# What is the best noir mystery book you have ever read?



## Jeff Sherratt Novelist (Feb 9, 2011)

It could be something that was actually turned into a film noir style movie like The Thin Man or something new that encompasses the elements of noir. Noir is usually dark, gritty and doesn't always have a happy ending. It can be of the classic style like Hammett or Chandler or Highsmith or something embodied by new writers who are embracing the style.


----------



## Dee Ernst (Jan 10, 2011)

The great noir movie, 'Laura" with Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews was based on a book by Vera Caspary.  The book was nowhere as great as the movie, but it was (is) a minor classic in the genre.


----------



## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

Two by James Cain:



and



Btw, Raymond Chandler helped write the screenplay for DOUBLE INDEMNITY.


----------



## Randy Kadish (Feb 24, 2010)

_The Maltese Falcon_
Randy


----------



## Chris Culver (Jan 28, 2011)

It's more recent than the examples in this thread, but I really liked James Ellroy's LA Confidential.  Well worth reading.


----------



## Edward W. Robertson (May 18, 2010)

Dashiell Hammett's _Red Harvest_. The book so awesome it inspired Kurosawa, Sergio Leone, _and_ Bruce Willis.


----------



## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

A few favorites apart from those already mentioned

THE BIG SLEEP - Raymond Chandler
THE MOVING TARGET - Ross MacDonald
BRIGHTON ROCK - Graham Greene
THE GETAWAY - Jim Thompson

and, some supernatural noir

FALLING ANGEL - William Hjortsberg


----------



## Julia March (Feb 22, 2011)

I don't know about ever, but lately: _Galveston_ by Nic Pizzolatto was really really good.

Julia


----------



## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

Of the recent writers I really like Charlie Huston's work. His "Hank Thompson" trilogy (about a guy who is mistakenly thought to have stolen a few million dollars from the Russian mafia...it goes downhill fast) is excellent. Gritty, dirty, violent, and kind of depressing. Also surprisingly moving and heartfelt.


----------



## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

Many good recommendation here!
For me it's definitely _The Long Goodbye _ by Raymond Chandler. I know it might seem a bit dated and sentimental today but it's still lovely.
And I'm not sure whether Highsmith qualifies as "noir" but _Ripley Under Water _ is one of my favorite mysteries of all times. Scary as it is, I kind of relate well to Tom Ripley in that novel.


----------



## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

anguabell said:


> Many good recommendation here!
> For me it's definitely _The Long Goodbye _ by Raymond Chandler. I know it might seem a bit dated and sentimental today but it's still lovely.
> And I'm not sure whether Highsmith qualifies as "noir" but _Ripley Under Water _ is one of my favorite mysteries of all times. Scary as it is, I kind of relate well to Tom Ripley in that novel.


"Farewell My Lovely" by Chandler also makes my list... as does "Strangers on a Train" by Highsmith


----------



## Jeff Sherratt Novelist (Feb 9, 2011)

These are all great books. Anything by Chandler is a classic!


----------



## J. Carson Black (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi, I'm new here, and wanted to say hello. I figure this thread is a good one to start in, since I love noir and crime fiction in general.  Two of my favorite noir novels are THE LADY IN THE LAKE, by Raymond Chandler, and DOUBLE INDEMNITY, by James. M. Cain.  An author myself, I not only read books for pleasure, but to learn from the writers, especially the authors at the top of their game.  It's both a humbling and a challenging experience--great writers make me want to become a better writer myself.

I was recently introduced to Andrew Klavan's books, and I highly recommend them. His trilogy---DYNAMITE ROAD, SHOTGUN ALLEY, and DAMNATION STREET---is devastatingly good.  I'm also drawn to a number of California authors, who may not write noir, but great crime fiction that fits with the general mood: Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, and T. Jefferson Parker. 

I'm glad I found this board---I'm going back to poking around, and then I'll try to figure out how to put up an avatar and signature--luddite that I am.    

