This is a list for the best Noir and Hardboiled books
1

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3.94 avg rating — 172,523 ratings
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2

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3.86 avg rating — 118,353 ratings
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3

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4.19 avg rating — 48,145 ratings
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4

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4.09 avg rating — 43,993 ratings
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5

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3.76 avg rating — 50,420 ratings
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6

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4.19 avg rating — 25,039 ratings
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7

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4.05 avg rating — 29,275 ratings
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8

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3.93 avg rating — 45,095 ratings
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9

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4.06 avg rating — 29,063 ratings
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10

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4.19 avg rating — 41,182 ratings
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11

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3.94 avg rating — 30,565 ratings
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12

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3.90 avg rating — 30,364 ratings
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13

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3.89 avg rating — 39,288 ratings
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14

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3.91 avg rating — 25,561 ratings
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15

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3.62 avg rating — 105,404 ratings
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16

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4.15 avg rating — 1,101,639 ratings
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17

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3.80 avg rating — 100,985 ratings
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18

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3.90 avg rating — 15,524 ratings
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19

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4.04 avg rating — 578,130 ratings
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20

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4.09 avg rating — 6,669 ratings
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21

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3.94 avg rating — 861,890 ratings
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22

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3.96 avg rating — 33,864 ratings
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23

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 104,157 ratings
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24

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4.12 avg rating — 185,001 ratings
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25

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4.04 avg rating — 26,314 ratings
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26

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4.17 avg rating — 264,442 ratings
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27

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4.12 avg rating — 13,799 ratings
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28

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3.86 avg rating — 53,872 ratings
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29

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3.96 avg rating — 126,124 ratings
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30

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3.65 avg rating — 34,128 ratings
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31

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3.96 avg rating — 126,124 ratings
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32

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3.97 avg rating — 100,361 ratings
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33

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3.80 avg rating — 100,985 ratings
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34

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3.81 avg rating — 156,694 ratings
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35

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3.98 avg rating — 19,488 ratings
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36

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4.18 avg rating — 659,695 ratings
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37

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3.94 avg rating — 38,338 ratings
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38

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4.17 avg rating — 264,442 ratings
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39

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4.13 avg rating — 6,212 ratings
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40

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3.76 avg rating — 114,435 ratings
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41

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4.09 avg rating — 749,937 ratings
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42

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3.89 avg rating — 43,868 ratings
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43

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3.92 avg rating — 12,528 ratings
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44

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4.04 avg rating — 13,076 ratings
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45

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4.09 avg rating — 19,284 ratings
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46

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3.72 avg rating — 40,061 ratings
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47

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3.85 avg rating — 12,446 ratings
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48

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3.92 avg rating — 14,014 ratings
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49

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3.98 avg rating — 15,562 ratings
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50

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3.86 avg rating — 31,357 ratings
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51

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4.06 avg rating — 13,232 ratings
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52

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4.14 avg rating — 6,666 ratings
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53

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4.04 avg rating — 11,360 ratings
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54

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4.15 avg rating — 221,184 ratings
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55

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3.93 avg rating — 11,026 ratings
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56

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3.99 avg rating — 3,750 ratings
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57

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3.93 avg rating — 47,658 ratings
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58

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3.80 avg rating — 5,298 ratings
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59

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3.85 avg rating — 9,748 ratings
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60

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3.87 avg rating — 2,914 ratings
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61

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3.92 avg rating — 10,404 ratings
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62

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4.04 avg rating — 8,587 ratings
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63

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4.07 avg rating — 4,963 ratings
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64

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3.79 avg rating — 8,669 ratings
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65

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4.05 avg rating — 8,872 ratings
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66

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4.16 avg rating — 43,540 ratings
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67

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3.98 avg rating — 2,017 ratings
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68

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3.62 avg rating — 6,939 ratings
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69

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4.03 avg rating — 1,236 ratings
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70

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4.17 avg rating — 33,862 ratings
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71

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3.89 avg rating — 7,953 ratings
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72

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4.12 avg rating — 9,821 ratings
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73

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4.21 avg rating — 11,983 ratings
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74

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4.15 avg rating — 3,532,180 ratings
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75

