The Other Typist: A Novel by Suzanne Rindell

Final Rating: 4.6/5

   An impressive homage to a beloved classic.

   Tucked in the final pages of The Other Typist is a single line that reveals that one of the author's major inspirations was The Great Gatsby and it is very easy to recognize the connection in terms of imagery, understated messages, motifs and not to mention both being great reads. However alike, The Other Typist sets itself apart from its inspiration by offering the reader the opportunity to experience and discover the more celebratory and seeder side of the 1920's with a police precinct office typist as their guide. The tone is set early that a darker theme will reveal itself and once that apparent tone is exposed the book morphs into a puzzling mind bending narrative that ends with more questions than answers, but please do not let this aspect scare away any curious readers. The perplexing fixated nature of the narrator is only half of the allure you will uncover in The Other Typist and although the line of obsession is clearly crossed and the severity of crimes escalates with the chapters they are never described in gruesome detail. Overall The Other Typist is a multifaceted historical thriller that should not be missed or given up on after the first complex chapter.

   In the end, I very thankful I did not give up on the first couple chapters. Once I began to understand the narrator's voice and flow of description the book then became quite enjoyable. The Other Typist had its own stand alone moments and I enjoyed finding the symbolism that attached itself to: jewelry, physical characteristics, names, structures and even the humble typewriter. Ms. Rindell certainly did her research and shared some fascinating trivia and details with her audience, not to mention has an extensive vocabulary. The potential reader may be surprised how many times they press the dictionary function on their Kindles to learn some new terminology. Crimes to be solved, enveloped mysteries and perpetrators to be unveiled and a lingering question of will we see a sequel? These are just a few delights the potential reader will find to look forward to with The Other Typist.

-read and purchased on my kindle