The Best Noir Authors
Many people know that “noir” is the French word for “black,” but how many know what it means when the word is applied to the mystery genre? Admittedly, noir can encompass a broad range of stories, but its general definition, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “crime fiction featuring hard-boiled cynical characters and bleak sleazy settings.”
Lovers of noir are very fortunate, because not only are there many classic noir novels, but there are several authors writing fantastic noir tales today. Noir doesn’t just mean detectives in trench coats and fedoras in smoky bars and rainy alleys in the seedy parts of big cities. It can be tales of existential dread in Japan or racially motivated crimes in a tiny Texas town. Justice doesn’t always get served, but ennui always wins.
So buckle up, noir lovers: Today’s forecast calls for hard-boiled and cynical, with a chance of sleazy. Here are 14 of the best authors who have written works of noir, along with an example of their best books.
Related: Crime and Mystery Meet Film Noir
A vicious act of police brutality at Christmastime kicks off a detailed, sordid story of sex and secrets in Los Angeles in 1951, exposing corruption all the way up the chain of command.
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A genius high school dropout who helps solves small cases in his crime-ridden East Long Beach neighborhood finds himself in serious danger when he agrees to help a hometown rap mogul.
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This slow-boiling thriller, about murder and racial tensions in a small Texas town and the Black Texas Ranger who must sort it all out, won the 2018 Edgar Award for Best Novel.
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Small-time conman Roy Dillon has amassed quite a savings pulling low-risk jobs. But his fortune takes a downturn when his mother, a criminal swindler herself, comes to nurse him back to health after a beating.
Related: Crime and Mystery Meet Film Noir
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Liberty Hardy is a Book Riot senior contributing editor, co-host of All the Books, a Book of the Month judge, and above all else, a ravenous reader. She resides in Maine with her cats, Millay, Farrokh, and Zevon. You can see pictures of her cats and book hauls on Twitter @MissLiberty and Instagram @franzencomesalive.