Customer Reviews

The Vengeful Virgin

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"She had on a red knitted thing, made of one piece. It was shorts and a top, without sleeves. The top was what I think they call a boat-neck, tight up against her throat. The whole thing was very tight on her. Her face seemed almost childlike, but she was no child." --from The Vengeful Virgin

... and she was no virgin, either, if her actions at the end of Chapter 2 are any indication. But the title has a nice alliterative ring to it, though it suggested that I would be too embarrassed to read it on public transportation. The cover, lovingly illustrated by Gregory Manchess (whose work has also graced Fade to Blonde, Home Is the Sailor, and Grave Descend), practically guaranteed it.

Hard Case Crime continue their attempt to revive the careers of previously popular, now-little-known crime writers. Gil Brewer was one of the best selling authors of his day, but he had a little problem with substance dependence that eventually killed him. The abuse made his writing uneven, so he is hit-or-miss in terms of quality, but The Vengeful Virgin is probably his best, with a shocker ending that rivals that of Grifter's Game.

Shirley Angela has the unenviable responsibility of being constant caregiver to her invalid stepfather following her mother's death. Hungry for social contact of any kind -- but especially of that kind -- she calls television serviceman Jack Ruxton to install a special setup in her stepfather's bedroom.

Together they hatch a scheme to get rid of the old man and share the several hundred thousand dollars he has stashed away in the bank. All Ruxton has to watch out for, besides getting caught, are the two other women who have set their sights on him. Our Jack is apparently a very popular man with the ladies. You may wish you had that problem. Don't.

The Vengeful Virgin is everything readers look for when they seek the pure pulp experience. It feels like it was written in a flash of inspiration, and it has all the earmarks of this perfectly lurid literature: its characters are boldly sexy, violently cruel, lustfully greedy, and utterly remorseless. I couldn't find a single flaw in Brewer's execution, which means that if you're not a Gil Brewer fan by the time you finish this book, then maybe you need to find another hobby, because reading is obviously not for you.

Jack Ruxton, a small-time TV salesman hits the big-time when he's called out to do some work for the stunning Shirley Angela. Shirley, 18-going-on-unforgettable lives with her decrepit (and wealthy) step-father - forced to play the reluctant nursemaid in turn for vague promises of being written into the will. Hijinks ensue, culminating in the inevitable seduction, corruption and karmic reward for everyone involved.

If the above summary sounds like a paint-by-numbers Noir plot, believe me, it isn't. I was left guessing until the end - and even now, I'm still stunned by how the cards fell. Not bad, for a fifty-year old pulp.

Jack Ruxton is one of the most progressively heinous characters I've ever read. What starts as his token resistance to corruption quickly unfolds to reveal one of the darkest, most loathsome characters I've read. Yet, even with that, Brewer's writing manages to pull the reader into Jack's world. More upsettingly - he convinced me to start to mentally nodding along with Jack's seductively amoral thinking.

Originally published in 1958, The Vengeful Virgin now been reprinted as part of the highly-recommended Hard Case Crime series. This new printing includes a wonderfully steamy Gregory Manchess cover that I had to hide from the little old lady sitting across from me on the train - a true homage to the seedy pulp tradition.

With this dark, whirlwind of a story, Brewer has claimed his rightful place in the hall of the pulp masters. Especially with a new edition on the shelf right now, I'd recommend this book to right- (or wrong-)thinking paperbacks reader.

I'd recommend this book only to someone who wants to read exhaustively in the noir canon. The plot is predictable, the protagonist not very engaging, and several key plot twists run the risk of coming out of nowhere. The attraction between the protagonist and the femme fatale just happens, and facts that emerge about her towards the end of the book really call into questions some things about how the relationship begins in the first place.

Hard Case Crime has brought out some really great noir treats, both hostorical and contemporary. This is not one of them.

I haven't read all the Hard Case books but this is definitely a notch below "Lucky at Cards" and "Blackmailer".

The plot moves along but the writing is flat. And even for pulp fiction, the plot is full of gaping holes and cardboard characters.

