ors ▁condem n ▁him ▁for ▁' leading ▁a ▁young ▁girl ▁ast ray ' ▁and ▁' leading ▁her ▁to ▁her ▁death '. ▁The ▁doctor ▁who ▁tends ▁to ▁him ▁inv ites ▁him ▁to ▁stay ▁at ▁his ▁home ▁to ▁recover . ▁There , ▁Greg ▁fires ▁a ▁shot ▁which ▁w ounds ▁the ▁doctor , ▁eventually ▁resulting ▁in ▁the ▁man ' s ▁death . ▁▁ ▁The ▁police ▁finally ▁see ▁the ▁truth ▁and ▁arrest ▁Greg , ▁but ▁release ▁him ▁on ▁b ail . ▁He ▁goes ▁to ▁see ▁Nick ie ▁and ▁together ▁they ▁go ▁to ▁Robert ' s ▁home , ▁which ▁he ▁is ▁about ▁to ▁leave ▁for ▁good , ▁and ▁a ▁final ▁confront ation ▁occurs . ▁Greg ▁tries ▁to ▁kn ife ▁Robert ▁but ▁instead ▁k ills ▁Nick ie . ▁Robert ▁will ▁again ▁be ▁front ▁and ▁center ▁in ▁a ▁death ▁investigation . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁In ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times , ▁Thomas ▁L ask ▁wrote ▁that ▁" Miss ▁High sm ith ▁starts ▁in ▁low ▁g ear ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁fourth ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁marks ▁time ▁as ▁she ▁goes ▁through ▁some ▁pre lim inary ▁passes . ▁Her ▁characters ▁are ▁only ▁pu ppets . ▁But ▁once ▁it ▁starts ▁rolling ▁the ▁tale ▁acceler ates ▁rapidly , ▁d angers ▁and ▁susp ense ▁p ile ▁up ▁and ▁the ▁reader ▁goes ▁along ▁very ▁will ingly ▁to ▁the ▁conclusion . ▁And ▁a ▁g ory ▁one ▁it ▁is , ▁too ." ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁British ▁writer ▁and ▁critic ▁Brig id ▁Bro phy ▁stated ▁that , ▁of ▁the ▁nov els ▁written ▁in ▁the ▁last ▁twenty