Pulp Fiction discussion

finished , check out my full review here:

http://everythingnoir.com/2015/04/16/...

Now I'm on to

Just finished "The Farm" by Tom Rob Smith. Don't waste your time.

Just started "Absolute Power" by David Baldacci.

Mike wrote: "Just finished "The Farm" by Tom Rob Smith. Don't waste your time.

Just started "Absolute Power" by David Baldacci."

Oh, that's disappointing Mike. 'The Farm' is on my TBR list. Have you read any of TRS's other books?

On the other hand, i'm not a fan of Baldacci:)

Bryan wrote: "finished , check out my full review here:

http://everythingnoir.com/2015/04/16/...

Now I'm on to [..."

That book by Cs Dewildt looks good Bryan. It's not often you see a GR rating of 5 stars. Individual reviewers, yes. Gr, not so much.
Some 5 star reviews i've seen, make me wonder if the reviewer has read the same book as me:/

Paul wrote: "Oh, that's disappointing Mike. 'The Farm' is on my TBR list. Have you read any of TRS's other books?"

Yes, I've read "Child 44" and "The Secret Speech." They were excellent. That's why "The Farm" was such a disappointment.

Mike wrote: "Paul wrote: "Oh, that's disappointing Mike. 'The Farm' is on my TBR list. Have you read any of TRS's other books?"

Yes, I've read "Child 44" and "The Secret Speech." They were excellent. That's ..."

Oh good Mike. I haven't read any of his books yet, though i have a number of his books as eBooks. I thought his work looked promising. I have the 3 you mentioned, plus 'Agent 6'. Which would you recommend to read first?

Paul wrote: " I thought his work looked promising. I have the 3 you mentioned, plus 'Agent 6'. Which would you recommend to read first?"

His other three books form a trilogy around the same central character. I suggest you read them in order: "Child 44", "The Secret Speech" and "Agent 6". Hope you enjoy them.

Agree with the assessment of The Farm. and with the recommendation to read his first three which were very good.

I thought The Farm was just okay, but I actually liked that it was different. Much more psychological. I wasn't a huge fan of Smith's sequels to Child 44 -- I thought he did his best work in that one. The others, to me, were just not that good. I suppose it's all in what you're looking for n a book, though.

I started The Grifters by Jim Thompson and it isnt as dark,brutal noir as Killer Inside Me but its calmer well written character study so far. Im enjoying the calm story,writing about Dillons life, issues.

Feels very weird reading a JT book that is NOT about a true lowlife,freak,killer, sick in the head lead you wish ended up badly....

Mohammed wrote: "I started The Grifters by Jim Thompson and it isnt as dark,brutal noir as Killer Inside Me but its calmer well written character study so far. Im enjoying the calm story,writing about Dillons life..."

I really enjoyed The Grifters, The movie is great too.

I finished Great book, check out my full review here:

http://everythingnoir.com/2015/04/19/...

Started reading

Here's my review of Chris's book: http://www.pulphackconfessions.com/20...

How can you miss with a hillbilly detective who sniffs glue to get high?

P.S.: Child 44 has been released as a film starring Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and Gary Oldman. Go see it quickly, though -- it apparently is doing a terrible box office because of its lack of star power and gloomy subject matter. Plus the Russian authorities don't like it because it makes the USSR look like Mordor...

William wrote: "P.S.: Child 44 has been released as a film starring Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and Gary Oldman. Go see it quickly, though -- it apparently is doing a terrible box office because of its lack of star po..."

It's so sad to me when what is a good book is dramatized and can't make close to the same box office numbers as Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 or the seventh "Fast and Furious" installment. It's all about what average Joe wants.

Nancy wrote: "William wrote: "P.S.: Child 44 has been released as a film starring Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and Gary Oldman. Go see it quickly, though -- it apparently is doing a terrible box office because of its..."

Yes Nancy, it's a sad reflection on 'average' isn't it? I look at best seller lists & more often than not, there isn't a single book that appeals. I've read the odd 'best seller' & thought "My God, it's barely literate."

