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In a Lonely Place
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
"Puts Chandler to shame . . . Hughes is the master we keep turning to."Sara Paretsky, author of the V. I. Warshawski novels "A superb novel by one of crime fiction's finest writers of psychological suspense. . . . What a pleasure it is to see this tale in print once again!"Marcia Miller, author of the Sharon McCone novels "This lady is the queen of noir, and In a Lonely Place is her crown."Laurie R. King, author of the Mary Russell novels Postwar Los Angeles is a lonely place where the American Dream is showing its seamy undersideand a stranger is preying on young women. The suggestively names Dix Steele, a cynical vet with a chip on his shoulder about the opposite sex, is the LAPD's top suspect. Dix knows enough to watch his step, especially since his best friend is on the force, but when he meets the luscious Laurel Graya femme fatale with brainssomething begins to crack. The basis for extraordinary performances by Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame in the 1950 film version of the book, In a Lonely Place tightens the suspence with taut, hard-boiled prose and stunningly undoes the convential noir plot.
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review
erzascarletbookgasm
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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Pickpick

“The criminal doesn‘t escape‘”.… “He has to live with himself. He‘s caught there in that lonely place.”

Very good read. I was hooked from the beginning. Compelling narrative, brilliant characterisations, and great descriptions of the settings - I could almost picture the beaches and the diners..not forgetting the fog! Being in the head of Dix Steele can be exhausting, unnerving,..but a fabulous character study.

Cathythoughts Great review 👍🏻 I see I have it stacked already. ❤️ 2y
EvieBee Lovely review! And nice to see that Abbott wrote the introduction. 2y
vivastory I love this book, & Hughes, so much! If you haven't read The Expendable Man, I *highly* recommend it 2y
See All 14 Comments
erzascarletbookgasm Thanks Cathy. I hope you get to read it soonish 💕 @Cathythoughts 2y
erzascarletbookgasm @EvieBee Thanks! Abbott wrote a very insightful afterword 👌 2y
erzascarletbookgasm I have, it was brilliant! I think I like that a little more. @vivastory 2y
erzascarletbookgasm Now I want to read the rest of Hughes‘ books. I heard this is good @vivastory . Have you read it? 2y
vivastory I agree. The other Hughes that I have read, & that I also recommend is 2y
vivastory That's going to be the next one that I read 👍 2y
LeahBergen I must get to this one soon; it‘s waiting on my shelves! I really enjoyed The Expendable Man. 2y
batsy Great review! And what @LeahBergen said—that's the only one I've read by her so far and it was so good. 2y
sarahbarnes Ooh, I‘m adding this to my list. 2y
BarbaraBB I loved this one too! 2y
BiblioLitten Love your review. Stacked! 2y
63 likes2 stack adds14 comments
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Liz_M
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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I loved her The Expendable Man and am really looking forward to reading this one. Thank you so much @BarbaraBB! 🤗

HollyBolly Bert is absolutely gorgeous! 2y
WorldsOkayestStepMom I love Bert. 😻 2y
See All 12 Comments
Liz_M @WorldsOkayestStepMom You want to adopt him for Christmas? I'm sure he'll only be sick on the carpet three times a week at your place. 🙄 😂 (edited) 2y
Liz_M @HollyBolly Yes he is and he knows it. 😁 2y
WorldsOkayestStepMom @Liz_M 🤣🤣🤣🤣 2y
BarbaraBB It‘s a delicious noir read and I hope you‘ll enjoy it as much as I did! Bert is adorable! What‘s the story behind his name? 2y
LeahBergen Handsome Bert! ❤️ 2y
Liz_M @BarbaraBB I'll have to ask. Bert was my best friend's cat for 12 years, but when she had her baby he started acting out. So when she asked me to cat sit while they were visiting her folks and I suggested I take him for two weeks, as a trial adoption period. Three days in, she called and admitted that, although she missed him, it was a relief not to worry about him attacking her ankles or his being around the baby. I've had him ever since. 2y
BarbaraBB It‘s a very old fashioned Dutch name (which makes it so funny and great imo) and I was wondering if there‘s a link with that old Dutch name. But of course it‘s a name that‘s used in more countries. 2y
Liz_M @BarbaraBB Truthfully it might have been inspired by Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie 😁 2y
BarbaraBB That seems quite possible haha I should‘ve thought of that! 🤦🏻‍♀️😂 2y
33 likes12 comments
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vivastory
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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This is a 5 day weekend for me. I know what I'll be doing Monday afternoon!

