What do you think?
Rate this book
Not a Through Street
"Emma Hobart is as tough as they come and she has to be to drive a cab in New York. Her ex-lover, Hoyt, was investigating the mysterious death of a congressman's secretary, when he was hit by Emma's car and dies in the accident...."
240 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
12 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 2, 2022
The hiddenest of hidden, hard-boiled, gems - though, a long time ago, this was nominated for an Edgar Award.
Emma Hobart sees her ex-boyfriend die in front of her, when she’s out driving her cab on the hot streets of New York. Threats and intimidation gone wrong, or was murder the plan all along? Just a coincidence that it happens right in front of her? Since poor Hoyt was a journalist, Emma decides to find out if the biggest story he was digging into actually led to his death. That relates to a suicide with enough political dirt attached to it, that maybe the deaths that look and smell too much like murders are mounting up in a highly dubious manner…
Emma’s first-person narrative is insanely hypnotic, and hard-boiled enough for Chandler or Hammett fans. The novel is from 1981, and takes place in 1974 - and the case seems to get more and more dangerous for Emma once she starts looking into the disappearance of a young lady back in 1967, when she was on the way to an anti-war protest. Emma gets wary enough to start relying on a gun, but carrying that - though it helps deter thugs trying to shut her down - is a good way to step right into a frame-up…
Better stop hinting - turning into a spoiler oiler - and just sum it up: highly recommended to fans of the hard-boiled noir tradition, because we can’t have limbo taking any great books away from us. Not this one, anyway.
Emma Hobart sees her ex-boyfriend die in front of her, when she’s out driving her cab on the hot streets of New York. Threats and intimidation gone wrong, or was murder the plan all along? Just a coincidence that it happens right in front of her? Since poor Hoyt was a journalist, Emma decides to find out if the biggest story he was digging into actually led to his death. That relates to a suicide with enough political dirt attached to it, that maybe the deaths that look and smell too much like murders are mounting up in a highly dubious manner…
Emma’s first-person narrative is insanely hypnotic, and hard-boiled enough for Chandler or Hammett fans. The novel is from 1981, and takes place in 1974 - and the case seems to get more and more dangerous for Emma once she starts looking into the disappearance of a young lady back in 1967, when she was on the way to an anti-war protest. Emma gets wary enough to start relying on a gun, but carrying that - though it helps deter thugs trying to shut her down - is a good way to step right into a frame-up…
Better stop hinting - turning into a spoiler oiler - and just sum it up: highly recommended to fans of the hard-boiled noir tradition, because we can’t have limbo taking any great books away from us. Not this one, anyway.
October 13, 2021
This is a great story with a smart, strong female protagonist. Emma Hobart is a New York City taxi driver who happens upon a mystery.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews