Crime Noir

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Derived from the term “roman noir,” French for black novel, this is gritty hardboiled fiction where themes of loneliness, despair, sexual obsession, and hard luck prevail. A fatalistic hero, who is often more victim or perpetrator than detective, tries to save those at the margins of society. All of these titles can be found in the Adult Mystery section unless otherwise noted.

Classic titles

Contemporary titles

Collected Stories

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Classic Titles

Brewer, Gil. Wild to Possess; A Taste for Sin. 1959, 1961.

Cain, James M. The Postman Always Rings Twice. 1934. (Adult Fiction CAI).

Chandler, Raymond.

Fearing, Kenneth. The Big Clock. 1946.

Goodis, David.

Hammett, Dashiell. The Maltese Falcon. 1930.
     Also available: Large Type, eAudiobook

Levin, Ira. A Kiss Before Dying. 1953. (Adult Fiction LEV).

Thompson, Jim.

Woolrich, Cornell. I Married A Dead Man. 1983.

Contemporary Titles

Abbott, Megan. Queenpin. 2007.

Atkins, Ace. Devil's Garden. 2009.
     Also available: CD

Atkins, Ace. Infamous. 2010

Atwood, Russell. Losers Live Longer. 2009.

Block, Lawrence. A Diet of Treacle. 2008.

Bruen, Ken. The Guards. 2001.

Carlotto. Massimo. Bandit Love. 2010.

Chang, Henry. Red Jade. 2010.

Colfer, Eoin. Plugged: A Novel. 2011.
     Also available: CD

Collins, Max Allan. The First Quarry. 2008.
     Also available: Large Type

Ellroy, James. The Black Dahlia. 1987.
     Also available: Large Type, CD, eBook

Ellroy, James. L.A. Confidential. 1990.

Epperson, Tom. Sailor. 2012. (Adult Fiction EPP).

Fisher, Steve. No House Limit. 2008.

Hill, Russell. Robbie's Wife. 2007.

Kondor, Vilmos. Budapest Noir. 2012.

Lapidus, Jens. Easy Money. 2011. (Adult Fiction LAP).

Lehane, Dennis. Shutter Island. 2003.
     Also available: Large Type, CD, Digital Player

Lopresti, Robert. Such a Killing Crime. 2005.

Matheson, Richard. Noir: Three Novels of Suspense. 1997. (Adult Fiction MAT).

McGowan, Anthony. Mortal Coil. 2006.

Miller, A.D. Snowdrops: A Novel. 2011. (Adult Fiction MIL).
     Also available: eAudiobook

Monroe, Steve. ‘57, Chicago. 2001. (Fiction MON).

Newton, Charlie. Calumet City. 2008.
     Also available: Large Type

Newton, Charlie. Start Shooting. 2012.
     Also available: Large Type, CD

Parker, T. Jefferson. Silent Joe. 2001.

Pelecanos, George. The Big Blowdown. 1996.

Polansky, Daniel. Low Town. 2011. (Adult Scienc Fiction POL).

Sallis, James. Drive. 2005.

Serrano, Daniel. Gunmetal Black. 2008. (Adult Fiction SER).

Shubin, Seymour. Witness to Myself. 2006.

Siler, Jenny. Iced. 2000.

Stansberry, Domenic. The Confession. 2004.

Starr, Jason. Twisted City. 2004. (Adult Fiction STA).

Vachss, Andrew. The Weight. 2010.

Walter, Jess. Citizen Vince. 2005. (Adult Fiction WAL).

Westlake, Donald. 361. 2005.

Willeford, Charles. Pick-Up. 1990.

Winter, Douglas E. Run. 2000. (Adult Fiction WIN).

Collected Stories

The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps. 2007. (Adult Mystery 813.0872 B).

Brooklyn Noir. 2004. (Adult Mystery 813.0872 B).

A Century of Noir: Thirty-two Classic Crime Stories. 2002. (Adult Mystery 813.087208 C).

Chicago Noir. 2005. (Adult Mystery 813.0872 C).

Crime Novels: American Noir of the 1950s. 1997. (Adult Mystery 813.0872 C).

The Deadly Bride: And 21 of the Year’s Finest Crime and Mystery Stories! Including Complete Coverage of the Year in Mystery and Crime Fiction. 2007.
(Adult Mystery 808.83872 D).

Paris Noir: Capital Crime Fiction. 2007. (Adult Mystery 808. 83872 P).

Politics Noir: Dark Tales from the Corridors of Power. 2008. (Adult Mystery 813.0872 P).

Seattle Noir. 2009. (Adult Mystery 813.0872 S).

Send My Love and a Molotov Cocktail! Stories of Crime, Love and Rebellion. 2011.
(Adult Nonfiction 808.831 S).

Tart Noir. 2002. (Adult Mystery 808.83872 T).

Two of the Deadliest: New Tales of Lust, Greed, and Murder from Outstanding Women of Mystery. 2009. (Adult Mystery 813.0872 T).
     Also available: CD

Unusual Suspects: An Anthology of Crime Stories from Black Lizard. 1996
(Adult Mystery 813.0872 U).