Wentworth writes mysteries where people are murdered or kidnapped for ordinary human reasons, like money, sex, and being blackmailed; not a mass murderer or terrorist in sight. Lonesome Road is set just before World War II, Out of the Past and The Catherine Wheel soon after. There is a big difference in attitude to money: after the war everyone seems more worried about earning a living and have less expectation of living off richer relatives, and plan on selling large old houses due to the expense of maintaining and staffing them.
I enjoyed The Catherine Wheel most, for its imaginative setting, and because you can see the start of changes in attitudes to female roles. For a start, all the single women are working or running small businesses, in marked contrast to Lonesome Road. The Catherine Wheel also gives an interesting view of class divisions.
Lonesome Road first published 1939, The Catherine Wheel, 1951, Out of the Past 1955
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