LOS ANGELES NOIR

The following was written by one of our customers, Clara Weygandt. Clara is a Santa Cruz Naturalist and freelance writer. She is also an avid mystery lover.

There is something about certain times and places that have had a particular influence on fiction. One of those times and places was Los Angles during the 1930's, 40's and early 50's. Three authors in particular have produced exceptionally tough, dark and well-written mysteries, enough of them to keep anyone happy and reading for quite awhile.

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Raymond Chandler Titles The Big Sleep The High Window Farewell, My Lovely The Lady in the Lake The Little Sister The Long Good-bye Trouble Is My Business The Simple Art of Murder Pickup On Noon Street Killer In The Rain

Raymond Chandler is credited as being one of the writers who defined the tough detective genre, and he has had a tremendous influence. Chandler was writing during the 1930's, 40's and 50's. His use of metaphor and simile throughout his work sets scenes with vividly graphic and visual descriptions. His main character is Philip Marlowe, a private dick (yes, that's how he describes himself) who stumbles into different dirty situations filled with corrupt wealth, power, gangsters, dope fiends, musicians, police, cool, beautiful woman, and lots of hard booze. Written in a tight style that is completely captivating, and unexpectedly poetic, with plots that are often un-resolved in some way, Chandler spins a great story, and takes you into a fascinating and now nostalgic world.

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James Ellroy Titles The L.A. Quartet: The Black Dahlia The Big Nowhere L. A. Confidential White Jazz Other Titles: Crime Wave My Dark Places American Tabloid Hollywood Nocturnes Killer on the Road Suicide Hill Because the Night Blood on the Moon Clandestine Brown's Requiem

 

James Ellroy writes about this world too, but he's a contemporary writer looking back into post WW II Los Angeles. While Ellory's books are clearly fiction, they have enough historical basis to ground the reader firmly both in place and time. Ellroy writes in a clipped, succinct style that moves the story swiftly and clearly. But make no mistake, the plots and characters are incredibly complex. With a tight focus on history, procedure, and detail, using language and concepts indicative to that time, Ellroy takes us into the LAPD, giving us characters whose actions are frequently suspect. But their psychological motivations are extremely believable and consistent. Put them in the decadent and corrupt world of Southern California at the beginning of the cold war, spice it up with truly perverse and grizzly murders, add a bit of illicit sex, and some serious power brokering, and you get a series that you can read over and over.

 

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Walter Mosley Titles The Easy Rawlins Mysteries: The Devil in a Blue Dress A Red Death White Butterfly Black Betty A Little Yellow Dog Gone Fishin' Other Titles: RL's Dream Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned Walkin' the Dog

Walter Mosley writes from the point of view of Ezekiel Rawlins, an unemployed factory worker turned unwilling detective. Mosley unerringly takes us into the neighborhoods of South Central LA, when the good paying jobs drew many black Americans to Los Angeles after WW II. Mosley's Ezekiel is one tough guy: opportunistic, something of a rogue, but also thoughtful and ethical. Through his eyes we see the effect of politics and corrupt power on the community and individuals. Filled with dead-on descriptions and characters, we get murder, sex, gangsters, and corruption with a wonderfully perceptive slant. Easy regularly lets the reader in on his self-reflection. This quality gives the books a stark, poignant seriousness that makes them more than great-read mystery novels. Starting with Devil in a Blue Dress, and continuing for five more books, Mosley remains true to the noire tradition while still retaining his own superb individual style.