About this ebook
The novel follows the life of a man scarred by personal tragedy, whose descent into bitterness and self-destruction is interrupted by an encounter that forces him to confront his past. Haunted by betrayal and driven by anger, he seeks vengeance yet finds himself unexpectedly caught between love and hate, destruction and forgiveness. Connolly's narrative crackles with the pace of a thriller while probing the emotional depths of grief, guilt, and the possibility of renewal.
With its shadowy atmosphere, sharp dialogue, and uncompromising look at human frailty, Tears Are for Angels embodies the best of mid-20th-century pulp and noir fiction. Yet beneath the crime-driven surface lies a story about the resilience of the human spirit and the painful, often messy road toward redemption. The novel remains a powerful reminder that even in the darkest of circumstances, the search for meaning, connection, and grace continues.
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About the author
Thomas Grey "Tom" Wicker (1926–2011) was an American journalist and novelist who, early in his career, wrote three hardboiled paperbacks for Fawcett Gold Medal under the pseudonym Paul Connolly: Get Out of Town (1951), Tears Are for Angels (1952), and So Fair, So Evil (1955). Born in Hamlet, North Carolina, and a graduate of the University of North Carolina, Wicker later became one of the most prominent voices at The New York Times, serving as reporter, Washington correspondent, editor, and author of the long-running column "The Nation" (1966–1992). His Connolly novels showcase a lean, noir style—tough, fast, and emotionally raw—quite different from his later political books and reportage, yet they foreshadow his lifelong interest in power, conscience, and consequence. Wicker's dual legacy spans both vintage crime fiction (as Connolly) and influential journalism (under his own name), making Tears Are for Angels a fascinating artifact from the formative years of a major American writer.
