not quite as much carnage as 'rendezvous in black,' still my fave of the 2 woolrich books i've read so far, mainly for the sheer outlandishness & fantastic nature of its bloodshed. despite some obvious cinematic noir conventions (which, admittedly, he helped invent) woolrich's plots are generally brilliant (despite a few necessary suspensions of disbelief)... but his characters are stock figures for the most part, lacking the stylish sheen of chandler, the matter-of-factness of hammett, or the hauntedness of ross macdonald (still the absolute humanistic pinnacle of this style).back to this one, i find his version of NYC, sketchy as it is, far more compelling than j. lethem, the other book filling up the commuting hours lately.
This was my first Woolrich read, so I don't know if this is one of his best or average works. But, with noir more or less meaning, black, dark or gloomy...this one definitely fits in the noir genre. With an anxiety level, and the feeling of being in the dark or in a shadow, even when you know it's midday, really gives the reader that gloomy feeling. Great noir prose and the characters of despair, no wonder he can be mentioned in the same breath as - Cain, Chandler, Goodis, Thompson and others. 4.5 stars
Do You like book Phantom Lady (2001)?
Well-written, fast-paced mystery about a man falsely accused of killing his wife. Sentenced to be executed, he gets help from a police detective (who thinks he's innocent) to find his only alibi that'll save his life. And that is the "phantom lady" he met at a bar at the time his wife was murdered. That's easier said than done, however, and requires the additional assistance of a friend and a would-be girlfriend to search for this mystery woman. Many obstacles are encountered, as the day of his execution gets closer and closer. Will they find her in time? The author had me quickly turning the pages of this book to find out. A terrific read!
—Cheryl
My copy of this is in an old book I found called The Best of William Irish - this was a pen name he had in the 40s, maybe because he produced so much (like Richard Bachman?). Phantom Lady was pretty good. Amazing suspense, of course, with a strong plot twist at the end. I love Woolrich like no other, but actually I often find him boring about half the time. Only, when he is good - isolated lines even - he is phenomenally astounding. They call him the father of noir, and I can see this, but it's not why I love him.
—Carla Remy
