Black Wings Has My Angel

By: Elliott Chaze

Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner

Length: 5 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

She had the face of a madonna and a heart of dollar bills.

"I came back and searched dizzily under the trailer, muttering the way drunks do, and then I heard it. A shuffling around inside the trailer. The little tramp had knocked me in the head with her Southern Comfort and now she was in there loading up....She didn't know I was alive."

A legend among noir buffs, Chaze's long-lost pulp classic is the dreamlike tale of a man after a jailbreak who meets up with the woman of his dreams - and his nightmares.

Elliott Chaze (1915 - 1990) was an old-school newspaper man who began his journalism career with the New Orleans bureau of the Associated Press shortly before Pearl Harbor. He worked for a time for AP's Denver office after paratrooper service in World War II, and then migrated south to Mississippi where he spent 20 years as a reporter and award-winning columnist. He is the author of several novels.

©1953 Gold Medal Books; Reprinted by Black Mask 2005, 2009 (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"An astonishingly well written literary novel that just happened to be about (or roundabout) a crime." ( Oxford American)

Excellent Noir Crime Story

Elliot Chaze is such a great writer it's nearly perfect. I haven't read any of his other work but I will although it's hard to find. it's a real shame he wasn't more popular. also the narrator Malcolm hillgartner was excellent I have listened to a lot of audio books and he is really top notch. my very highly recommend this audiobook.

My Favorite Crime Noir That I Have Ever Read

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. “Enjoyed” may be inappropriate. It was haunting and enthralling. The narration by Malcolm Hillgartner was excellent. I read and listened simultaneously. There were numerous times I could not put this down. If you enjoy American Noir give this one a try. Thank You…

A crime noir beyond anything I expected.

Grimy, bleak, fascinating, and for being written and set in the 1950's - read as completely modern.

A Towering Achievement in Any Genre

While many have praised this book as brilliant crime fiction, I’m going to go way out on a limb and declare Black Wings Has My Angel a great novel by any standard, in any genre.

Elliott Chaze’s writing is lean and mean in a way that echoes both Chandler and Camus. Whether describing a landscape or filling in a character profile, he tends to sketch in just the essentials, leaving the rest for the reader to fill in.

Yet for all its economy, Chaze’s literary technique might best be compared to a dense and delicious cake made of many layers. The first layer is a sturdy narrative in which an ex-con undertakes the perfect crime. Next is a layer that explores the psychology of misfits damaged by the ills of mid-20th century America: war, conformity, parochial mores. Then there’s a layer that ventures into Kerouac territory, complete with jazzy road trips, dead-end jobs and candid sexual escapades. Finally, there’s a layer of local color capturing the landscapes of the Deep South and the Mountain West through a Technicolor lens. What more can you ask for?

A (negative) reader review seemed to like nothing about this book except its title. I find this ironic, since in my view, the title—at once wordy and tawdry—is likely to chase away many readers. Yes, Black Wings Has My Angel is classic pulp fiction in the darkest shade of noir, but it is so much more.

The Audible performance of this book is pitch perfect—so good in fact that I did something very rare for me: I listened to it twice.

Not bad at all

Found this one on the free list and tried it out.
Rather a noir tale worthy of a decent Black and White movie.
A quick listen that moves right along.
PQ

Guilt..... a deadly emotion !!

Would you listen to Black Wings Has My Angel again? Why?

Definitly. The author actually gives you 2 stories in the book. The story line is engaging.

What did you like best about this story?

the insight that Chaze has into the human psyche. He understands what makes human tick. His story is a study in human frailties.

What does Malcolm Hillgartner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His emotion. He does not overplay any part yet conveys every emotion, every nuance, every scene

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I could have, but took 2 sittings

Any additional comments?

a very solid noir book . A must have in your library !!!

Unsettling

A strange and bizarrely moving novel concerning two people whose love is as weird as the life they share.

Angels

Speaking of angels, Chaze writes like one. This is a big muscular spectacular book. Unforgettable work from both the author and the narrator.

This is the best noir novel ibuave ever read.

Better than anything I’ve read by the brilliant Jim Thompson, Chandler, Hammet, anyone. I don’t know why this author and this book aren’t better known.

Exceedingly well read too. I listened at 1.3 which felt about right.

Highly recommended.

Better as a movie?

Genre pièce. Some intelligence but waaay out of date. Might be better as a movie.