The novel introduces major themes in Highsmith's work including the complementary nature of good and evil, an implied homoerotic attraction between male antagonists, and shifting identities. On the novel's release, a New York Herald Tribune critic praised it for its suspenseful plotting and perceptive portrayal of a psychopath. A critic for The Times Literary Supplement, however, criticised it as a confected thriller with a preposterous plot.
The novel introduces major themes in Highsmith's work including the complementary nature of good and evil an implied homoerotic attraction between male antagonists and shifting identities On the novel's release a New York Herald Tribune critic praised it for its suspenseful plotting and perceptive portrayal of a psychopath A critic for The Times Literary Supplement however criticised it as a confected thriller with a preposterous plot