If you love everything about Hard Case, but the book. If you are not a complete fan of the genre (like myself), skip it.

I have no idea why they call these hard-boiled. Why do I say that? Well, because nothing seemed to hard-boiled about this particular book. I mean it had crime and some lust, but was not that too hard boiled. Anyway, the book was a good waste of some time, as it was pleasurable to read. It was never slow never boring, and only a little bit dated. All in all, it contained a great deal of action and very visual images. I would suggest the book to anyone wanting to get into the crime book scene. Overall, a good but not great book.

I am gonna start off by saying I wasn't a huge fan of the ending. It could have turned out way different and I would have been satisfied. But that doesn't detract from the book's decent premise, although the pace was somewhat slow in the beginning.

It's a telling tale of a salesman (Jack) and a virgin (Shirley Angela) who is housebound due to incessantly watching over an old relative. They meet, and eventually fall for each other, Shirley falling the hardest.

The book has the main characters weaving in and out of trouble and ultimately, they end up working together. Some strange happenings occur and momentary kinks in the wheel have them doing the unthinkable, as they try and sail their way to the cash.

By the end, there aren't gonna be too many (if any) questions gone unanswered because it basically ties the plot up nicely. But the WAY it ends is ultimately a disappointment to me.

But on an up note (and this is a biggie), this is one of the books that I have read from front to back. Lately, that's an accomplishment because I'm not really a huge reader as I tend to get bored with some books if they don't keep me interested. And to be honest, this book was a read-and-then-put-down-again type for a while, until the story got interesting and the unknown happened.

It has a few turns that might be unpredicted, which is good. But had the ending been more desirable, it would have been that much better.

Cover Art: C+
Level Of Ease: A-
Storyline: B+
Length: B+

Overall: B

end note: Finished at 5:20 AM.

From the outset you know that Jack Ruxton is on a journey to hell. He latches on to the teenager Shirley Angela who is caring for her rich dying stepfather. Her life seems hell - it's as if she's just waiting for the rather unpleasant old boy to die. True, but Jack and Shirley decide to speed things up. He has a bit of expertise; it won't be easy, but there's a lot of money in Shirley's inheritance...

As with many noir stories, none of the characters are particularly likeable, but the writing is so mesmerising that you're quickly sucked in. Believable and tense with lashings of not too explicit sex, this is definitely worthy of being reprinted. But the title probably gives away at least one twist. Atmospheric cover which shows that the artist Gregory Manchess has read the book.

Out of the dozen or so titles I've read by Hard Case Crime, this one is my favorite. The tension, the sex, and the plot twists combine to create a thoroughly readable suspense tale. The characters are noir favorites: the average guy looking to make a big score, the lonely-desperate woman looking to cash-in and grab the good life, jealous neighbors, suspicious doctors, etc. This heroine, Shirley Angela, is a well-written femme fatale in the hard-boiled tradition, aided and abetted by a jealous ex-girlfriend. The protagonist is likewise the obligatory loser, grabbing for that brass ring yet inevitably meeting his demise. Remember that cliche about "the best laid plans!"

The book's cover is great. It alone should sell you on reading this potboiler.

The Vengeful Virgin is a rather drab, typical noir story without a lot of action or mystery behind it. Shirley Angela is an 18 year old trapped taking care of an ailing, mostly bed-ridden step father and she just wants out of the trap. Plus her step-father is rich and she'll be set for life when he finally kicks off. Enter Jack, a TV repair and salesman whom she's called to install an intercom system and a TV. Shirley manipulates him to help her do away with the old guy, a rather easy task since she is sexy and Jack is allured not only by what she offers in the way of prurient pleasures, but even more so the money.

The story revolves around Jack and his ineptitude at getting away with what he does, and frankly is rather tedious. It is, thankfully, a quick read and mildly entertaining, if not anything beyond an average crime novel at best.

This 1958 novel is clearly and concisely written. No words wasted. The story reminded me of the work of James M. Cain, another crime writer who knew how to move a plot forward without using overlong descriptions. The characters are believable and interesting. I'm glad this book is once again in print.