I always have trouble coping with a dubious premise. One of the main points in The Deep End is that the protagonist, Pete Summers, will be arrested for murder if he shows himself in the California town of Sahara Springs. But the accusation, including even the claim that there was a murder, is based entirely on testimony of one person. There’s no corroboration and never can be. Further, the alleged crime took place off the Mexican coast, 1,000 miles from California and far beyond the jurisdiction of the Sahara Springs police. I still can’t figure out why Pete had to sneak around town.
The Deep End by Owen Dudley. Ace Books (1956), 148 pp.
Pete Summer, sometime pilot and former date rancher, has been recovering from a plane crash off the Baja California coast. Although reports said that Pete was dead, Francine Lackery, daughter of the man killed in the crash, tracks him down in Mexico. Pete heads home to California to get matters straightened out, especially to reclaim his beautiful but promiscuous wife Kitty, who has since married ex-gangster John Regal. Meanwhile, Kitty’s older brother, crafty schemer Burl Karns, has told police in Sahara Springs (read Palm Springs) that Pete murdered Francine’s father. So when Pete arrives, Mack Eldred, to whom Pete sold his ranch at Kitty’s urging, warns him to leave town and not make trouble. Which, of course, he has no intention of doing.
The Deep End, unlike many noirish novels, uses an almost omniscient narrator. So instead of just focusing on the protagonist, Pete Summer, the book has many scenes containing only ancillary characters. This approach puts the story in unusually wide view but also presents a large number of subplots that need to be resolved. The book doesn’t revolve around a central conflict or question; it’s not a mystery in any sense. Each character has his or her own set of troubles, which Pete’s arrival brings to a head. The author, however, doesn’t seem to have enough time to tie up all the strings. The ending feels rushed and may leave readers unsatisfied. The book may not be one that fans of noir fiction will rush out to get, but it’s likely to provide an entertaining read if they run across it somewhere.
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