Category Archives: Noir

THE GIRL WHO HAD TO DIE (1940) by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding

Posted on 1 February 2013 by

A belated Fedora welcome to 2013, which this year opens with a review of this fine book by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding (1889-1955), who after a brief dalliance with romance novels became a specialist in psychological suspense and thrillers. The Girl … Continue reading →

Posted in 2013 Vintage Mystery Challenge, Elisabeth Sanxay Holding, Noir, Raymond Chandler, Stark House Press | 36 Comments

NIGHTMARE (1941) by Cornell Woolrich

Posted on 23 November 2012 by

During the 1940s Cornell Woolrich was one of the true masters of the psychological suspense yarn, as adept at creating ingenious and outlandish plots as painting an atmosphere of universal dread and irrationality. This is a case in point with … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge, Amnesia, Cornell Woolrich, Film Noir, Friday's Forgotten Book, New York, Noir, Scene of the crime | 20 Comments

THE BEAST OF THE CAMARGUE by Xavier-Marie Bonnot

Posted on 2 November 2012 by

Dr Xavier-Marie Bonnot, author of the Commandant de Palma series, is the focus of this week’s Alphabet of Crime entry, which is reaching its always fairly head-scratching conclusion now that most of the ‘easier’ letters, shall we say, have been … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Alphabet of Crime, Crime Fiction Alphabet, France, Noir, Scene of the crime, Support Your Local Library Challenge | 48 Comments

SALT RIVER by James Sallis

Posted on 28 September 2012 by

An author of compact mysteries rooted in the Deep South, poet and novelist James Sallis saw his profile rise last year after the release of the critically acclaimed Ryan Gosling movie Drive, an adaptation of his eponymous novel. Otherwise best … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Alphabet of Crime, Crime Fiction Alphabet, Friday's Forgotten Book, James Sallis, Noir, Support Your Local Library Challenge | 20 Comments

NIGHTMARE CRUISE (1961) by Wade Miller

Posted on 24 August 2012 by

The phrase ‘cook’s tour’ takes on a rather sinister meaning in this unjustly neglected maritime thriller, first published in 1961 as an Ace paperback original from the team of Robert Wade and Bill Miller. It was their penultimate book though a … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Alphabet of Crime, Crime Fiction Alphabet, Friday's Forgotten Book, Noir, Sargasso Sea, Wade Miller | 10 Comments

ROUGH RIDERS by Charlie Stella

Posted on 28 July 2012 by

Courtesy of those very nice people at Stark House Press, I have in my hands an advance copy of the new novel by Charlie Stella, purveyor of humour, violence, complex plots and double crosses aplenty. Although this zesty thriller is told … Continue reading →

Posted in Charlie Stella, Noir, North Dakota, Stark House Press | 4 Comments

QUEENPIN by Megan Abbott

Posted on 31 March 2012 by

After my somewhat underwhelming first encounter with Lee Child, my 2012 Library Challenge continues with high hopes for another author I have heard lots of good things about. Indeed, this novel by Megan Abbott won the Edgar for best paperback … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Noir, Megan Abbott, Noir, Scene of the crime, Support Your Local Library Challenge | 4 Comments