leandrathetbrzero's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A Twisty Romantic Suspense set in NYC
↓ Similar Reading Experiences ↓
- Craig Rice’s Eight Faces at Three
- Vincent Starrett’s Murder on ‘B’ Deck
- F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
Bricky is a partner-for-hire at a dancehall whose dream to become an actress died long ago. She feels trapped by New York City with only a distant clock tower to call her friend when she first meets Quinn. He’s a man whose bad luck led him to make certain decisions that he wishes he could take back…if only he’d met Bricky 24 hours earlier. With nothing else to lose, and a midwest-bound bus scheduled to leave in the morning, the two young innocents join forces to correct Quinn’s wrongs. Before they know it, the duo finds themselves running all across the city to solve a murder before the cops arrest them for it. They have 5 hours and 25 minutes before dawn, before that bus departs. Will they find the real killer in time?
This romance-turned-nightmare is so beautifully written, it is no wonder that Cornell Woolrich, a writer who also wrote under the pseudonym of William Irish, was inspired by the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald. This novel blends hardboiled elements with a narrative voice reminiscent of The Great Gatsby or The Last Tycoon. As someone who’s wary of hardboiled mysteries, I adored this! Much of that has to do with the relationship dynamic shared between Bricky and Quinn. The former is such a strong woman character, beaten down by the harsh realities of NYC but also methodical and determined to stop the city from licking her one last time. Oppositely, Quinn is refreshingly sensitive and loyal to Bricky, often following her lead as they investigate this murder together.
What made this narrative even more fascinating was the introduction included in the Penzler Classics edition. I was intrigued by Woolrich’s life and how it clearly influenced certain elements found in Deadline at Dawn. A twisty, breathless suspense novel that I could definitely see myself reading numerous times in my life. And I look forward to reading more by this author.
*Book received through my subscription with the Mysterious Bookshop
the_reading_cockatoo's review against another edition
4.0
Đọc cũng ổn, cuốn này kiểu điều tra suy luận nhẹ nhàng xen chút hồi hộp giật gân. Không có gì nổi bật lắm so với cuốn trước của Woolrich mà mình đọc. 3.5⭐, khởi đầu tạm ổn cho 2021.
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