William wrote: "Here's my review of Chris's book: http://www.pulphackconfessions.com/20...

How can you miss with a hillbilly detective who sniffs glue to get high?"

Great review! I really loved this book. DeWildt is quite the writer. Really look forward to more from him.

Nancy wrote: "William wrote: "P.S.: Child 44 has been released as a film starring Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and Gary Oldman. Go see it quickly, though -- it apparently is doing a terrible box office because of its..."

I live in a small town in Montana. I always have to wait for this stuff to come out on DVD or Blu-Ray. Three movies out right now I would look at going to: It Follows, Child 44 and True Story. They all have fair ratings and decent reviews. I literally have 3 theaters in a 50 mile radius, 2 with only one screen and one with 6 screens. All three are playing Home this week.

Just started Midnight Riot and liking it a lot more than I did Fool Moon!

Picked up the hard to find Gil Brewer novel Play it Hard at an Antiquarian book show last weekend.

AndrewP wrote: "Just started Midnight Riot and liking it a lot more than I did Fool Moon!"

I have given up on Harry Dresden, but I still look forward to every new book by Aaronovich.

Mysefl, I've started reading Mystic River and I can tell right from the start it is going to be great.

Finally finished . More than i ever wanted to know about fighting roosters. Nothing wrong with the writing though. Would definitely read more by Willeford. 3 stars.

Finished in 2 sittings. I thought it was good, though i preferred 'The Burglar'. 3 1/2 stars.

Started . After reading & thoroughly enjoying 'Sunset & Sawdust'. I'm really looking forward to this one.

I'm at p. 107 of Nightmare Alley by William Gresham. A writing genius.

Nancy wrote: "I'm at p. 107 of Nightmare Alley by William Gresham. A writing genius."

Just got my hands on an eBook copy of that Nancy. Look forward to reading it when i get my new Kindle.

Been on a Goodis binge lately. Am reading at the moment, in tandem with the Joe R. Lansdale book mentioned above.

I finished Nightmare Alley -- I need to update my GR post about it because it was an entirely different reading experience this time around. This time I noticed the depth of this novel and the people other than the main chracters. I have to say that I absolutely loved this book.

The weird thing was after reading it, I wanted to see the movie " Freaks" again, rather than the movie based on the novel!

Nancy wrote: "The weird thing was after reading it, I wanted to see the movie " Freaks" again, rather than the movie based on the novel!"

Saw 'Freaks' many years ago. I think it was a film festival for classic, odd moies. Truly freaky.

I have the movie 'Nightmare Alley' but haven't watched it yet. Wanted to read the book first. Looking forward to it. Might have to get a 'physical' copy.

Paul wrote: "Nancy wrote: "The weird thing was after reading it, I wanted to see the movie " Freaks" again, rather than the movie based on the novel!"

Saw 'Freaks' many years ago. I think it was a film festiva..."

I saw it once and was floored. Then I saw it again and was floored a second time.

Finished The Thicket . Well written, engaging plot & some dry humour. Much like 'Sunset & Sawdust'. Also enjoyable. An easy 3.5 stars. Tempted to give it 4, but i have a feeling i haven't read the best of Lansdale's work yet.

I recently bought Robert Edmond Alter's Carny Kill to go with his Swamp Sister. Even if these books suck (which I don't think they will), the covers are awesome.

sorry, everyone... I meant to post this at books just bought.

Just finished reading "Cry Tough" by Irving Shulman.Good book about young Jewish mobsters. In Brooklyn ca late 1940's. Funny thing was when they filmed this the Jewish gang was changed to Puerto Ricans. Now I want to re-read "The Amboy Dukes" Which was the earlier novel about the beginning of the gang.

I've resumed reading Ann Radcliffe's A Sicilian Romance. Once you get used to the flowery prose style and cultural barrier, it's actually highly entertaining... the kind of page-turner that constantly goes into high-flying waxing rhapsodic about the characters' inner emotional life and details of architectural or religious history in Italy.

