The latest offering from Grimes, the author of the popular Richard Jury mystery series, consists of a pair of atmospheric novellas.

While both stories center on middle-aged, single women whose careful, well-ordered lives are gradually altered by meals they share with male acquaintances, these two novellas are quite distinct in their ambience and characterization.

In "The Train Now Departing," Grimes eerily depicts a bright, analytical woman teetering into madness. "When the Mousetrap Closes" is the story of a woman whose desperate loneliness is pitted against her keen powers of observation in an unflinching exploration of the power of illusion.

Although these stories are not mysteries, they are full of suspense and surprise. These carefully written little gems showcase Grimes at her best. ( )