Waltz into Darkness

Starred review from November 4, 2019
In this unrelentingly grim noir from Woolrich (1903–1968), first published in 1947 and set in 1880 New Orleans, Louis Durand, the owner of a prosperous coffee-import business, is looking forward to meeting the woman he’s romanced via correspondence, who he hopes will offer him a chance for a happiness years after losing his first love to yellow fever. The Julia Russell who shows up at the dock doesn’t match the photo he was sent, but he accepts her explanation that she didn’t want him to be interested in her solely for her looks. The two wed, and gradually it becomes clear that Julia has withheld more significant secrets, which end up leading to murder. The significance of Billy, a “character that does not appear in the story” (mentioned in an opening list of characters), becomes chillingly clear by the end. This haunting downer is an excellent addition to the American Mystery Classics series.

December 1, 2019
When Louis Durand meets his mail-order bride, Julia, in 1880s New Orleans, he is astounded by her beauty, which far exceeds the photographs she provided. Shortly after their wedding, she disappears with his fortune. Waltz into Darkness is a classic femme-fatale story, wherein a lonely man, afraid of growing old alone, unwittingly marries a treacherous woman and becomes so besotted with her that he can only see her lies and misdeeds as lovely deceptions. Originally published in 1947 under the author's pseudonym of William Irish, now reissued as part of Otto Penzler's American Mystery Classics, it might initially be dismissed as too wordy, but closer inspection reveals a richly embroidered tapestry. Woolrich?whose given name was Cornell George Hopley-Woolrich?gives over nearly two pages to a seductively detailed description of Julia's allure. Durand has lost his soul by the time he realizes that she is Julia, the killer. The destroyer of his heart. The inspiration for the films Mississippi Mermaid and Original Sin, this is classic noir well worthy of a revival.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)