Last week I met with one of my book clubs to discuss a favorite classic, Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. I first read this book three or four years ago. It can be somewhat daunting to reread books, especially suspense novels once the "who done it" is revealed. But, there is more to Rebecca than a murder mystery because of its characterization and its setting. There is something about a heroine without a first name. There is something about an austere, melancholy man who woes a nobody-woman into marrying him after a few drives in his car. There is something about an enchanting woman so many admired who dies mysteriously. There is something about a suspicious, grieving maidservant that exhales her chilling words through the page. There is something about Manderley, the beautiful estate of secrets. There is even more to say about the transformation of each character throughout, for all suspense stories should protray characters who are not what they seem. Some may say this book is like so many others, perhaps predictable. Yet, it may be argued that others have been inspired by Du Maurier's plot. But, then again she may have borrowed a few elements from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. (Incidentally, Jane Eyre was the first classic I read as a child. I read it again recently and rekindled that first love.) Either way, there is something about this story, something timeless, troubling, and delciously thrilling. If you have never read it, do! And read Jane Eyre while you're at it!