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A Century of Noir: Thirty-two Classic Crime Stories
Thirty-two stories of stunning ingenuity. Thirty-two writers of legendary genius. One hundred years of crime fiction in a one-of-a-kind collection.
520 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
About the author
Mickey Spillane
327 books466 followersMickey Spillane was one of the world's most popular mystery writers. His specialty was tight-fisted, sadistic revenge stories, often featuring his alcoholic gumshoe Mike Hammer and a cast of evildoers who launder money or spout the Communist Party line.
His writing style was characterized by short words, lightning transitions, gruff sex and violent endings. It was once tallied that he offed 58 people in six novels.
Starting with "I, the Jury," in 1947, Mr. Spillane sold hundreds of millions of books during his lifetime and garnered consistently scathing reviews. Even his father, a Brooklyn bartender, called them "crud."
Mr. Spillane was a struggling comic book publisher when he wrote "I, the Jury." He initially envisioned it as a comic book called "Mike Danger," and when that did not go over, he took a week to reconfigure it as a novel.
Even the editor in chief of E.P. Dutton and Co., Mr. Spillane's publisher, was skeptical of the book's literary merit but conceded it would probably be a smash with postwar readers looking for ready action. He was right. The book, in which Hammer pursues a murderous narcotics ring led by a curvaceous female psychiatrist, went on to sell more than 1 million copies.
Mr. Spillane spun out six novels in the next five years, among them "My Gun Is Quick," "The Big Kill," "One Lonely Night" and "Kiss Me, Deadly." Most concerned Hammer, his faithful sidekick, Velda, and the police homicide captain Pat Chambers, who acknowledges that Hammer's style of vigilante justice is often better suited than the law to dispatching criminals.
Mr. Spillane's success rankled other critics, who sometimes became very personal in their reviews. Malcolm Cowley called Mr. Spillane "a homicidal paranoiac," going on to note what he called his misogyny and vigilante tendencies.
His books were translated into many languages, and he proved so popular as a writer that he was able to transfer his thick-necked, barrel-chested personality across many media. With the charisma of a redwood, he played Hammer in "The Girl Hunters," a 1963 film adaptation of his novel.
Spillane also scripted several television shows and films and played a detective in the 1954 suspense film "Ring of Fear," set at a Clyde Beatty circus. He rewrote much of the film, too, refusing payment. In gratitude, the producer, John Wayne, surprised him one morning with a white Jaguar sportster wrapped in a red ribbon. The card read, "Thanks, Duke."
Done initially on a dare from his publisher, Mr. Spillane wrote a children's book, "The Day the Sea Rolled Back" (1979), about two boys who find a shipwreck loaded with treasure. This won a Junior Literary Guild award.
He also wrote another children's novel, "The Ship That Never Was," and then wrote his first Mike Hammer mystery in 20 years with "The Killing Man" (1989). "Black Alley" followed in 1996. In the last, a rapidly aging Hammer comes out of a gunshot-induced coma, then tracks down a friend's murderer and billions in mob loot. For the first time, he also confesses his love for Velda but, because of doctor's orders, cannot consummate the relationship.
Late in life, he received a career achievement award from the Private Eye Writers of America and was named a grand master by the Mystery Writers of America.
In his private life, he neither smoked nor drank and was a house-to-house missionary for the Jehovah's Witnesses. He expressed at times great disdain for what he saw as corrosive forces in American life, from antiwar protesters to the United Nations.
His marriages to Mary Ann Pearce and Sherri Malinou ended in divorce. His second wife, a model, posed nude for the dust jacket of his 1972 novel "The Erection Set."
Survivors include his third wife, Jane Rodgers Johnson, a former beauty queen 30 years his junior; and four children from the first marriage.
He also carried on a long epistolary flirtation with Ayn Rand, an admirer of his writing.
His writing style was characterized by short words, lightning transitions, gruff sex and violent endings. It was once tallied that he offed 58 people in six novels.
Starting with "I, the Jury," in 1947, Mr. Spillane sold hundreds of millions of books during his lifetime and garnered consistently scathing reviews. Even his father, a Brooklyn bartender, called them "crud."
Mr. Spillane was a struggling comic book publisher when he wrote "I, the Jury." He initially envisioned it as a comic book called "Mike Danger," and when that did not go over, he took a week to reconfigure it as a novel.
Even the editor in chief of E.P. Dutton and Co., Mr. Spillane's publisher, was skeptical of the book's literary merit but conceded it would probably be a smash with postwar readers looking for ready action. He was right. The book, in which Hammer pursues a murderous narcotics ring led by a curvaceous female psychiatrist, went on to sell more than 1 million copies.
Mr. Spillane spun out six novels in the next five years, among them "My Gun Is Quick," "The Big Kill," "One Lonely Night" and "Kiss Me, Deadly." Most concerned Hammer, his faithful sidekick, Velda, and the police homicide captain Pat Chambers, who acknowledges that Hammer's style of vigilante justice is often better suited than the law to dispatching criminals.
Mr. Spillane's success rankled other critics, who sometimes became very personal in their reviews. Malcolm Cowley called Mr. Spillane "a homicidal paranoiac," going on to note what he called his misogyny and vigilante tendencies.
His books were translated into many languages, and he proved so popular as a writer that he was able to transfer his thick-necked, barrel-chested personality across many media. With the charisma of a redwood, he played Hammer in "The Girl Hunters," a 1963 film adaptation of his novel.
