The Box / Journey Into Terror
Rabe's career as a crime novelist was brief but intense, cut short by editorial caprice, personal upheaval, and changing public tastes. Most of his books were Gold Medal paperbacks, 16 of which were published between 1955 and 1960. While even his admirers agree that his quality was uneven, many crime writers and aficionados cite his best work as classic pulp fiction. With most of his work now unavailable, this reprinting of two vintage novels in one cover is especially welcome. Besides his taut, precise writing, Rabe stands apart in the genre for his unusual settings, protagonists, and stories. InThe Box, an exiled New York gangster finds himself in a coastal North African town and tries to take over despite not knowing the language. InJourney into Terror, a working stiff whose fiancee was killed in a gang crossfire seeks revenge on the man who pulled the trigger. Both stories feature strong psychological underpinnings and protagonists trying to outrun themselves. Noir addicts looking for a fix of the good stuff will find it here.Keir GraffCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved