Falling Angel

William Hjortsberg

Book 1 in the series:Falling Angel

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'Falling Angel' by William Hjortsberg is a noir mystery novel set in 1950s New York City, following private detective Harry Angel as he is hired to search for a missing pop singer. The story unfolds with elements of horror, voodoo, and black magic, leading to a chilling and suspenseful plot that keeps readers engaged until the unexpected twist at the end.

The book combines the genres of hard-boiled detective fiction and horror, creating a unique blend of supernatural elements within a gritty noir setting. The narrative is filled with intricate details of mid-20th century New York City, vividly bringing the bustling streets, seedy haunts, and mysterious characters to life as Harry Angel delves deeper into the dark and sinister world surrounding the missing singer.

Characters:

The characters are vividly drawn, including a morally complex protagonist and shadowy figures representing the dark underbelly of New York's music scene, infused with supernatural and occult implications.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style combines hardboiled detective language with detailed and evocative descriptions, seamlessly merging the noir genre with supernatural horror.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative follows Harry Angel, a private investigator, as he delves into the disappearance of a once-famous crooner, uncovering a dark web of supernatural elements and murders, ultimately blending mystery with horror.

Setting:

The setting is richly depicted in 1950s New York City, encapsulating the vibrant yet grim atmosphere of the time, which serves as a crucial element of the story.

Pacing:

The novel maintains a fast pace, particularly accelerating during key plot revelations, though it occasionally complicates the narrative with numerous character introductions.

It was Friday the thirteenth and yesterday’s snowstorm lingered in the streets like a leftover curse. The slush outside was ankle-deep. Across Seventh Avenue a treadmill parade of lightbulb headlines ...

Notes:

The story is set in the 1950s New York City, featuring a private investigator named Harry Angel.

Harry Angel is a WWII veteran with a fake nose and plastic surgery scars.

He is hired by a mysterious client named Louis Cypher to find a missing crooner, Johnny Favorite.

Johnny Favorite was once famous but returned from the war with severe injuries and amnesia.

The investigation takes Angel into the dark world of voodoo and black magic.

Many characters in the story are involved in mysticism and the occult.

As Angel investigates, he uncovers a series of gruesome murders and a satanic cult.

The novel mixes elements of hardboiled detective fiction with horror.

The ending features a significant twist that leaves readers shocked.

The book was adapted into the 1987 movie 'Angel Heart' starring Mickey Rourke and Robert De Niro.

There is notable use of similes throughout the narrative, enhancing the noir style.

Critics note that the clues to the ending are somewhat obvious, possibly ruining the surprise for some readers.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include violence, gore, and themes of mental illness and occult practices, as well as disturbing imagery.

Has Romance?

The book contains a medium level of romance, particularly through the protagonist's involvement with characters connected to the occult.

From The Publisher:

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.

Ratings (4)

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Reader Stats (20):

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Want To Read (12)
Not Interested (4)

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About the Author:

William Hjortsberg (1941-2017) was an acclaimed author of novels and screenplays. Born in New York City, Hjortsberg's first success came with Alp (1969), an offbeat story of an Alpine skiing village, which Hjortsberg's friend Thomas McGuane called, "quite possibly the finest comic novel written in America." In the 1970s, Hjortsberg wrote two science fiction novels, Gray Matters (1971) and Symbiography (1973), as well as Toro! Toro! Toro! (1974), a comic jab at the macho world of bullfighting. His best-known work is Falling Angel (1978), a hard-boiled occult mystery. In 1987 the book was adapted into a film titled Angel Heart, which starred Robert De Niro and Mickey Rourke. Hjortsberg's work also includes Jubilee Hitchhiker (2012), a biography of Richard Brautigan, American writer and voice of 1960s counterculture.

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