The Rat Began to Gnaw the Rope

The Rat Began to Gnaw the Rope is a golden age American noir gem by C. W. Grafton. Originally published in 1943, this re-format and re-release from Poisoned Pen Press is part of the Library of Congress Crime Classics series. It's 304 pages (in the print edition) and available in paperback and ebook formats. Other editions are available in other formats.

This is a beautifully engineered gem of a book. The protagonist, a young lawyer, doesn't fit the bill of the jaded cynical gumshoe, but he's brilliant and tenacious and I enjoyed the story from start to finish. There's murder, mayhem, skullduggery aplenty, and wrongs to right along the way. Protagonist "Gil" Henry is a wisecracking terrier of a man (despite being self-described as "pudgy" and "no great shakes at drinking") and no matter what the bad guys do, he's right there dogging their footsteps and driving the story arc. The denouement is satisfying and resolves into a good ending. Admittedly it was a product of its time period and there are a few scenes which have not aged particularly well in the intervening 77 years. Overall, however, it's a well written and tightly plotted humorous noir mystery. I wish the author had been able to finish the projected 8 book series featuring Gil (he finished 2 and part of the 3rd before his death).

This edition is enhanced by the inclusion of historical notes and background information as well as book club discussion guided question prompts. A foreword by Dr. Carla Hayden (Librarian of Congress) also provides some historical background context.

Four stars. I enjoyed it very much.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.