LeahBergen 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 3y
Leftcoastzen Love this book! I will be checking that out! 3y
BarbaraBB I loved this book too. 3y
Cathythoughts I have this one stacked .. looking forward to it now 👍🏻 3y
52 likes1 stack add4 comments
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BarbaraBB
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy Belle Hughes
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Day 5 of #12booksof2020

I loved Dorothy B Hughes‘ The Expendable Man and was a bit scared this one couldn‘t live up to my expectations but man did it deliver. Noir at its best, subtle and intelligent.
A real favorite this year! 🖤

Andrew65 Great 😊 3y
vivastory Brilliant book. I agree, Hughes was one of the great noir authors. 3y
Leftcoastzen I liked both , but I like this one more than our book club read. 3y
twohectobooks Ooh, I‘ll have to give this a shot, I don‘t think I‘ve read any noir by a woman writer yet 3y
55 likes5 stack adds5 comments
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Liz_M
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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I finally went into Manhattan (for a much needed haircut) and since I was within walking distance of the Strand....

BarbaraBB I love Erpenbeck and the Hughes is fantastic! Happy for you you went to Manhattan. Are things getting back to normal a bit? 4y
Leftcoastzen Good for you ! Yay , Strand! 4y
DrexEdit I love the spine on The Shape of Ruins! Even the logo gets into the design! 4y
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Billypar I can't wait to do the same soon - hope you like the Oyeyemi! 4y
CafeMom I love the Strand. 4y
LeahBergen I really need to get to that Dorothy Hughes soon. 👍🏻 4y
vivastory @LeahBergen It's fantastic! 4y
25 likes8 comments
review
Read66
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
Pickpick

I loved this classic noir told from the POV of the killer. My first Dorothy B Hughes mystery and definitely not my last. (I also remember watching and enjoying the film version of this story on TCM)

BarbaraBB Just read it and loved it too! 4y
5 likes1 comment
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BarbaraBB
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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#BookReport 23/20

The tagged one was a real favorite, the standing one I bailed on, the others were okay. No complaints!

Cinfhen Ha, at least you tried with the ToB camp pick 💗😁 4y
Cinfhen Cool photo ♥️ 4y
TrishB Great pic 👍🏻 4y
59 likes3 comments
review
BarbaraBB
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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Pickpick

You were right @vivastory I loved this book. Coincidentally it was another noir crime set in LA after the war (like The Black Dahlia, that I just read) but this one is so much better. The suspense is so subtle and intelligent. The POV is the serial killer‘s and that is so cool. As are the setting, the dialogues and the ending. It‘s at least as good as Dorothy Hughes‘s The Expendable Man. Highly recommended! #NYRB

vivastory I'm so glad you liked it! I thought it was every bit as good, if not even slightly better, than Expendable Man. She's brilliant. 4y
BarbaraBB @vivastory I agree, I think this one is even better. I love her characters. Have you read any other books by her you can recommend? 4y
vivastory I haven't read anything else by her. I've read that Ride the Pink Horse is considered another great work. I'll probably try that one next. 4y
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BarbaraBB @vivastory Keep me posted if you do, I‘ve seen that title mentioned too. 4y
Suet624 I‘ve had this sitting on my shelf for ages. Can‘t wait to finally read it. 😀 4y
BarbaraBB @Suet624 Oh I hope you will. If you enjoyed The Expendable Man, you will love this one! 🖤 4y
Leftcoastzen Love your review! I could feel that California climate in her descriptions , and the arrogance of you know who ! 4y
BarbaraBB @Leftcoastzen You‘re right, I could almost feel that Californian fog! 4y
LeahBergen Oooo, good! I have this waiting on my shelves. 👏🏻 4y
BarbaraBB @LeahBergen You will love it too I think! 4y
78 likes3 stack adds10 comments
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wonga
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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loved it! need to see the movie now with Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame
#BestMysteriesOfAllTime #Feb2020

