The Rainbird Pattern

Victor Canning was a well-regarded British thriller writer who began with stereotyped adventures in exotic locales. Around 1971, however, with the publication of "Firecrest", his books took on a grimmer, John LeCarre-like tone, and although Canning now wrote about Establishment types and agencies, most of his works were driven by anti-Establishment disgust. His critical reputation also soared. "The Rainbird Pattern", which was made into the light-hearted "Family Plot" by Alfred Hitchcock, was typical of the new, noir Canning. The grim, not at all light-hearted, book is listed here because one of its main characters, a purported female psychic, is revealed at the very end to have been a true psychic after all.

This is a typical complex and subtle Canning thriller that at the end reveals a somewhat supernatural element. It was made into a film by Alfred Hitchcock entitled "Family Plot". Price (front flap) and ISBN (front flap, copyright page) from ebay.com photos. Page count from WorldCat.