Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This will be available on January 21st, 2021.

I’ve heard Cornell Woolrich being spoken of as the father of the crime novel, so I jumped at the chance to read The Bride Wore Black. The plot is fairly simple: there are several murders that seem unrelated, except for the appearance of a mysterious woman, whom no one seems to recognize. It falls on Detective Wanger to solve the series of cases and stop the body count.

Unfortunately, this book was more problematic than enjoyable for me. The issue is, things that are unacceptable now (or at least, they should be) were commonplace when this book was written. Things have changed a lot since 1940. Nowhere is that more evident than in The Bride Wore Black. Racism and sexism were both very much a part of this book, in the casual sort of way that shows just how “normal” it was. For example, several men “good-naturedly” (the author’s word) tried to break down a dressing room door while a woman was changing. It was written as a natural, totally okay occurrence, which immediately put me off the book. Now, I know what some of you might be thinking: it’s an older book, and I need to assume these things will be there and take it in stride. Fair point. If I were able to get past the content (which was pretty much impossible for me), my review would be pretty much what follows.

Woolrich made some odd choices. Throughout the book, the reader is given both the who and the how of the murders; the only unsolved part is the why. I’m used to reading books where the identity of the killer isn’t known right away, so this was new to me. I felt a little cheated with so much information being already given. I like the tricky aspect of trying to solve the whodunnit. That being said, the why ended up being a doozy, completely unexpected and rather sad.

If the excess of freely given information seemed odd, the methods of the killings were downright bizarre. The oddest one involved a killer disguised as a kindergarten teacher: the victim thinks it’s absolutely normal for his child’s kindergarten teacher to show up uninvited to cook him dinner while he puts his feet up and reads the paper (see what I mean about the book being problematic?) . I found myself wondering how someone who was so lacking in common sense managed to live so long in the first place. I couldn’t view the murderer as diabolical, smart, or even as much of a threat because the way the murders were committed were so incredibly weird.
I was bummed that we saw so little of Detective Wanger. There would be several chapters involving the killer, then a small aside featuring the detective. There is no opportunity to get to know the character, which was rather disappointing. At least he didn’t immediately discount the idea of a female killer based on gender.

As I’ve mentioned, the ending was surprising and creative. I could see a little bit of why the author is seen as one of the original driving forces in the detective novel genre. It felt like the precursor for later books in the genre. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to make this book enjoyable for me.

Needless to say, I definitely don’t recommend this book, although it could just be an issue of the reader not matching the writing. It happens.

A golden era thriller that is the top of the genre.
I hope this book finds a new audience.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Superb, Classic Literary Noir, 
Superb classic literary noir. A tale of suspense like no other. An obsession, a deadly personal agenda, a unique methodology. Who is this beautiful lady? Creating tension in spades from the first page to the last with supreme use of language and a taut plot, this author was top of his game. An excellent read.

A wonderful tale of revenge wherein the motive lies back in the past. The narrative is separated into into each of the victims and always begins with the arrival of "the bride" before we get into the details of each murder. However, it is not until we reach the very last that things are not so clear and motive and the final denouement do not reach us until the very last pages - even then, things take a turn.

Well worth exploring - and I look forward to more from the series.

The Bride Wore Black is just the book I have been searching for. For years I have tried to find that one elusive book that could thrill me and then just when I least expect it, start all over again. I developed a sense of urgency while at the same time hoping that my hunch was right. Well, to be honest, I was wrong every time. Someone is killing men in different ways yet the police cannot connect them. The eyewitnesses only know one thing and that is they do NOT know who the killer is other than she is a she and she is stunning. She is able to disguise herself in such a way that she is not recognized and can escape the scene undetected. This is a mystery like no other. I am hoping that this will be made into a movie. The author has created rich characters that emphasize each other in a way that I am not used to. I felt as though I was in a 1950’s thriller and it was amazing.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Who in the heck... what in the heck, is this deliciously beautiful,wicked woman, who can transport herself into a sort of chameleon, and then vanish into thin air after she murders a man? Witnesses at the crime scenes can't seem to agree from one description to the next. The one thing that all witnesses and crime scenes apparently have in common, is that no one knows who this woman is, where she came from, and why she has murdered a man. In fact, the death count is rising, with no apparent reason or similarities between the victims. What is the MOTIVE for her killing all these men? A police detective seeks the rationale between seemingly-unrelated murders, connected only by the appearance of a beautiful woman each time. Manner of death is always different. 

This is a fairly fast paced mystery that had me anxious to keep turning the next page as I savored what was on the last one. And then, BAM!! Part way through the story, I thought I figured it out, but I love a great TWIST, and there you have it -  BOOM!! I NEVER SAW that twist coming! I adore a book that can deliver like that! 

Absolute pure candy to read- what a treat. It focused on the chameleon stages of the woman, and then, her victim's various lifestyle and personality. (All different, with no seeming common threads.) Then there is the post-mortem talk after the deed is done, and the detective dialog after the crime re-examining the evidence and trying to make sense of it all. 

No foul language, no sex, no graphic gore. If you're a fan of Agatha Christie, this is probably right up your alley. A cerebral mystery. 

Wholeheartedly recommended. My profound thanks to NetGalley, and the Publisher, for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.