Get Me to the Wake on Time

by Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock isn't one for politics - but he does feel there is a grop of citizens who go unrecognized by the media. True, they prefer it that way. In fact, the last thing they want is publicity. Nevertheless, Alfie has dedicated his life to making known the special talents of these modest murderers and quiet killers - and he's hit a new high in such tales by today's masters of macabre mystery and spine tingling suspense.

203 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 16, 2021

About the author

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (13 August 1899 - 29 April 1980) was an iconic and highly influential film director and producer, who pioneered many techniques in the suspense and thriller genres.

Following a very substantial career in his native Britain in both silent films and talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood and became an American citizen with dual nationality in 1956, thus he also remained a British subject.

Hitchcock directed more than fifty feature films in a career which spanned six decades, from the silent film era, through the invention of sound films, and far into the era of colour films. For a complete list of his films, see Alfred Hitchcock filmography.

Hitchcock was among the most consistently recognizable directors to the general public, and was one of the most successful film directors during his lifetime. He continues to be one of the best known and most popular filmmakers of all time.

Reviews

[Paperback Papa · Rating 5 out of 5]

On vacation, I decided to read short stories in my down time. Alfred Hitchcock's "Get Me to the Wake On Time" (1970) is another winner. Heavyweights from the pulp era, including Gil Brewer, Fletcher Flora, and Henry Slesar, make this a nice volume.

Gil Brewer's story, "Goodbye Now," concerns a retired circus acrobat who suddenly finds himself being romantically pursued by an impossibly beautiful woman. He can't figure out why she would be interested in him, but why fight it? He decides to enjoy the ride. Soon she confesses that she needs help retrieving some stolen money. And wouldn't you know it...because of where the money is hidden, she needs the help of an acrobat. This story is quite clever and ends with a nice twist.

A better story is Henry Slesar's "Be My Valentine." The greatest safecracker in the world - a legendary criminal - is hired by a safe manufacturing company to try to break into their newest safe as an advertising gimmick. This story has one of Slesar's patented twist endings and it is a real dinger. I love how, not the last paragraph or the last sentence, but the last word flips the story on its ear. I recall seeing this story on TV, probably in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

These Hitchcock anthologies are pure gold. They feature some of the great crime/noir writers of the fifties and sixties, and most of the stories can be read in fifteen minutes.

[James Flynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought these stories were going to be horror, but they are actually crime mysteries. The first and last stories were my favourites.