Maggy


----------



## Jeff Sherratt Novelist (Feb 9, 2011)

Bluelight said:


> Hi, I'm new here, and wanted to say hello. I figure this thread is a good one to start in, since I love noir and crime fiction in general. Two of my favorite noir novels are THE LADY IN THE LAKE, by Raymond Chandler, and DOUBLE INDEMNITY, by James. M. Cain. An author myself, I not only read books for pleasure, but to learn from the writers, especially the authors at the top of their game. It's both a humbling and a challenging experience--great writers make me want to become a better writer myself.
> 
> I was recently introduced to Andrew Klavan's books, and I highly recommend them. His trilogy---DYNAMITE ROAD, SHOTGUN ALLEY, and DAMNATION STREET---is devastatingly good. I'm also drawn to a number of California authors, who may not write noir, but great crime fiction that fits with the general mood: Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, and T. Jefferson Parker.
> 
> ...


WELCOME Maggy!!


----------



## J. Carson Black (Feb 27, 2011)

Thank you, Jeff.  Very nice to meet you.


----------



## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Forgot another favorite

Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley - the 1st of the Easy Rawlins books. All of them are worth a read.


----------



## Joel Arnold (May 3, 2010)

I really enjoyed James Ellroy's *The Black Dahlia*.


----------



## Sienna_98 (Jan 26, 2009)

I don't generally read a lot of noir, but I did enjoy these two books

Sean Chercover: Big City, Bad Blood 

Chris Knopf:  The Last Refuge (not urban, but still has many noir elements)


----------



## Ruth Harris (Dec 26, 2010)

I second the rec for James Ellroy's Black Dahlia...mesmerizing.  James M. Cain and Raymond Chandler are  the godfathers of noir.


----------



## Patrick Skelton (Jan 7, 2011)

The Maltese Falcon


----------



## Mike McIntyre (Jan 19, 2011)

Complicity, by Iain Banks. Scottish noir.


----------



## Guest (Mar 2, 2011)

Classic Dashiell Hammett is hard to beat. I defy you to read The Maltese Falcon and not feel inspired to sit down at your computer and take a shot at writing in that voice.


----------



## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

Randy Kadish said:


> _The Maltese Falcon_
> Randy


I love that but I think Hammett's _The Glass Key_ is even better. It's my favorite.

Edit: Much as I enjoy Banks, Hammett is THE master.


----------



## Brian Lindenmuth (Mar 3, 2011)

I could easily spout off a huge list of recent books/authors instead here's a smaller version:

Bloody Women by Helen Fitzgerald
The Devil’s Staircase by Helen Fitzgerald
Late Rain by Lynn Kostoff
The Long Fall by Lynn Kostoff
A Choice of Nightmares by Lynn Kostoff
Pike by Benjamin Whitmer
Savages by Don Winslow
Firework by Eugene Marten
Waste by Eugene Marten
Lethal Injection by Jim Nisbet
Killer by Dave Zeltserman
Sleepless by Charlie Huston
Four Corners of Night by Craig Holden
Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell
Tomato Red by Daniel Woodrell
The Death of Sweet Mister by Daniel Woodrell
The Last Deep Breath by Tom Piccirilli
I-5 by Summer Brenner
Senseless by Stona Fitch
Slammer by Alan Guthrie
Hard Man by Alan Guthrie
Savage Night by Allan Guthrie
Saturday’s Child by Ray Banks
Last Days by Brian Evenson
The Open Curtain by Brian Evenson
Generation Loss by Elizabeth Hand
Cast of Shadows by Kevin Guilfoile
Gone Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane (which subverts the very notion of
order being restored at the end)
God is a Bullet by Boston Teran
The God File by Frank Turner Hollon
Drive by James Sallis
No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
American Skin by Ken Bruen


----------



## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Brian Lindenmuth said:


> I could easily spout off a huge list of recent books/authors instead here's a smaller version:
> 
> Bloody Women by Helen Fitzgerald
> The Devil's Staircase by Helen Fitzgerald
> ...


Welcome Brian! I could have guessed half of those, but then, we've talked books before.  I see some names I don't recognize on the list, but you won't draw me back into noir!!! I refuse!! 

Nice to see you here. I expect you're going to have a lot to add to our reading lists. Just what we need-- a larger TBR!!


----------



## Brian Lindenmuth (Mar 3, 2011)

MariaESchneider said:


> but you won't draw me back into noir!!! I refuse!!


