The Last Mrs. Parrish

“‘Charlene was just fourteen.’ Slowing her pace, Amber wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. It took a lot of acting skills to cry about a sister who never existed. The three sisters she did have were alive and well, although she hadn’t spoken to them for two years.”

Early in Amber’s machinations, the reader is made aware of her subterfuge. Amber’s internal monologue reveals the truth: that there was no sick sister in her past. The reader is made aware of the lengths that Amber will go to achieve her ends. This passage is also the first hint that Amber is one of the novel’s antagonists even though she is the center of the third-person narration at this point. This unique stylistic choice hooks the reader into wanting to understand more about her.

“She wasn’t going to let some society snob screw with her. She’d made sure that the last person who tried got what was coming to her.”

This quote foreshadows how far Amber is willing to go for wealth. The narrator implies that Amber has no qualms about harming others, building suspense as the reader speculates what Amber will do for money. The passage also implies that Amber has a history of similar behavior.

“Amber smiled. All she needed from Daphne was everything.”

Amber continues to reveal her desires, making it clear what she wants from Daphne. Her pursuit of “everything” heightens the tension as the reader questions what is included in this desire.