Dope

This is the best noir I have read in years, and an exceptionally well-written, devastating, cannot-put-down, excellent work of art with characters that are unbearably vivid and multi-dimensional despite their singular commitment to an underworld existence. I was a little devastated, suitably surprised by the plot twists, and grateful that somebody wrote this book, as 1950s heroin addicts are perhaps underrepresented and it is important to remember those participants in the human experience who perished in neglected, tragic, obscurity. Even if there was no specific historical figure portrayed, the master writing and fantastic imagination of the author wrought a few ghosts that need a hug or a needle. The ending left me gasping. Whew. Loved this book.

An ex-junkie is recruited to help a wealthy couple find their "dope fiend" daughter in 1950s New York. She picks up the trail and stays on it, in spite of several dizzying twists. All very good until the ending, where the final twist leaves things hanging. I'm all for a bit of ambiguity, but this was a monster-truck sized load of uncertainty.