----- Original Message ----- From: "Rene Ribic" <
rribic@optusnet.com.au>
> Some of the books advertise other "forthcoming"
books that I don't think
> got published - at least I've found no evidence of
them being published:
> The Users - Brian Case
> The Lying Ladies - Robert Finnegan
> Darkness at Dawn - Cornell Woolrich
> I've never heard of the first 2 guys & it seems
Xanadu may have had some
> problem with Woolrich. Hassles over publishing
rights?
Robert Finnegan was a pseudonym of Paul William Ryan. He was
born in San Francisco in 1906 and wrote three mystery novels:
THE LYING LADIES (1946), THE BANDAGED NUDE (1947) and MANY A
MONSTER (1948). He died in 1947 (the last novel was published
posthumously). He had a remarkable reputation as a writer of
labour articles (under the name Michael Quin) and his daily
journalism columns were used as classic examples of good
writing in English classes at Stanford University - despite
the fact that Finnegan (having been evicted from the family
home at the age of fifteen with only a paper bag containing
his lunch and instructions to go seek his fortune) had scant
education himself.
And now, having been inspired to read the first chapter of
THE BANDAGED NUDE, I'm going to read the rest of it. Based on
that small sample, Finnegan certainly lives up to his
reputation. Interestingly, the main character's called Banion
and happens to mention that his wife has died. I wonder if
McGivern's choice of his main character's name in THE BIG
HEAT was purely coincidental? Finnegan had died only six
years previously. Homage?
Al
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