As usual, I'm wandering around in the wrong decade. IF YOU
HAVE TEARS, by John Evans, was published in 1947. When a
paperback turned up on eBay at a low price, I nabbed it.
Evans (Howard Browne) was one of the better Raymond Chandler
imitators, but here he's in his James M. Cain mode. The
book's plot will be familiar to anybody on this list:
Larry Sungail works at a bank. Larry Sungail has an expensive
mistress. Larry Sungail steals from the bank. Larry Sungail
finds out there's going to be an audit. Larry Sungail
remembers that his wife has double indemnity life insurance.
Larry Sungail is . . . screwed.
There are some twists in the plot, but readers on this list
are are going to see at least two of the "surprises" coming
from a mile away. That's only because we're so familiar with
this kind of book, though. Even that fact doesn't destroy the
book's effectiveness because Evans was a heck of a good
writer. And the ending is very well done.
Bill Crider
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