Spillane also scripted several television shows and films and played a detective in the 1954 suspense film "Ring of Fear," set at a Clyde Beatty circus. He rewrote much of the film, too, refusing payment. In gratitude, the producer, John Wayne, surprised him one morning with a white Jaguar sportster wrapped in a red ribbon. The card read, "Thanks, Duke."
Done initially on a dare from his publisher, Mr. Spillane wrote a children's book, "The Day the Sea Rolled Back" (1979), about two boys who find a shipwreck loaded with treasure. This won a Junior Literary Guild award.
He also wrote another children's novel, "The Ship That Never Was," and then wrote his first Mike Hammer mystery in 20 years with "The Killing Man" (1989). "Black Alley" followed in 1996. In the last, a rapidly aging Hammer comes out of a gunshot-induced coma, then tracks down a friend's murderer and billions in mob loot. For the first time, he also confesses his love for Velda but, because of doctor's orders, cannot consummate the relationship.
Late in life, he received a career achievement award from the Private Eye Writers of America and was named a grand master by the Mystery Writers of America.
In his private life, he neither smoked nor drank and was a house-to-house missionary for the Jehovah's Witnesses. He expressed at times great disdain for what he saw as corrosive forces in American life, from antiwar protesters to the United Nations.
His marriages to Mary Ann Pearce and Sherri Malinou ended in divorce. His second wife, a model, posed nude for the dust jacket of his 1972 novel "The Erection Set."
Survivors include his third wife, Jane Rodgers Johnson, a former beauty queen 30 years his junior; and four children from the first marriage.
He also carried on a long epistolary flirtation with Ayn Rand, an admirer of his writing.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 7, 2014
Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins team up to bring us 32 Noir stories from the last century. Collins makes it clear in his intro that the term 'Noir' wasn't the term he or Spillane were aiming for when they set out to put this book together. Tough guy fiction, hard-boiled crime and detective stories was the preferred line, though in the end the collection defers more to reputation than any strict adherence to genre. Most of the stories were born out of the shadowy literature churned out for a voracious post-war public hungry for dangerous thrills, tough guys and femme fatales but from the opening vignette by Chester Himes it soon becomes clear that many of the stories step out of the target genre's darkness in order to let the author's shine. The result is a collection of stories by folk who carved some sort of pulp noir niche for themselves without having to strictly draw from that niche.
Chandler and Hammett should headline a book like this with a story featuring Marlowe, Sam Spade or the Continental Op but neither could be included due to clearance problems. Some other notables get more of a crack at the whip than others with whole novellas being included like the ground breaking Race Williams detective from the 1920s. Many of the stories include the author's trump card detective to showcase their skills but there are also quite a few that take the literary side-step for something unexpected; Gil Brewer's The Gesture being a fine example of a short with a late perspective change that turns things completely on their head; or Fredric Brown's trick ending for Don't Look Behind You; or the balsy genealogist from Donald E. Westlake's Never Shake the Family Tree. Norbert Davis pitches in with an unlikely detective with Chill Blanes, backwoods superstition with Dorothy B. Hughes, chuckles at Lawrence block's animal cruelty psycho dealing it back. There is certainly a deal more fun being had here in a supposed Noir collection than really should be happening.
The editors both contribute, with a decent Nathan Heller effort from Collins, and an entirely forgettable piece of crud from Spillane. Great to see Bill Pronzini serving up another Nameless Detective story - fine work as always. Marcia Muller's Sharon McCone story make me open to reevaluating her skills after I dismissed the female detective's debut novella. These sorts of collections are great jumping off spots into the darkness, with famous names aplenty but frustration lurks behind many of the names in the form of out of print or hard to locate series.
Chandler and Hammett should headline a book like this with a story featuring Marlowe, Sam Spade or the Continental Op but neither could be included due to clearance problems. Some other notables get more of a crack at the whip than others with whole novellas being included like the ground breaking Race Williams detective from the 1920s. Many of the stories include the author's trump card detective to showcase their skills but there are also quite a few that take the literary side-step for something unexpected; Gil Brewer's The Gesture being a fine example of a short with a late perspective change that turns things completely on their head; or Fredric Brown's trick ending for Don't Look Behind You; or the balsy genealogist from Donald E. Westlake's Never Shake the Family Tree. Norbert Davis pitches in with an unlikely detective with Chill Blanes, backwoods superstition with Dorothy B. Hughes, chuckles at Lawrence block's animal cruelty psycho dealing it back. There is certainly a deal more fun being had here in a supposed Noir collection than really should be happening.
The editors both contribute, with a decent Nathan Heller effort from Collins, and an entirely forgettable piece of crud from Spillane. Great to see Bill Pronzini serving up another Nameless Detective story - fine work as always. Marcia Muller's Sharon McCone story make me open to reevaluating her skills after I dismissed the female detective's debut novella. These sorts of collections are great jumping off spots into the darkness, with famous names aplenty but frustration lurks behind many of the names in the form of out of print or hard to locate series.
February 10, 2016
Eh. There are a couple powerful stories in here ("Murder for Money" by John D. MacDonald, "The Reason Why" by Ed Gorman, "Lost and Found" by Benjamin Schutz) and a couple that are really fun and/or ingenious ("The Meanest Cop in the World" by Chester Himes, "Don't Look Behind You" by Fredric Brown, "Never Shake a Family Tree" by Donald Westlake, "How Would You Like It?" by Lawrence Block), but the anthology as a whole is really weighed down by the droning similarity of voice (and, for that matter, action).
I found The Best American Mystery Stories of the Century about 90x more unpredictable (and enjoyable).
I found The Best American Mystery Stories of the Century about 90x more unpredictable (and enjoyable).
browsing-reference
May 4, 2025Skipped many of these — but loved The John D. MacDonald story, “Murder for Money”
February 27, 2012
"Century of Noir: 32 Classic Crime Stories" edited by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins. Familiar, but ok re-read. Noir = black = dark = sad. Unhappy hearts + angry bodies = crimes. Some wise dick, fast dame, wornout cop.
Maybe my favorite is wry humor, clever deduction following the tired feet of Norbert Davis' J.P. (Just Plain) Jones who brings news of an inheritance for the alcoholic hospitalized Hendrick Boone, his birthmarked daughter Sarah, myopic abused wife, and Something for the Sweeper Mr Morganwaite. Or Donald E. Westlake's Never Shake a Family Tree, where narrator Mrs Henrietta Buckley 73 discovers Black Widow Euphemia Barber m. 1796+ and her refined gentleman descendant Gerald Fowlkes, courtly and courting. Robert J. Randisi's "The Nickel Derby" "built a case around a slip of the tongue" (the end). Lawrence Block makes sense when "How Would You Like It?" starts with a horse, but cockroaches, creepy.
Original GR description omitted "The" preceding titles; I've done such simplifying editing myself; but fresh viewpoint sees difference. "Plunge" is an active verb, subject takes action; "The Plunge" is a passive noun, the subject forced to act. So I restored them all, checked back my own Agatha Christie's Miss Marple list and ended up giving Wiki properly brief concise summaries. Christie was more exact with nouns in her titles, so "The" was superfluous. Repeating "The, Case, Adventure, of, the" for the Holmes canon of sixty is tiring, and also seems unnecessary.
If you want a soundtrack for reading this book, Ed Gorman in "The Reason Why" mentions many songs. Here's the rock and roll ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8wEOR... Peppermint Twist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud_JZc... Bill Haley's Rock around the Clock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c49klx... Dion's Runaround Sue
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhRO7K... Bobby Vinton's Roses are Red
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkKwIs... Gene Chandler was the Duke of Earl
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMhCbh... Gene Chandler is still the Duke of Earl
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GePCrb... Roy Orbison's Running Scared 1965 better than 1982
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbad22... 1966 Neil Sedaka's Breaking Up is Hard to Do
How fare remakes of Locomotion?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xufxKC... 1965 Little Eva
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSQOeQ... 1974 Grand Funk Railroad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=... 1979 Ebony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=... 1987 Kylie Minogue
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJNTo_... 1990 Kylie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEh8sb... 2000s Wii
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOe7Ar... 2009 with Model Trains
I don't like jazz, but if you do ... Gorman mentions a Dakota Staton song; narrator says "maybe the most underappreciated jazz singer of the entire fifties". I found afore-mentioned "Street of Dreams", but only other songs by Staton.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHH98m... Tribute
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am2oKR... Late Late Show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfE6oN... Rare footage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K90zO4... Street of Dreams
Maybe my favorite is wry humor, clever deduction following the tired feet of Norbert Davis' J.P. (Just Plain) Jones who brings news of an inheritance for the alcoholic hospitalized Hendrick Boone, his birthmarked daughter Sarah, myopic abused wife, and Something for the Sweeper Mr Morganwaite. Or Donald E. Westlake's Never Shake a Family Tree, where narrator Mrs Henrietta Buckley 73 discovers Black Widow Euphemia Barber m. 1796+ and her refined gentleman descendant Gerald Fowlkes, courtly and courting. Robert J. Randisi's "The Nickel Derby" "built a case around a slip of the tongue" (the end). Lawrence Block makes sense when "How Would You Like It?" starts with a horse, but cockroaches, creepy.
Original GR description omitted "The" preceding titles; I've done such simplifying editing myself; but fresh viewpoint sees difference. "Plunge" is an active verb, subject takes action; "The Plunge" is a passive noun, the subject forced to act. So I restored them all, checked back my own Agatha Christie's Miss Marple list and ended up giving Wiki properly brief concise summaries. Christie was more exact with nouns in her titles, so "The" was superfluous. Repeating "The, Case, Adventure, of, the" for the Holmes canon of sixty is tiring, and also seems unnecessary.
If you want a soundtrack for reading this book, Ed Gorman in "The Reason Why" mentions many songs. Here's the rock and roll ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8wEOR... Peppermint Twist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud_JZc... Bill Haley's Rock around the Clock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c49klx... Dion's Runaround Sue
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhRO7K... Bobby Vinton's Roses are Red
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkKwIs... Gene Chandler was the Duke of Earl
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMhCbh... Gene Chandler is still the Duke of Earl
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GePCrb... Roy Orbison's Running Scared 1965 better than 1982
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbad22... 1966 Neil Sedaka's Breaking Up is Hard to Do
How fare remakes of Locomotion?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xufxKC... 1965 Little Eva
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSQOeQ... 1974 Grand Funk Railroad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=... 1979 Ebony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=... 1987 Kylie Minogue
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJNTo_... 1990 Kylie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEh8sb... 2000s Wii
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOe7Ar... 2009 with Model Trains
I don't like jazz, but if you do ... Gorman mentions a Dakota Staton song; narrator says "maybe the most underappreciated jazz singer of the entire fifties". I found afore-mentioned "Street of Dreams", but only other songs by Staton.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHH98m... Tribute
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am2oKR... Late Late Show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfE6oN... Rare footage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K90zO4... Street of Dreams
September 15, 2024
I've had this collection since middle school—which was also the last time I read it. But I remembered enjoying it and I've certainly enjoyed other noir/mystery fiction (literary and otherwise), so I finally got around to re-reading it. And yeah, I liked it. I don't know that I have much more to say about it on a macro level, so let's get micro:
"The Meanest Cop in the World" — Chester Himes
I don't think this qualifies as a story, let alone noir. It feels like the editors really wanted to include this author but for licensing reasons had to settle for his absolute worst piece. Skip it and start with the next story, it makes for a much better first impression.
