Very atmospheric and memorable work by a truly talented writer. Don't be mislead by the description on the cover - it greatly misrepresents the story, as is typical of these types of books. I'm referring to the 1950s version - the more current reprint probably describes the book more accurately. In any case, Fischer tells a compelling story of a pro basketball player who gets mixed up with a true femme fatale during an off-season "rest" in a small town. It's good that the title character is definitely flawed both morally and in his judgment. The only false note is the offer of a possible conventional happy ending on the last page - but that seems so inconsistent with the dark tone of the rest of the book, that I'm just choosing to ignore it. The leading character isn't a bad guy, but he hasn't earned his happiness quite yet. ( )