Mask Of Evil by Charlotte Armstrong

Armstrong has been called the Queen of Suspense, and she ramps up this relatively simple story into a nightmare of tension. Anthony Boucher of the New York Times called this a "special book no reader of mystery fiction can afford to miss."

Esther and her husband Tom spent a night in a motel on their way home to Los Angeles. While Tom is at the car, a drunken man walks into their room, causing Esther to scream, and Tom rescues her by hitting him over the head. A few moments later, the man recovers, apologizes, and leaves his business card. The next day, they read in the paper that this same man dropped dead in his kitchen in front of his wife and her disabled sister. Tom is bereft and decides to meet the wife to explain he was the cause of it.

Audrey Caldwell is a quiet, slender woman, filled with a forgiving sadness—the caregiver to her diabetic sister Joan, wheelchair-bound from polio. Everyone, including Sergeant Mueller, agrees it was simply a serious accident. Esther swells with pride when Tom accepts responsibility, and when they hear there is no money and the women are to be evicted, he invites them into their home until they find a new place. Audrey cannot work as Joan needs continual care, and the couple finds they must stop entertaining. Audrey is gracious and never argues but leaves a nasty stab in every compliment. Esther finds they have stopped looking for a new home, and the cost of guests is mounting. The air fills with tremendous pressure; they feel they have been taken. For what if Tom was not the cause of the man's death?

This builds constant steam until a deadly finale. The women become an albatross around Tom's neck, and Esther's hatred builds into war. The knives are out. The suspense is tinged with mystery, but the reader can delight in knowing they will get what they deserve. Top marks for writing, and recommended for mystery fans.

1957 / Paperback / 128 pages