SOURCE: "Through the Looking Glass," in The New York Review of Books, Vol. XLII, No. 5, March 23, 1995, pp. 18-20.

In the following review, Annan argues that although Blackwood does not present any new revelations in The Last of the Duchess, her sharp perception and witty style make for enjoyable reading.

The Last of the Duchess is detective thriller, Gothic horror story, and society gossip column all in one: a publisher's dream. It is also a grisly anatomy of old age.

The duchess in question is the Duchess of Windsor. In 1980, eight years after the Duke's death, the London Sunday Times decided to ask Lord Snowdon to go to Paris and photograph her. She had not been seen in public for some years, and lurid rumors were circulating about her fate. Caroline Blackwood was to write the accompanying copy. She thought "it might be interesting for someone to take a...