M@ reviewed In a lonely place by Dorothy B. Hughes (Femmes fatales : women write pulp)
Review of 'In a lonely place' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
"So, Matt, why did you read this book?"
Three reasons.
1. There's a movie with Humphrey Bogart.
2. [a:Karina Longworth|3176382|Karina Longworth|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1389860806p2/3176382.jpg] mentioned it in "You Must Remember This", in the Gloria Grahame episode.
3. My go-to authority on noir literature, not least of which because she writes some of the best modern noir there is, one [a:Megan Abbott|29593|Megan Abbott|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1341365230p2/29593.jpg], gave it five stars.
And with those three things to recommend it, it did not even come close to disappointing. It's a masterwork, and if you like Abbott, or [a:Raymond Chandler|1377|Raymond Chandler|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1206535318p2/1377.jpg], or [a:James M. Cain|14473|James M. Cain|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1214424417p2/14473.jpg], or even film noir, drop whatever it is you're doing and read this book. Why are you still reading this review? Go! Now!
I also actually read this as part of an omnibus volume, [b:Women Crime Writers: Four Suspense Novels of the 1940s: Laura / The Horizontal Man / In a Lonely Place …
"So, Matt, why did you read this book?"
Three reasons.
1. There's a movie with Humphrey Bogart.
2. [a:Karina Longworth|3176382|Karina Longworth|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1389860806p2/3176382.jpg] mentioned it in "You Must Remember This", in the Gloria Grahame episode.
3. My go-to authority on noir literature, not least of which because she writes some of the best modern noir there is, one [a:Megan Abbott|29593|Megan Abbott|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1341365230p2/29593.jpg], gave it five stars.
And with those three things to recommend it, it did not even come close to disappointing. It's a masterwork, and if you like Abbott, or [a:Raymond Chandler|1377|Raymond Chandler|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1206535318p2/1377.jpg], or [a:James M. Cain|14473|James M. Cain|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1214424417p2/14473.jpg], or even film noir, drop whatever it is you're doing and read this book. Why are you still reading this review? Go! Now!
I also actually read this as part of an omnibus volume, [b:Women Crime Writers: Four Suspense Novels of the 1940s: Laura / The Horizontal Man / In a Lonely Place / The Blank Wall|25431247|Women Crime Writers Four Suspense Novels of the 1940s Laura / The Horizontal Man / In a Lonely Place / The Blank Wall|Sarah Weinman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1438295246s/25431247.jpg|45191970], but anybody dumb enough to set a three-digit annual reading goal is going to read those four books individually and count each individually as well. I'll enjoy [b:The Blank Wall|2702246|The Blank Wall|Elisabeth Sanxay Holding|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327205633s/2702246.jpg|2727610] sometime later this year.