Oh c'mon, I've never steered you wrong before (not on purpose anyway). I've actually got a book for you to try but I send you a message because it doesn't fit in with this thread tpic


----------



## sighdone (Feb 4, 2011)

Is Brighton Rock a noir mystery?

Never occurred to me.


----------



## joanhallhovey (Nov 7, 2010)

It was by John D. MacDonald and had the word 'night' in it, but I'll be darned if I can remember the full title.


----------



## Ruth Harris (Dec 26, 2010)

Joan...did you mean End Of The Night? the link: http://amzn.to/giuBaM


----------



## SteveMalley (Sep 22, 2010)

Way too hard to pick just one: I flat-out LOVE this genre! With that in mind, here's my Top 5...

1. Postman Always Rings Twice - James M Cain
2. Vengeful Virgin - Gil Brewer
3. Shella - Andrew Vachss
4. The Hunter - Richard Stark
5. White Jazz - James Ellroy
6. Dope - Sarah Gran

Okay... so I love noir too much to pick just five...


----------



## Julia444 (Feb 24, 2011)

I loved RED LIGHTS by Georges Simenon.  

In Paris: a man in denial about his growing alcoholism goes on a long ride with his wife; he continually stops at bars for a "refreshing" drink.  His wife becomes angry, and when he stops at yet another bar they have a fight and she refuses to go in.

He goes anyway, in a lust for alcohol.  When he comes out, his wife is gone, it is dark, and they are in the middle of nowhere . . . 

Powerful suspense.

Julia


----------



## GayleC (Feb 16, 2011)

I like Farewell, My Lovely. Also the Easy Rawlins stories, altho Little Yellow Dog broke my heart.


----------



## SteveMalley (Sep 22, 2010)

Awww, can't believe I forgot to include Easy Rawlins. Walter Mosely ROCKS!

_--- edited... no self-promotion (book covers, web links, mentioning your book/blog/etc.) in posts outside the Book Bazaar forum. please read our Forum Decorum thread. future posts containing self-promotion will be deleted without notice._


----------



## Jon Olson (Dec 10, 2010)

Hmmett Hammett Hammett!


----------



## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

I am a huge fan of what is frequently called Tartan Noir, especially Ian Rankin.


----------



## SidneyW (Aug 6, 2010)

Ditto The Big Sleep as a classic and ditto The Black Dahlia as a modern entry that continues and expands the tradition. Another great one is Mr. White's Confession, a literary noir novel.


----------



## Chloista (Jun 27, 2009)

For modern day "noir," you can't beat Dennis LeHane.  

I have read ALL his books.  All are EXCELLENT.  Highly recommend.


----------



## SteveMalley (Sep 22, 2010)

SidneyW said:


> Ditto The Big Sleep as a classic and ditto The Black Dahlia as a modern entry that continues and expands the tradition. Another great one is Mr. White's Confession, a literary noir novel.


Mr. White's Confession, you say? I like the sound of that...

And nice to run into you here, Sidney!


----------



## SteveMalley (Sep 22, 2010)

Chloista said:


> For modern day "noir," you can't beat Dennis LeHane.
> 
> I have read ALL his books. All are EXCELLENT. Highly recommend.


I'm a big Lehane fan too-- really LOVE his work, but for my money, only the Kenzie/Genarro books and Mystic River really count as Noir. And even then, the early Kenzie books are much more straightforward detective fiction. It's not until Gone, Baby, Gone that he really hits that powerful dark stride...

But yeah, seriously, every single Lehane book is a worthwhile read!


----------



## SidneyW (Aug 6, 2010)

That's a great and handy list.



Brian Lindenmuth said:


> I could easily spout off a huge list of recent books/authors instead here's a smaller version:
> 
> Bloody Women by Helen Fitzgerald
> The Devil's Staircase by Helen Fitzgerald
> ...


----------



## Josh_Stallings (Mar 18, 2011)

DYB said:


> Of the recent writers I really like Charlie Huston's work. His "Hank Thompson" trilogy (about a guy who is mistakenly thought to have stolen a few million dollars from the Russian mafia...it goes downhill fast) is excellent. Gritty, dirty, violent, and kind of depressing. Also surprisingly moving and heartfelt.


I totally agree, Huston gets noir, and takes it to new places.