55 likes1 stack add
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ClairesReads
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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Pickpick

In a Lonely Place is an excellent example of hard-boiled, LA Noir. Hughes is an expert at building tension. Although the violence almost exclusively takes place in the periphery, it is ever present the interactions Dix Steele has with his friends and lover. I particularly enjoyed how Hughes subverts some of the tropes of this genre, like the femme fatale, and avoids melodramatic, theatrical storytelling by placing us in the mind of the killer.

vivastory Great review & yes, Hughes was a master at turning tropes on their heads 4y
Nute Excellent review! I‘ve enjoyed Hughes for that very reason! 4y
ClairesReads @vivastory thank you- I loved this am excited to read more 4y
ClairesReads @Nute thank you- I‘m so excited to read more of her work, this was so good! 4y
36 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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ClairesReads
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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Boxing Day is for catching up on long missed book club reads #indiebuddyreads

BarbaraBB Great writer, looking forward to your thoughts! 4y
ClairesReads @BarbaraBB my first read by Hughes, I am so enjoying it so far! 4y
31 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Redheadrambles
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was a little surprised by how much I liked this. Noir is all a little melodramatic for me usually and this 1947 rediscovered classic does have its moments of swelling waves and “the thunderous ecstasy of the hungry sea” not to mention fog ! . However it is very good. There is plenty of tension filled moments here and it‘s a solid portrait of toxic masculinity and maybe one could go as far as saying predictive of the rise of “Incels”

BkClubCare So, when was this published over 50 yrs ago? Looks perfect for Back to Classics! 4y
20 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Suet624
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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Arrived today. Pure #NYRB bounty.

LauraBeth 😍😍 5y
ValerieAndBooks Awesome!! 5y
batsy Want. All. Of. Them. 😍😍😍 5y
See All 9 Comments
kspenmoll 😃 happy for you! 5y
youneverarrived 😍😍 5y
BarbaraBB Wow, I don‘t know any of them! 5y
Suet624 @BarbaraBB their catalog is bonkers. So many interesting books! 5y
BarbaraBB I just read another NYRB by Hughes, it was great, so I am looking forward to what you think of this one! 5y
59 likes9 comments
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cmiller0
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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Got started on this last night. It's unputdownable, and unlike some mysteries of the era maybe even more relevant in our #MeToo moment. My second Dorothy B. Hughes - I'll be hunting down the rest of her novels.

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AlizaApp
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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Pickpick

Perfect noir, set in 1947 Los Angeles. The main character, Dix, starts out the story stalking a girl alone at night and then renews a friendship with an old army buddy who‘s a cop, all while a strangler is on the loose in the city. Can‘t recommend enough.

Clare-Dragonfly This is such an excellent book. 6y
AlizaApp @Clare-Dragonfly so excellent!! 6y
45 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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Worldforreading
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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My stack to pull from for the #24in48Readathon, my favorite readathon of the year 😄

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vivastory
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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Hughes' feminist noir is an examination of mid 20th century misogyny. Veteran Dix Steele is prowling the streets of LA. He has sinister plans for #CaliforniaGurls
#HeatOfJuly Day 8
@Cinfhen @BarbaraBB

RaimeyGallant Interesting. 6y
Leftcoastzen I loved this book! Dix was really full of himself. I could almost feel the environment of post war L.A. 6y
vivastory @Leftcoastzen I agree, it has a great sense of place. It was both similar to & different from other noir I have read. I noticed there's a film adaptation, have you seen it? 6y
See All 7 Comments
vivastory @Leftcoastzen it's included in the following, which you might like. I have a copy at home, I hope to get to it soon. 6y
vivastory @Leftcoastzen There's also a companion volume. I found both collected with a slipcase at Half Price Books for $20 6y
Leftcoastzen I have not seen the film , need to check it out.Looks like a cool book .I have seen the film of Laura and not read the book. 6y
Liz_M Oooh, I loved the context of The Expendable Man and this sounds even better! 6y
60 likes1 stack add7 comments
quote
MissLiteraryAli
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes

