Waltz into Darkness

 

Waltz into Darkness is a nice addition to the American mystery noir genre, and an early crime novel written by Cornell Woolrich (published under his pseudonym as William Irish). Originally published in 1947, this re-formatting and re-release as part of the American Mystery Classics series war released 7th Jan 2020. It's 364 pages and is available in hardcover format (other editions available in other formats). 

The American Mystery Classics series has unerringly plucked important but potentially lesser known crime gems and presented them (with expert introductory content and commentary) to new generations of crime fiction readers. Although I had read much of Cornell Woolrich's oeuvre previously and was familiar with his work from the pulps (he was incredibly prolific), I had never read this one. 

The writing is admittedly dated, but still powerful. In this case, it's been turned into film twice, most recently in 2001 starring Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas (Original Sin). 

That being said, however, the writing and plotting are classic early noir and very well done. Recommended for lovers of noir, American crime, as well as a support text for allied scholastic examination (modern American literature, etc). The erudite and informative introduction by Wallace Stroby is a highlight of this edition. Four stars.

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