Net of Cobwebs

Net of Cobwebs follows Miles Despard, a naval officer who wakes up in a hospital with no memory of how he arrived there. He finds himself at his aunt's estate in Long Island, surrounded by relatives who seem to know more about his situation than they reveal. As Miles attempts to reconstruct the missing pieces of his memory, he becomes entangled in a web of family dynamics and suspicious circumstances. The presence of his cousin's beautiful widow, Ruth, adds complexity to his investigation while his wealthy aunt maintains strict control over the household. Strange events continue to occur at the estate as Miles navigates between what others tell him and his own fragmentary recollections. His search for truth puts him at odds with family members who insist he accept their version of events. This psychological suspense novel explores themes of memory, identity, and the ways family loyalty can either illuminate or obscure reality. The post-war setting provides a backdrop for examining how trauma affects perception and trust.

Limited reader reviews exist online for this 1945 domestic suspense novel. Readers note the psychological tension as the protagonist Nina questions her own sanity while dealing with her new marriage and step-daughter. Several reviews mention the building uncertainty and claustrophobic atmosphere of the story. Main criticisms focus on the slow pacing, especially in the first third. Some readers expected more overt mystery elements rather than psychological suspense. Available Ratings: Goodreads: 3.57/5 (14 ratings, 4 reviews) No Amazon reviews found From individual reviews: "A forgotten gem of psychological suspense that belongs with the best of Highsmith" - Mystery Scene Magazine reader comment "The paranoia and self-doubt feel authentic but the plot takes too long to develop" - Goodreads review "Creates a vivid sense of unease through domestic details" - Goodreads review

Laura by Vera Caspary A psychological suspense novel about a detective's investigation into a murdered woman through multiple perspectives reveals secrets beneath a seemingly perfect facade.

The Blank Wall by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding A mother protects her family from blackmail and murder while maintaining a facade of suburban normality during wartime.

Beast in View by Margaret Millar A wealthy woman receives threatening phone calls that lead to deaths and uncover dark connections between her past and present.

Nightmare Alley by William Lindsay Gresham A carnival worker's rise and fall through the worlds of mentalism, spiritualism, and con artistry exposes the darkness within human nature.

In a Lonely Place by Dorothy B. Hughes A post-war story follows a serial killer masquerading as a crime writer through the streets of Los Angeles.

🕸️ Elisabeth Sanxay Holding was called "the top suspense writer of them all" by Raymond Chandler, one of noir fiction's most celebrated authors. 📚 Net of Cobwebs (1945) explores psychological suspense through the perspective of an unreliable narrator, a technique that was innovative for its time and influenced later thriller writers. 🏥 The book's portrayal of post-traumatic stress and mental health issues in returning WWII veterans was notably ahead of its time, as these topics were rarely addressed in 1940s literature. 🔍 The novel's main character, James Calloway, experiences memory loss and confusion—themes that would become increasingly popular in psychological thrillers decades later. ✍️ Though less well-known today, Holding wrote 18 crime novels between 1929 and 1953, and was one of the most respected crime fiction writers of the mid-20th century.