Cassidy's Girl , first published in 1951, is a noir thriller by acknowledged master-of-the-genre David Goodis. The story, set in post-WWII Philadelphia, revolves around Jim Cassidy, who suffers setback after setback in his life, losing his job as an airline pilot and taking a job as a bus driver. His wife begins an affair with another man, while Cassidy takes up with a heavy-drinking femme-fatale. Author Goodis (1917-1967) wrote a number of classic noir novels such as
Black Friday, Shoot the Piano Player, and
Night Squad, and also worked as a screenwriter in Hollywood.