Dread Journey by Dorothy B. Hughes

"One-Way Ticket To Death"

Dread Journey is a dark, intense novel about a trans-American train journey and the tensions between old friends and rivals. The writing is terrific, each line filled with emotion like nails on a chalkboard. This is a tour de force by Dorothy B. Hughes, whose most famous title is In a Lonely Place was made into the 1947 film starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame.

Katherina 'Kitten' Agnew is an ascending actress reaching the top of the ladder, with a deadly fear of the producer who made her a star. Vivian Spender is the high-powered studio head producing his dream project, the film Clavdia Chauchat. His first wife was also built up as a star, only to die under mysterious circumstances when Kitten was discovered. Now, Kitten fears the same fate as an innocent new starlet, Gratia Shawn, who is not only along for the journey but also sharing her compartment. As Mr. Spender has the name Vivian, his longtime secretary is Mike Dana, a woman who has suffered in love and silence for many years and is willing to overlook his controlling nature. On board, they meet old friends: fey Leslie Augustin (who knows he is no more than a prostitute), bitter newsman Hank Cavanagh, and a disgruntled screenwriter recently fired by Vivian. Overseeing it all from his station in the car is James Cobbett, a veteran Pullman attendant.

Each chapter begins from a different perspective, and slightly back in time, moving forward and back this way throughout. As Kitten's paranoia and the others' protection of her increase, it seems both impossible and yet inevitable that Vivian will naturally do away with Kitten before arrival. His eyes are on poor Gratia for the new film, and Kitten's contract cannot be broken. It seems a simple story, but each sentence is dripping with tension as they are trapped together on the train. Old histories rise to the surface as they spit their resentments at each other. They can feel doom breathing over their shoulders (I could as well, and I wasn't even on board!).

The writing, the writing, I was glued to the page. The closest thing I have read to this in style would be classic Jim Thompson or Raymond Chandler.

If you want to read a Noir novel, this is it.

Dorothy B. Hughes has been rediscovered lately as one of the finest women writers of her time. She has won the Edgar Award and received the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award. Dread Journey is a terrific novel, and I highly recommend it.

1945 / Paperback / 184 pages