From 1955, this Hollywood psychological thriller won the 1956 Edgar Allan Poe award, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a horror thriller with a creepy and oppressive feel.
Helen is in her 30s and she lives alone in a hotel. Estranged from her mother and her gay brother (a brutal side narrative), she’s plagued by threatening phone calls. Who is this woman who is ringing her, describing graphic acts of violence? Is it somebody from Helen’s past?
Helen gets some help from unexpected quarters and the mystery of the threats unravels as the bodies pile up.
Gruesome and twisty, this book was more punchy than I expected. Dated in the way it approaches issues, it’s nevertheless not a bad bit of thriller writing. There’s a nasty edge to it but also an intelligent plot and an exploration of loneliness in a town where everyone’s “on the make”.
Hitchcock Hour made this story into an episode too!
One word: twisted.
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