Product Description

A 1947 classic that takes us inside the mind of a male serial killer. Author Dorothy B. Hughes explores the ana-tomy of American -misogyny and -accomplishes a mystery writing tour de force by depicting his eventual -capture-by two daring and powerful women-from his point of view. The characters of Dix Steele and Laurel Grey, the glamorous actress he falls for but can't hold on to, were so well drawn that they became the basis for extraordinary performances by Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame in the 1950 film version of the book, which also reflects the suspense and hard-boiled edginess of Hughes's -writing.

Called "an author with a flair for terror" by The New Yorker, Hughes was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 1978.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #597832 in Books
• Published on: 2003-11-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Customer Reviews

Definitely Worth the Read
Dorothy B. Hughes is certainly a powerful (and sadly over-looked) writer. In "In a Lonely Place" she depicts a vivid, hypnotic vision of post-WW2 LA, and she draws a scarily realistic and sometimes sympathetic portrait of "protagonist" Dix Steele. The novel is notable for its narrative twists & turns, its suspense (that most of the 'action' is not explicity show is both terrifying and brilliant, from a technical standpoint), and its tendency to turn both traditional noir structure and stock characters on their heads, so to speak. If you like noir or Cold War-era-informed fiction, give the unusual, the compelling, and the bone-chilling "In a Lonely Place" a chance.

Noir fiction
Great mystery tale told from the point of view of a bad guy. Although somewhat forgotten today, Hughes was a superstar writer in her time. Her novels had been adapted into movies for Robert Montgomery and Humphery Bogart. Compelling fiction with strongly drawn characters. Highly recommended.

Hard-boiled and scary because of its understatement
"In a Lonely Place" is a neglected classic of American crime fiction. Harder than hard-boiled, it follows the actions of a vicious serial killer in post-war Los Angeles. The antihero, Dixon Steele, maintains the appearance of an average guy while periodically venting his anger and hatred of women by raping and strangling random girls that he picks up. Through the course of the book, he plays a cat-and-mouse game with his old army buddy, now a detective, who has been assigned to solve the case.

Published in 1947, "In a Lonely Place" is different from much of today's standard serial killer fare. Unlike books such as "Hannibal" or "Red Dragon," all the violence occurs offstage, during gaps in the narration. But that doesn't make it any less scary--in fact, it ups the creepiness quotient considerably. Hughes tells her story from the point of view of the "perp" himself, with all the events filtered through Steele's eyes and thoughts. Normal in the book is what's normal to the killer whose solitary, predatory nature places him "in a lonely place" outside of the rest of humanity. His anger, his misogyny, his hatred of those richer than he, and his sense of entitlement justify his actions in his own mind. By keeping the gore offstage, the author maintains the focus on the killer's twisted mind, which is where the true horror lies.

"In a Lonely Place" was made into a movie in 1950 starring Humphrey Bogart (who else?) and Gloria Grahame. The film kept some of the elements of the book, but switched the focus to domestic violence. Dark as the film is (and it's a masterpiece of film noir), the book is even darker. If you're looking for a play-by-play novelization of the movie, this isn't it. But if you're looking for a character study of a killer's mind, then turn on the night light and dig in.