I’ve been a consumer of countless crime fiction novels, films, and television for most of my life now—from eras ranging from Raymond Chandler to Elmore Leonard to Dennis Lehane—yet still I find myself pausing to ask this bleeding question: what the hell does neo-noir ever mean? Most commonly, people refer to neo-noir as anything that…
Parker has become one of the most celebrated characters in crime fiction. Over the course of 24 novels spanning four decades, this tough-talking, tougher-acting thief bulldozed his way through the years, never losing sight of his unique code of conduct. In the debut Parker novel, The Hunter from 1962, we meet a man who virtually…
“When the phone rang, Parker was in the garage, killing a man.” -Richard Stark, Firebreak When a book has an opening line like the one shown above, you’re compelled to rip through the rest of the novel straightaway, as if it were the most delicious hamburger you’ve ever tasted. The prolific Donald E. Westlake is…
Although reading is a largely visual task (albeit in practice and not in the sense of a picture), what makes it so enjoyable is the imaginative task of creating a world with all of your senses from what is being described through words. And, as often is the case, music is the perfect accompaniment to reading—the…
“Meet me by the clock.” For generations of New Yorkers that’s been a not-so-secret code leading to a rendezvous point in one of the most highly traveled buildings in the City, the grand concourse of Grand Central Terminal. How many trysts have begun there? Enough that there’s a “kissing room” not far away. At least…
Parker: Slayground by writer and artist Darwyn Cooke continues his award-winning graphic adaptations of the Parker series of hardboiled crime novels by Richard Stark (available December 24, 2013). I will freely admit that I haven’t read nearly enough of either author involved in this excellent graphic novel adaptation, though I have been a big fan…
“With admiration, for Dan J. Marlowe, author of The Name of the Game is Death: Hardest of the hardboiled.” This unexpected shout out comes from Stephen King, in the pages of his Hard Case Crime novel The Colorado Kid. I have to echo King’s sentiments. The Name of the Game is Death is indeed hard-boiled…
Readers of mystery fiction may or may not be the most avid fans of their particular genre but they’ve got to be high on the list. Which might go a long way toward explaining why so much mystery fiction takes place in and around bookstores, and particularly mystery bookstores. It would take someone much better…
I’ve never downloaded an electronic book. My book has sold a number of Kindle copies, which leads me to feel a strange imbalance—what does it mean that I produce material for a media I don’t engage in? I am not one of the people who insist that all books must be printed matter, and can…
We pointed out that seemingly irresisitible combination of women and dead bodies! Whether you already follow Tess Gerritsen’s novels about Boston Detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles, or are new to the series, people keep finding things to like about TNT’s Rizzoli and Isles. The show just got monster ratings for its season…
