SWAMP SISTER

I finished reading this one a couple of weeks ago but just haven't had the time to post about it.

SWAMP SISTER by Robert Edmond Alter was originally published by Fawcett Gold Medal books in the early '60s. The edition I read (pictured above) was reprinted by Black Lizard books in the late '80s.

SWAMP SISTER is a hard, fast and tight little crime thriller set in the swamps and backwoods of Florida. A small plane carrying two men and a suitcase full of cash crashes into the swamp at the beginning of the novel and the planes' final resting place remains unknown for several years. All the natives know is that somewhere out there in that green hell lies the "money plane" and several players are determined to find it.

The protagonist, a young man named Shad, discovers the plane and plans to get the money and leave the swamp for good. Of course, he'll take his slightly slutty, tramp of a girl friend with him (picture Yvette Vickers in ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES). Trouble is, Shad has to outfox a seductive older woman, a crooked insurance adjuster, two murderous rednecks and a monster gator in order to get the money and get away.

SWAMP SISTER has plenty of twists and turns, colorful dialect and a strong sense of place. The settings and characters make this an offbeat, but nonetheless enjoyable bit of pulp fiction. Recommended.