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Sally
A small-town girl flees from the assassin hired to kill her
When the doctor in her small hometown tells Sally Dillman that she has six months to live, the quiet young schoolteacher sells her house and moves to New York City. She comes not to see the sights, not for one last thrill, but to die as quickly as possible. Savings in hand, she pays a mobster $3,000 to put a contract out on her life. She wants to be killed before leukemia saps her strength, and she wants it to be a surprise. Only later does she learn of her terrible mistake. As the date of her appointed death draws closer, Sally feels none of the effects of her disease. A visit to the hospital confirms that the first diagnosis was wrong. She is no longer in danger from leukemia, but it is too late to stop the assassin. No longer prepared to die, Sally must fight to escape the deadly trap she laid for herself.
When the doctor in her small hometown tells Sally Dillman that she has six months to live, the quiet young schoolteacher sells her house and moves to New York City. She comes not to see the sights, not for one last thrill, but to die as quickly as possible. Savings in hand, she pays a mobster $3,000 to put a contract out on her life. She wants to be killed before leukemia saps her strength, and she wants it to be a surprise. Only later does she learn of her terrible mistake. As the date of her appointed death draws closer, Sally feels none of the effects of her disease. A visit to the hospital confirms that the first diagnosis was wrong. She is no longer in danger from leukemia, but it is too late to stop the assassin. No longer prepared to die, Sally must fight to escape the deadly trap she laid for herself.
141 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1967
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84 people want to read
About the author
E.V. Cunningham
35 books10 followersEV Cunningham is a pseudonym used by author: Howard Fast, and under that name he wrote 21 mystery novels plus two others, one under his own name and one using another pseudonym Walter Ericson.
He was educated at George Washington High School, graduating in 1931. He attended the National Academy of Design in New York before serving with the Office of War Information between 1942 and 1943 and the Army Film Project in 1944.
He became war correspondent in the Far East for 'Esquire' and 'Coronet' magazines in 1945. And after the war he taught at Indiana University, Bloomington, in the summer of 1947, a year in which he was imprisoned for contempt of Congress, concerning his communistic views.
He became the owner of the Blue Heron Press in New York in 1952, a position he held until 1957. And he was the founder of the World Peace Movement and a member of the World Peace Council from 1950 to 1955 and was later a member of the Fellowship for Reconciliation. In 1952 he was an American Labour Party candidate for Congress for the 23rd District of New York.
He received a great many awards between 1933 and 1967.
He married Bette Cohen in 1937 and they had one son and one daughter.
Under his own name he wrote 35 works of fiction plus a variety of history and critical works, short stories, plays and a screenplay, 'The Hessian' (1971) plus a book of verse with William Gropper.
He died died at his home in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, on 12 March 2003.
Gerry Wolstenholme
March 2022
He was educated at George Washington High School, graduating in 1931. He attended the National Academy of Design in New York before serving with the Office of War Information between 1942 and 1943 and the Army Film Project in 1944.
He became war correspondent in the Far East for 'Esquire' and 'Coronet' magazines in 1945. And after the war he taught at Indiana University, Bloomington, in the summer of 1947, a year in which he was imprisoned for contempt of Congress, concerning his communistic views.
He became the owner of the Blue Heron Press in New York in 1952, a position he held until 1957. And he was the founder of the World Peace Movement and a member of the World Peace Council from 1950 to 1955 and was later a member of the Fellowship for Reconciliation. In 1952 he was an American Labour Party candidate for Congress for the 23rd District of New York.
He received a great many awards between 1933 and 1967.
He married Bette Cohen in 1937 and they had one son and one daughter.
Under his own name he wrote 35 works of fiction plus a variety of history and critical works, short stories, plays and a screenplay, 'The Hessian' (1971) plus a book of verse with William Gropper.
He died died at his home in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, on 12 March 2003.
Gerry Wolstenholme
March 2022
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 10, 2015
Revisit with an old friend
I had read this book in the RD Condensed Books years ago, and wondered if it was in an e-book, and was pleased to see it was. It was even more enjoyable than it was before. Of course there were new parts I hadn't seen before, and the setting brought me back to the NYC I remember. Not to mention she stayed at the St. Regis Hotel for $70 a night. That's fantasy!
I read this under Mr. Fast original pen name. The historical afterword was fascinating. Ill be reading more!
I had read this book in the RD Condensed Books years ago, and wondered if it was in an e-book, and was pleased to see it was. It was even more enjoyable than it was before. Of course there were new parts I hadn't seen before, and the setting brought me back to the NYC I remember. Not to mention she stayed at the St. Regis Hotel for $70 a night. That's fantasy!
I read this under Mr. Fast original pen name. The historical afterword was fascinating. Ill be reading more!
June 19, 2017
This book was simply "hokay" for me. The overall story was good, but the characters were flat. Sally's responses made me think "dumb blond". Gonzalez' responses seemed a bit like chauvinistic Mama's boy. They just seemed stilted, especially Sally. The overall story is good, but the development of the two main characters just didn't ring true to me.
April 21, 2016
I read the Reader's Digest Condensed version over at openlibrary.org. This story will get your heart pumping fast and keep you in suspense.
June 22, 2016
A light summer read...the plot was strange and exciting, but the characters were poorly developed and the dialogue was stilted...the ending was just silly.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews