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Dread Journey
Dread Journey | Dorothy B. Hughes
4 posts | 3 read | 6 to read
A starlet on a transcontinental train fears her director may be trying to kill her in this novel by Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Dorothy B. Hughes. Four years after she arrived in Los Angeles, Kitten Agnew has become a star. Though beautiful and talented, shed be nowhere without Vivien Spender: Hollywoods most acclaimed directorand its most dangerous. But Kitten knew what she was getting into when she got involved with him; she had heard the stories of Vivs past discoveries: Once he discarded them, they ended up in a chorus line, a sanatorium, or worse. She knows enough of his secrets that he wouldnt dare destroy her career. But he may be willing to kill her. On a train from Los Angeles to Chicago, Kitten learns that Viv is planning to offer her roommate a part that was meant for her. If she lets him betray her, her career will be over. But fight for the part, and she will be fighting for her life as well.
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vivastory
Dread Journey | Dorothy B. Hughes
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Pickpick

Aboard a transcontinental train journey is a young actress Kitten Agnew (often cast as the girl next door) & her cabin roommate & former librarian turned aspiring actress Gratia. Along with a small cast of memorable characters, also onboard is a director who for years has been planning his magnum opus: an adaptation of Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain. The part of Clavdia Chaucat has been recast numerous times as the actress hired for the role👇

vivastory invariably ends up in jail, rehab, or even worse. Kitten soon suspects that she might be soon cast aside in favor of a younger actress & ends up in a fight for her life. I have posted repeatedly about how much I love both In a Lonely Place AND The Expendable Man. I can now add Dread Journey to this list of masterpieces. An egotistical, & powerful, director in a scenario where a woman is trapped? This book has eerie resonances with contemporary 3y
vivastory concerns. As Sarah Weinman writes in the introduction, “Every sentence of Dread Journey carries the weight of the tragic events that will unfold over the course of the novel. But Hughes has also written a sly portrait of how Hollywood worked then and, as the #MeToo movement that erupted in earnest in the fall of 2017 showed, still works now: insecure, powerful men lusting for greater power, innocents thrust into situations beyond their control, 3y
vivastory and terrible contracts besting everybody.“ This one should be regarded as highly as both In a Lonely Place AND Expendable Man IMO. Just absolutely fantastic. Will be reading a lot more of her work. 3y
See All 8 Comments
TrishB 😯 wow - what a review. 3y
LeahBergen Well now… you certainly got my attention!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 3y
Cathythoughts You have my attention too .. and stacked 👍🏻 3y
Reggie Stacked. 3y
batsy It does sound great! And I love the covers in this series. 3y
67 likes5 stack adds8 comments
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vivastory
Dread Journey | Dorothy B. Hughes
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Placed holds on several AMC that sound interesting. Don't have time to pick them up today as I have tickets for Candyman 🍬🐝But I did run to the library right by me where I found the Hughes to tide me over. And, figured I might as well grab the new Evanson. Remember when libraries were closed?!! 😬😐

LeahBergen Ooo! 👀 3y
rabbitprincess This was a good one too! I‘ve liked every Dorothy B. Hughes I‘ve read so far. 3y
vivastory @rabbitprincess I've loved both Hughes that I have read so far: In a Lonely Place & Expendable Man. I don't know if you listen to Backlisted, but they had a recent episode about In a Lonely Place. 3y
68 likes3 comments
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rabbitprincess
Dread Journey | Dorothy B. Hughes
Pickpick

Not my favourite Hughes novel, but it has a good suspenseful atmosphere, and I do love a mystery set on a train.

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Amie
Dread Journey | Dorothy B. Hughes
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Mehso-so

#netgalley rerelease of classic. Psychological drama about woman who expects to be murdered.The story has some clever aspects and a good ending, but certain elements made it a challenge for me. I had trouble keeping track of all the characters, which wasn't helped by the deliberate use of pronouns instead of names at the beginning of each new scene, and a female character named Mike and male character named Viv added to the pronoun confusion.

ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled Wow - that does sound confusing 🤦‍♀️ 4y
Tamra That is frustrating when I can‘t keep characters straight. 4y
43 likes2 comments