“They gave him back his badge – and sent him down into the brutal throbbing heart of the slums.”
The first Pulp Friday for 2014 needs no introduction, Night Squad by the legendary US noir writer, David Goodis.
The cover above is from the first printed edition of the book, by Gold Medal Books in 1961.
I love the seamy noir atmosphere created by this cover. I also love the back cover blurb:
“The loneliest man on earth.
The Night Squad wanted Corey on its team, and the racket boys wanted him, too.
The trouble was that Corey wanted them both. But the cops had offered Corey only a badge, while Walter Grogan had bribed him with big money. Both sides were brutal, both knew as much about the slums as the rats infesting it. And Corey Bradford walked a tightrope between them, not knowing whether the man who smiled at him one day would be aiming a bullet at his head the next.”
Enjoy.
Long live David Goodis! May he never go unpublished again!
Ah! Such a good one! I came to know Goodis (a Philadelphia boy, where I lived for 10 years) through Lou Boxer and Duane Swierczynski. Goodis quickly became one of my favorite noir writers. Of course Dark Passage and Shoot The Piano Player are the two big Hollywood hits. But so many of his short stories are great.
I event partook in Retreat To Goodisville a couple of years ago. And documented it. Have a watch: http://youtu.be/W5x1kNxDCrs
~ Mark
Mark,
Yes, I’ve heard a lot about the Goodisville tour and would love to go on it one day. Dark Passage is probably my favourite Bogart film. I have Piano Player on dvd somewhere, must fish it out and give it a watch.
Andrew
I have not read anything by Goodis, and he may be too noir for me. But I want to try a couple of his novels this year.
Have not read this one, looks like a must. All Goodis, all the time.
Goodis is classic. “The moon in the gutter” is one of my favourite.