What do you think?
Rate this book
A Cry In The Night
"12.10 a.m. When he pulled the girl out of the darkened car his intentions were simple—and terrible … 2.30 a.m. The tough police lieutenant found that the stolen girl was his daughter … 3.57 a.m. A Shore Patrolman spotted the girl’s purse in a trash can outside the window of a Skid Row hotel … 4.20 a.m. There was nothing in the bare hotel room but a torn up bed, a shattered window, a packet of needles, and icepick, a pair of pliers … It was 5.20 a.m. before the police picked up the trail again … "
139 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1955
8 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Whit Masterson
45 books9 followersWhit Masterson is a pen name of authors, Robert Allison “Bob” Wade (1920-present) and H. Bill Miller (1920–61). The two also wrote under several other pseudonyms, including Wade Miller and Will Daemer.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 4, 2014
A police procedural that doesn't follow the typical route of question and answer investigation, rather, A CRY IN THE NIGHT is proactive police work depicted from the inner sanctum of police head quarters.
From officers on patrol to those who take the calls, A CRY IN THE NIGHT is all inclusive as head quarters goes into panic mode when a missing woman is later identified as the Sergeant's daughter, Liz Blossom.
Kidnapped by deranged sex fiend Hill Loftus, drugged and without hope of escape, Blossom's life is dependent upon her fathers ability to rally the troops; hoping they draw blood before hers is spilt by the hands of her captor.
A CRY IN THE NIGHT is a fast paced linear police procedural spanning a single night as the police try to locate Liz before Loftus has his way. The multiple points of view seamlessly integrate to form a smooth and engaging narrative that stands the test of time remarkably well.
Originally published in 1955, A CRY IN THE NIGHT reads as modern day crime fiction untouched by computers and cell phones.
Review first appeared on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
From officers on patrol to those who take the calls, A CRY IN THE NIGHT is all inclusive as head quarters goes into panic mode when a missing woman is later identified as the Sergeant's daughter, Liz Blossom.
Kidnapped by deranged sex fiend Hill Loftus, drugged and without hope of escape, Blossom's life is dependent upon her fathers ability to rally the troops; hoping they draw blood before hers is spilt by the hands of her captor.
A CRY IN THE NIGHT is a fast paced linear police procedural spanning a single night as the police try to locate Liz before Loftus has his way. The multiple points of view seamlessly integrate to form a smooth and engaging narrative that stands the test of time remarkably well.
Originally published in 1955, A CRY IN THE NIGHT reads as modern day crime fiction untouched by computers and cell phones.
Review first appeared on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
May 27, 2011
Whit Masterson is another pseudonym used by Robert Wade and his writing partner Bill Wade who had a fatal heart attack in 1961. They wrote some thirty novels, mostly crime fiction, together in the 1950s.
A Cry in the Night is a nifty police procedural concerning the kidnapping of a young lady, Liz Blossom, by a sex fiend, Hill Loftus. The next five hours are unrolled in tense fashion as the police investigation and then pursuit are mounted. Liz’s love interest is Owen Clark, a young Korean War vet now working as an insurance executive where he first met Liz.
A Cry in the Night garnered some critical notice when it was published. The Saturday Review called it an “A-1 thriller.” I found its writing to be first-rate, as would be expected of any Wade Miller project. Right there is enough reason for me to have reread it now. Some of the police methods like using index cards to track the sex fiends and telephone switchboards to call the patrol cars are wonderfully campy today. A few of the plot twists are based on convenience, but then cops do catch lucky breaks in their investigations.
This review first appeared in Patti Abbott's Friday's Forgotten Books weblog.
Plus for a novel published in 1955, Hill Loftus comes off as just plain creepy. His mannerisms (leering over the unconscious Liz) and small acts of cruelty (pouring ammonia on a stray dog) make him repulsive. Nothing that graphic or gory is presented. The violence is muted and offstage. Disturbing the reader without using a hammer is a credit to the authors.
A Cry in the Night (1956) was also made into a B-film noir. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Wood, fresh off the popular Rebel Without a Cause, was cast as Liz Blossom and Raymond Burr played her abductor, ironic since Burr was gay. Edmund O’Brien played her father, the police lieutenant heading the investigation. Whit Masterson took the co-credit for the screenplay writer. I’ve never seen this film noir. The movie reviews indicate it has a dated feel and resorts to a didactic message given on wild, reckless youth. This came on the cusp of the free-loving, acid-dropping sixties.
