About
Reviews
Search
Submit
Home

Mystery Books for Sale

[ Home ]
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]


  

CRACKING THE HARD-BOILED DETECTIVE
by Lewis D. Moore
McFarland and Co, February 2006
306 pages
$35.00
ISBN: 0786425814


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

CRACKING THE HARD-BOILED DETECTIVE: A Critical History from the 1920s to the Present is a scholarly look into the literary character of the hard-boiled detective that started in the 1920s.

The book is in three sections, the first covering the years from about 1927Ð1955 when Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler reigned supreme and the original concept of the lonely, white, tough male became the tradition.

The second section covers the transitional section that continues into the 1970s. The final section overlaps and also starts in the 1970s, which is called the modern period and that's where the book includes the detectives that are female and of differing ethnic backgrounds and sexual orientations.

Citing many examples, author Lewis D Moore follows the evolution of the detective through the decades of the 20th century when the make-up of the character undergoes a huge change. He also follows many major themes that run through all the stories, from the knight on his quest, to the detectives' views of morality, sexuality, honor, and family life or a lack thereof.

This book is done in a very scholarly way. Many references to the titles of hard-boiled detective stories and the authors were included on each page, but I would have preferred that excerpts from those works had been used to prove any point. Also, the writer obviously has his own preferred sleuths in this category and tends to keep to those, so, if you have favorites, especially in the latest, the modern period, don't expect that he will mention your detective of choice.

CRACKING THE HARD BOILED DETECTIVE does a fine overall job of delving into the reason this character has grabbed and held the interest of crime and mystery novel readers the world over. When you read this book, be prepared to learn a lot.

Reviewed by Sharon Katz, June 2006

[ Top ]


QUICK SEARCH:

 

Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
[ Home ]