Night Waking

by William I Kaufman

Alex is young, sexy, beautiful and free. She has everything going for her: And then she is dead: a headline, a statistic, a madman's prey.

For her roommates Alex's murder is only the beginning. Now there is no safety in their lives, no security in their futures. Their emotions are shattered, their relationships twisted.

And terror slides through sleepless nights. . . .

From the Author:
Why I wrote this novel: a news report "Two Manhattan Career Girls Slain". The headline seems to imply that this is what happens to a young woman foolish enough to violate the traditional safety of women (protection by father and then by husband) by venturing alone into the career zone - the big city.
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“Suspense filled psychological thriller.” —Literary Guild

“Will scare the hell out of all but the most lionhearted.” —Publishers Weekly

“A terrifying novel about paranoia.” —Chicago Sun-Times

“Will grab you right by the psyche.” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Continually engrossing.” —Los Angeles Times

“Supremely suspenseful.” —Doubleday Book Club

“Will have those little hairs standing at brittle attention.” —Post-Gazette (Boston)

“Powerful and disturbing.” —Mystery Guild

“Explosive shocker.” —The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne)

“For thriller fans and serious literature readers.” —Green Valley News (Arizona)

“The work of a real pro.” —Houston Chronicle

“Keeps the reader guessing-entranced.” —The Post-Standard (Syracuse)

“Wrenching study of people under pressure.” —Quote magazine

314 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 1977

Reviews

[Bob Box · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read in 1979. Psychological thriller.

[Ronnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

He didn't want to hurt her. He loved her.
It was just that he wanted her dead.

If you like a good crime/suspense/warped psychodrama novel, which I occasionally do, find a copy of this. Part of its initial appeal for me was its mid-'70s setting--clearly not for the era's innocence but definitely for its nostalgia: manual typewriters, rotary-dial phones, newspapers (when a copy of the NY Times was 20 cents), phone booths, rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan = around $250, the word pita being one the author felt necessary to italicize, etc. The main draw here, though, is Snow's sharpness and mercilessness in tracking the thoughts of women and men alike, noting inadequacies on all fronts, often pretty harshly and with particular frankness about sex and "precopulatory stimulation." The brief vignette about the paperback cover artwork for Jaws is just an added bonus. Very quick read. I didn't want to put it down.

First line [Prologue]:
"The car eased off Long Island's Highway 27, homing in on the sound of surf."

[Diana Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although written in the late 1970's this story could as well relate to the present day. The author starts with a prologue of a explicit sexual encounter as told through the thoughts of a male which ends in a dire way. A year passes and thus the actual story begins. A group of three room mates are the main focus of the present story and when one of them is found murdered and the fashion in which she is found thus we are taken on the search for the perpetrator. One can tell reading the story that the author did a good job of researching the material relating to and incorporating it into the work. I found the story a bit confusing at times and with so many characters woven into the drama didn't know much about most of them. I would caution readers that this work contains adult content throughout. An easy read I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good crime drama.

[Nattie · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars. I am glad I decided to get this from the library instead of spending $3.99 on a copy off eBay.

The first pages were thoroughly disgusting. The rest of what I read included a lot of vulgarity. There were too many characters, and too much of what I felt was the author's attempt at being tantalizing and cutting-edge.

The best part of the book was the photo on the back cover, which appears to be Kathleen Snow in her college days. She was gorgeous. You know a book is bad when the back cover is the best thing.