The Black Angel

By: Cornell Woolrich

Narrated by: Hillary Huber

In this classic crime novel and hypnotic thriller, a panic-stricken young wife races against time to prove that her convicted husband did not murder his mistress. Writing in first person from the wife’s viewpoint, Woolrich evokes her love and anguish and, finally, desperation as she becomes an avenging angel in her attempt to rescue her husband from execution.

©1943 Cornell Woolrich, renewed 1971 and 1982 by THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, N.A., as executor of the estate of Cornell Woolrich (P)2012 AudioGO

enjoy old noir

I always look for the old noir and enjoy them. This is not a fast paced shoot em up if that's what you're after, and though this may not be the best Cornell Woolrich, it is still good. Told from the women's viewpoint it is different from many of that era. The Narrator is very good and a new "voice", at least to me. A couple of the episodes/scenes could have moved a little more briskly but I like the chance to soak in some little details about the life and surroundings of that time. Woolrich tries different approaches in his many novels and maybe the "Black Series" will all show up in audio. If so I will continue with them. Personally I tire of the fast shoot em ups that are repetitious. enough with the gun play, give us more of the psychological approach Woolrich attempts. (The best Noir in my opinion is the existential variety like They Shoot Horses Don't They and less the detective story.) There is still the neophyte "detective" element in over their head and you can second guess her actions and think how you'd have done otherwise. I hope at some point they record Rear Window, a short story that is every bit as tense as the Hitchcock film even though you know the story, a small masterpiece.

MORE, PLEASE...

She was his wife. She thought he loved her. He used to call her Angel 👼 Face. Now he sits rotting in jail, falsely accused of killing his mistress. And that’s just the beginning...

This is my first exposure to Cornell Woolrich, a magnificent author from a bygone era. Apparently he was considered one of the masters of the Noir genre and indeed I would agree! (He was cute, too!!)

I thoroughly enjoyed this hypnotic tale told through the voice of the Angel Face herself, with breathtaking narration by Hillary Huber who completely embodies the role. I was transported back to another place and time (NYC, circa 1920’s or 30’s) so much so that when I left my SF apartment to walk down downtown Post Street, for a moment ( or so) I thought that I myself was Angel Face walking into the little city holes-in-the-walls (Starbucks, actually!) on my next errand to avenge my husband and prove his innocence.

If you like audio noir, you mustn’t miss this one. I highly recommend it...