A true match shouldn’t require such work, sacrifice and compromise. There should be compatibility enough so things are smooth even if you aren’t identical.

There’s a bit later on when things are really strained and falling apart. Tim has gone to Alaska against his will and really hates everything about the trip. He hates science, nature, the outdoors and that’s basically all there is to this trip and those things are the core of Ivo’s love of life. Still, he persists in trying to rope Tim into doing things even knowing he’ll hate it. He’s trying in vain to make him a perfect partner. He will never be.

Ok. Spoilers!

The way Tim is gobsmacked by Isabel is very neat considering she is Ivo’s twin. It underscores a chemical attraction that must be present in a very real and tangible way; forming horrible triangle. Isabel sees more clearly into Tim’s character and her letter to her brother in the end is pretty wrenching. She knew full-well that her affair with Tim would likely destroy her relationship with Ivo, but she couldn’t resist. It wasn’t exactly obsession, but it felt that unavoidable. Considering Ivo’s own relationship with the hunky Tim, he should understand Isabel’s plight.

The mysterious letter-writer turned out to be Isabel’s estranged and repulsive husband. After reading what he’d done to other people who “wronged” him, it made sense and then Ivo recognized the writing. Yeah, Ivo turned out not to be dead. At least when we first suspect he is. Since none of the people in the letter-writers’ reports died as a result of their shipwrecks, it seemed the writer had to be Ivo. But there are some red herrings in there, so the suspense is maintained. The ending is happy, but there was a price to be paid and I wonder how that little pairing will pan out.

There is a lot to keep track of and a couple of different timelines, but all in all it's a great example of how good Rendell (Vine) was when she was at the top of her game. It's not as dark or as psychologically twisted as some of her work. ( )