A posthumously published book (Gardner died in 1982), in three sections. "Stillness" is a short semi-autobiographical novel about a troubled writer and his marriage, as his brilliant and beautiful wife struggles to make sense of his frequent bouts of rage and hurtfulness. The book is dark, plodding and depressing, only partially redeemed by a comparatively sweet and upbeat conclusion. Not one of Gardner's better works. "Shadows" is an unfinished detective story, followed by several fragments that the editors felt might somewhat conclude the story. I don't much care for unfinished stories, unless I am particularly enthralled by the author's writing style - which is not the case here. Gardner's value as a writer for me lies more in his characters and plots, not his actual writing, which is often a chore to get through. I couldn't bring myself to read this part of the book. ( )