The Night Reveals

A few years ago I announced here that I could no longer read Cornell Woolrich. I'd read a collection of his in which virtually every story turned on a coincidence that would make even "Seinfeld" writers blush.

I'm getting rid of some more books and in so doing came across a Woolrich collection I'd never read: 10 Faces of Cornwell Woolrich. Last night I cracked it and read a story called "The Night Reveals." I'm once again a Woolrich fan. Yes, there are a few minor coincidences but nothing that causes you to quit reading. The atmosphere is horror-like noir, the story relentless in its sweep, and the characters all the hysterics, sad losers, creeps and killers we've come to love in Woolrich. A really fine piece of work, as is the next story in the book, "Debt of Honor," which just might have been the basis for one of those half-hour shows in early TV days like "The Schlitz Playhouse" or "Climax." A perfect thiry minute drama. And a really slick piece of plotting. Nothing major but it's fun to watch a pro throw fastballs across the plate all day as Woolrich does here.