As in her Companion to Crime Fiction, Lee Horsley’s Noir Thriller Crime Files division of Palgrave MacMillan is a deep dive into the world of noir, exploring its literature and film through a mix of historical, cultural, and stylistic perspectives. Horsley treats noir not just as a genre, but as a viewpoint—dark, morally complex, and rooted in the harsh realities of urban life.
The book is structured chronologically: it starts with early noir during the Great Depression Hammett, James M. Cain, Horace McCoy), moves through the Golden Age (1945–1970), covers the post-1970 era—including cyberpunk noir like Gibson’s Neuromancer—and ends with a short chapter on contemporary noir in the 2000s. My favorite part is the 1945–1970 section, where she highlights some of the most influential works that shaped the genre (Cornell Woolrich, Jim Thompson, Patricia Highsmith, David Goodis).
What works:
-
Horsley gives a fresh perspective on the fatal woman in noir films, showing how cinematic portrayals often demonized women, while literary noir offered more nuanced and complex characters.
-
The discussion of cyberpunk noir and questions of what it means to be human adds a modern, philosophical layer that’s really engaging.
Critiques:
-
Sometimes her focus on extra-literary factors—like politics or social context—can distract from the stories themselves.
-
The book covers so many works that a casual reader might feel overwhelmed, losing some of their personal connection to the novels.
-
She mostly focuses on American and British noir, leaving out contributions from Europe, Japan, and other regions.
-
One notable oversight: she labels Frankenstein as a science fiction novel, when it is more accurately a horror classic—a small but telling example of where her categorization feels off.
Overall, Noir Thriller is an excellent resource for serious noir fans. Its academic tone might not appeal to everyone, but for readers like me who love the genre, it offers insights, context, and new ways to think about classic and modern noir alike.
