Gilded Needles

Valancourt 20th Century Classics

By: Michael McDowell

Narrated by: R. C. Bray

Welcome to the Black Triangle, New York's decadent district of opium dens, gambling casinos, drunken sailors, gaudy hookers, and back room abortions. The queen of this unsavory neighborhood is Black Lena Shanks, whose family leads a ring of female criminals-women skilled in the art of cruelty. Only a few blocks away, amidst the elegant mansions and lily-white reputations of Gramercy Park and Washington Square, lives Judge James Stallworth.

On a crusade to crush Lena's evil empire, the judge has sentenced three of her family members to death. And now she wants revenge. One Sunday, all the Stallworths receive invitations-to their own funerals. Can even the wealth and power of the Stallworth family protect them from Lena's diabolical lust for vengeance?

©1980, 2017 Estate of Michael McDowell (P)2017 Valancourt Books LLC

Great Suprize

Loved it! Wonder why it took me 45 years to read it! A must read! I will share it with my friends!

RC Bray does no wrong

RC Bray nailed it as usual. Interesting story. Slow to start, but gradually pulled me in. Story is worth a listen, but probably not a second for me.

Stellar

Another excellent novel by one of my favorite authors. Initially I was blasé about the story line but it came together. The descriptions of poverty and despair were brutal. The polarities in the story were both stark and nuanced.

Michael McDowell, ladies and gentlemen

Yes. This is why Stephen King said he was the best paperback writer in America!

Disturbing and haunting story

This story gave me bad dreams. It was a lot to take in… “Sensory overload”, as one of my fellow bookclub members stated. Moral of the story, watch how you judge people you deem lesser than you and definitely watch how you treat people. Some people will do Karma’s work for her.