It's as if Mangan couldn't decide whether to write a homage to Donna Tartt's The Secret History or a sun-drenched novel of dissolute Westerners abroad in the tradition of Patricia Highsmith and Paul Bowles, so she tried to do both. She mostly succeeds…[Mangan] knows all the notes to hit to create lush, sinister atmosphere and to prolong suspense…Tangerine [is]…a satisfying, juicy thriller…
The New York Times Book Review - Jennifer Reese
01/01/2018 The spirit of Patricia Highsmith’s sociopathic social climber Tom Ripley is alive in Mangan’s transportive debut. Alice Shipley and Lucy Mason met as freshman at Bennington in the early 1950s and became the best of friends. Now, after a year apart, they meet again in 1956 in Tangier, where Alice and her new husband, John McAllister, have moved for his job. Alice doesn’t especially enjoy living in Tangier, which is too foreign for her liking. Lucy, meanwhile, revels in the raffish individuals found in the souk. A suspected dalliance by John paves the way for Lucy to reassert her position with the emotionally fragile and easy-to-manipulate Alice. At the same time, the story flashes back to the girls’ passionate friendship at Bennington, where they were inseparable until Tom, a drama student from Williams, came between them. A tragedy ultimately broke their friendship, and there is every indication that another accident of some kind will occur in Tangier; the twisted history of this relationship seems fated to repeat itself. Although some of the plot developments are easy to predict, the novel is narrated persuasively in alternating chapters by Alice and Lucy, and Mangan’s portrayal of Tangier is electric. This sharp novel reads like Single White Female rewritten as a collaboration between Paul Bowles and Mary McCarthy. (Mar.)
The lying, the cunning, and the duplicity is so very mannered that it’s chilling. Rich in dread, the foreboding positively drips from every page.” — Washington Post
“A dark tale of twisted love.” — NPR
“Promises to be one of the best debuts of the year. . . . Echoes of Gillian Flynn and Patricia Highsmith in this tightly wound, exotic story.” — Entertainment Weekly
“A slow-burning suspense novel about betrayal in the sun-drenched setting of 1950s Tangier. . . . It’s a page-turner.” — AARP Magazine
“Unbelievably tense, incredibly smart. . . . Mangan full-speeds up to her shocking finale, twisting the plot with reveals you never see coming. . . . [Her] writing is so accomplished, so full of surprises and beauty, that you’d swear she was a seasoned pro.” — San Francisco Chronicle
“If you liked The Talented Mr. Ripley , then you’re going to go wild for this taut thriller. . . . Absolutely delicious.” — Nylon Magazine
“Eerie and fun.” — Jennifer Egan, New York
“The thriller that everyone will be talking about. . . . One of those sinuous, Hitchcockian tales that disorients in the best way. . . . Hypnotic.” — Esquire
“A juicy melodrama cast against the sultry, stylish imagery of North Africa in the fifties. . . . [Tangerine is] endearing and even impressive in the force of its determination to conjure a life more exciting than most. . . . Just the ticket.” — New Yorker
“[Mangan] knows all the notes to hit to create lush, sinister atmosphere and to prolong suspense. . . . A satisfying, juicy thriller.” — New York Times Book Review
“A taut and heady suspense story.” — St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“One book to add to your must-read list this spring.” — Parade
“A searing, propulsive story about female friendship gone awry.” — Bustle
“The reader’s sympathy switches back and forth between Lucy and Alice as their Moroccan reunion moves inexorably toward another fatal crossroads. But caveat lector : Tangerine , like its namesake fruit, can be both bracing and bitter.” — Wall Street Journal
“The amoral, manipulative presence of Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley hovers over Tangerine . . . . An assured and atmospheric debut.” — The Guardian
“A sophisticated mystery with Hitchcockian flair. . . . unputdownable.” — The Missourian
“Fans of The Talented Mr. Ripley will find much to love in this sultry thriller.” — Harper’s Bazaar
