Unfortunately, the final showdown between Harriet and Danny is a little too stage-managed, and worse, Tartt decides in the last few pages that resolving the murder isn't all that important to begin with. Granted, Tartt denied us a wow finish in The Secret History as well, and it may be that unresolved sins are simply part of her Christian view of life in a fallen world where justice is not ours to distribute. Maybe by her next book, Tartt will iron out this kink in a satisfying way. As it stands, The Little Friend represents something of an advancement for a writer whose voice is getting a little less grating.
"A sinister cabal of superior writers."
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I'll agree there were structural problems with The Secret History. And that The Little Friend is a better book. But Tartt does deliver on her commitment: she delivers thick plot with good prose, rather than writing as if those two things are mutual antagonists.