After Dark, My Sweet by
Jim Thompson
pbk out May 04
(Orion)
at £6.99
One of a series of crime masterworks, past classics that have clearly stood the test of time and
are being re-issued. This is the story of Bill Collins, a young drifter who is generally polite
and accommodating, but who suffers from mental illness and can be dangerously violent.
Collins runs into captivating, alcoholic, Fay Anderson and genial, ex-cop, Uncle Bud and gets
sucked into the kidnap plot they are hatching. We know it can only end in tragedy (the tale is
narrated by Bill Collins and he refers to the disasters ahead, giving the reader a glimpse of
what is to come.) Thompson uses this device to good effect, maintaining great tension and a
sense of impending doom throughout. Collins' vulnerability and the issue of mental illness
are sensitively and eloquently handled and make for some very moving passages, especially
with the doctor who tries to give him refuge. Smart, sparky dialogue captures perfectly the
characters and adds humour too. Thompson frequently chose to write about the villains, The
Grifters is an example as is Pop. 1280, (another in this series) a hilarious account of murder
by a scurrilous, completely immoral lawman. Thompson's work is often categorised as hard-
boiled and violent but there's a depth to it that takes it beyond pulp fiction. After Dark, My
Sweet is well worth seeking out.
Manchester Evening news 5.6.04
(
Cath Staincliffe
author of the popular Sal Kilkenny mysteries set on the mean streets of Manchester)
After Dark, My Sweet by
Jim Thompson