“It’s thrilling to read a new voice that feels so fully formed and in command of her narrative.” — Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, Newsweek
“A dark and truly haunting tale of friendship and obsession.” — Buzzfeed
“This is a Hitchcockian thrill ride that’s so evocative, it will make you swear you’ve been to Morocco.” — Popsugar
“Add a dose of suspense to your reading list. . . . A renewed friendship, a mysterious disappearance, and a world turned thrillingly upside down.” — Southern Living
“Maddening, gripping, enchanting—I’m at risk of running out of adjectives to describe just how wholly impressive this debut is. . . . Mangan has written a lush, vibrant, and unputdownable psychological suspense story that recalls the work of Patricia Highsmith in a voice all her own.” — Crime by the Book
“As if Donna Tartt, Gillian Flynn, and Patricia Highsmith had collaborated on a screenplay to be filmed by Hitchcock—suspenseful and atmospheric.” — Joyce Carol Oates, author of The Book of American Martyrs
“In her utterly transfixing debut, Christine Mangan deftly transports readers to Northern Africa at midcentury—the most glamorous possible milieu, and the ideal setting for a story of heated passion, in which friendship becomes obsession and, finally, a kind of madness.” — Rumaan Alam, author of Rich and Pretty
“Both eerie and thrilling, the tangled knot that binds these two female characters will keep you frantically turning the pages. Tangerine dabbles in dark backstory and psychological doubt, leaving me feeling as though I’ve gone to Tangier, with Daphne du Maurier’s literary heir as my guide.” — Suzanne Rindell, author of The Other Typist and Three Martini Lunch
“Hypnotic. . . . [A] deadly, Hitchcockian pas de deux plays out under an unrelenting, Camus-like African sun. . . . Sucks the reader in almost instantly.” — Booklist (starred review)
“Transportive. . . . Mangan’s portrayal of Tangier is electric. This sharp novel reads like Single White Female rewritten as a collaboration between Paul Bowles and Mary McCarthy.” — Publishers Weekly
“Readers captivated by the flavor of international romance and intrigue, as in Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient , will enjoy the distorted psychological twists and turns.” — Library Journal
“Mangan’s debut pays homage to The Talented Mr. Ripley and to the work of Daphne du Maurier and Shirley Jackson. A vivid setting and a devious, deadly plot.” — Kirkus
[Mangan] knows all the notes to hit to create lush, sinister atmosphere and to prolong suspense. . . . A satisfying, juicy thriller.
New York Times Book Review
A slow-burning suspense novel about betrayal in the sun-drenched setting of 1950s Tangier. . . . It’s a page-turner.
Eerie and fun.
The thriller that everyone will be talking about. . . . One of those sinuous, Hitchcockian tales that disorients in the best way. . . . Hypnotic.
The lying, the cunning, and the duplicity is so very mannered that it’s chilling. Rich in dread, the foreboding positively drips from every page.”
A juicy melodrama cast against the sultry, stylish imagery of North Africa in the fifties. . . . [Tangerine is] endearing and even impressive in the force of its determination to conjure a life more exciting than most. . . . Just the ticket.
Unbelievably tense, incredibly smart. . . . Mangan full-speeds up to her shocking finale, twisting the plot with reveals you never see coming. . . . [Her] writing is so accomplished, so full of surprises and beauty, that you’d swear she was a seasoned pro.
Promises to be one of the best debuts of the year. . . . Echoes of Gillian Flynn and Patricia Highsmith in this tightly wound, exotic story.
If you liked The Talented Mr. Ripley , then you’re going to go wild for this taut thriller. . . . Absolutely delicious.
A dark tale of twisted love.
In her utterly transfixing debut, Christine Mangan deftly transports readers to Northern Africa at midcentury—the most glamorous possible milieu, and the ideal setting for a story of heated passion, in which friendship becomes obsession and, finally, a kind of madness.