"Just Another Stiff" — Carroll John Daly
This one's actually quite good, pretty much exactly what you think of when you think of noir. A private dick with a fast mouth and faster hands, up against a city of glitz and grime filled with dirty cops, mobsters, and a femme fatale who might kiss you on the mouth or stab you in the back (or both). Equal parts goofy and dramatic, and a fun time all the way through.
"Something for the Sweeper" — Norbert Davis
I always thought noir protagonists were either cops or private eyes, but there are surprising number of stories in here where the protagonist is neither. This is the first of at least 2 stories about investigators working for an insurance company, which is oddly unromantic. It's also just an ok story, not particularly entertaining or well-written, but not terrible.
"I Feel Bad Killing You" — Leigh Brackett
A little overwrought, but compelling.
"Don't Look Behind You" — Fredric Brown
Shouldn't have used "a little overwrought, but compelling" so early, it's gonna apply to a lot of these. Maybe I'll just mark 'em ALOBC for short. This one also managed to actually creep me out a bit at the end, despite how contrived it is.
"Death Comes Gift-Wrapped" — William P. McGivern
And our 3rd major category (after "Actually Quite Good" and "A Little Overwrought, But Compelling") is "Kinda Goofy, But Not Bad", or KGBNB for short (absolutely the worst bed and breakfast you'll ever stay at, all the food's poisoned).
"Murder for Money" — John D. MacDonald
AQG. I really liked this one, feels almost Columbo-esque, particularly in how the protagonist (our 2nd insurance cop) deftly manipulates people, and in his exchanges with the delightfully witty Mrs. Marrick. And it's got a happy ending for a nice change of pace.
"Cigarette Girl" — James M. Cain
KGBNB. Probably the most contrived story in here, our protagonist is just a musician deputized as an amateur copyright cop, and it ends up not even being the the point of the story. Still, it's entertaining for what it is.
"Guilt-Edged Blonde" — Lew Archer
Somewhere between KGBNB and ALOBC. I think it's Jeannine's last line that really sells me on it.
"The Gesture" — Gil Brewer
Eh. Thinks it's being clever, it's not.
"The Plunge" — David Goodis
ALOBC. Well, maybe a lot overwrought, but the letters are the same.
"Tomorrow I Die" — Mickey Spillane
Oh ho ho, the big man himself. One of the few names in this collection that I actually recognize, a giant of the genre. And I kind of hate him. There are definitely the bones of a good story here, the plot is compelling and there are some good characters, but Spillane's writing ranges from ok to terrible, with a lot of the tension being built with vague looks and "he knew what I knew which was a thing that we both knew" nonsense that all builds to a reveal that would've worked ok even for all that if weren't written as melodramatically as possible. And he's clearly got a problem with fat people, not just because of how much he focuses on the villain being fat, but also the way he talks about it. "He swung around the way fat men do." What the fuck are you talking about, Mickey? What does that mean? He hates fat people so much he invented a new stereotype that only he understands. Anyway, after reading this I had to watch the Columbo episode where Spillane gets murdered (featuring an excellent performance from Jack Cassidy).
"Never Shake a Family Tree" — Donald E. Westlake
AQG. And a homme fatale for a change.
"Somebody Cares" — Talmage Powell
A little overwrought and not all that compelling either. The way it romanticizes the homicide detective isn't just bad, it's poorly executed.
"The Granny Woman" — Dorothy B. Hughes
Not sure how to feel about this one. It's the kind of story that sits right on the fine line between really good and really bad and I don't which side it settles on. Notable that the detective is not the protagonist.
"Wanted—Dead and Alive" — Stephen Marlowe
Middling.
"The Double Take" — Richard S. Prather
KGBNB. But just barely but not bad.
"The Real Shape of the Coast" — John Lutz
ALOBC. I feel like if you'd given this to Donald Barthelme he'd have done it better.
"Dead Men Don't Dream" — Evan Hunter
ALOANATCE.
"The Used" — Loren D. Estleman
ALOBC, edging into AQG, though it doesn't really get good until halfway through.
"Busty Blossoms" — Stuart M. Kaminsky
Too clever for its own good, but interesting that it focuses at least as much on Griffith the washed up bigot as on Griffith the brilliant auteur.
"The Kerman Kill" — William Campbell Gault
ALOBC. Notable for featuring an Armenian protagonist, and for explicitly calling out homophobia in 1988 (in a pretty macho, heteronormative genre no less).
"Deceptions" — Marcia Muller
ALOBC. I felt like a wanted a little more sleuthing, but I liked the character, and the ending was very well done.
"The Nickel Derby" — Robert J. Randisi
Pretty dumb. Notable for featuring a new protagonist type, horse cop.
"The Reason Why" — Ed Gorman
KGBNB. Comes down to whether you feel the reveal at the end is earned or too much, and I'm not sure where I land. I like the two main characters though.
"No Comment" — John Jakes & "How Would You Like It?" — Lawrence Block
ALOANATCE, but you could pair these up for a great lesson on how not write social commentary into your fiction. "How Would You Like It?" is also just kinda stupid.