They were one unto the other, a circle whirling evenly, effortlessly, endlessly. He knew beauty and the intensity of a dream and he was meshed in a womb he called happiness. He did not think: This must come to an end in time. A circle had no beginning or end; it existed.

review
arubabookwoman
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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Pickpick

Hughes has been compared to Raymond Chandler, James Cain, and Jim Thompson. In this book, her POV character, Dix Steele, a serial killer, is worthy predecessor to Patricia Highsmith‘s Tom Ridley, although not quite so personable. Despite its gruesome subject, most of the violence takes place on between the chapters and left to the imagination. Highly Recommended. I also recommend another book by her, The Expendable Man.

Liz_M The tagged book is one of my favorite nyrb books! 6y
arubabookwoman #Liz_M I loved #Expendable Man too. Have you read any others by her? 6y
Liz_M Not yet, so I was happy to see your review. :-) 6y
8 likes3 comments
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viker
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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I've been a huge NYRB fan for years, but this might be my first purchase. I loved The Expendable Man, so my hopes are high for this as well!

Leftcoastzen Did you end up reading it? I loved it especially the Post war L.A. scenery. 6y
4 likes1 comment
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vivastory
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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After finishing Dorothy Hughes' amazing feminist noir "In a Lonely Place" pub by NYRB Classics, I decided to gather all of my NYRB together. Needless to say I'm starting to understand where my money went...

catebutler I love these editions! So many great titles and authors. Love your stack!! 6y
vivastory @catebutler Thanks! I think they're my favorite publisher! 6y
AshleyHoss820 Worth it. 😄😄😄 6y
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vivastory @AshleyHoss820 I knew you'd appreciate it! They're great editions. Instantaneously recognizable, durable, affordable editions. 6y
AshleyHoss820 @vivastory Oh, for sure!! They‘re beautiful! And you said affordable? No reason not to buy them then! 😊😄 (edited) 6y
LeahBergen 😂😂 I love them, too. 6y
batsy 💸😆 That stack makes me very happy 6y
Sarah83 Really a gorgeous stack. 😊 6y
CoffeeCatsBooks Lovely! 📚 6y
readordierachel A sight to behold 🌈 6y
RidgewayGirl I love NYRB editions and own far too few of them. 6y
Suet624 Lovely. 6y
britt_brooke 😍 6y
ReadingEnvy I see Dud Avocado on there, which was my first NyRB book. 6y
94 likes14 comments
review
Leftcoastzen
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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Pickpick

It‘s post war Los Angeles,most folks are putting their lives back in order ,enjoying the simple things ,dinner at the club, a day at the beach.For Dix,after the war, the prestige and excitement is gone.But he‘s the smartest guy in the room ,just ask him.When things aren‘t going his way , paranoia and anger take over.A wonderfully written noir with strong female characters. The scent of the sea and eucalyptus hang in the air,as you head to.....

AlaMich I really want to read this! Glad to hear you liked it 😊 6y
Leftcoastzen @AlaMich Really liked it! Lots of atmosphere , very sharp! 6y
27 likes1 stack add2 comments
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vivastory
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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I bought this as soon as I saw the post by @Marchpane It looks great. #nyrbcandonowrong

diovival What a great cover. 6y
tricours I wanted to do that too! 6y
saresmoore !!! Amazing cover, of course, and it sounds wonderfully pulpy! 6y
See All 18 Comments
Marchpane Nice! I hope you love it 😄 6y
vivastory @diovival Gotta love NYRB editions! 6y
vivastory @tricours You should 😈 6y
vivastory @saresmoore Pulp is one of my many wheelhouses 😂 6y
vivastory @Marchpane I can't wait! 6y
saresmoore I‘m assuming you saw the new t-shirt on BookRiot? 6y
vivastory @saresmoore I did. I'm thinking about getting it. Haven't decided yet. Are you going to get one? 6y
saresmoore I thought about it, too! I don‘t think I love the design enough to get it. But I am getting lots of mileage (literally—I wear it running) out of my Atwood-Latin shirt. I relish the double takes I get from elderly Costco patrons on post-run errands. 😏 6y
vivastory @saresmoore 😂 I get a lot of puzzled looks when I wear my Mary& Ursula & Madeline & Octavia t-shirt. Also get dirty looks when I wear my Make Mordor Great Again shirt. #sorrynotsorry 6y
saresmoore Yes! It‘s passive protest! I love it. 6y
vivastory @saresmoore I'm nothing if not passive aggressive 😬😏 6y
LeahBergen I love NYRBs! 😍 6y
Leftcoastzen I bought it recently, need to start reading it. 6y
vivastory @LeahBergen They're definitely one of my favorite publishers 6y
vivastory @Leftcoastzen I look forward to your thoughts on it when you read it 6y
51 likes4 stack adds18 comments
review
Oftencantdecide
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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Pickpick

