I enjoyed this book a lot more than I had originally expected. Not only is it an interesting slice of pre-war Southern California but its divorced mother/hard economy storyline resonates with the current lousy economy. The characters of Mildred and daughter Veda do a kind of slow but interesting burn throughout the book: you may not like them, in fact one you're certain to outright hate, but they certainly keep your interest, and watching them clash is a schadenfreude-filled treat. Many times I got tired of one character's ability to forgive the other but I realized this book is as much a "hard-boiled" story as it is a classic tragedy, the kind of Greek tragedy wherein families self-destruct because of one person's tragic flaw.

I read this in anticipation of the HBO miniseries, and of course to have a great excuse to watch the 1945 Joan Crawford classic. I really enjoyed reading this and will add a few more Cain books to my reading list.