Features

CIS: A Raymond Chandler primer

By
Raymond Chandler was 44 years old when he lost his job as an oil company executive in 1932. This is one job loss we can cheer for, since it’s the reason Chandler began writing. His very first short story was printed in Black Mask, a…
Read more
Features

CIS: Interview with Charles Ardai

By
Classics in September — We couldn’t do a month of classic crime fiction without mentioning Hard Case Crime, could we? We’ve said it here on the site and we’ve tweeted about it – this publishing house is putting out some great throwback hardboiled and noir…
Read more
Features

CIS: The top five women of noir

By
Classics in September — Several months ago we discussed five of the best American novelists currently writing in the hardboiled tradition. All of the writers featured in that piece are top-notch crime authors – but they also had something else in common: they were all…
Read more
KindlePrintReviews

Father Confessor

By
Written by Russel D McLean — Dundee probably isn’t the first place which springs to mind when you think of hardboiled PI fiction but over the last few years Russel D McLean has made the city his own, first with the Sam Bryson stories, and…
Read more
PrintReviews

Frame Up

By
Written by James Phoenix – If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it’s a shame Robert B Parker is no longer around. If he was, he’d be mighty flattered by recent crime fiction. Ace Atkins recently took over the Spenser series, and Atkins’ Lullaby…
Read more
News

What is 'hardboiled'?

By
When people mention hardboiled what do you think of? An effective way of cooking eggs when you’re making potato salad? Maybe even Dr Seuss – Green Eggs and Ham? Here on Crime Fiction Lover, we might dally a while with Dr Seuss, but we definitely…
Read more
PrintReviews

A Private Venus

By
Written by Giorgio Scerbanenco – Giorgio Scerbanenco was an important figure in postwar Italian crime fiction, but is little known to English-speaking audiences because his novels were never translated into English. Hersilia Press is seeking to rectify our ignorance of Scerbanenco and other Italian crime…
Read more
PrintReviews

Fatale: Death Chases Me

By
Written by Ed Brubaker, art by Sean Phillips – Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have collaborated on a number of noir-ish comic series. Brubaker also co-wrote the police procedural Gotham Central with thriller writer Greg Rucka, and is considered one of the best crime writers…
Read more