----------



## Josh_Stallings (Mar 18, 2011)

I also think Ken Buen is a master of modern noir, with Irish twist, his Jack Taylor sires is simply stunning noir, if you haven't read the guards... and you love noir... run don't walk to the kindle store!

http://www.amazon.com/The-Guards-A-Novel-ebook/dp/B003J48C1I/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1301070857&sr=8-1


----------



## GBear (Apr 23, 2009)

Josh_Stallings said:


> I also think Ken Bruen is a master of modern noir, with Irish twist, his Jack Taylor sires is simply stunning noir, if you haven't read the guards... and you love noir... run don't walk to the kindle store!
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/The-Guards-A-Novel-ebook/dp/B003J48C1I/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1301070857&sr=8-1


So I ran to the kindle store, but I slowed down abruptly when I discovered that the kindle version is $9.99 vs. $5.18 for the paperback. I downloaded a sample as a reminder to try the book when and if Macmillan comes to their senses. It's a 7-year-old book, for goodness sake, and the reviews say that the Kindle version is riddled with typos!


----------



## Josh_Stallings (Mar 18, 2011)

GBear said:


> So I ran to the kindle store, but I slowed down abruptly when I discovered that the kindle version is $9.99 vs. $5.18 for the paperback. I downloaded a sample as a reminder to try the book when and if Macmillan comes to their senses. It's a 7-year-old book, for goodness sake, and the reviews say that the Kindle version is riddled with typos!


What a shame! He is such a good writer, he deserves better support from his publishers, and a smarter pricing strategy, the should make the Guards very cheap to get people hooked on Bruen... If only I ruled the world!


----------



## Guest (Apr 5, 2011)

How about the best INDIE noir author? Any great finds?

Side question... do you think epubs may help us find some great modern day "pulp" writers?


----------



## Josh_Stallings (Mar 18, 2011)

I just got turned onto a fantastic collection of noir tales, dark, witty and well worth a read. Give it a try. Good indie noir. A new voice worth listening to.


----------



## Mjaydakid (Apr 3, 2011)

What about the Dresden Files series by Jim Butler.  I know it might be considered fantasy but they are mystery noir books.


----------



## victoriaallman (Mar 25, 2011)

I just finished reading C.e. Grundler's noir mystery Last Exit in New Jersey. I could not put it down! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003WUY33A/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

With the opening line of "Nice young ladies really shouldn't be dumping bodies at sea.", you really can't help but be pulled into the story of Hazel, a strong-willed, 20-year old who is searching for her cousin who is missing. Between the dead bodies of the guys who come after her, looking for something she doesn't have and trying to figure out who she can trust, she must protect her father. She is chased up and down the eastern coastline on a boat she captains and swerves around the corners of the New Jersey highway in a Viper. This is one cool 20-year old!

I bought this book because of the boating aspect and was immediately drawn into the suspense of it all. This is great writing!

The characters are intriguing and well-written. There is humility and humor in everyone--even the bad guys. But, with all the plot twists, it is hard to figure out who the bad guys are. This book will keep you guessing right up until the last chapter. It will capture you from page one and keep you hooked the whole way through.

This thriller is a must read that you won't be able to put down.


----------



## Tony Rabig (Oct 11, 2010)

Cain, Hammett, Chandler, Jim Thompson, and others mentioned here, naturally.

But John D. MacDonald had a number of titles that would fit quite nicely here -- END OF THE NIGHT, THE EXECUTIONERS (better known as CAPE FEAR), APRIL EVIL, THE NEON JUNGLE, and THE DAMNED are all worth a look.

Lawrence Block's Matt Scudder novels, and Donald Westlake/Richard Stark's Parker series and Westlake's THE AX are also well worth your time.

So is Fredric Brown's work (KNOCK THREE-ONE-TWO, THE DEEP END, THE SCREAMING MIMI, and THE FAR CRY).

And finally, the writer for whom the term might have been invented: Cornell Woolrich. Don't miss THE BLACK PATH OF FEAR, BLACK ALIBI, REAR WINDOW, or NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND EYES.