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4.07 avg rating — 4,403 ratings
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76

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4.37 avg rating — 51,297 ratings
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77

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3.82 avg rating — 7,201 ratings
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78

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3.89 avg rating — 4,873 ratings
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79

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4.09 avg rating — 5,442 ratings
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80

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4.03 avg rating — 117,519 ratings
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81

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3.95 avg rating — 1,535 ratings
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82

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4.07 avg rating — 1,083 ratings
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83

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3.89 avg rating — 43,868 ratings
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84

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3.84 avg rating — 1,464 ratings
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85

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3.93 avg rating — 5,808 ratings
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86

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3.98 avg rating — 6,879 ratings
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87

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3.68 avg rating — 3,222 ratings
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88

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4.24 avg rating — 26,652 ratings
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89

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4.17 avg rating — 11,172 ratings
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90

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3.93 avg rating — 7,700 ratings
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91

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3.81 avg rating — 7,556 ratings
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92

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3.69 avg rating — 484 ratings
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93

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,268,304 ratings
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94

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4.15 avg rating — 7,480 ratings
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95

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2,318 ratings
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96

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4.12 avg rating — 1,032 ratings
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97

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3.80 avg rating — 2,624 ratings
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98

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3.94 avg rating — 3,964 ratings
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99

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3.90 avg rating — 5,359 ratings
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100

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3.84 avg rating — 2,804 ratings
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779 books · 1,021 voters · list created January 21st, 2009 by Mohammed Abdikhader Firdhiye (votes) .
538 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Mohammed 2052 books
281 friends
Bevin 2358 books
57 friends
Tom 3752 books
19 friends
Osvaldo 411 books
33 friends
Nick 659 books
163 friends
John 876 books
52 friends
jfjr 71 books
23 friends
N 646 books
76 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-42 of 42 (42 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by Mohammed (new)

Mohammed  Abdikhader  Firdhiye Hi Bevin

if you have read more Noir, it would be interesting to see other favs that make the list.


message 2: by Tom (new)

Tom How do we add to this list? The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler, also his The Lady in the Lake, The Little Sister, for that matter, everything by Chandler and Hammett, and then there is the author who created what is now known as noir: Cornell Woolrich.


message 3: by Osvaldo (last edited Apr 18, 2009 07:35AM) (new)

Osvaldo Ortega I wonder if John D. McDonald's Travis McGee could be included in this list? If so, I'll throw some on there. Also I wonder if Burke's Robicheaux could fall into this genre. Though what is the difference between noir, and 1st person detective fiction. That opens up Spencer as well.

Perhaps not Noir but definitely hard-boiled!


message 4: by Julie (new)

Julie add PoisonvillePoisonville


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads You add books at the top of the list, at the tab labeled "add books to this list." It's next to "all votes."


message 6: by Mr (new)

Mr The difference between noir and 1st person detective fiction ?

Noir's about small, sometimes meaningless, battles in back-alleys and smokey rooms. Its about conflict between small people. You don't save the world. You are lucky if you save yourself.

So yeah, a lot of these titles wouldn't qualify - best crime/detective fiction would be more accurate.

Jim Thompson would be one of the exclusively noir writers on this list I'd reckon.


message 7: by Timothy (new)

Timothy Am I the only one who thinks that The Long Goodbye is WAY better than The Big Sleep?


message 8: by Mohammed (new)

Mohammed  Abdikhader  Firdhiye Alberto wrote: "Timothy wrote: "Am I the only one who thinks that The Long Goodbye is WAY better than The Big Sleep?"

No, you aren't. I agree with you."


I havent read the LOng Goodbye but i thought Farewell,My Lady was stronger,less convulted than Big Sleep.


message 9: by Mohammed (last edited Sep 10, 2012 08:16AM) (new)

Mohammed  Abdikhader  Firdhiye Alberto wrote: "The Long Goodbye is simply perfect. Strong plot and chandlerish prose at its best."

