Noir

"The cheaper the crook, the gaudier the patter, eh?" — Dashiell Hammett

It’s Just a River Rivering: A Conversation with Mesha Maren
Katie Smith talks with Mesha Maren about the settings and authors that inspired the complicated border fatalism of “Perpetual West.”
Katie SmithJun 17, 2022
- Noir
The Forgotten Noir Detective
Daniel Polansky reviews “Me, Detective,” Leslie T. White’s memoir of his experiences in the LAPD that served as inspiration for Raymond Chandler’s Marlowe.
Daniel PolanskyJun 7, 2022
- Noir
Getting Fooled Again: Rereading Agatha Christie’s “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” in the Age of Trump
Christie’s classic whodunit is a brilliant parlor trick of deception and misplaced empathy.
Noah BerlatskyMay 25, 2022
- Noir
Once Upon a Time in Laguna Beach
Jason Namey reviews T. Jefferson Parker’s “A Thousand Steps,” a thriller set in the midst of 1968 Laguna Beach’s thriving counterculture.
Jason NameyApr 21, 2022
- Noir
Data-Driven: A Conversation with Jane Pek
Naomi Elias talks to Jane Pek about her debut, “The Verifiers,” a mystery revolving around an online-dating detective agency.
Naomi EliasApr 18, 2022
- Noir
The State of Paranoia: An Interview with Brooks Sterritt
Dan Magers interviews Brooks Sterritt about his debut, “The History of America in My Lifetime.”
Dan MagersMar 26, 2022
- Noir
Blending All the Things I Love: A Conversation with Alex Segura
Daneet Steffens interviews Alex Segura about “Secret Identity,” a mystery that draws inspiration from both noir and comics.
Daneet SteffensMar 15, 2022
- Noir
One Fell Swoop: On Joy Castro’s “Flight Risk”
Desirée Zamorano reviews Joy Castro’s “Flight Risk,” a novel about a successful high-society woman’s complicated relationship with her hidden West Virginia past.
Désirée ZamoranoFeb 21, 2022
- Noir
Colson Comes to Harlem
Gabino Iglesias chases down “Harlem Shuffle,” a crime novel by Colson Whitehead set in 1960s Harlem.
Gabino IglesiasJan 27, 2022
- Noir
Paranoia, Obsession, and Murder in Robert M. Coates’s “Wisteria Cottage”
Jack Mearns examines Robert M. Coates’s “Wisteria Cottage,” a midcentury psychological noir from an author too often overlooked.
Jack MearnsJan 24, 2022
- Noir
Provable Connections: On Amanda Jayatissa’s “My Sweet Girl”
Rachel Jackson reviews Amanda Jayatissa’s new novel, “My Sweet Girl.”
Rachel JacksonDec 6, 2021
- Noir
Going to War with Noir: On James Kestrel’s “Five Decembers”
Matt Lewis reviews “Five Decembers,” a globetrotting noir from James Kestrel.
Matt EllisDec 2, 2021
- Noir