I loved this collection. They’re quick, easy reads, but it’s easy to get lost in each story. The characters are unique, with a decent amount of depth for a short story, and the way they face their challenges really lets each one shine. Each story will linger with you a little while after you finish, the emotions that flowed off the page still floating around, but not in a bad way. I really liked how Christie was able to bring such emotion and depth in such a short space. A great collection, I highly recommend it. ( )

[Disclaimer: I got this book via LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program]
The short stories contained in the book (only the one which gives the name to the book is a novelette) have all something in common. The main character is nearly always a woman or a girl - and talking about my own prejudices, sometimes this is not clear from the beginning. Even if it is a man, he is defined anyway with respect to a woman. The other feeling I have while reading the stories is a great sadness. The ending is usually bitter; when it isn't there had been a murder, or a condition of abuse. Christie builds the plots really well, and this is why I am giving a good score to the book: but it is not a text I can say I liked. ( )

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories, snippets of people’s lives, although some of them I wanted to be longer so I could find out what happened next. Easy to pick up and put down at the end of each story. The only problem with the ebook I received was the italics, whenever there was italic writing for emphasis, there was no spacing so it was hard to read. I’m happy to have received this book for an early review, it’s one I shall read again 🙂 ( )

I was pleased to receive a free digital copy of Christie's book. The individual stories provide a sympathetic insight into the difficult lives of women and children overwhelmed by factors beyond their control, ranging from kidnapping and rape to incurable diseases and abusive men. While most of the protagonists will face another day much like the one before, a few find inner resources to go on living and loving. The title story, "Peripheral Visions", is a welcome example of the latter. "To Death Do Us Part", in which a man and a wife make annual attempts to kill the other, each politely waiting for his or her turn at homicide, provides some relief from the sad lives depicted in the other stories, but this is not a cheerful collection.

My principal criticism of the book, consequently, is that there is infrequent relief from the atmosphere of hopelessness that pervades most of the stories. Without exception, they stand very well on their own, but I twice laid the book down before returning later. ( )