In a Lonely Place

I read this on kindle in Library of America's Women Crime Writers of the 1940s. I had questions about certain things in the text though, so also borrowed this NYRB edition from the library, so am reviewing it singly here.

I wasn't sure what to think of this. It read quickly and I didn't like Dix, but I had really liked The Expendable Man and... expected more I guess? The afterword to this edition though helped me make better sense of it all. You couldn't have the afterword as a sort of introduction, but I do wish I'd had more context going in. I'll be generous and give it the benefit of the afterword and go with four stars. I'll still try more Hughes I'm sure.

I'm not the biggest fan of killer POV works, but they broke the mold with this one. Languorous, dark, and smoky.

Less a thriller, more a deeply unsettling psychological ride in the head of a killer.

A great read. Not your normal mystery noir but very compelling. Enthralling study of a killer. Highly recommended. Keen to read more Dorothy B. Hughes.