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The Bright Road to Fear
The Bright Road to Fear , first published in 1958, received the Edgar Award for best first novel for author Richard Martin Stern. The book describes an ambitious Italian crime syndicate and a young American who becomes involved in their shady dealings. Richard Stern would go on to write many suspense novels, notably The Tower (1973), which was made into a major motion picture. Stern died in 2001 at the age of 86.
- GenresMystery
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1958
About the author
Richard Martin Stern
97 books16 followersRichard Martin Stern was an American novelist. Stern began his writing career in the 1950s with mystery tales of private investigators, winning a 1959 Edgar Award for Best First Novel, for The Bright Road to Fear.
He was most notable for his 1973 novel The Tower, in which a fire engulfs a new metal-and-glass frame skyrise. Stern was inspired to write the novel by the construction of the World Trade Center in New York City. Warner Brothers bought the rights to the novel shortly after its publication for roughly $400,000, and Stern's book, in combination with the novel The Glass Inferno by Thomas N. Scortia and Frank M. Robinson, was the basis for the movie The Towering Inferno, produced by Irwin Allen and directed by John Guillermin and featuring an all-star cast. The film, shot with a $14 million budget, earned more than $100 million at the American box office.
Stern was known mainly for his mysteries and disaster-related suspense. He died on October 31, 2001, after prolonged illness. He was 86.
He was most notable for his 1973 novel The Tower, in which a fire engulfs a new metal-and-glass frame skyrise. Stern was inspired to write the novel by the construction of the World Trade Center in New York City. Warner Brothers bought the rights to the novel shortly after its publication for roughly $400,000, and Stern's book, in combination with the novel The Glass Inferno by Thomas N. Scortia and Frank M. Robinson, was the basis for the movie The Towering Inferno, produced by Irwin Allen and directed by John Guillermin and featuring an all-star cast. The film, shot with a $14 million budget, earned more than $100 million at the American box office.
Stern was known mainly for his mysteries and disaster-related suspense. He died on October 31, 2001, after prolonged illness. He was 86.
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March 21, 2026
1959 Edgar award best first novel award winner. Italian-americans mafiosos' lethal conflict back in Italy. More of a psychological study than action.
Displaying 1 of 1 review