It's also fascinating how much of the basic storytelling techniques and characterization types characterizing modern crime fiction can be traced back to late-18th century/early-19th century gothic horror through I guess E. A. Poe and A. C. Doyle? I think Ross Macdonald admitted that pretty often.

In any case, that Radcliffe book traffics in many of the same labyrinthine double-crosses and strategically placed traumatic revelations as a 20th century detective novel. The more things change, the more they stay the same...

You will find that the early paperback editions of this novel excise all reference to the gang's members being Jewish! It was the same with I Can Get It For You Wholesale. The villain hero, Harry Bogan, has a deep love for his mother (and screws everyone else; he is total scum). He loves his mom's cooking, esp. her Blintzes. But in the paperback, that is changed to "pancakes." The first edition of the work where the original text is retained is the Modern Library edition. Good on them. Simon and Schuster, the original publisher, tones down the Jewishness of Bogan also. Why? I think it was b/c the book would not have sold well otherwise, since many book buyers were Jewish.

I've just finished Dead Girl Walking by Christopher Brookmyre. Considering I don't really like thriller novels, this one was pretty good!

Finally got done reading , took me awhile, but hope to catch up on some reading this week.

Here is my full review:
http://everythingnoir.com/2015/05/17/...
Started reading

Just got done with Check out my full review here:

http://everythingnoir.com/2015/05/22/...

Starting tonight.

Read another Walt Longmire mystery (not sure what number) : As The Crow Flies
Good, as usual. It tries a new setting from the previous books, going to the Indian Reservation in neighboring Montana. Henry Standing Bear plays a greater role here, but the rest of the Absaroka County team are absent.

This week I finally found Cornell Woolrich's The Bride Wore Black at a Danish library after having searched for years in my country.

I like that while the writing style and settings are very familiar from Dashiell Hammett and company, Woolrich is using a very different narrative structure. The plot follows half a female serial killer and half the police officer on her trail, but it's told less from their perspective than from the bystanders they both interact with... which results in a rather odd reading experience so neither main character feels like a typical antagonist/protagonist role.

On the other hand, that kind of distancing from both main characters might alienate quite a few readers so I'm not surprised Woolrich appears to be more influential than popular. He's certainly a distinctive writer!

I'm going to start soon on the Woolrich for next month's group read. I have high hopes about it.

Finished . It was OK, but if you've read one Bosch novel, you've read them all. Entertaining enough, but hardly challenging reading. 3 stars.

Started . My 2nd Billingham book & 2nd in the Tom Thorne Series. Hope it's better than 'Rush of Blood', a standalone by MB. That was dreadful.

Currently reading Strangers on a Train and trying to finish Mystery Man.

Simon wrote: "This week I finally found Cornell Woolrich's The Bride Wore Black at a Danish library after having searched for years in my country.

I like that while the writing sty..."

We have to remember that Woolrich viewed himself as the next F. Scott Fitzgerald, and followed his type of writing. Out of all the noir authors, (and I read them all) he's my favorite. I like how his books & short stories are cut & dried without a lot of the red herrings that you find in the others' books.

Ross Macdonald also mentioned F. Scott Fitzgerald as an inspiration, it's perhaps clearer in his case because he spends a lot of energy showing the dark side of the glamourous elite with the frisson in his stories coming specifically from focusing intensely on that dissonance.

Though in Macdonald's case it's less the roaring Twenties than the post-WW2 economic boom, which makes for a somewhat different vibe.

Strangers on a Train -- I finished it earlier and just got time to post a review. A 5-star read. I also just bought her The Glass Cell, which I plan to start soon.

I've just started reading the Expendable Man by Dorothy B.Hughes.

Great book! I hope you like it as much as I did.

Nancy wrote: "Strangers on a Train -- I finished it earlier and just got time to post a review. A 5-star read. I also just bought her The Glass Cell, which I plan to start soon."

I have only read The Talented Mr. Ripley by her, and I think you will also like it : it focuses on the character study more than on the crime.

I loved Ripley. Now the plan is to read all of her books in publication order. I have a busy, busy summer ahead of me.

I read the Talented Ripley before.
It was really a good read.