17 Comments
Sep 28Liked by Dr. Kathleen Waller

Whoa. What a head trip. I've never read a story before where not only the characters were all unreliable/possibly lying but the narrator is unreliable too. Not lying, but Marie has clearly been deeply affected by the lockdown, Marija's death, and the general alienation and suspicion of the Viennese intelligence community. Beautifully done, Kate - one of my favorite chapters so far!

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Thank you, Troy! Really appreciate this reflection. I was a mildly worried about this one :)

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Ditto. A real favourite, this one.

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a chapter full of surprises, not only for Marie, but for your readers too. Incredible scenes, love and grief, power and uncertainty so closely entwined, they almost appear interchangeable. Brilliant writing.

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Thanks for the kind words, Veronika! Love the concepts you bring out here in the comments.

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Wow I didn’t expect that. Really enjoying the story.

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It was surprising even for me! Thanks a lot, Jewels.

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This is getting interesting. "I can’t help but think of Foucault" -- I love how you insert this reference here to enrich the narrative (which, btw, is already super rich). Things are unfolding in unexpected ways. I'm sure I'll get my (more than) fair share of surprise here, going forward.

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Sorry I missed this! Somehow I knew you’d be a fan of the Foucault reference. :) thanks!

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Whenever someone tells you that you can trust them, don't. 😅

And then Maria can't even trust her own senses anymore...

Also clever to ask the very question that may (or may not) be on everyone's mind: Why would Marie be in a better position to find the painting than the next person? Does it even matter?

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You are a good armchair detective!

I like this about trusting senses. Hadn’t quite thought of it that way. Interesting concept. Thanks Alexander!

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Sep 30Liked by Dr. Kathleen Waller

Like Troy, this is one of my favourite chapters. We got some big reveals here, and the sense of the uncanny pervades. The scene with Farkas and Josef/not-Josef was really strong.

"We were all playing games, and nobody was living in reality anymore."

Also, "Or if there were earlier cases from animals that were covered up. I’m sure we’ll get the findings soon.’" -- I'm not so sure, Josef!

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Thanks Nathan 🤗

The uncanny! Yeah I enjoyed playing around with that. Happy it made some sense :)

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" I thought of my mother. I was in a box all to myself but it made me feel trapped, as if I were underground, traveling through the sewers of Vienna through a secret passageway to another land." I enjoyed this passage with its hints of Marie passing into the underworld. A great chapter!

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Thanks Jeffrey! Appreciate it.

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Sep 28Liked by Dr. Kathleen Waller

The psychological tension and complex dynamics between the characters kept me on edge. I loved how you wove in themes of control, power, and the blurring of reality. It’s a haunting exploration of trust and fear.

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Thanks a lot, Jon! Very cool to see what themes emerge for you here. Appreciate it.

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