"Grace Notes" — Sara Paretsky
ALOANATCE. The protagonist is just way too gullible for a PI, and ultimately I just don't care about any of it.
"One Night at Dolores Park" — Bill Pronzini
Fuck, and may I say, You. Just an absolutely godawful framing for what could've maybe been a decent story. Combine this with "No Comment" and "How Would You Like It?" for an absolutely miserable time.
"Dead Drunk" — Lia Matera
Almost KGBNB or maybe even ALOBC, but the ending is so hamfisted. Earns it more than "Dolores Park," at least.
"Kaddish for the Kid" — Max Allan Collins
ALOANATCE. Strike two for people I've heard of. I looked up the true story this is supposedly based on and it's not, and names have in fact been changed (to protect the gimmick).
"Lost and Found" — Benjamin M. Schutz
Almost ALOBC but then the ending falls flat, and it's not goofy enough to be KGBNB. So...it's fine, I guess?
Man, I guess the last third of this collection is pretty rough. Still, I enjoyed it overall, and the standouts are really good.
"The Meanest Cop in the World" — Chester Himes
I don't think this qualifies as a story, let alone noir. It feels like the editors really wanted to include this author but for licensing reasons had to settle for his absolute worst piece. Skip it and start with the next story, it makes for a much better first impression.
"Just Another Stiff" — Carroll John Daly
This one's actually quite good, pretty much exactly what you think of when you think of noir. A private dick with a fast mouth and faster hands, up against a city of glitz and grime filled with dirty cops, mobsters, and a femme fatale who might kiss you on the mouth or stab you in the back (or both). Equal parts goofy and dramatic, and a fun time all the way through.
"Something for the Sweeper" — Norbert Davis
I always thought noir protagonists were either cops or private eyes, but there are surprising number of stories in here where the protagonist is neither. This is the first of at least 2 stories about investigators working for an insurance company, which is oddly unromantic. It's also just an ok story, not particularly entertaining or well-written, but not terrible.
"I Feel Bad Killing You" — Leigh Brackett
A little overwrought, but compelling.
"Don't Look Behind You" — Fredric Brown
Shouldn't have used "a little overwrought, but compelling" so early, it's gonna apply to a lot of these. Maybe I'll just mark 'em ALOBC for short. This one also managed to actually creep me out a bit at the end, despite how contrived it is.
"Death Comes Gift-Wrapped" — William P. McGivern
And our 3rd major category (after "Actually Quite Good" and "A Little Overwrought, But Compelling") is "Kinda Goofy, But Not Bad", or KGBNB for short (absolutely the worst bed and breakfast you'll ever stay at, all the food's poisoned).
"Murder for Money" — John D. MacDonald
AQG. I really liked this one, feels almost Columbo-esque, particularly in how the protagonist (our 2nd insurance cop) deftly manipulates people, and in his exchanges with the delightfully witty Mrs. Marrick. And it's got a happy ending for a nice change of pace.
"Cigarette Girl" — James M. Cain
KGBNB. Probably the most contrived story in here, our protagonist is just a musician deputized as an amateur copyright cop, and it ends up not even being the the point of the story. Still, it's entertaining for what it is.
"Guilt-Edged Blonde" — Lew Archer
Somewhere between KGBNB and ALOBC. I think it's Jeannine's last line that really sells me on it.
"The Gesture" — Gil Brewer
Eh. Thinks it's being clever, it's not.
"The Plunge" — David Goodis
ALOBC. Well, maybe a lot overwrought, but the letters are the same.
"Tomorrow I Die" — Mickey Spillane
Oh ho ho, the big man himself. One of the few names in this collection that I actually recognize, a giant of the genre. And I kind of hate him. There are definitely the bones of a good story here, the plot is compelling and there are some good characters, but Spillane's writing ranges from ok to terrible, with a lot of the tension being built with vague looks and "he knew what I knew which was a thing that we both knew" nonsense that all builds to a reveal that would've worked ok even for all that if weren't written as melodramatically as possible. And he's clearly got a problem with fat people, not just because of how much he focuses on the villain being fat, but also the way he talks about it. "He swung around the way fat men do." What the fuck are you talking about, Mickey? What does that mean? He hates fat people so much he invented a new stereotype that only he understands. Anyway, after reading this I had to watch the Columbo episode where Spillane gets murdered (featuring an excellent performance from Jack Cassidy).
"Never Shake a Family Tree" — Donald E. Westlake
AQG. And a homme fatale for a change.
"Somebody Cares" — Talmage Powell
A little overwrought and not all that compelling either. The way it romanticizes the homicide detective isn't just bad, it's poorly executed.
"The Granny Woman" — Dorothy B. Hughes
Not sure how to feel about this one. It's the kind of story that sits right on the fine line between really good and really bad and I don't which side it settles on. Notable that the detective is not the protagonist.
"Wanted—Dead and Alive" — Stephen Marlowe
Middling.
"The Double Take" — Richard S. Prather
KGBNB. But just barely but not bad.
"The Real Shape of the Coast" — John Lutz
ALOBC. I feel like if you'd given this to Donald Barthelme he'd have done it better.
"Dead Men Don't Dream" — Evan Hunter
ALOANATCE.
"The Used" — Loren D. Estleman
ALOBC, edging into AQG, though it doesn't really get good until halfway through.
"Busty Blossoms" — Stuart M. Kaminsky
Too clever for its own good, but interesting that it focuses at least as much on Griffith the washed up bigot as on Griffith the brilliant auteur.
