Ed Gorman continues to convalesce at home. Our best wishes go out to him for a quick recovery. In the March issue of Mystery Scene magazine, Ed wrote an article on “My 10 Favorite John D. MacDonald Standalone Novels.” And here’s the list:
1. Dead Low Tide
2. Soft Touch
3. Deadly Welcome
4. Murder in the Wind
5. The Executioners
6. Slam the Big Door
7. The End of the Night
8. A Key to the Suite
9. A Flash of Green
10. The Drowner
I’ve been reviewing Ed’s picks. This week we are up to Number Seven: The End of the Night from 1960. A group of sociopaths, dubbed the Wolf Pack–three young men and a young woman–go on a cross-country crime spree. John D. MacDonald cited The End of the Night one his favorite novels of his early works. It’s easy to see why JDM liked The End of the Night: the conclusion is revealed in the first five pages. But readers are compelled to read the rest of the book to find out why events transpired the way they did. And, of course, JDM throwns in a bit of ironic noir near the end of the book just as a plot twist. My only quibble about JDM’s work in the late 1950s and early 1960s is his tendency to throw in an occasional sociological analysis info dump. They detract from the momentum of the novels.
Sounds fascinating George – reminds me a bit of Leigh Brackett’s JD novel, TOGER WALKS AMONG US – a fair comparison do you think?
Sergio, you could consider THE END OF THE NIGHT and TIGER WALKS AMONG US twin novels.
I remember reading this one (let me see, it was 1975, Christmas Day) after a long-ago reviewer (can’t remember who it was) said it was prescient about the not too long before Manson murders. Read with that in mind you can certainly see the resemblance.
I don’t suppose Charlie ever read it…?
Jeff, sociopathic youths show up frequently in JDM novels. I’m amazed you know the exact day you read THE END OF THE NIGHT. I didn’t start keeping a Reading Diary until the 1990s.
This is one of the few JDM books I own in hardback. Great stuff.
Bill, at first, I thought THE END OF THE NIGHT was another original paperback. I later learned it had been published first in hardcover by Simon & Schuster.
I started the reading diary in May of 1975, though I had a couple of aborted earlier efforts. One was the end of 1970/beginning of 1971 when I really started reading mysteries in large numbers – Christie, Sayers, Simenon – as well as discovering Lovecraft and his acolytes.
Jeff, I started my Reading Diary in Microsoft Access. I’ve been diligent about keeping track of my reading since the Nineties.
If I’ve read correctly, this book is coming out as an e-book in June. One of the things I like about e-books is that they get some of the great writing of yesteryear back among all us ordinary readers.
Joe, I hope every book someday is a available as an ebook. That would be fabulous! However, THE END OF THE NIGHT is available in paperback and hardcover at the usual online sources for a pittance.
June 11, to be exact, with a new introduction from Dean Koontz.
I’ll be interested in that Dean Koontz INTRODUCTION, Jeff.
This isn’t one of the JDM books that interests me, but you’re climbing into the part of the list I want to read.
“I hope every book someday is a available as an ebook”. Sure George. [rant deleted].
Rick, my dream is to have access to every book. GOOGLE started to implement that dream until the courts got involved. I’d rather have a rare book in ebook format rather than no access to the book.
“occasional sociological analysis info dump” HA! I know exactly what you mean. But sometimes I like his observations like those in THE DROWNER. I have a copy of this one and will have to dig into it soon.
I’m glad you keep reminding people they can find real books used and cheap, George. It’s almost as if eBooks are erasing that option from the marketplace (and from people’s memories!). It continues to bother me, but I’m less vociferous about it these days. You can find lots of great PBOs fro $2.50 or less out in Chicago.
John, like you I prefer paper books to ebooks. Sadly, the ebook business model will reduce the number of print books in the future. I try to support Internet sources who still sell paperback and hardcover books at reasonable prices. And I try to support small presses like Black Dog, Altus, Subterranean, and Haffner. Publishing books is a labor of love and deserves our support.
True to both viewpoints. I just bought 9 used books for $3-4 each through ABE and in the last year or so I’ve bought stuff like 1001 MIDNIGHTS and other out of print books not available new at reasonable prices. On the other hand, I don’t mind ebooks if that is the most available (and reasonably priced format) and I have found what a recent study said to be true: I read faster on the Kindle than a “real” book.
Besides, how can I pass up all those free books?
Jeff, I can’t pass up those free ebooks, either. I’m up to at least 100 free ebooks on my iPad.
I need to read both TIGER and END, but LAST SUMMER (Hunter) has perhaps some similar resonances? Only those were privileged kids who go in for Mere assault…
George, thanks for the review and the covers. I’m sure I have this novel in my pile of to-be-read JDMs. One of these days I’ll read one of them and review it. Quite tempting, I might say.
Prashant, John D. MacDonald wrote plenty of wonderful stand-a-lone novels. I’m enjoying myself revisiting them through Ed Gorman’s list.