I join the long thread that appeared recently in R-A.
From my recent reading I would like to list the
following :
By Rolo Diez - an Argentinean writer living since the 80s in
Mexico- a rather original variation on classic HB/noir
characters and plots. I red a French translation of his La
vida que me doy with his recurrent Mexican cop from a special
police dept, Carlos HernᎤez, who lives two family lives with
separate wives and kids. He his also surfing on the total
corruption seen in all the administrative services and civil
servants of his country. He takes money, yes, but he chases
the real rotten guys and gets them. He does his best to make
the system work following his own sense of justice and
injustice. Theres also a lot of derision and black humor in
the stories lived by Carlos, but do not be confused: its HB
and noir when the time comes. Very original approach by Rolo
Diez that mixes daily sins, a sense of humanity and the
ordinary corruption in a battle against abuse of power,
murder and horror. All this with a smile. Recommended.
ALMOST BLUE (original title of the Italian short novel- kept
in translations) by Carlo Lucarelli. Oneiric rendering of the
help given by a young blind man to track a serial killer in
Bologna. He spends his nights in his room to scan
frequencies, with Chet Baker as background music, and he once
heard a green voice which he is convinced, comes from the
killer. Very personal novel by this Italian author, in which
the dreamlike reports of the moods and feelings of the blind
man is the best part, haunting and gripping.
FREEZER BURN by Joe R. Lansdale Quite interesting novel
mixing black humor, slight horror and noir in a story that
keeps the attention of the reader. The freak show that
becomes the central part of interest in this novel is
definitely the best invention in the whole thing. The noir
part, with femme fatale and all the gimmicks involved is
close to a cold parody but keeps the thing rolling. I
personally think that Lansdale did not exploit fully his
gifted writing that shows in a few chapters of the novel. But
it is a good read, above average, with an inventive plot
holding the attention of the reader from beginning to
end.
E.Borgers Hard-Boiled Mysteries http://www.geocities.com/Athens/6384
Bill Crider :
>Duane: Glad to see someone enjoying the Nolan books
by Max Allan Collins. I
>read those when they first appeared, and one of my
prized possessions is a
>copy of the one dedicated to Spillane that's signed
by both Al and Mickey.
>
>
>
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