Bill S. Ballinger (1912–1980)

Absolutely brilliant story of a man who becomes obsessed with a photograph of a beauty contest winner and tries to track her down ten years later. Ballinger alternates chapters between the man's pursuit and the woman's activities. The woman, Krassy Almauniski, will do anything to escape her life in a bad part of Chicago, and her story is the more intense of the two. Of course, by the end of the book, the two will meet, and Ballinger doesn't disappoint. In his obsessive pursuit, the man, Danny April, has crossed a few lines as well. The ending is excellent. This book rises far above the typical 1950s paperback original in its characterization and lasting impact. It's the first Ballinger book I have read. Now I'm going downstairs to find another!… (more)