But she wrote a ton of gothic-style stories.
One such novel was The Long Fatal Love Chase, which involves, among other things, a priest who decides to become a Protestant so he can marry the heroine. I can't remember if everyone dies before he makes the leap. (This isn't Thorn Birds. Nobody commits adultery or breaks any vows.)
I obviously wasn't at that invested, and I confess, I rarely am with chase novels. They are quite common in romance, from Alcott to M.M. Kaye and other writers. The heroine and her lover rush across a landscape pursued, quite often, by a stalker.
The comedy version can be quite fun, such as It Happened One Night. But the suspense/action version, even Buchan's 39 Steps (the movie version is quite fun), grows increasingly dull. I enjoyed the Bourne Identity. I prefer Bourne Supremacy.
The chase plot is inherently suspenseful. Unfortunately, like Hitchcock's Torn Curtain, being endlessly chased becomes increasingly pointless. Even with Titanic, I started wishing that Lovejoy (David Warner) was a better shot.
But ultimately, I'd rather Alan Rickman or Bourne picked up a phone and spoke to someone. Running and running and running loses its appeal.
Rear Window is still my favorite Hitchcock, and Jimmy Stewart doesn't go anywhere.
