Mistress of Sin by Dan Elliott. Nightstand (1960), 190 pp,
Kevjin Lyle, in his mid-thirties, works as the key assistant to big-time movie producer Lee Naumann. Kevin recommends novels for film adaptation, attends meetings with agents, and sometimes recruits young women for acting roles. Kevin dislikes the last task –he considers his boss a “lecherous skunk”– but has a more pressing concern, negotiating a divorce from his wife, Donna, which will allow joint custody of their two children. To maximize chances for Kevin’s success but add to his unhappiness in the meantime,, his lawyer, Ben Monterale, has advised him to avoid sexual relationships. But soon Kevin gets involved wtih gorgeous twenty-year-old dancer Lorayne Winant. Her zeal for rough sex leaves him stunned. Her main interest, however, is launching her film career. She wants Kevin to introduce her to Naumann and is unconcerned that the producer may expect her to participate in strange sexual activities.
Although Robert Silverberg wrote quickly, cranking out eight previous Nightstand novels in 1960, he took a surprising about of care in putting together this book. The main characters, Kevin and Lorayne, are fairly well rounded. They have other interests beside sex, engage in thoughtful conversations, and view Hollywood with clear-eyed realism. Even Naumann, lascivious though he may be, has qualities that explain his power and high status. Other details about movie-making are convincing. The sex scenes, all featuring Kevin, show up with regularity and probably are as explicit as the government allowed in 1960. The author keeps the narrative moving quickly, at least in part because the story takes place in less than a week. The brief time frame has a signal disadvantage, however, because it also renders implausible the life-changing decisions at the end of the book.