Ken Bruen's Jack Taylor series certainly has noir elements,
but I think I agree with the others that it is exactly the
series elements that keep it from really attaining that
label. Although he struggles with his sobriety and dark
elements in his life, there's really never any doubt he'll
survive. Bruen's standalones, however, are great noir. Be
interesting to see if the sequel to his and Starr's Bust will
be noir as the standalone becomes a series.
Still there are two series I would consider noir: the one
with Charlie Huston's with Hank Thompson and James Sallis's
with Lew Griffin. Of course, it could be argued that Huston's
over the top trilogy is actually an extended novel, a
continuation of the same story. Some might aruge that its
perverse humor discounts the noir label, but I see it as
laughing while the plane is going down. Sallis's is more
personal noir. Lew may have his ups (at times is actually
quite successful in career terms), but the gloom and doom are
never far from his life. Again, this is a series with an end.
Maybe that's the requirement,that the series has an end where
noir can have an ultimate payoff.
I've only read Kiss Me Judas by Baer. Does the trilogy
overall qualify?
(And are the other two worth reading? I liked the style of
Kiss ME, but I must admit I had some reservations about his
use of the cliche kidney snatching urban legend.)
Mark
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