I recently finished reading William Krasner's standalone, THE
GAMBLER. Originally published in 1950 by Harper, the edition
I used was the Harper Classic Mystery reissue put out in
1978.
Krasner is best know for his Detective Capt. Sam Birge
series. The debut title in 1949, WALK THE DARK STREETS,
garnered an Edgar nomination for Best First Novel.
Krasner was once called "film noir on the page" and after
finishing THE GAMBLER, I'd agree. The light and shadow
imagery he uses in scenes is detailed and descriptive. I
liked it. The noir elements ooze off the pages. Ben Wulfson,
a small-time craps dealer, has a dysfunctional romance with
the pale, sickly Alice. And that's cheerful part of the
book.
A St. Louis native and WW II vet, Krasner died a few years
ago from a heart attack in Pennsylvania. He brought out
several books in the 1980s. Anthony Boucher was a big fan.
Krasner has to be one of those noir pioneer writers lost in
the turn of the century.
Ed Lynskey
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