Four Lives at the Crossroads by Lawrence Block (first published as Crossroads of Lust, Midnight Reader #427, 1962, as by "Andrew Shaw"; by Block in his LB Books imprint under the current title as part of his 'Classic Erotica' line in 2016; moved by Block to his 'Classic Crime Library' line in 2019)
This was Block's 49th published book and he would soon move out of the softcore novel market. Block had already begun publishing crime novels and a few ghost-written works when the Scott Meredith agency cut him loose as a client; most of his softcore novels were published by Larry Hamling's Greenleaf Press, which was a closed shop working exclusively with Scott Meredith. This allowed block to move on to bigger and better markets, including temporary stops with mainstream lesbian novels as "Jill Emerson" and "nonfiction" sexual case studies as by "John Warren Wells." Soon he would be publishing stories about Evan Tanner, Chip Harrison, Matthew Scudder. and Bernie Rhodenbarr -- characters forever linked to Block's name. But in the early adult softcore novels, one can trace the development of Lawrence Block as writer -- it is no accident that, from his eleventh published novel, many of his softcore books fit easily into his Classic Crime Library.
In Four Lives at the Crossroads, we have Block experimenting with plot, style, and structure. Going by the title alone, one would expect the book to concentrate on four main characters, but there is a fifth main character in the novel -- the small Indiana town of Cedar Corners, which Block approaches as an entity of its own, much like Ed McBain/Even Hunter did with Isola kin the Eighty-Seventh precinct novels. Nothing much happens in Cedar Corners, but behind some doors...
The four human protagonists in the book are Betty Marie James, Luke Penner, Joyce Ramsdell, and Martin McLeod.
Betty Marie is a beautiful girl -- a smart, talented, and popular high school student. She has been dating Luke Penner for about a year. She likes him but is not excited by him. What Betty Marie wants more than anything is to lose her virginity.
Luke Penner, is an earnest but dull high school student who is madly in love with Betty Marie. Luke plans on marrying Betty Marie after they graduate. He will then go to work at his father's gas station, eventually taking over the business, while Betty Marie keeps popping out babies. Luke is not aware enough to ask Betty Marie is she want to be popping out babies; she doesn't. Luke is also chivalrous and wants to wait until marriage before having sex with Betty Marie, whom he considers a pure and pristine goddess. One evening they were this close to making love before Luke thought better and stopped, leaving Betty Marie angry and extremely frustrated. Luke was also frustrated and, after dropping Betty Marie off, he found a prostitute to take his virginity for ten dollars, not realizing that he was paying twice her normal fee.
Joyce Ramsdell is the town tramp and proud of it. If she accepted money she would just be a whore, so she is a tramp but not a whore -- a distinction she is proud of. For the past few weeks she has been giving her favors solely to Martin McLeod, and has decided that she is in love with him.
McLeod is an ex-lawyer and ex-con who drifted into town a few months ago and remained. He is a counter clerk at the local diner. His troubles began when he came home one evening unexpectedly and found his wife making love with another man. In a rage, he grabbed a knife and stabbed the man multiple (actually thirty-seven) times, killing him. Killing a man who has cuckolded you may be forgivable, but it is still aginst the law. McLeod received a light sentence in McAllister Penitentiary. When he came out he had lost his wife, his home, his career, and his law license. H has lost all ambition and is just drifting through life. His low-paying job at the diner givers him enough money for rent, food, booze, and cigarettes, with just a little left over. He has been seeing Joyce only because he has nothing better to do; he is afraid to have any real feelings for her.
So those are the characters. What will Block do with them?
Burl, a local low-level bootlegger, approaches McLeod, asking him to go in with him on a planned armored car heist. McLeod hesitates but eventually agrees solely because he needs something in his life. Betty Marie is still upset that Luke refuses to take her virginity so she turns to local bad boy Jimmy Kell, who was more than happy to oblige; Betty Marie discovers that she really, really, really likes sex and continues to see Jimmy, who really, really, really likes the benefits of dating Betty Marie. Jimmy, who is a talented drive and has a fast car, has also been delivering illegal liquor for Burl and has agreed to drive the getaway car for the planned heist. McLeod has been preoccupied with Burl's offer and has not been attention to Joyce, who decides to get even. She picks up Luke and begins teaching him kin the art of love. It turned out that Luke did not need many lessons -- sex, it turns out, is his talent and he has become a sex machine; Luke plans to soon abandon Joyce and head out for greener pastures. McLeod see Joyce and Luke making love and has a flashback to his former wife and her lover -- this time he does not grab a knife, but vomits in the yard in disgust. Eventually, McLeod ends up with Betty Marie, who was half his age, because in these books and at this time in America nobody thought must about that sort of thing.
All the players are in place, setting the stage for an explosive, violent, and bloody finale in which many of the characters are significantly altered and/or destroyed.
Dark and brooding, it turns out that crime really does not pay.
Recommended for what it is, although it may not be everyone's cup of moonshine.
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