This is incredibly well-written and a perfect introduction to Margaret Atwood’s writing. I look forward to reading more things that she’s written. 

Tony, Charis, and Roz have been brought together by their connection to Zenia, the beautiful, dangerous woman who swept through university and captured the hearts (or maybe the souls) of all the men they love. This is apparently based on the fairy tales of Bluebeard and The Robber Bridegroom, which is obvious from the title, but which I was not familiar with until I read reviews. 

The three women protagonists have fascinating backstories, and I was particularly struck by the way Atwood shifted verb tense to demonstrate the changes in timeline and perspective. Each of them experienced tremendous trauma and abuse that maybe left them particularly vulnerable to Zenia’s ministrations. It would have been satisfying to understand more about her personal history, but the story is all the more compelling because of her unreliability.