Homicidal Lady

by Day Keene

great item :)

114 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

Day Keene, whose real name was Gunnar Hjerstedt, was one of the leading paperback mystery writers of the 1950s. Along with writing over 50 novels, he also wrote for radio, television, movies, and pulp magazines. Often his stories were set in South Florida or swamp towns in Louisiana, and included a man wrongly accused and on the run, determined to clear his name.

Reviews

[Dominick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given that the protagonist doesn't even know that he's IN a book, let alone the title, it is perhaps unsurprising that I was able to figure out before he did who the killer was, but really, it still seemed to take him too long. Even given who she is, the evidence is none too subtle. This is a serviceable enough noir thriller, enlivened by some unconventional elements (e.g. the hero gets the tar beat out of him by one of the secondary characters, a hood), but ultimately too dependent on predictable elements to be a classic. I actually laughed aloud at one point, probably the fifth or sixth time a female character turned up in undergarments or a filmy negligee. Seriously, one such major character appears in clothes only once in the entire book. Anyway, fans of hard-boiled fiction will find this serviceable enough; non-fans won't be won over.

[Larry Webber · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, fun read. Set in South Florida, "Homicidal Lady" is the tale of a District Attorney whose life begins to unravel spectacularly when he is blamed for the execution of an innocent man he prosecuted. I never read a book that uses the word "Cracker" as much as this one does. As in: "Talbot was Cracker practical."

[Gordie LaChance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Homicidal Lady was published in 1954 and it does show its age, especially when it comes to gender roles, sex, and relationships. While some of the dialogue might make you cringe or laugh, I've always felt that there is a certain charm to outdated things that are, after all, of their own time.

The book is set in "Sun City" Florida which, to my surprise and consternation, is clearly a substitute for St. Petersburg. It is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay. St. Anthony's Hostpital, a few actual street names and the Gandy Bridge to Tampa are all mentioned. I am unsure why the author didn't just use the actual city name but it was neat seeing such an old novel set in a place that I grew up.

As for the novel itself: it's is a brisk (barely 144 pages) noir thriller that hits most of the right notes in a rather familiar tune. You will probably figure out who the killer is before the author reveals it, sure, but it's a fun ride. While this won't match Ross Macdonald's best, it is pretty much on par with the work of John D. MacDonald--outdated but tons of somewhat cheesy fun.