They Don't Dance Much

This newly reissued 1940 crime novel inevitably evokes James M. Cain's The Postman Always Rings Twice with its story of murder and adultery against the backdrop of a country roadhouse, but Ross's writing has an affectless, hard-boiled poetry all its own. In rural Corinth, N.C., farmer Jack McDonald has just had his land seized for back taxes when filling station owner Richard "Smut" Milligan offers him work in the soon-to-open River Bend Roadhouse. It will "take on all comers," from hardworking mill hands to corrupt politicos, and from his job's vantage point, Jack sees all of Corinth society coming to enjoy the dance floor, slot machines, and bootleg liquor. He also witnesses the slow-motion tragedy of Smut's increasing entanglement with the seductive Lola Fisher, wife of the richest man in town, and is himself drawn into the bloody results of his boss's greed. That Ross never published another novel may seem like a tragedy itself to any noir fan who reads this book, which emphasizes less the mechanics of plotting than the rich, profane flavor of its characters' voices. Daniel Woodrell provides an introduction. (Apr.)