Night Cry

by William L. Stuart

Stuart's legendary tale of a heavy-handed cop who went just a bit too far interrogating a suspect. Adapted for the screen by Otto Preminger as Where The Sidewalk Ends.

Genres: Mystery

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1948

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Reviews

[Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because I fell madly in love with huge Otto Preminger film noir "Where the Sidewalk Ends" for which Night Cry was the source. However, this is one of the rare instances where the movie is far superior, perhaps because the great and underrated Dana Andrews brings such subtle self-loathing and internal conflict to the part of Lt Dixon (Deglin) in the film.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story of a rogue cop who accidentally murders a suspect in a homicide and tries to eliminate the evidence, including the corpse. Very highly recommended

[Mark Welsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ken Paine, ex-college football star and war hero, and girlfriend Morgan Taylor are out of luck at a private gambling club. Ken is drinking too much and gets into a violent altercation with another player named Morrison. Ken and Morgan are escorted off the premises, but when Morrison goes to leave he is stabbed to death in the foyer. The police arrive, led by New York detective Mark Deglin, who has just been passed over for promotion to Captain. Deglin sets out to interview Paine, leaving the rest of his team to work the crime scene, but when he tracks Paine down to his apartment, the suspect is uncooperative. Deglin loses his temper and administers a fatal beating, and, rather than report what's happened, decides to cover up the crime and dispose of the body.

This is a bleak, urban noir, beautifully evoked through Stuart's sparse, descriptive sentences. Cold winds fling trash down the gutters and hurl rain through the midnight streets. People sit alone in bars and night cafes as if posing for a painting by Edward Hopper. Fog horns moan in the distance. It's masterfully done; the city becoming more a character than a backdrop as Deglin watches his coverup slowly unraveling. The only intrusion by the natural world comes in the form of a tree, and that's dying slowly in a concrete courtyard behind the murder apartment.

Stuart's skill as a writer is also evident in how he presents his characters: tired, weary, professional men, men of few words, men who have seen too much. Their terse conversations and minimal dialogue feel sharply authentic. Information is conveyed as cold hard fact, unrelieved by any emotional content or interpretation. It's very much a product of the post-World War 2 malaise, when veterans returned home to find only dislocation and disillusion. Arguably both Deglin and Paine are suffering from PTSD. The cop is still able to express himself through violence thanks to his job but his victim is unable to do so and drowns in drink, gambling and a futile struggle for easy money. Morgan Taylor is drawn to both men but, through no fault of her own, is unable to understand or relieve their pain.

Considering that Deglin is not exactly the most sympathetic of protagonists, it's a testament to Stuart that we remain invested in him, his fate and eventual partial redemption. Although that redemption does make for a somewhat inconclusive feel to the ending of the novel, it does feel hard earned.

The book was turned into the classic noir movie ‘Where the Sidewalk Ends’ (1950). The impact of the novel is perhaps understandably sacrificed by efforts to make Deglin (renamed Dixon) a far more sympathetic character. Fortunately, the excellent performance of Dana Andrews and a fine cast go a long way to making you forget about the changes.

A tight, masterful noir that perfectly captures a mood and holds you tightly in its grip. Highly recommended.

[L.A. Deming · Rating 4 out of 5]

A noir worthy of attention. Short, sour, and to the point.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A library find.
October 2025.
Interesting.
Suspenseful.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: a cop goes too far interrogating a suspect. Became the movie, Where The Sidewalk Ends.