▁so ▁vac uous ▁that ▁one ▁hardly ▁car es ▁whether ▁they ▁get ▁murder ed ▁or ▁not ." ▁They ▁stated ▁that ▁despite ▁this , ▁the ▁" mad man ▁murder er ▁is ▁clever ly ▁conce aled ▁among ▁a ▁be vy ▁of ▁red ▁her r ings ▁and ▁as ▁he ▁zero es ▁in ▁for ▁his ▁reven ge ▁this ▁turns ▁into ▁a ▁high ▁velocity ▁ch iller ▁with ▁a ▁double ▁identity ▁tw ist ." ▁Jenn ifer ▁Mo ody ▁writes ▁in ▁The ▁Times ▁Liter ary ▁Supp lement ▁that ▁" the ▁mystery ▁of ▁who ▁is ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁letters , ▁the ▁thre ats ▁and ▁the ▁violence , ▁is ▁handled ▁with ▁skill ▁and ▁pan ache ". ▁She ▁added ▁that ▁Dun can ▁" m akes ▁ill umin ating ▁contrast s ▁between ▁the ▁relationships ▁of ▁Jul ie ▁and ▁Ray ▁on ▁the ▁one ▁hand ▁and ▁Helen ▁and ▁Barry ▁on ▁the ▁other ." ▁Complete ▁Re views ▁M . ▁A . ▁Orth o fer ▁gave ▁the ▁story ▁a ▁B - ▁rating , ▁stating ▁that ▁the ▁story ▁was ▁a ▁" reason ably ▁susp ense ful ▁gu ilt - rid den ▁thr iller ", ▁but ▁that ▁" the ▁writing ▁( and ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁plot ting ) ▁is ▁very , ▁very ▁basic ." ▁ ▁Film ▁adaptation ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁was ▁adapted ▁into ▁a ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁film ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁name ▁directed ▁by ▁Jim ▁G illes pie ▁and ▁st arring ▁Jenn ifer ▁Love ▁H ew itt ▁as ▁Jul ie , ▁Sarah ▁Mich elle ▁G ell ar ▁as ▁Helen , ▁Ryan ▁Ph illi pe ▁as ▁Barry , ▁and ▁Fred