![]() ![]() What it taught me: Nobody brings a scene to life like McDowell and every time I read him, I come away with a new perspective and a deeper understanding of how it’s done. Seriously … Gird your loins, ya’llįun Facts: Stephen King once described McDowell as “the finest writer of paperback originals in America today.” Not that I put a whole lot of stock into King’s recommendations at this point, but in this case, I agree Standout achievements: More dark crime than horror, this book is not only beautifully written, but it brings into clear and terrifying focus the old adage that Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. ![]() Greatest strengths: While McDowell is a master at placing the reader in any scene he chooses, his descriptions of New York’s poor area, known as the Black Triangle, and his analysis of life there in the 1880s, stand out singularly as some of the best stuff I’ve read. ![]() Most memorable scene: When the Stallworth family receives invitations to their own funerals Notable characters: Black Lena Shanks the family matriarch who heads a group of female criminals Judge James Stallworth, her enemy the twins, Ella and Rob, young expert pick-pockets “I have told you, the lower classes do not take revenge upon the upper.” (P.S. My favorite quote: “You are falling into inanity,” said Judge Stallworth coldly. ![]()
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