What I loved most about this classic mystery is Woolrich's prose. There's brevity and poetry in his style of writing. Like when Louis Durand reads a telling letter about his new bride, Woolrich writes, "If dried ink on paper can be said to scream, it screamed up at him."
This noir mystery is a haunting tale of doomed love with a beautiful woman and her web of lies and a man desperate for love at the center of it. It took a turn halfway through that I was not expecting, and I while I didn't love the second half as much as the first half, I did like this one overall and would definitely read this author again.
Then, to finish off this unplanned chain of books, I went from reading Waltz Into Darkness to Some Choose Darkness by Charlie Donlea. That both titles have darkness in them was another nice coincidence.
This is a compelling psychological thriller. A little complicated and dark at the beginning, but very suspenseful at the end, even though I did guess two of the twists. I especially liked Rory Moore; she's a forensic reconstructionist, "her DNA programmed to see things others missed, to connect dots that looked scattered and incongruent to everyone else. Rory's uncanny mind would piece together bits of a puzzle everyone else's had deemed unsolvable until she had reconstructed the crime in its entirety." She's one of those characters you don't soon forget, and I look forward to reading Donlea's next book with her in it.
So that's what I've been reading...my unexpected and unplanned chain of books. All different; all enjoyable.
Happy Reading!
That's kind of cool when links like those happen. Usually it's similar books that lead one to another for me, but the randomness of the titles is even more unusual. Nice. I like what you say about the main character in Some Choose Darkness. Sounds fascinating and worth a look.
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed the few books by Donlea that I've read. I'm eager to read more by him. And I got lucky with this serendipitous chain of books. Most of the time it's only the romances I read that sync up because their plots and titles are always so similar. :D
DeleteBoth sound good. I hope your next read is a good one.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary! I hope you have a great week. :D
DeleteHow to Dance sounds like a lovely romance. It's nice to have a hero with real-life issues. Some Choose Darkness sounds like my kind of mystery. A forensic reconstructionist sounds like a neat job! Wonderful reviews, Lark!
ReplyDeleteI like both books, though neither one was a perfect read. It was really the characters in both that made the books for me. :D
DeleteWaltz Into Darkness sounds good. I love the covers of those American Mystery Classic books!
ReplyDeleteI really liked Waltz Into Darkness, but then I do like those classic mysteries. :D
DeleteA very good chain of books and I have been meaning to try 6 degrees of separation and should make an attempt this year.
ReplyDeleteI read Cornel Woolrich's 1940 classic The Bride Wore Black. He is a very talented writer. His books are dark and yet he had something to say about how he sees the world which is disturbing but fascinating.
I wish my library had a copy of The Bride Wore Black...I'd read that one next. Maybe I could request it...
DeleteI love this! That is so fun - a bookish chain :)
ReplyDeleteIt was what I like to call a little bookish serendipity. :D
DeleteWhat a fun bookish chain! I love it when coincidences like that happen. All of these books sound great. I'm going to see if my library has any of them. :)
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed! They're all fun reads.
DeleteI love it when this happens--especially when it's unplanned. :-)
ReplyDeleteI probably couldn't have planned it if I'd tried! ;D
DeleteDonlea's Some Choose Darkness sounds good, especially with a forensic reconstructionist!
ReplyDeleteI liked Rory a lot! I'm very interested in reading his other book with her in it.
DeleteFunny how they each kind of tie into each other!
ReplyDeleteIf I'd tried to plan it I never could have come up with three titles that tied together so well. ;D
DeleteIt isn't often that characters with disabilities make the main list. This sounds like a sweet read.
ReplyDeleteNick and how he deals with his cerebral palsy is definitely what I loved most about How to Dance!
DeleteThese all look fun and what a good accidental chain. I really like the sound of all of them and while I've heard of Donlea I haven't heard of that one. Adding to my list!
ReplyDeleteI've read a few of Donlea's books now and have enjoyed all of them. He's one to check out for sure.
DeleteHow nice to have a serendipitous book chain. I will have to add the Cornell Woolrich book to my wish list. I have not read anything by Woolrich, except maybe a short story.
ReplyDeleteHis book surprised me...but in a good way. I just really enjoyed the way he writes.
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