A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES

Rendell again proves herself a master at the psychological thriller, wringing excruciating tension from assiduously crafted characters. Here she eventually leads us to the intersection of two adults who suffered gruesome childhoods--Teddy, who grew up in a home free of the most elemental nurturance, and Francine, who witnessed the murder of her own mother. One becomes a sociopath, and the other the gentlest of souls. The suspense throughout is the dread that somehow their paths will cross. Sterlin's fine performance adds to the creeping horror. Even apart from the words she speaks, her very tone of voice conveys the frightening detachment that makes Teddy so dangerous and the essential goodness that makes Francine so dear. M.O. © AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 99]