Bests to all,

Tony Rabig

_--- edited... no self-promotion outside the Book Bazaar forum. please read our Forum Decorum thread._


----------



## nigel p bird (Feb 4, 2011)

Some great lists here.  I see SLAMMER on there and it needs to be - just to say that it's just out at a crazy kindle price just now.  A must get.  nigel


----------



## henryandhenrybooks (Sep 6, 2011)

L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy


----------



## 31842 (Jan 11, 2011)

Tony Rabig said:


> Lawrence Block's Matt Scudder novels


Yay Lawrence Block! I was reading through the thread going, "Where's Block? When is someone going to mention Block?" The Scudder novels are fantastic.


----------



## jmoralee (Sep 6, 2011)

James Hadley Chase is one of my favourite noir writers.  I remember finding a huge omnibus of his work in my local library, which was like discovering a treasure trove.


----------



## noraquick (Sep 3, 2011)

It's awesome seeing how many people support Dashiell Hammett (he is my favorite author of all time). There are so many good noir mysteries out there but I have always adored his _The Dain Curse_. It's just such a great mystery with many factors, tons of questions, plenty of intriguing characters.


----------



## James Conway (Jul 7, 2011)

I would have to say Hammett's Maltese Falcon is the king, both the book as well as the movie. I love the movie version with Bogey. The Thin Man series of movies is also great however The Thin Man book is much grittier and, surprisingly enough, addresses issues like lesbianism back in the 1930's. I was surprised to see that.


----------



## Guest (Dec 21, 2011)

Maltese Falcon is pretty hard to beat.


----------



## Jon Olson (Dec 10, 2010)

DYB said:


> Of the recent writers I really like Charlie Huston's work. His "Hank Thompson" trilogy (about a guy who is mistakenly thought to have stolen a few million dollars from the Russian mafia...it goes downhill fast) is excellent. Gritty, dirty, violent, and kind of depressing. Also surprisingly moving and heartfelt.


I like Huston too. On noir generally, some is so bleak you wonder why it was written, why you are reading. And then there's The Thin Man -- funny and endearing. Is there a difference between "hard-boiled" and "noir"?


----------



## Ernie Lindsey (Jul 6, 2010)

I'd have to vote for a lot of Elmore Leonard's work during his middle career. Maybe *Killshot*or *Rum Punch*?


----------



## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

_The Big Sleep_ by Chandler is superb, of course. Otherwise, Ross MacDonald's _The Blue Hammer_ is as close to a genre classic as you're ever going to get.


----------



## Cappy (Sep 6, 2011)

I have an everlasting attachment to 'The Third Man' by Graham Greene. Kind of counts as noir, I think.


----------



## docnoir (Jan 21, 2011)

I can't believe James Crumley hasn't made the list (unless some consider him more hard-boiled than noir). But for those who haven't read THE LAST GOOD KISS or THE WRONG CASE, you are in for a big slap to the face. American classics.

I was happy to see someone mention WHITE JAZZ by Ellroy. That book might be more responsible than any others (since the Hardy Boys) of making me decide, right there in the store after reading a few pages, that I was going to be a crime novelist, no more doubts.


----------



## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

I'll second _The Last Good Kiss_ - brilliant.

I'll add in a few: _Double Indemnity _(the ending of the book is far better than the movie ending); _They Shoot Horses Don't They_; _GBH_ and _Jack's Return Home (aka Get Carter)_ by Ted Lewis and _The Getaway_ and _The Grifters_ by Jim Thompson. I'm going strictly noir with the above.

For those preferring more of a mystery flavour I'll choose _The Maltese Falcon, The Long Goodbye, The Big Nowhere_ and _Maigret and The Idle Burglar_


----------



## Martin OHearn (Feb 9, 2012)

Tony Rabig said:


> And finally, the writer for whom the term might have been invented: Cornell Woolrich. Don't miss THE BLACK PATH OF FEAR, BLACK ALIBI, REAR WINDOW, or NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND EYES.


Cornell Woolrich first and foremost! Another couple of his titles are THE BRIDE WORE BLACK and DEADLINE AT DAWN.

Ross Macdonald's Lew Archer series starts as a Philip Marlowe twin but soon homes in on the noir obsession with the past as inescapable agent of destruction.


----------



## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

Still reading Hammett's The Glass Key and loving it.  I have enjoyed all of his books so far.

For a more modern take, I recommend the books by Michael Harvey.


----------

