She also never had a relationship last longer than a couple years. She also preferred being alone, bred snails, and enjoyed woodworking and other solo hobbies-similar to Vic. She was an alcoholic who, according to one of her publishers, liked to start drama at dinner parties-similar to Melinda. Patricia Highsmith seems to have put a bit of herself in both the characters. It is also one of those stories where in some ways, Vic and Melinda were both so messed up that they belonged together. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the suburban couple who have an unhealthy relationship which leads to murder. From here, the ending from book and movie are very different. In the end, Don Vic at the scene of the crime and see Vic acting dubious.

She starts to act like she’s over it and no longer talks with the Don, the only other person who suspects Vic. Melinda again suspects him, but Vic continues to deny it. Melinda then finds a new man, and once again, Vic is alone with him and kills him. Melinda publicly accuses Vic, but as with her affairs, he seems to silently put up with it. Melinda believes Vic did it, but Vic is respected be the community so much, that no one else suspects him (aside from this one guy, Don, who is a newcomer in town). One night, she brings her latest boy toy-Charlie-to a pool party and when Vic and Charlie are alone in the pool, Vic drowns him. She flaunted them about and Vic silently pretended he was fine with all of it.

She then started having one affair after the other, usually with men who were passing through town. A couple years after their daughter’s birth, Melinda told Vic that she was no longer romantically or intimately in love with him. Vic and Melinda have been married for over ten years and have one daughter, Trixie. Patricia Highsmith has a number of novels which have been adapted including Stranger’s on a Train (which was her first novel and the movie was adapted by Alfred Hitchcock) The Incredible Mr. WARNING!! SPOILERS FOR BOTH BOOK AND MOVIE

Deep water based on a book