Bill, what I would define as "hardboiled" is a story where
the protagonist is
usually a cop or a private eye with a cynical, tough attitude
towards the world, a
"rough on the outside but sweet on the inside" kind of guy.
And the plot
invariably involves murder, though not necessarily a
killer-type story, like The
Maltese Falcon, which is really about the theft of an object
worth dying/killing
for. What distinguishes hardboiled from just a thriller is
the depth to which the
characters are drawn. One can read a dozen Robin Cook medical
thrillers and not
remember the "heroes" while a character like Sam Spade sticks
forever in your
mind. The "Prey" hero, Lucas Davenport, is a pretty fleshed
out character, which
is why I consider this series to be in the "hardboiled"
school. Anyway, that's
how I define the genre. I'd love to hear how others here
define "hardboiled."
One final question: Does Lawrence Sanders' McNally series
qualify as hardboiled?
Regards, Cynthia.
Reed Andrus wrote: Just to let you know you're not alone with
newer authors. I've
read all the Sandford "Prey" books (except his latest, which
is on my shelf
waiting its turn) as well as his non-Lucas Davenport THE
NIGHT CREW, and the John
Camp books. Don't know where you are in the series, but Lucas
plays pretty rough
beginning, I believe, in WINTER PREY.
> Hard-boiled novels are like a box of chocolates --
you never know if
> you'll like one until you bite into it....
Reed
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