Maddening, gripping, enchanting—I’m at risk of running out of adjectives to describe just how wholly impressive this debut is. . . . Mangan has written a lush, vibrant, and unputdownable psychological suspense story that recalls the work of Patricia Highsmith in a voice all her own.
Fans of The Talented Mr. Ripley will find much to love in this sultry thriller.
The reader’s sympathy switches back and forth between Lucy and Alice as their Moroccan reunion moves inexorably toward another fatal crossroads. But caveat lector : Tangerine , like its namesake fruit, can be both bracing and bitter.
As if Donna Tartt, Gillian Flynn, and Patricia Highsmith had collaborated on a screenplay to be filmed by Hitchcock—suspenseful and atmospheric.
The amoral, manipulative presence of Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley hovers over Tangerine . . . . An assured and atmospheric debut.
It’s thrilling to read a new voice that feels so fully formed and in command of her narrative.
Hypnotic. . . . [A] deadly, Hitchcockian pas de deux plays out under an unrelenting, Camus-like African sun. . . . Sucks the reader in almost instantly.
Booklist (starred review)
A sophisticated mystery with Hitchcockian flair. . . . unputdownable.
A taut and heady suspense story.
Add a dose of suspense to your reading list. . . . A renewed friendship, a mysterious disappearance, and a world turned thrillingly upside down.
Both eerie and thrilling, the tangled knot that binds these two female characters will keep you frantically turning the pages. Tangerine dabbles in dark backstory and psychological doubt, leaving me feeling as though I’ve gone to Tangier, with Daphne du Maurier’s literary heir as my guide.
One book to add to your must-read list this spring.
This is a Hitchcockian thrill ride that’s so evocative, it will make you swear you’ve been to Morocco.
A searing, propulsive story about female friendship gone awry.
A dark and truly haunting tale of friendship and obsession.
Unbelievably tense, incredibly smart. . . . Mangan full-speeds up to her shocking finale, twisting the plot with reveals you never see coming. . . . [Her] writing is so accomplished, so full of surprises and beauty, that you’d swear she was a seasoned pro.
The reader’s sympathy switches back and forth between Lucy and Alice as their Moroccan reunion moves inexorably toward another fatal crossroads. But caveat lector : Tangerine , like its namesake fruit, can be both bracing and bitter.
A juicy melodrama cast against the sultry, stylish imagery of North Africa in the fifties. . . . [Tangerine is] endearing and even impressive in the force of its determination to conjure a life more exciting than most. . . . Just the ticket.
The lying, the cunning, and the duplicity is so very mannered that it’s chilling. Rich in dread, the foreboding positively drips from every page.”
Hypnotic. . . . [A] deadly, Hitchcockian pas de deux plays out under an unrelenting, Camus-like African sun. . . . Sucks the reader in almost instantly.
Booklist (starred review)
The lying, the cunning, and the duplicity is so very mannered that it’s chilling. Rich in dread, the foreboding positively drips from every page.”
A sophisticated mystery with Hitchcockian flair. . . . unputdownable.
Unbelievably tense, incredibly smart. . . . Mangan full-speeds up to her shocking finale, twisting the plot with reveals you never see coming. . . . [Her] writing is so accomplished, so full of surprises and beauty, that you’d swear she was a seasoned pro.
A dark tale of twisted love.
The reader’s sympathy switches back and forth between Lucy and Alice as their Moroccan reunion moves inexorably toward another fatal crossroads. But caveat lector: Tangerine , like its namesake fruit, can be both bracing and bitter.
The thriller that everyone will be talking about. . . . One of those sinuous, Hitchcockian tales that disorients in the best way. . . . Hypnotic.
Fans of The Talented Mr. Ripley will find much to love in this sultry thriller.
[Mangan] knows all the notes to hit to create lush, sinister atmosphere and to prolong suspense. . . . A satisfying, juicy thriller.
New York Times Book Review
A slow-burning suspense novel about betrayal in the sun-drenched setting of 1950s Tangier. . . . It’s a page-turner.
