The Long, Long Afternoon is Inga Vesper's great first entry into crime fiction. Set in the 1950s, we are immersed into a quiet, middle-class and overwhelmingly white California neighbourhood coming to terms with the uncharacteristic disappearance of one of their own. Beneath the veneer of perfection, we slowly begin to peel back the layers of this seemingly perfect community to unravel the rotten core underneath. We mainly follow Ruby, the black domestic helper of the missing woman and Detective Mick Blanke as they try to uncover what has happened.
Ruby's perspective was by far the most powerful, and Inga Vesper did not shy away from highlighting the disgusting treatment she received throughout the novel from many of the white characters. It was uncomfortable to read at times, but was essential in highlighting the inhumane treatment of black Americans still extant in the late 1950s. Ruby shone as the hero of this story. Her resilient determination to do the right thing in the face of overwhelming odds never felt over-done. Her backstory, as well as he dreams for the future further anchored her, for me, as the pivotal voice of the story.
The only downsides centered around the other characters. Mick had a backstory involving his transfer from New York to Santa Monica, but in comparison to Ruby's characterisation, it felt rushed. I also thought the ending a little abrupt considering the build-up, and not all my questions were answered in the nice little bow I usually like with my crime novels. Who knows, maybe that was the point? Murder is a murky business after all.
Overall, this was a great debut novel by an author I will be keeping an eye on in the future. Vesper treads on the right side of that fine line of writing the type of historical crime fiction that makes us take a look at our present-day world. The novel's questions about class, race and gender still resonate with us today, and if you're wanting a discussion on those topics through the lens of 1950s domestic crime fiction, this is definitely a different, worthwhile read.
Ruby's perspective was by far the most powerful, and Inga Vesper did not shy away from highlighting the disgusting treatment she received throughout the novel from many of the white characters. It was uncomfortable to read at times, but was essential in highlighting the inhumane treatment of black Americans still extant in the late 1950s. Ruby shone as the hero of this story. Her resilient determination to do the right thing in the face of overwhelming odds never felt over-done. Her backstory, as well as he dreams for the future further anchored her, for me, as the pivotal voice of the story.
The only downsides centered around the other characters. Mick had a backstory involving his transfer from New York to Santa Monica, but in comparison to Ruby's characterisation, it felt rushed. I also thought the ending a little abrupt considering the build-up, and not all my questions were answered in the nice little bow I usually like with my crime novels. Who knows, maybe that was the point? Murder is a murky business after all.
Overall, this was a great debut novel by an author I will be keeping an eye on in the future. Vesper treads on the right side of that fine line of writing the type of historical crime fiction that makes us take a look at our present-day world. The novel's questions about class, race and gender still resonate with us today, and if you're wanting a discussion on those topics through the lens of 1950s domestic crime fiction, this is definitely a different, worthwhile read.