"The Kerman Kill" — William Campbell Gault
ALOBC. Notable for featuring an Armenian protagonist, and for explicitly calling out homophobia in 1988 (in a pretty macho, heteronormative genre no less).
"Deceptions" — Marcia Muller
ALOBC. I felt like a wanted a little more sleuthing, but I liked the character, and the ending was very well done.
"The Nickel Derby" — Robert J. Randisi
Pretty dumb. Notable for featuring a new protagonist type, horse cop.
"The Reason Why" — Ed Gorman
KGBNB. Comes down to whether you feel the reveal at the end is earned or too much, and I'm not sure where I land. I like the two main characters though.
"No Comment" — John Jakes & "How Would You Like It?" — Lawrence Block
ALOANATCE, but you could pair these up for a great lesson on how not write social commentary into your fiction. "How Would You Like It?" is also just kinda stupid.
"Grace Notes" — Sara Paretsky
ALOANATCE. The protagonist is just way too gullible for a PI, and ultimately I just don't care about any of it.
"One Night at Dolores Park" — Bill Pronzini
Fuck, and may I say, You. Just an absolutely godawful framing for what could've maybe been a decent story. Combine this with "No Comment" and "How Would You Like It?" for an absolutely miserable time.
"Dead Drunk" — Lia Matera
Almost KGBNB or maybe even ALOBC, but the ending is so hamfisted. Earns it more than "Dolores Park," at least.
"Kaddish for the Kid" — Max Allan Collins
ALOANATCE. Strike two for people I've heard of. I looked up the true story this is supposedly based on and it's not, and names have in fact been changed (to protect the gimmick).
"Lost and Found" — Benjamin M. Schutz
Almost ALOBC but then the ending falls flat, and it's not goofy enough to be KGBNB. So...it's fine, I guess?
Man, I guess the last third of this collection is pretty rough. Still, I enjoyed it overall, and the standouts are really good.
May 16, 2013
813 Introduction / Max Allan Collins -- Meanest cop in the world / Chester Himes -- Just another stiff / Carroll John Daly -- Something for the sweeper / Norbert Davis -- I feel bad killing you / Leigh Brackett -- Don't look behind you / Fredric Brown -- Death comes gift-wrapped / William P. McGivern -- Murder for money / John D. MacDonald -- Cigarette girl / James M. Cain -- Guilt-edged blonde / Ross Macdonald -- Gesture / Gil Brewer -- Plunge / David Goodis -- Tomorrow I die / Mickey Spillane -- Never shake a family tree / Donald E. Westlake -- Somebody cares / Talmage Powell -- Granny woman / Dorothy B. Hughes -- Wanted - Dead and alive / Stephen Marlowe -- Double take / Richard S. Prather -- Real shape of the coast / John Lutz -- Dead men don't dream / Evan Hunter -- Used / Loren D. Estleman -- Busted blossoms / Stuart M. Kaminsky -- Kerman kill / William Campbell Gault -- Deceptions / Marcia Muller -- Nickel Derby / Robert J. Randisi -- Reason why / Ed Gorman -- No comment / John Jakes -- How would you like it? / Lawrence Block -- Grace notes / Sara Paretsky -- One night at Dolores Park / Bill Pronzini -- Dead drunk / Lia Matera -- Kaddish for the kid / Max Allan Collins -- Lost and found / Benjamin M. Schutz.
August 14, 2022
A Century of Noir is a collection for those, that really love the, unfortunately quite forgotten, noir genre, but it suffers from quite a few flaws.
Like many short story collections, the quality of writing in A Century of Noir is quite uneven. There are some good stories and the range of styles is great, but there are also a number of uninteresting stories that while never feel insultingly bad, are forgettable and never really make you feel one way or another. Only by the end of it did I feel like skipping some of the more dull stories, which I think is an achievement to itself as many short story collections suffer from bad stories in amongst gems. Here most of the stories are just okay which brings down the few excellent stories.
What I found interesting with this specific collection is that while the style varies between the stories, there are both grim and cheerful stories, long and short, they are firmly belong to the world of noir which lives and breathes its own cliches. And don't get me wrong, I love the cliches of noir, that's why I want to read them, but this is a collection that you really should read in the span of six months or so. If you read more than a few of them in short time, the repetitive nature becomes all too apparent. Thus, this is a great collection to keep somewhere near you so you can read a story or two after other books after your palate has been throgouhly cleansed.
It's a fun collection that shows you many of the things the noir genre can do and it really makes me sad that the genre has, if not died, grown ever smaller. It is a shame that the collection is missing some of the really big hitters, such as Raymond Chandler, which can make you think if one can even call it a definitive collection. One thing that I found funny was how each introduction to the authors hailed them as THE American noir writer. I'm not sure which felt funnier, the fact that I had never heard any of them or that there really are thirty-two Greatest American Writers ever in the noir genre, but it's all too sweet to call it circlejerking.
All in all, it's a fun book to have around to those that are interested in the genre and that's it.
Like many short story collections, the quality of writing in A Century of Noir is quite uneven. There are some good stories and the range of styles is great, but there are also a number of uninteresting stories that while never feel insultingly bad, are forgettable and never really make you feel one way or another. Only by the end of it did I feel like skipping some of the more dull stories, which I think is an achievement to itself as many short story collections suffer from bad stories in amongst gems. Here most of the stories are just okay which brings down the few excellent stories.
