Kenneth Fearing (1902–1961)

The Big Clock (1946) by Kenneth Fearing. This book is about time, and the pressure that comes when your time is running out. The setting is New York City at the end of the 1940s. Janoth Enterprises is the leader in the world of magazine publishing. Earl Janoth is the king of that realm.
One of the mags the company owns is Crimeways, and George Stroud is the executive publisher. Self-confident, smug in so many ways, he is the perfect man to helm that particular magazine. It is said if you want to know what is happening in the world of crime in the US, look here rather than to the police. Janoth himself trusts George in all things.
So when Janoth’s “close female friend” is murdered in her apartment, he turns to George to find the mysterious man who was seen outside her apartment minutes before the crime. George eagerly accepts the case and puts all other matters aside, both business and personal. He slowly works through the girlfriend’s recent past and makes some stunning discoveries. He knows that following this trail will lead him to the mystery man, but he is in no hurry.
George already knows who the mystery man is, and also knows the the man is not the killer. It has been revealed early in the book that George is that man, but he has no evidence to prove who the killer is. So he is working against the clock as both his and the police’s investigation lead toward that fatal discovery.
The question is can he survive the race?
This book has been made into two movies, the last being “No Way Out” starring Kevin Costner. While the book starts a little slow, it speeds up as the pressure, and lack of time, play against George.
This is a classic crime story and a great read.… (altro)

George Stroud es editor de una revista de un importante grupo editorial y un orgulloso padre de familia, aunque también es aficionado al alcohol y a las mujeres más allá de lo recomendable para la salud. A causa de sus vicios, no tarda en descubrir que tener una pequeña aventura con la atractiva amante de su jefe puede, además de amenazar su hogar y su carrera profesional, poner en peligro su vida. Su futuro dependerá de cómo juegue las cartas que le ha repartido la fortuna en una extraña mano en la que al mismo tiempo será cazador y presa.… (altro)