Friday, March 24, 2017

In a Lonely Place by Dorothy B. Hughes: A Review by Warren Bull



In a Lonely Place by Dorothy B. Hughes: A Review by Warren Bull
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In a Lonely Place was published in 1947.  In 1949 it was made into a noir film staring Humphrey Bogart, which is considered by many to be a classic even though the film deviated considerably from the novel.

In a Lonely Place was one of the first novels told from the point-of-view of the criminal. In my opinion it is successful in conveying the story from that point-of view.  It is chilling without being gory. None of the actual murders were described as they happened. But the book maintains an atmosphere of menace. I am reminded of the shower scene in the movie Psycho. In that scene the viewer never sees the knife make contact with the victim, but it is shocking nonetheless.

By the way, if you are interested in the development of crime fiction over time, Jim Thompson’s The Killer Inside Me, another excellent work from a murderer’s point of view, was published in 1952. 
Dortohy B. Hughes gives a believable account of the criminal’s thoughts and emotions. As a reader I felt the drive the criminal feels toward committing murder. I did not find the killer likeable, but I could understand, at least at a sminimal level, the actions that he took.


This is not a who-done-it. It is more of a how-are-they-going-to-catch-him book. It is very skillfully written. The tension builds throughout. If you want to understand how to write suspense, this would be a good book to study. I recommend it highly.

6 comments:

  1. Nice post on this book, Warren! I've taught it several times and it remains one of my favorites (and one of my students' favorites too). Thanks for calling it to others' attention here!

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  2. How interesting that this work predates The Killer Inside Me.
    Another one for my tottering TBR pile. Thank you, Warren!

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  3. Interesting, Warren. I never give the murder's point of view in advance in my book, but always have it come out in the end what he/she reverted to murdering their victim. I'll have to read this book.

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  4. Interesting that it's the first from the criminal's point of view. I'll have to add it to my pile. Thanks for finding these treasures for us.

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  5. I'm SO glad to see Dorothy B. Hughes get some attention. I think she was a most excellent writer and is underappreciated today. I haven't read everything she wrote, but "Ride the Pink Horse" is a favorite of mine. The only reason I ever picked up a book by her was that her name caught my eye. My mother's maiden name was Dorothy Hughes, but without the B. I was instantly blown away by her dark, style, so timeless it could have been written today.

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