Fatal Encounter

Synopsis

Howard, a well-known book publisher, has growing concerns for his wife, Joanna. On her return from a country retreat, she appears unusually distant. Her increasingly erratic behaviour takes a sinister turn, when a violent encounter with Perry results in murder. As Joanna's motive emerges, Howard finds himself in a desperate situation. His love for his wife forces him to confess to the murder.

Our Review:

Anne Morley-Priestman - 24 September 2009

There's mileage in listing the professions most likely to be followed by murderers in well-plotted thrillers. Especially those of that master-craftsman in the genre Francis Durbridge. Fatal Encounter is set in the living-room of one of those large houses in the Holland Park area of London. It's the home of a well-to-do publisher. He and his wife also have a country cottage and a taste for art. His secretary is married to an MP and his colleague is divorced from a bar-owner in Ibiza.

Enough red herrings are dragged across the ten scenes as the drama unfolds to stock a Kensington delicatessen. Handbags go missing (and are mysteriously returned), pictures may suggest more than they show, off-stage muggings are not always what they seem – the plot twists and turns most satisfactorily.

This Ian Dickens production is strongly cast with Anita Harris dithering her way through Joanna's mishaps while her husband (Michael Howe) tries to get a grip on everyone els...

Read more of the review

Latest User Review

No reviews yet

Click here to add your review