A Cry in the Night is a nifty police procedural concerning the kidnapping of a young lady, Liz Blossom, by a sex fiend, Hill Loftus. The next five hours are unrolled in tense fashion as the police investigation and then pursuit are mounted. Liz’s love interest is Owen Clark, a young Korean War vet now working as an insurance executive where he first met Liz.
A Cry in the Night garnered some critical notice when it was published. The Saturday Review called it an “A-1 thriller.” I found its writing to be first-rate, as would be expected of any Wade Miller project. Right there is enough reason for me to have reread it now. Some of the police methods like using index cards to track the sex fiends and telephone switchboards to call the patrol cars are wonderfully campy today. A few of the plot twists are based on convenience, but then cops do catch lucky breaks in their investigations.
This review first appeared in Patti Abbott's Friday's Forgotten Books weblog.
Plus for a novel published in 1955, Hill Loftus comes off as just plain creepy. His mannerisms (leering over the unconscious Liz) and small acts of cruelty (pouring ammonia on a stray dog) make him repulsive. Nothing that graphic or gory is presented. The violence is muted and offstage. Disturbing the reader without using a hammer is a credit to the authors.
A Cry in the Night (1956) was also made into a B-film noir. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Wood, fresh off the popular Rebel Without a Cause, was cast as Liz Blossom and Raymond Burr played her abductor, ironic since Burr was gay. Edmund O’Brien played her father, the police lieutenant heading the investigation. Whit Masterson took the co-credit for the screenplay writer. I’ve never seen this film noir. The movie reviews indicate it has a dated feel and resorts to a didactic message given on wild, reckless youth. This came on the cusp of the free-loving, acid-dropping sixties.
April 29, 2026
Available on Kindle Unlimited.
February 26, 2013
Great characters, esp. the villian; fine psychological portrait. Plot is fast moving; shifts in POV smooth and work well to move plot and define characters. Part police procedural; part portrait of a monster being born. Great balance between plot and characterization. Highly recommended.
April 25, 2016
Awesome technique elevates this race against the clock thriller. Simple story line: police search for a kidnapped woman. Structurally the book is organized as five chapters: "The First Hour," "The Second Hour," 3rd, 4th, and then "The Final Hour." Within each chapter sections are headed with the time: 3:35 AM, 3:40 AM etc. This structure creates a lot of momentum.
The use of the omniscient point of view is interesting as well. At the start of each chapter we are close inside the kidnapper's crazed mind. And then for the remaining sections it jumps around among the police involved in the hunt, so we get a broad perspective on the investigation, which is more interesting than just following one detective.
Reading this I couldn't help but think this would make a great movie. And it was made into a movie in 1956 with Raymond Burr (!) kidnapping Natalie Wood. Can't remember how good the movie was but I do remember being shocked at seeing Perry Mason in that role.
The use of the omniscient point of view is interesting as well. At the start of each chapter we are close inside the kidnapper's crazed mind. And then for the remaining sections it jumps around among the police involved in the hunt, so we get a broad perspective on the investigation, which is more interesting than just following one detective.
Reading this I couldn't help but think this would make a great movie. And it was made into a movie in 1956 with Raymond Burr (!) kidnapping Natalie Wood. Can't remember how good the movie was but I do remember being shocked at seeing Perry Mason in that role.
February 5, 2017
Hill Loftus is a sexual predator who has abducted a young woman named Liz after an assault on her and boyfriend Owen while they were parked and necking in a secluded spot. Loftus has progressed from stalking and exposing himself to kidnapper with intent to rape, along with further escalation to thoughts of murder. Fast-paced action follows as the entire police force becomes involved as Liz is a daughter of one of their own, and the sexual crimes unit along with a tip from Loftus' wife aid them in their pursuit of him in hopes of saving Liz before it's too late. Similarities between the attack/abduction of Liz and "Son of Sam"/ David Berkowitz in the summer of '76 illustrates that the story written in the '50s is timeless and fits as if written for today's day and age. A CRY IN THE NIGHT should appeal to fans of books bearing the pen name of Whit Masterson and stands up to the quality of the author(s') other well known novels.
November 13, 2016
This is a great psychological thriller. When you think it was written in 1955, the story is even more amazing. Beginning on Lover's Loop when a young woman is kidnapped by a deranged man readers follow the hunt to save her and a look into the man's mind and what drives him. The author captures the dark secrets that hide in the corners of the mind. Well done.
July 4, 2011
A very good detective story from the 1950's. A girl is kidnapped, and the police track down the kidnapper. This author had at least two of his novels made into movies, this one and "Touch of Evil."
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews