Before I started this novel, I had never read anything by Cain, and honestly I probably would have bypassed his work entirely if it wasn't for a recommendation from a bookseller. Going into this I only had a tiny idea of what it was about, and it sounded fantastic, which it mostly was...

Where this novel excels is in being a gritty and tragic noir story. The writing is utterly wonderful, it's tight, tense, and helps to draw a real sense of panic out of a rather slow paced story. The whole time reading this novel, I was waiting for the inevitable, and yet, as I was hurtling towards the clash I know was inescapable, I held on to a tiny sliver of hope, that maybe, things would work out.

However, I think that the excessive use of opera terms took away from the story for me, maybe if I was more musically inclined, I would have enjoyed this far more. It's worth noting that this is a novel that was first published in the 1930s, and as such, it contains a rather heavy use of slurs, and some very questionable viewpoints. While this may not bother some, it's worth being aware of these things when viewing it from a modern lens.