Promises to be one of the best debuts of the year. . . . Echoes of Gillian Flynn and Patricia Highsmith in this tightly wound, exotic story.
A juicy melodrama cast against the sultry, stylish imagery of North Africa in the fifties. . . . [Tangerine is] endearing and even impressive in the force of its determination to conjure a life more exciting than most. . . . Just the ticket.
Add a dose of suspense to your reading list. . . . A renewed friendship, a mysterious disappearance, and a world turned thrillingly upside down.
One book to add to your must-read list this spring.
If you liked The Talented Mr. Ripley , then you’re going to go wild for this taut thriller. . . . Absolutely delicious.”
A taut and heady suspense story.
Fans of The Talented Mr. Ripley will find much to love in this sultry thriller.
It’s thrilling to read a new voice that feels so fully formed and in command of her narrative.
Narrators Barrie Kreinik and Erin Mallon deliver performances to savor. Friends at Bennington, Alice and Lucy haven’t spoken in over a year. Something terrible caused a rift between them. Alice has married and moved to Tangier with her husband. She loathes the place and wishes desperately to be back home. Then, Lucy appears in Tangier, wanting to make things right. At times, Kreinik makes Alice sound wispy, insubstantial, and easily buffeted about by events, while she also delivers Alice’s disquieting inner monologues with tightly controlled malice. Mallon’s Lucy is coolly logical, able to rationalize her behavior as any good sociopath can. As well as vivid portraits of the two women, both actors deliver convincing secondary characters, all wrapped in the exotic scents and sounds of Tangier. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Narrators Barrie Kreinik and Erin Mallon deliver performances to savor. Friends at Bennington, Alice and Lucy haven’t spoken in over a year. Something terrible caused a rift between them. Alice has married and moved to Tangier with her husband. She loathes the place and wishes desperately to be back home. Then, Lucy appears in Tangier, wanting to make things right. At times, Kreinik makes Alice sound wispy, insubstantial, and easily buffeted about by events, while she also delivers Alice’s disquieting inner monologues with tightly controlled malice. Mallon’s Lucy is coolly logical, able to rationalize her behavior as any good sociopath can. As well as vivid portraits of the two women, both actors deliver convincing secondary characters, all wrapped in the exotic scents and sounds of Tangier. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
2017-12-24 In 1956, a pair of college roommates meets again in Tangier, with terrifying results."At first, I had told myself that Tangier wouldn't be so terrible," says Alice Shipley, a young wife dragged there by her unpleasant husband, John McAllister, who has married her for her money. He vanishes every day into the city, which he adores, while Alice is afraid to go out at all, having once gotten lost in the flea market. Then Lucy Mason, her one-time best friend and roommate at Bennington College, shows up unannounced on her doorstep. "I had never, not once in the many moments that had occurred between the Green Mountains of Vermont and the dusty alleyways of Morocco, expected to see her again." Alice and Lucy did not part on good terms; there are repeated references to a horrible accident which will remain mysterious for some time. What is clear is that Lucy is romantically obsessed with Alice and that Alice is afraid of her. In chapters that alternate between the two women's points of view, the past and the present unfold. The two young women bonded quickly at Bennington: though Alice is a wealthy, delicate Brit and Lucy a rough-edged local on scholarship, both are orphans. Or at least Lucy says she is—from the start, there are inconsistencies in her story that put Alice in doubt. And while Alice is so frightened of Tangier that she can't leave the house, Lucy feels right at home: she finds the maze of souks electrifying, and she quickly learns to enjoy the local custom of drinking scalding hot mint tea in the heat. She makes a friend, a shady local named Joseph, and immediately begins lying to him, introducing herself as Alice Shipley. Something evil this way comes, for sure. Mangan's debut pays homage to The Talented Mr. Ripley and to the work of Daphne du Maurier and Shirley Jackson.A vivid setting and a devious, deadly plot, though the first is a bit overdone and the second contains a few head-scratchers, including the evil-lesbian trope. Film rights have already been sold; it will make a good movie.