Falling Angel
Books | Fiction / Thrillers / Crime
4.2
William Hjortsberg
Edgar Award Finalist: The hunt for a vanished singer leads a detective into the depths of the occult in this “terrific” novel (Stephen King). Big-band frontman Johnny Favorite was singing for the troops when a Luftwaffe fighter squadron strafed the bandstand, killing the crowd and leaving the singer near death. The army returned him to a private hospital in upstate New York, leaving him to live out his days as a vegetable while the world forgot him. But Louis Cyphre never forgets. Cyphre had a contract with the singer, stipulating payment upon Johnny’s death—payment that will be denied as long as Johnny clings to life. When Cyphre hires private investigator Harry Angel to find Johnny at the hospital, Angel learns that the singer has disappeared. It is no ordinary missing-person’s case. Everyone he questions dies soon after, as Angel’s investigation ensnares him in a bizarre tangle of black magic, carnival freaks, and grisly voodoo. When the sinister Louis Cyphre begins appearing in Angel’s dreams, the detective fears for his life, his sanity, and his soul.Falling Angel was the basis for the Alan Parker film Angel Heart, starring Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, and Lisa Bonet. This ebook features an illustrated biography of William Hjortsberg including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.
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More Details:
Author
William Hjortsberg
Pages
280
Publisher
Open Road Media
Published Date
2012-03-13
ISBN
1453246584 9781453246580
Community ReviewsSee all
"Could be the best book I have ever read. I have never found anything like it. I have never felt kinship with another character the way I felt it with Harry Angel and that is what I found to be the most horrifying thing imaginable. "
Jon Crawford
"Finished this book yesterday....not quite sure what everyone sees in it, the ratings here are all so favorable! For me, it started slow, mid-book started heating up, then....things disintegrated. Even when the big reveal was made at the book's climax, it fell flat (excessive foreshadowing drained the effect of a lot of oomphh - I feel it should've hit me between the eyes, out of left field - kinda like The Sixth Sense did - big fail here in that regard). The dialogue of the 50's hard boiled noir PI was difficult for me to enjoy. Too one dimensional, stereotypically overdone. I thought, is this because I read too much literary fiction? Am I that snooty? Lol. Hey, I wanted to enjoy this book, and I did starting mid-way through...I didn't want to put it down, couldn't wait to pick it up again when I did, but then I was like, CORRR-NY! Even the beginning - I mean Louis Cypher, really?? Then when his other name is said to be Louie Seafur!!?? Um, no.<br/><br/>Great idea, yet its appeal was, how do you say......spotty. I think it could've been done better. Ha! Listen to me, saying the book billed as the "greatest supernatural horror story of the 20th century" pretty much sucked. The opening chapter of Alice Sebold's LUCKY is more horrifying than this - and it's *real*. <br/><br/>I will say this makes me interested in seeing the movie, so it wasn't a total loss....I had no idea this was what Angel Heart was about or that the movie was based on THIS book. I'd like to see if it translates any better to the screen. I would hope so - DeNiro has my vote in whatever he does."
Summer Taylor
