Dread Journey is a 1945 mystery thriller novel by the American writer Dorothy B. Hughes, noted for her hardboiled style.

[3] The story focuses on a group of passengers aboard The Chief running from Los Angeles to Chicago, where they plan to catch the onward 20th Century to the East Coast.

They include the powerful Hollywood film mogul Vivien Spender as well as his leading star Kitten Agnew, a cynical bandleader, an alcoholic newspaperman as well as Gloria, the innocent, former librarian who Spender has chosen to replace Kitten.

However, Kitten refuses to be abandoned the way Spender has dumped countless earlier protegees and has incriminating information against him.

She becomes increasingly fearful of Spender, who behind his urbane facade, is ruthless enough to kill her to get rid of her.