Who Is Maud Dixon? – Alexandra Andrews
100-Word (or Less) Synopsis: Florence has a small-town mentality but big-time dreams. After initially floundering in the New York City publishing world, could an opportunity to be the assistant to a bestselling, anonymous author be the breakthrough she was hoping for?
Expectation: A twisty, wicked story of ambition with shades of Stephen King’s “Misery.”
Reality: A slow burn page turner that mostly delivers with implausible originality.
Recommended For: Fans for thrillers and stories about successful artists and their fans.
Why I Read It: Highly recommended by a friend, and it was on sale in the Apple Books store.
My Take:
A step above the usual psychological thriller, Alexandra Andrews’ debut weaves a complex — but predictable — web of ambition, lies and murder.
I don’t love this genre, primarily because the unreliable narrator trope is so commonplace it’s almost parody, but there was something about “Who is Maud Dixon?” that kept me engaged and willing to buy the more unbelievable aspects of the plot.
That’s a credit to Andrews, who writes in a simple but layered way that helps lull the reader into a sense of safety even though we recognize the undercurrent of danger is still present. Think of it as waiting for the jump scare you know is going to come in a horror film.
Still, the novel moved mercilessly slow at times.
This is a character-driven thriller, not a plot-driven one. Nothing monumental happens for about 50 percent of the novel. Few chapters end in cliffhangers. There’s no blood and gore. If that’s what you’re looking for, “Maud Dixon” is not for you.
Here’s three things I liked:
Florence – instead of being the usual unreliable narrator (aka victimized), she is possibly psychotic and definitely narcissistic. She accepts that about herself, and we need to accept that about her too. Andrews does a wonderful job of building sympathy for her but also regularly knocks her down a peg or two so we can feel good about watching her try to succeed.
The setting – while the story starts in New York — like every thriller these days — about halfway through the setting shifts to Morocco, which keeps our characters, and the reader, off-kilter.
Success as a weapon – Florence has a desire to shed her small-town life and make it big as a writer in New York. Helen had the same ambition and made it come true. Florence is jealous. Helen is a gaslighter and poseur. The way each of them yield success as a weapon against the other was subdued and deliciously sinister.
Here’s three things I didn’t like:
Helen – she seemed more like a caricature than a real person. While I enjoyed the tennis matches between her and Florence, there was something distant and unrealistic in her portrayal. That’s also entirely the point…
The Big Reveal™ - I saw it coming. As soon as the big event occurs soon into their trip in Morocco I could tell where the story was heading. Sure, I didn’t get all the twists correct — and that’s why this is a solid good, not great novel for me — but the broad strokes were there.
The minor characters – I was happy with the Florence and Helen dynamic, which was a mix between “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” and “Death Becomes Her.” I didn’t care for the six or so minor characters that were inserted to add drama but poked holes in how unbelievable the plot was.
While “Maud Dixon” doesn’t break much new ground, it is still a relatively quick, escapist read.
Rating (story): 3.5/5 stars
Rating (narration): N/A
Formats: eBook (personal library)
Dates read: August 7 - 29, 2021
Multi-tasking: N/A
