Sleazy Detective Novels

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by smithno

Also look at the Philo Vance novels by S. S. Van Dine. They are available on Feedbooks...

those are excellent as well. but i wouldn't really call them noir or sleazy ; they're a lot more "refined" (for lack of a better word) and generally centered in a more upper-class world with frequently upper-class victims and villains. they are great though.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by smithno

Also look at the Philo Vance novels by S. S. Van Dine. They are available on Feedbooks...

They are also available here on MobileRead, in Mobi, Sony LRF, and IMP formats.
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sea...earchid=990042

However, they are neither noir nor sleazy.
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Dennis

[Greg Anos]

The Kennel Club Murders is an entertaining short movie based on a Philo Vance book, with William Holden, if you can find a decent transfer (it's PD, from 1932). The best I've found, which still isn't too good is from Kino....

[HarryT]

In what possible way is Agatha Christie "Sleazy"? I'm quite shocked that anyone could consider them to be so - they represent the epitome of "genteel English society", generally speaking.

The majority (about 55 out of her 80-odd) novels are published by HarperCollins and are available as very reasonably-priced eBooks from eBook stores such as FictionWise.

[MickeyC]

Originally Posted by HarryT

In what possible way is Agatha Christie "Sleazy"? I'm quite shocked that anyone could consider them to be so - they represent the epitome of "genteel English society", generally speaking.

The majority (about 55 out of her 80-odd) novels are published by HarperCollins and are available as very reasonably-priced eBooks from eBook stores such as FictionWise.

Sorry, that's my ha-ha expression for most noir-ish mysteries. Truth is they are anything else but sleazy.

[lmarie]

I've been enjoying reading the Edgar Wallace mystery novels, available here for free on mobileread. (Thanks to Harry, I think.) They might not fit your idea of noir or sleazy though.

Maybe you meant "cheesy", not "sleazy"? Some of them fit that bill.

[Moe The Cat]

What about Richard Stark's (a.k.a. Donald Westlake) Parker series? Although he's not a detective, being rather a criminal, he's definitely "sleazy".

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by cassidym

Sorry, that's my ha-ha expression for most noir-ish mysteries. Truth is they are anything else but sleazy.

Agreed. But in what manner do Christie's mysteries count as "noir"?

She's about as far from noir as one can get.
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Dennis

[desertgrandma]

However, the original Charlie Chan novels, by Earl Der Biggers were well written. Don't confuse them with the campy "Charlie Chan" movies...I downloaded the Charlle Chan Omnibus from here. Good reads.......

[radius]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

Munseys is a good source of noir stuff aside from Hammett -- look in the Pulp Fiction category. Lots of Ed Lacy and others.

This is a good recommendation. There are many dime novels available at Munseys and Ed Lacy is fairly representative (although I prefer Charles Willeford and Milton Ozaki).

In fact, I think that Mobileread hosts many Ed Lacy novels in lrf format for Sony Readers converted by Dr. Drib

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by radius

This is a good recommendation. There are many dime novels available at Munseys and Ed Lacy is fairly representative (although I prefer Charles Willeford and Milton Ozaki).

In fact, I think that Mobileread hosts many Ed Lacy novels in lrf format for Sony Readers converted by Dr. Drib

Yes. The pulp category is one Munsey's proprietor has a special interest in, and the site carries material in that category you won't see elsewhere.

Munsey's and Manybooks both draw primarily from Project Gutenberg, but Munseys does pulp stuff, and Manybooks looks for Creative Commons works it can offer (and invites CC authors to contribute to Manybooks as a way of getting broader exposure.)

I visit both sites daily.
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Dennis

[basschick]

i love the garrett books (they're all in paperback in my bookshelves), and it's worth mentioning that these are fantasy/detective. i especially love the first few.

if you don't mind hardboiled but more modern detectives, you might wanna try some spenser novels by robert b. parker - some are in ebook format, btw, and mr. parker also wrote the last phillip marlowe novel, although i wasn't in love with it. and maybe the elvis cole novels by robert crais, although the're a little spenser-esque.

also don't forget dorothy l. sayers peter wimsey novels (one is on gutenberg, although not one of my favorites) and for those who love agatha, have you tried ngaio marsh who - alas - is only available on paper.

Originally Posted by kacir

Have a look at the "Garrett P.I." series by Glen Cook

Garret is a private hard boiled detective ala Phill Marlowe.

Please see the description on Wikipedia from the link above.
quote:
"... The novels are written in a film noir-esque style ..."

[SensualPoet]

Originally Posted by Stanart

For 'sleazy' detective novels you might want to check out the book uploads on this site for the Norbert Davis novels posted by Dr. Drib and myself.

Nah, not sleazy -- just great fun.

What's really remarkable about Norbert Davis's "Oh, Murderer Mine" is how brilliantly, and giddily, it riffs off the essence of the pulp detective fiction of its era.

This is the jazz of American literature: the seamy underbelly of human behaviour exposed through murder and mayhem but not taking anything too seriously.

Davis published this in 1946 -- there are direct references to the then recent demise of Hitler -- yet, 70 years on, the prose is fully alive. That's not too shabby for "pop pulp culture".

"They've got him stuck away ow in a nuthouse somewhere in a room wallpapered with mattresses. The doctors say he'll never get better."

or

"He sold medicines at carnivals and fairs -- Kickapoo Joy Juice and Colonel Ouster's Calibrated Cure-All -- and stuff like that. Heloise was his come-on. She used to dress in spangled diapers and a necklace and juggle knives to attract a crowd so Big Tub could work them over. He was good at it, from all accounts."

What's not to love, with dialog like that?

[Billjr13]

Charlie Huston has some fun pulp noir books out in ebook format. Caught Stealing trilogy is fun and his Dirk Pitt novels have a vampire detective.

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by Billjr13

Charlie Huston has some fun pulp noir books out in ebook format. Caught Stealing trilogy is fun and his Dirk Pitt novels have a vampire detective.

Joe Pitt I think, Dirk Pitt is Clive Cussler.