Harry Whittington's A Haven for the Damned

A Haven for the Damned was published by Fawcett in 1962. The author, Harry Whittington (1915-1989), was an American writer of pulp crime fiction and, in the latter stages of his career, of historical fiction.

Lust, New Mexico doesn’t get many visitors. In fact it doesn’t get any. Not any more. Lust used to be a boom town but that was a long long time ago. Now the entire population of Lust comprises prospector Josh Carrdell, his dog George (who hates Josh but then George hates everybody) and his two burros, Lincoln and Mary-Todd. But now Lust is about to get quite a few visitors. Four cars arrive in one day, bringing seven people to Lust.

It all started when two armed men (we later find out they are named Fletcher and Poole) came out the front door of the Yucca City National Bank, dragging Matt Bishop with them (Matt works in the bank). There’s an encounter with a bank guard and Matt gets shot and then the two robbers throw him in the back seat of their car and speed off. That’s how Fletcher, Poole and Matt end up in Lust.

Then someone thrusts an envelope under Susie Bishop’s door. Susie is Matt’s wife and the envelope contains a map with a certain spot circled. Susie figures this means Matt is alive and that if she drives to the spot indicated on the map maybe there’s a chance she can bring him back. It sounds like a risk but Susie is crazy in love with Matt so it’s a risk she has to take. That’s what will bring Susie to Lust.

Harvey J. Duncan is a rich 52-year-old who is running off with another man’s 22-year-old wife, a woman named Milly. Harvey takes a wrong turn and they find themselves in Lust. And what’s what brings Milly’s husband Reed to Lust.

Counting Josh Carrdell there are now eight people in Lust. Eight ill-assorted people. Some good, some bad. All with problems. Bad problems. Three of them with guns. It’s an obviously explosive situation.

Apart from Josh they all arrived by car but for various reasons none of them can leave, for the moment at least.

It’s a great setup for a suspense tale, and for some heavy psychological drama. Whittington is certainly interested in the suspense thriller angle but I think it’s fair to say that he’s more interested in the psychology, and in the psychological and emotional dynamics between them. It’s possible that not all of these people will come out of this situation alive. It’s also possible that some will be psychologically or emotionally destroyed. Some might emerge stronger. Some might find misery and some might even find happiness.

Fletcher and Poole are fairly straightforward villains and they’re the least interesting characters. In fact their real purpose as characters is to make the situation more explosive thereby forcing the other characters to make important choices, and forcing the other characters to see themselves more clearly (even if they don’t necessarily like what they they see). The other characters are the real focus and they have some depth. They have all, in their different ways, made something of a mess of their lives and they have either been unaware that they need to change, or unwilling to do so.

Some of the plot devices are perhaps a little predictable (this is after all pulp fiction) but as a psychological pressure cooker this novel works extremely well. We might not be terribly surprised by some of the twists but the reactions of the characters are believable and we do begin to care for them.

It’s also tense and even at times exciting. Highly recommended.

A Haven for the Damned is available and in print, in paperback from Stark House in their Black Gat series of reprints.