FAST ONE

Fast One starts off with some confusion - there is no characterization to speak of, and for the first few chapters, it's pretty hard to keep anyone straight, except for the protagonist. There's also the problem that there is no apparent reason for him to fall for the girl in the book - you're just supposed to accept it. Nevertheless, by about halfway in, things start to gel and the fast-paced story grabs you. Basically nihilistic, it's hard to say what the point is - Gerry Kells is a smart guy, but nobody is smart enough in the nightmare world Cain has created.

SEVEN SLAYERS

The title refers to the seven short stories that make up this half of Omnibus. As in the novel, the characterization is thin in all but a couple of stories. Actually, those are pretty thin too, but at least there is enough description that you can keep the characters straight as you read. Cain excels at short, terse descriptions, mood setting, and, to a lesser extent, dialog. No surprise that he was a screenwriter writing under a pen name. Reading most of these stories is like being dropped into a dense fog somewhere and having no idea where you are. These don't make great late night reading because you need to be awake to make sense of things. That said, most of these stories are worth reading, and one, "Pigeon Blood", would make a hell of a movie. Or maybe it already did....

Both the novel and the short stories deliver the true hardboiled noir feeling, if that's what you're looking for. If you enjoyed Hammet's Glass Key, you'll like these. ( )