What I found interesting with this specific collection is that while the style varies between the stories, there are both grim and cheerful stories, long and short, they are firmly belong to the world of noir which lives and breathes its own cliches. And don't get me wrong, I love the cliches of noir, that's why I want to read them, but this is a collection that you really should read in the span of six months or so. If you read more than a few of them in short time, the repetitive nature becomes all too apparent. Thus, this is a great collection to keep somewhere near you so you can read a story or two after other books after your palate has been throgouhly cleansed.
It's a fun collection that shows you many of the things the noir genre can do and it really makes me sad that the genre has, if not died, grown ever smaller. It is a shame that the collection is missing some of the really big hitters, such as Raymond Chandler, which can make you think if one can even call it a definitive collection. One thing that I found funny was how each introduction to the authors hailed them as THE American noir writer. I'm not sure which felt funnier, the fact that I had never heard any of them or that there really are thirty-two Greatest American Writers ever in the noir genre, but it's all too sweet to call it circlejerking.
All in all, it's a fun book to have around to those that are interested in the genre and that's it.
Want to Read
March 21, 2025Read so far:
The meanest cop in the world / Chester Himes
Just another still / Carroll John Daly
Something for the sweeper / Norbert Davis --3
*I feel bad killing you / Leigh Brackett
Don't look behind you / Fredric Brown --2
Death comes gift-wrapped / William P. McGivern --2
Murder for money / John D. MacDonald
Cigarette girl / James M. Cain --1
*Guilt-edged blonde / Ross MacDonald
The gesture / Gil Brewer
The plunge / David Goodis
Tomorrow I did / Mickey Spillane
Never shake a family tree / Donald E. Westlake --3
Somebody cares / Talmage Powell --2
The granny woman / Dorothy B. Hughes --2
Wanted--Dead or alive / Stephen Marlowe
The double take / Richard S. Prather
*The real shape of the coast / John Lutz
Dead men don't dream / Evan Hunter
The used / Loren D. Estleman
Busted blossoms / Stuart M. Kaminsky --2
The Kerman kill / William Campbell Gault
*Deceptions / Marcia Muller
The nickel derby / Robert J. Randisi
The reason why / Ed Gorman
No comment / John Jakes
How would you like it? / Lawrence Block
Grace notes / Sara Paretsky
*One night at Dolores Park / Bill Pronzini
Dead drunk / Lia Matera
Kaddish for the kid / Max Allan Collins
Lost and found / Benjamin M. Schutz
The meanest cop in the world / Chester Himes
Just another still / Carroll John Daly
Something for the sweeper / Norbert Davis --3
*I feel bad killing you / Leigh Brackett
Don't look behind you / Fredric Brown --2
Death comes gift-wrapped / William P. McGivern --2
Murder for money / John D. MacDonald
Cigarette girl / James M. Cain --1
*Guilt-edged blonde / Ross MacDonald
The gesture / Gil Brewer
The plunge / David Goodis
Tomorrow I did / Mickey Spillane
Never shake a family tree / Donald E. Westlake --3
Somebody cares / Talmage Powell --2
The granny woman / Dorothy B. Hughes --2
Wanted--Dead or alive / Stephen Marlowe
The double take / Richard S. Prather
*The real shape of the coast / John Lutz
Dead men don't dream / Evan Hunter
The used / Loren D. Estleman
Busted blossoms / Stuart M. Kaminsky --2
The Kerman kill / William Campbell Gault
*Deceptions / Marcia Muller
The nickel derby / Robert J. Randisi
The reason why / Ed Gorman
No comment / John Jakes
How would you like it? / Lawrence Block
Grace notes / Sara Paretsky
*One night at Dolores Park / Bill Pronzini
Dead drunk / Lia Matera
Kaddish for the kid / Max Allan Collins
Lost and found / Benjamin M. Schutz
October 8, 2020
I still have an aversion to short stories...
April 1, 2012
If you're looking for the definitive collection of pulp/noir fiction, A Century of Noir, edited by Max Allan Collins and Mickey Spillane, isn't it. Collins states in the introduction that three of the masters of this hard-boiled genre--Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Cornell Woolrich--were "out of our reach." Permission to use the stories of others, such as Horace McCoy, couldn't be cleared in time. What that leaves is a fairly entertaining grab bag of yarns from some of the other old masters, such as Chester Himes and James M. Cain; some decent efforts from more recent practitioners such as Lawrence Block and Sara Paretsky; and a handful of boneheaded clunkers (the loudest "clunk" coming from co-editor Spillane's contribution, "Tomorrow I Die") that remind us of the "lowly" origins of this type of writing.
Noir fiction started out in mens' adventure magazines and cheap paperback originals--reading matter that travelling salespeople could stuff into a valise on their way out the door. (Although the term "noir" first came into use via French film critics writing about existentially tough post-World War II black-and-white American films. They got the term from the French publisher Gallimard's Serie Noire, a still-running series of translations of American crime novels.)
Carroll John Daly, who Collins credits with having written the first ever "hard-boiled" story in 1922 ("The False Burton Combs), is represented here by "Just Another Stiff," a prime example of how loose and fun the genre can be. Fredric Brown, who is always a pleasure, is represented by "Don't Look Behind You," a playful, almost postmodern mousetrap of a story. Paretsky is a strong contemporary contender with "Grace Notes," a clever family saga that pulls you into a unique, strongly detailed portion of the world. There is even a morbid, EC comics-style tale of Corporate Evil from a writer more associated with the book racks in grocery stores, John Jakes ("No Comment"). Plus, each story is preceded by two paragraphs of biographical and critical summary of the author. What is mostly missing, though, are the stories that used this freewheeling genre to break out into the higher reaches and achieve, dare I say it, poetry.
