Winter is the perfect time to cozy up with a good book. It is an even better time to explore the complexities and elusiveness of the noir genre. When you think of noir, you probably think of old films like Alfred Hitchcock’s Suspicion or domestic noir novels such as Gone Girl. Whether you are familiar with noir or looking to get into its moral ambiguity, we’ve got you covered. Grab a cup of black coffee and a faux cigarette, and get ready for these incredible, thrilling, and cynical novels.
The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
Tom Ripley wants nothing more than to leave his orphan past behind, which is why he is more than happy to take the job offered to him by a wealthy industrialist. The job is simple enough: bring his playboy son, Dickie Greenleaf, back from gallivanting in Italy. But Ripley’s taking the job turns into an infatuation with the charming, ambivalent Dickie, and he soon finds himself in the middle of a very dangerous game.
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
The Christmas season offers little cheer for Eileen Dunlop, trapped between the role of caretaker for her alcoholic father and her day job as a secretary at a boy’s prison. Consumed by resentment and self-loathing, Eileen’s only reprieve is imagining her grand escape to a big city. Her everyday life is a tedious letdown until Rebecca Saint John arrives on the scene as a new counselor at Moorehead. Rebecca then draws obsessive Eileen into the whirlwind of a crime beyond her wildest dreams.
Savage Night by Jim Thompson
Jake Winroy had nothing else before he worked his way up in a high-stakes horse betting ring. But when the state goes after him, he is once again at rock bottom, but with a bottle and a beautiful wife. Jake is set to be the main witness in a major crime case, but a mafioso known as “The Man” has big plans to ensure that Jake never reaches the stand. The Man has hired Charlie “Little” Bigger to infiltrate the Winroy residence and murder Jake in cold blood. To Little, it is the easiest job on earth, until he lays eyes on the beautiful and dangerous Fay and Winroy’s young housemaid, Ruth.
Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Mexico in the 1970s is a dangerous country, even for Maite, a secretary who spends her time seeking romance in cheap comic books and ignoring the ongoing protests in the city around her. But when her neighbor, the beautiful art student Leonora, disappears under mysterious circumstances, Maite finds herself at the center of the search for the missing woman and crosses paths with Elvis, a goon in search of his soul.
My Darkest Prayer by S.A. Crosby
Whether it’s working at his cousin’s funeral home or tossing around riffraff at his local bar, Nathan Waymaker is a man who knows how to handle bodies. As a former marnie and sheriff’s deputy, Nathan has a reputation around his small Southern town as a man who can help when things get rocky and all avenues are exhausted. When a local minister is found dead, Nathan is sought out to solve this mystery and navigate the murky waters of a corrupted town.
White Horse by Erika T. Wurth
Heavy metal, Stephen King, ripped jeans, and an occasional beer at the white house have defined Kari James’s life. But when her cousin Debby finds an old bracelet that once belonged to her mother, that all changes. Haunted by visions of her mother and hunted by a mysterious creature, Kari must investigate what happened to her mother all those years ago. Her want for truth forces her to confront her dysfunctional family, a lost friend, and a burning desire for something she thought she couldn’t have.
Night Film by Marisha Pessl
Trigger Warning: This title contains references to suicide. Please exercise personal care when reading.
On a damp October night, 24-year-old Ashley Cardova is found dead in an abandoned warehouse in lower Manhattan. Her death is ruled a suicide, but journalist Scott McGrath suspects otherwise. As Scott investigates her death, he is forced to confront the truth about her reclusive, cult-horror filmmaker, Stanislaus Cardova. For McGrath, another death connected to this family dynasty must be more of a coincidence.
Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy
When Saint Sebastian’s School becomes the site of a shocking arson spree, the Sisters of the Sublime Blood and their surrounding community are thrust into chaos. Unsatisfied with the officials’ response, Sister Holiday sets out to unveil the attacker and restore peace to her home and sanctuary. Sister Holiday’s investigation in the New Orleans heat will lead her down dangerous and suspicious paths that will see her at odds with colleagues, students, and even fellow Sisters. As she continues to unravel the threads of this mystery, Holiday will be forced to confront the sins of her unchecked past.
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
When a dying millionaire hires Phillip Marlowe to handle the blackmailer of one of his daughters, Marlowe finds himself involved with a lot more than extortion. The Sternwood family has a lot to hide, and a lot that spells danger for Marlowe.
The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias
Buried in debt due to the illness of his young daughter, with his marriage on the brink, Mario reluctantly takes a job as a hitman. After a tragedy wrecks the life he knew, Mario takes one final job: hijacking a cartel’s crash shipment before it reaches Mexico. Along with two other men, Mario travels through Texas, where a handful of nightmare encounters will defy explanation. Even if he manages to make it out alive, Mario will never be the same.
Noir has a little something for everyone. As the weather gets harsher, and you find yourself wasting your day away in the comfort of a fuzzy blanket, why not grab one of these hard-boiled mysteries? Be sure to check them out and add them to your TBR. Happy reading!
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