5 Must-Read Macho Crime Classics
20th century noir classics for the 21st century man,
If you’re a discerning reader with a Y chromosome, the pickings are slim among the pastel-colored new releases. Here are five guaranteed great crime reads from way back in the last century when our phones were tethered to the kitchen wall and weren’t pocket TVs.
Pop. 1280 by Jim Thompson. Imagine if Forrest Gump were the sheriff of a tiny town… but he was also a sadistic psychopath. Thompson, the “Dimestore Dostoevsky,” revisists the sociopath sheriff archetype he famously used in his masterpiece The Killer Inside Me. This time, the reader follows the first-person narrative of Sheriff Nick Corey, who wears the mask of an imbecile to hide his internal rage and constant scheming. This slim book packs a punch with its nihilistic nightmare plot balanced by the dark humor of Sheriff Corey’s manipulation of townsfolk.
The Vengeful Virgin by Gil Brewer. There’s hopeless romantic, then there’s Jack Ruxton, a dejected TV repairman who falls for a barely legal redhead on the first page of this sultry, fast-paced paperback. It’s a story as old as time. Boy meets girl. Boy falls for girl. Boy and girl plan to murder girl’s wealthy stepfather and run off with a shitload of cash. What could possibly go wrong? For my money, no one executed the femme fatale plot better than Brewer. It’s the set-up for essentially all his novels, but he’s at the top of his game in this installment, which is probably why it earned a place in Hard Case Crime’s vaunted catalog.
Shoot the Piano Player by David Goodis. Eddie was once an accomplished concert pianist but now, like every Goodis protagonist, he’s fallen low and hard. When we meet Eddie, his gig is tickling the ivories at a dive Philadelphia bar. One eruption of violence at the pub changes everything. This novel has murder, chases, gangsters, and the powerful theme of loyalty versus survival. It was originally published under the awful title Down There but received the upgraded moniker once it was adapted to a now classic French noir film directed by Francois Truffaut.
On the Make by John D. MacDonald. Korean war veterans engage in a dangerous treasure hunt for $60,000 in embezzled funds (fun fact: that’s about $715,000 in today’s dollars). Small town intrigue, secretive women, and dangerous adversaries make this tale a propulsive one-day read for any lover of mid-century noir. For fans of MacDonald’s Travis McGee series, On the Make provides a proto-McGee protagonist, showing MacDonald prepare for a lucrative chapter in his career.
Dirty White Boys by Stephen Hunter. File this one under They Would Never Publish This Today. The crazy thing is, however, this is the most recent (1995) entry on the list. Hunter is commonly known as a sort of gun porn author, but Dirty White Boys is a throwback to the down and dirty days of men’s action and violence fiction. Lamar Pye is a career criminal who breaks out of prison alongside Odell, his mental midget cousin, and Richard, a milquetoast nutjob. They’re hunted by Trooper Bud Pewtie, a lawman with secrets. At nearly 500 pages, the book reads at a much faster pace, and surprisingly there isn’t much bloat to the story. Instead, we’re treated to Hunter masterfully putting on a clinic in how to deliver a medley of multiple strong, unique voices in one book.
If you have any suggestions for additions to this list, drop a comment. If you want to take part in reviving fiction of this kind, we can help.
These are some nice choices. Pop. 1280 is so damn good. It's one of my favorites. I picture Barney Fife with a dark side. And yes, Dirty White Boys is very gritty and weaves quite a bloody tale. I like the character arc of Richard Peed in this one and what a name. I'm going to check the other ones out. I know Geddis is always solid. Thanks for the recommendations.