A review in the London Times favorably compared my latest
book, Small Crimes, with: "the kind of grim noir novel they
used to write in the Thirties and Forties. There are no good
guys, only men who are mean, vicious, tough, corrupt and
amoral. Action is frenzied and bloody, women easy but
vulnerable, dialogue curt and the plot not necessarily
convincing."
To me this raised the question, who was writing these types
of grim noir novels in the 30s and 40s?? The only writers I
could think of were James M. Cain, Cornell Woolrich and David
Goodis (at least he started in the 40s). If the reviewer had
mentioned the 50s instead it would've made more sense as it
would've opened up a host of other writers, including Charles
Williams, Gil Brewer, Dan Marlowe, etc. So here's the
question--who else other than the writers I mentioned were
writing noir novels in the 30s and 40s (noir with Jack
Bludis's definition of screwed as opposed to dark +
sinister)???
---Dave Z.
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