The first Kate Fansler Mystery. As is often the case, I am reading the series out of sequence. So, having read a couple of the later ones, and enjoyed them very much, I have come back to the earliest story. I have to say that I did not enjoy it as much as the later ones. I think the author must still have been learning her trade somewhat. Or perhaps it was dated, though I did not actually notice that. Anyway, the trademark humor was not as good, and the conversations and literary references were somehow more contrived. And the solution to the murder was pretty unlikely, I felt. Even Kate’s imagining of the scenario leading to the murder was far-fetched. Having said all that, I quite enjoyed it. But the later ones are better. For those who have not read Amanda Cross’s Kate Fansler mysteries, Kate is a Professor of English Lit at a Manhattan University. (Assumed to be Columbia, like the author). Kate’s involvement in the story begins with her recommendation to a student, Janet Harrison, of her friend, psychoanalyst Dr. Emanuel Bauer. Not long after, Janet is found dead on Dr Emanuel’s couch. Kate’s friendship with Emanuel and he belief that he is innocent cause her to embark on her alternate career as amateur detective. As is usual in Amanda Cross’s stories, very few clues exist. But Kate’s nephew-to-be, Jerry, is dispatched in search of several. And Reed, Kate husband-to-be, is utilized as a willing source inside the Manhattan Justice Department. We do have some literary references – D H Lawrence’s The Rainbow features heavily as a clue and Lord Peter Wimsey is occasionally invoked as a model detective – but I felt the references were not as subtle as other books. One aspect present in this book was a lot of discussion on the effectiveness of psychoanalysis and discussion of Freud. That was kind of interesting too. So it’s good, but I vote for the later ones.
I'll go with 4 stars b/c the story was no only interesting, but I think it was probably very good for it's time but for the most part, it stood the test of time. Also, being 217 pgs, it was a quick read & nice to intermingle after reading many 300-600 pgs books. I'm looking forward to trying some other this in series. It was interesting in a time when forensics was barely heard of let alone DNA a pipe dream, something like ears, in addition to dental, could give a clue to one's identity.It's based around Kate Fansler, a Manhattan English professor in her approx late 30s to early 40s, who refers a former grad student (Janet Harrison) to her good friend & formerly brief lover, who is an analyst/psychiatrist (Dr. Emanuel Bauer). Six weeks later the woman ends up stabbed to death on Emanuel office couch (in an office attached to his home/apt) and him & his wife as suspects. In addition to Kate later becoming a suspect, she also doesn't believe her intelligent, slightly quirky friend or his wife could have done it. Also because the police think the dr. is guilty, Kate believes they won't look for other suspects or evidence so she looks into the victim and into finding additional suspects with the help of another dear friend, an A.D.A., and her niece's fiance, a 22 yr old with a service background.
Do You like book In The Last Analysis (2001)?
When beautiful Janet Harrison asks English professor Kate Fansler to recommend a Manhattan psychoanalyst, Kate immediately sends the girl to her dear friend and former lover, Dr. Emanuel Bauer. Seven weeks later, the girl is stabbed to death on Emanuel's couch--with incriminating fingerprints on the murder weapon. To Kate, the idea of her brilliant friend killing anyone is preposterous, but proving it seems an impossible task. For Janet had no friends, no lover, no family. Why, then, should someone feel compelled to kill her?This was a very enjoyable book, mostly because of Kate's clever dialogue with everyone. There were always wordy (We all know what those English teachers are like!) literary references. It was fun and the ending was a bit of a surprise, but satisfying, and again, clever.
—Mary
Amanda Cross is the pseudonym for Carolyn Heilbrun, who taught for many years in the English Department at Columbia University. This last is important, at least to an English major (me), because it's the literary chatter in the series that draws me to it from time to time. In the Last Analysis is the first installment in the Professor Kate Fansler series. It was written in the mid-sixties and shows its age a bit, mostly in the dialogue, which sounds at times like a smarter, more urbane version of a '60s Doris Day / Rock Hudson movie. This is the kind of book that I tend to pick up when I come across it, but that I don't go out of my way to find.
—Clara
Apparently I enjoyed (sort of) a book in this series a few years ago, so since I was looking for something easy and light, I decided to read this first one in the series. I hated it. I knew I'd hate the main character early on, with declarations like this: "Yet, Kate thought... the facts... were not the sort the police, who must all have stanch lower-middle-class backgrounds, could understand: that a psychiatrist, though he might be more driven than other men, would (view spoiler)[ never commit a crime in his office (hide spoiler)]
—Melody