I will get back to Chandler soon, Ross Macdonald is my second fav PI author from the old school so i have been focusing on Lew Archer. But i do miss Marlowe.


message 10: by Robert (new)

Robert Great list of reads!


message 11: by Still (last edited Feb 17, 2013 08:41PM) (new)

Still Mohammed wrote: "Alberto wrote: "Timothy wrote: "Am I the only one who thinks that The Long Goodbye is WAY better than The Big Sleep?"

No, you aren't. I agree with you."

I havent read the LOng Goodbye but i thoug..."


Mohammed wrote: "Alberto wrote: "Timothy wrote: "Am I the only one who thinks that The Long Goodbye is WAY better than The Big Sleep?"

No, you aren't. I agree with you."

I havent read the LOng Goodbye but i thoug..."


Mohammed wrote: "Alberto wrote: "Timothy wrote: "Am I the only one who thinks that The Long Goodbye is WAY better than The Big Sleep?"

No, you aren't. I agree with you."

I havent read the LOng Goodbye but i thoug..."


Mohammed wrote: "Alberto wrote: "Timothy wrote: "Am I the only one who thinks that The Long Goodbye is WAY better than The Big Sleep?"

No, you aren't. I agree with you."

"I havent read the LOng Goodbye but i thought Farewell,My Lady was stronger,less convulted than Big Sleep. "


I've read all of the Chandler novels and all of the various short stories and novellas.
For some reason Farewell My Lovely remains my all time favorite Raymond Chandler item.


message 12: by Dan (new)

Dan Sallberg andrew vachss
george pellacanos
henning mankell
lawrence block's scudder series


message 13: by Jools (new)

Jools I am reading my first Chandler book at the moment - Farewell My Lovely and really enjoying it. Hope it doesn't disappoint as crime noir is not really my forte but needed something fun to get my had around.


message 14: by Matt (new)

Matt Mr wrote: "The difference between noir and 1st person detective fiction ?

Noir's about small, sometimes meaningless, battles in back-alleys and smokey rooms. Its about conflict between small people. You don..."


Agreed. While I am a big fan of many of these, I would argue some of them don't make the "Noir" definition, despite the underlying flavor...

I will get back to Chandler soon, Ross Macdonald is my second fav PI author from the old school..."


message 15: by Tom (new)

Tom Timothy wrote: "Am I the only one who thinks that The Long Goodbye is WAY better than The Big Sleep?"

No. I think The Long Goodbye is one of the best American novels - not just detective/mystery but best American - ever written.


message 16: by Bettie (last edited Apr 15, 2014 03:31PM) (new)

Bettie How nice to see Norton's The Borrowers at #204

and The Little Prince @ #325


message 18: by Bettie (new)

Bettie Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "!?!?"

Fun to see what others consider as 'noir'
;OD


message 19: by Mohammed (new)

Mohammed  Abdikhader  Firdhiye Talk about this list of mine is a beast that grew and grew. 447 books added!


message 20: by Paul (new)

Paul Bowes Checked for duplicates: 14 books removed.


message 21: by Paul (new)

Paul Bowes Removed five miscategorized books.


message 22: by Paul (new)

Paul Bowes Checked for duplicates: 1 book removed.


message 23: by Mohammed (last edited Jan 27, 2015 12:07PM) (new)

Mohammed  Abdikhader  Firdhiye I feel like the popular vote is betraying Red Harvest:p

Sure its not as popular as Bogart /Spade book Maltese Falcon but the third popular Hammett after Thin Man come on people forget the movies hehe


message 24: by Saumitra (new)

Saumitra Baishya excellent reading


message 25: by Mizuki (new)

Mizuki How about noir written by Asian authors, can they be listed here?


message 26: by Mohammed (new)

Mohammed  Abdikhader  Firdhiye Mizuki wrote: "How about noir written by Asian authors, can they be listed here?"

Why not this list is for noir from the whole world.

I need more recs for noir from Asia anyway. I love reading several japanese authors for example and i need to try their hardcore crime authors.


message 27: by Mizuki (last edited Sep 16, 2015 05:18AM) (new)

Mizuki Mohammed wrote: "Mizuki wrote: "How about noir written by Asian authors, can they be listed here?"

Why not this list is for noir from the whole world.

I need more recs for noir from Asia anyway. I love readin..."