Noir fiction started out in mens' adventure magazines and cheap paperback originals--reading matter that travelling salespeople could stuff into a valise on their way out the door. (Although the term "noir" first came into use via French film critics writing about existentially tough post-World War II black-and-white American films. They got the term from the French publisher Gallimard's Serie Noire, a still-running series of translations of American crime novels.)
Carroll John Daly, who Collins credits with having written the first ever "hard-boiled" story in 1922 ("The False Burton Combs), is represented here by "Just Another Stiff," a prime example of how loose and fun the genre can be. Fredric Brown, who is always a pleasure, is represented by "Don't Look Behind You," a playful, almost postmodern mousetrap of a story. Paretsky is a strong contemporary contender with "Grace Notes," a clever family saga that pulls you into a unique, strongly detailed portion of the world. There is even a morbid, EC comics-style tale of Corporate Evil from a writer more associated with the book racks in grocery stores, John Jakes ("No Comment"). Plus, each story is preceded by two paragraphs of biographical and critical summary of the author. What is mostly missing, though, are the stories that used this freewheeling genre to break out into the higher reaches and achieve, dare I say it, poetry.
March 20, 2013
Two of the hard crime genre's most famous writers pull together a great collection of short stories and novellas, showcasing the evolution of detective fiction over the course of the last century. Thirty-two writers get a story apiece, spinning yarns about gumshoes, mobsters, and murderers, along with lawyers, cons, and singers. Heroes, antiheroes, and outright villains run the gamut, but the common thread is that against all odds, good does triumph, somehow.
The novellas are definitely what make this book what it is. I wouldn't have minded if some of the lesser shorts had been stripped and replaced with another novella or novellette; those were the ones that earned the title 'noir' - Carroll John Daly, Leigh Brackett, John D. MacDonald, Mickey Spillane, William Campbell Gault, Max Allen Collins. But I did greatly enjoy a couple of the shorter works as well, notably Kaminsky's "Busted Blossoms" and Goodis' "The Plunge".
The only real problems I had with it were that it was missing several very important authors, especially older ones from the beginning of noir and pulp - Hammat, McCoy, and Chandler are nowhere to be found. It seems overly skewed toward more modern fiction, which tend to be less hard-boiled than the classics, and overall it doesn't quite live up to its ambitious title. Some stories I didn't care for, and some I was ambivalent about, but overall it was a varied and entertaining collection.
Almost as important as the stories is the preceding introduction to each author, with a few choice selections from each to look up, a valuable resource.
If you've any interest in crime fiction, check this out. It's a great introduction to the field, and like many variety collections, you're bound to like a good bit of whatever suits your tastes.
The novellas are definitely what make this book what it is. I wouldn't have minded if some of the lesser shorts had been stripped and replaced with another novella or novellette; those were the ones that earned the title 'noir' - Carroll John Daly, Leigh Brackett, John D. MacDonald, Mickey Spillane, William Campbell Gault, Max Allen Collins. But I did greatly enjoy a couple of the shorter works as well, notably Kaminsky's "Busted Blossoms" and Goodis' "The Plunge".
The only real problems I had with it were that it was missing several very important authors, especially older ones from the beginning of noir and pulp - Hammat, McCoy, and Chandler are nowhere to be found. It seems overly skewed toward more modern fiction, which tend to be less hard-boiled than the classics, and overall it doesn't quite live up to its ambitious title. Some stories I didn't care for, and some I was ambivalent about, but overall it was a varied and entertaining collection.
Almost as important as the stories is the preceding introduction to each author, with a few choice selections from each to look up, a valuable resource.
If you've any interest in crime fiction, check this out. It's a great introduction to the field, and like many variety collections, you're bound to like a good bit of whatever suits your tastes.
September 13, 2016
A good collection of authors in this genre. Long and short stories that draw you on.
I took my time with this so as to enjoy each author's work. At the beginning of each story is a bio of the author giving you background and some of the works they are known for. Thirty-two different writers under one cover; with works starting in the 1930s and ending in 1999. Some of these writers may be unfamiliar to the reader, but they have all been a part of the birth and development of this category of fiction.
Noir, hard-boiled, tough-guy; the detectives in this book all have attitude and grit. The towns they work in are not kind and the people they are after will do just about anything not to take the blame for the crimes they have committed. But the detectives are determined to get their guy.
I am a big fan of mysteries and have been since I was a kid. This is a great selection and worth taking the time to read and savour each story and the writer's style and voice.
Yup, a Goodread.
I took my time with this so as to enjoy each author's work. At the beginning of each story is a bio of the author giving you background and some of the works they are known for. Thirty-two different writers under one cover; with works starting in the 1930s and ending in 1999. Some of these writers may be unfamiliar to the reader, but they have all been a part of the birth and development of this category of fiction.
Noir, hard-boiled, tough-guy; the detectives in this book all have attitude and grit. The towns they work in are not kind and the people they are after will do just about anything not to take the blame for the crimes they have committed. But the detectives are determined to get their guy.
I am a big fan of mysteries and have been since I was a kid. This is a great selection and worth taking the time to read and savour each story and the writer's style and voice.
Yup, a Goodread.
June 9, 2015
Edited by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins
Great mystery short stories, in chronological order starting in 1933, the older the better. They really don't write 'em like they used to.
Good source for additional reading material.
Great mystery short stories, in chronological order starting in 1933, the older the better. They really don't write 'em like they used to.
Good source for additional reading material.
Want to Read
February 26, 2011/
September 9, 2013
Excellent. So much fun with only a few misfires.
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