Originally published in 1942, Maritta Wolff 's <I>Night Shift</i> was an instant commercial success, receiving rave reviews and praise for her effortless grasp of human nature and stunning ear for dialogue. Now, it joins Wolff 's first novel, <I>Whistle Stop</i>, and her last, <I>Sudden Rain</i>, in a reissue that brings new readers to this riveting writer. <P> Sally Otis works herself to the bone as a waitress, supporting her three children and a jobless younger sister. With her bills mounting and no rest in sight, Sally's resolve is beginning to crumble when her swaggering older sister, Petey Braun, appears on the scene. Petey, with her furs and jewels and exotic trips, is an American career woman -- one who makes a career of men. But when Petey gets a gig at the glamorous, rowdy local nightclub, it will forever alter the world of the struggling Otis family. <P> A swift-paced tale full of tension, excitement, violence, and even bloodshed, <I>Night Shift </i>possesses the vividness of a documentary and the page-turning quality of the best commercial fiction -- even decades after its first publication.