This was amazing! It drew me in from the very beginning-the entire book is just so unsettling, and while you know from the very beginning that something's not right with the main character, it gradually becomes more and more clear just how twisted he is.

29 likes2 stack adds
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Oftencantdecide
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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When you realize the dog, her bed, and the rug are a close match for the colors on the book cover, obviously you should post it on litsy! #dogsoflitsy

JazzFeathers Too right! 😆 7y
32 likes1 comment
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Marchpane
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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#ScaryMonsters and #SuperCreeps

Three books that put the reader inside the mind of a serial killer.

Dorothy B. Hughes was way ahead of her time in 1947 writing In a Lonely Place from the perspective of a sociopath. 70 years later, the twisted psychology of Dix Steele still comes across as so believable.

It's been done many times since, memorably with Frederick Clegg in The Collector & Patrick Bateman in American Psycho. So chilling.

Cathythoughts Sounds very powerful 👍 7y
vivastory Never read In a Lonely Place. Definitely adding to tbr 7y
Centique Wow! That sounds amazing. 7y
TieDyeDude Love that American Psycho cover! 6y
116 likes7 stack adds5 comments
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kittystardust
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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Visited The Mysterious Bookshop in NYC last week. Bought In A Lonely Place signed by Megan Abbott and Ministry of Fear by Graham Greene. #mystery #bookstore

4 likes1 stack add
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Marchpane
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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Picked this up after hearing about it on NPR last week - boy they did not steer me wrong! I've never read Dorothy B Hughes before and I am LOVING this.

This will be my 1947 pick for my #192019challenge.

Here's the NPR link if you're interested: http://www.npr.org/2017/08/22/545261350/if-you-want-groundbreaking-noir-try-look...

quirkyreader Yea, another Gothic and pulp fan. 🐸🐙 7y
Jess_Read_This Love this! Thanks for sharing the NPR article too. This looks so interesting and I am not at all familiar with the author. Can't wait to check this out. 7y
juliannebenford I had to read this at university, and I loved it. 7y
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Redheadrambles Awesome I might need to look into this book. I am concerned about her apparent ability to levitate on that cover 7y
Marchpane @Redheadrambles Lol 😂 Like all good pulp covers it misrepresents the book's contents but you've got to love that ghostly lounge singer emerging from the mist behind her too 😱 7y
Redheadrambles @Marchpane one should never underestimate a murderous lounge singer ! 7y
138 likes18 stack adds6 comments
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charl08
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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For the black and white challenge- some penguin classics and Edna O'Brien's jaw dropping memoir.

BarbaraBB O wow, this looks great! How is the Selby jr? 7y
39 likes1 stack add2 comments
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wonga
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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movie edition #BookMail from #BookOutlet 🎥🎬🍿👌

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Brie
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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Loved this unconventional noir crime thriller with a feminist twist. #sideprofiles #jubilantjuly

vivastory Sounds excellent. Stacked! 7y
57 likes1 comment
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charl08
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes

What a creepy crime novel!

24 likes1 stack add
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faithx5
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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I thought this would be a quick read, but it's so dark I can't read much of it at one time. Wow.

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faithx5
In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes
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Dix Steele is MUCH creepier and more psychotic in the book than he is in the movie. More than anything, he reminds me of the killer in Devil in the White City. *shudder*