Thanks, I will bring them on. In fact I'd already added a few into the list.


message 28: by Mark (new)

Mark Timothy wrote: "Am I the only one who thinks that The Long Goodbye is WAY better than The Big Sleep?"

Definitely better


message 29: by Mohammed (new)

Mohammed  Abdikhader  Firdhiye Mark wrote: "Timothy wrote: "Am I the only one who thinks that The Long Goodbye is WAY better than The Big Sleep?"

Definitely better"


I agree too and i was surprised how clear it was that the Long Goodbye was better.


message 30: by Manray9 (new)

Manray9 I suppose many readers don't understand the definition of noir with respect to fiction or cinema?


message 31: by [deleted user] (last edited Aug 21, 2018 11:59AM) (new)

I feel like Crime and Punishment shouldn't be on this list. It's not a noir book or hard boiled crime.


message 32: by Greg (new)

Greg Mohammed wrote: "Mark wrote: "Timothy wrote: "Am I the only one who thinks that The Long Goodbye is WAY better than The Big Sleep?"

Definitely better"

I agree too and i was surprised how clear it was that the Lon..."


Absolutely! I found "Big Sleep" to be just okay and actually gave it 2.6 in my rating system. And I like Chandler's later book, "Playback" and his screenplay for "Double Indemnity" to be his best 2 of all.


message 33: by Greg (new)

Greg Good grief. Another goodreads list that eventually turns into every book ever published in the history of humanity, rendering it pointless.


message 34: by Greg (new)

Greg Morgan wrote: "I feel like Crime and Punishment shouldn't be on this list. It's not a noir book or hard boiled crime."

Morgan, agreed. And Gillian Flynn does not author noir books.


message 35: by Greg (new)

Greg Manray9 wrote: "I suppose many readers don't understand the definition of noir with respect to fiction or cinema?"

Manray9, you're right. But it's just like every other list on goodreads: eventually it turns into every book ever published and Hunger Games or To Kill a Mockingbird as #1. Love your name!


message 36: by Greg (new)

Greg Mistry's "A Fine Balance" is noir? Might just be better off, like I said above, to list every book ever published. Mohammed, GREAT effort, thanks!


message 37: by Greg (new)

Greg Mohammed wrote: "I feel like the popular vote is betraying Red Harvest:p

Sure its not as popular as Bogart /Spade book Maltese Falcon but the third popular Hammett after Thin Man come on people forget the movies ..."


Red Harvest sensational and Hammett's best. Here, I think, people think more about the very good film.


message 38: by Melisende (new)

Melisende I would also add:

- The Price You Pay by Aidan Truhen
- The Driver by Hart Hanson
- A Man with one of those faces by Caimh McDonnell


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads You could add them to the list. It's easy to add books to lists; at the top of the list, at the tab next to 'all votes.'


message 40: by Greg (new)

Greg Timothy wrote: "Am I the only one who thinks that The Long Goodbye is WAY better than The Big Sleep?"

Timothy, at first read, "Big Sleep" mystified me. And yes, I thought "Long Goodbye" better. Then, I read "The Annotated Big Sleep" and "Big Sleep" a second time. After reading all of Chandler's novels except "Poodle Springs" (not completed by author), my favorite is "Little Sister", and "Big Sleep" second. And "Annotated Big Sleep" serves as an "Annotated American Mid-Century Noir Study", really.


message 41: by Greg (new)

Greg Tom wrote: "Timothy wrote: "Am I the only one who thinks that The Long Goodbye is WAY better than The Big Sleep?"

No. I think The Long Goodbye is one of the best American novels - not just detective/mystery b..."


Tom, I do think that THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL can probably be found within the P.I/Noir genre. And I'd say it might be Hammett's "Red Harvest". Or maybe the very overlooked "Black Wings Hath My Angel" by Elliot Chaz. Then again, Thompson's "The Nothing Man" is sensational.


message 42: by Greg (new)

Greg Mohammed wrote: "Mizuki wrote: "How about noir written by Asian authors, can they be listed here?"

Why not this list is for noir from the whole world.

I need more recs for noir from Asia anyway. I love reading s..."


AGREED!


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