NIGHTSHADE

by Jay McCormick ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 11, 1948

An intelligent, intense, effective (if often at the expense of sensationalism) story of two young men, of the destruction of one by the possessive, pitiless love of his grandmother. This tells of Hugh Malory, a solitary except for his friendship for Red Tierney, a writer, Hugh who lives in the fear of his neurotic nature and his grandmother, Mrs. Ferguson. Tierney, who provides the balance for Hugh's instability, is indirectly the cause of his breakdown as Rachel, with whom Tierney had slept, uses Hugh as a medium for revenge, frames him in a charge of assault and rape and Mrs. Ferguson has him committed, in an asylum where, while he is confined, she retains her control. Insane at the last, Hugh escapes and commits suicide, leaving Mrs. Ferguson to face her final retribution...There are combustible components here, and for public libraries, a fair amount of basic English, but the whole provides strongly sustained reading.

Pub Date: March 11, 1948

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1948

Categories: FICTION