Dread Journey
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- £2.99
Publisher Description
One-way ticket to death . . .?
'Hughes is the master we keep turning to' Sara Paretsky
'The tension and terror of Dread Journey are such that few will be able to lay the book down unfinished' New York Times
'Cornell Woolrich meets Agatha Christie' Publishers Weekly
'Superbly done' Washington Post
In the four years since she arrived in Los Angeles, Kitten Agnew has become a star. Not all by herself, of course; though beautiful and talented, Kitten would be lost without her director, the acclaimed and powerful Vivien Spender.
But Spender is a dangerous man. Kit knows that, and has heard all the stories - of discarded stars that have ended up in a chorus line, or a sanatorium, or worse.
Spender knows that Kit knows, and wouldn't dare destroy her glittering career. But he may be willing to kill her . . .
On a train from LA to Chicago, Kit makes a discovery that could have her fighting not just for her career, but for her life.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Cornell Woolrich meets Agatha Christie in this taut, grim reissue in the American Mystery Classics series, first published in 1945. The passengers on a claustrophobic train trip from Los Angeles to New York City are first viewed from the perspective of railroad porter James Cobbett, who briefly describes the principals before they come onstage. They include Viv Spender, a filthy rich movie mogul ("The Zeus of America's greatest industry!"); his secretary, Mike Dana; a honeymooning couple, the Crandalls; famous film star Kitten Agnew; and Gratia Shawn, a would-be Hollywood actress. Hughes (1904 1993) movingly evokes the quiet desperation of the characters, whose backstories she gradually reveals. In particular, Kitten fears that Viv is preparing to replace her as the lead in a film version of Mann's The Magic Mountain, and she suspects that he poisoned his wife. Deferring the identity of the inevitable murder victim heightens the suspense. Sarah Weinman (The Real Lolita) provides an insightful introduction. Fans of gritty crime fiction will be gratified.
