AFTER DARK, MY SWEET <i> by Jim Thompson (Vintage: $7.95) </i>

First published in 1955, “After Dark” takes the reader on a dark journey into the twisted brain of ex-boxer and mental patient William (Kid) Collins. After escaping from a psychiatric hospital, Collins drifts into the company of Fay Anderson and “Uncle” Bud, two small-time grafters who decide to use him in a scheme to kidnap an unhappy little rich boy. But Collins proves too difficult to manage, and their scheme backfires. Thompson’s harsh, eerie prose enjoys a cult following, and James Foley’s forthcoming film based on this novel probably will increase that following.