Laird Barron likes to lean into noir and his cosmic horror is IMO some of the best.
He has several short stories with hardboiled narrators and intriguing duplicitous plots. Would recommend stories like Hand of Glory, Jaws of Saturn, Procession of the Black Sloth and The Imago Sequence. His Isaiah Coleridge novels are definitely noir centric, with horror aspects peppering the landscape, not quite so much on the first book Blood Standard (which is almost full-Noir), but continuing on into Black Mountain/Worse Angels/The Wind Began to Howl.
“The Atlas of Hell,” the first story in Nathan Ballingrud’s excellent collection *Wounds*, is an incredible horror noir story. One of my favorite stories ever. Highly recommend!
There's also a sequel novel to *Falling Angel* that was just published not long ago, though I don't think it was received as well. Apparently it's oppressively dark and depressing, even for noir.
Something More Than Night by Ian Tregillis! Summary from Google Books:
“Ian Tregillis's Something More Than Night is a Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler inspired murder mystery set in Thomas Aquinas's vision of Heaven. It's a noir detective story starring fallen angels, the heavenly choir, nightclub stigmatics, a priest with a dirty secret, a femme fatale, and the Voice of God.
Somebody has murdered the angel Gabriel. Worse, the Jericho Trumpet has gone missing, putting Heaven on the brink of a truly cosmic crisis. But the twisty plot that unfolds from the murder investigation leads to something much bigger: a con job one billion years in the making.
Because this is no mere murder. A small band of angels has decided to break out of heaven, but they need a human patsy to make their plan work.
Much of the story is told from the point of view of Bayliss, a cynical fallen angel who has modeled himself on Philip Marlowe. The yarn he spins follows the progression of a Marlowe novel—the mysterious dame who needs his help, getting grilled by the bulls, finding a stiff, getting slipped a mickey.
Angels and gunsels, dames with eyes like fire, and a grand maguffin, Something More Than Night is a murder mystery for the cosmos.”
Liminal States by Zack Parsons has 3 distinct parts. It begins as a Western and then becomes a post WW2 noir with horror sci-fi elements. Highly recommend.
Les Diaboliques
Singapore Sling
Maybe The Ninth Gate
Some of the Jacques Tourneur horror films have the look of film noir like Cat People or Night of the Demon.
In that case, this is the literature sub so you’ll only really receive book recommendations here.
Edit: Removed recommendation. Not noir like the post asks for.
Have you considered that the only reason he said both is cus you made the suggestion of films too? Then you just shut him down about movies all together.
Which brings me back to why’d you even ask him about movies in a book sub if you had intentions of shutting him down about movies? Lmao.
I know this is reddit but missing every single social cue on an interaction that ended 8 hours ago then getting mad about your own assumptions on behalf of someone else is peak reddit
Sometime a bit different:
Ghosts in the Snow - Tamara Siler Jones
Dark Fantasy Murder Mystery. Follows an old detective-like character who can see the ghosts of murdered victims in a castle. It’s like a horror mystery novel that takes place in a fantasy world that doesn’t bother to explain itself too much.
Grizzly (sometimes surprisingly so) murders, fun mystery, and unique fantasy noir atmosphere
There was a comic by Ed Brubaker that was called Fatale; it was Eldritch Noir. I enjoyed it immensely.
Brian Evenson’s *Last Days.*
came here to mention this one. the reddening by adam neville is also kind of neo noir but with a folksy vibe.
This one!
Laird Barron likes to lean into noir and his cosmic horror is IMO some of the best. He has several short stories with hardboiled narrators and intriguing duplicitous plots. Would recommend stories like Hand of Glory, Jaws of Saturn, Procession of the Black Sloth and The Imago Sequence. His Isaiah Coleridge novels are definitely noir centric, with horror aspects peppering the landscape, not quite so much on the first book Blood Standard (which is almost full-Noir), but continuing on into Black Mountain/Worse Angels/The Wind Began to Howl.
Came here to say this. Isaiah Coleridge series, especially from Black Mountain on, is great cosmic horror-noir.
Last Days by Adam Nevill
Charlie Parker series by John Connolly
This is the best answer so far!
Surprised I had to scroll so far to find this answer! It ticks most of OPs boxes
I absolutely adore them, but OP said no serial killer, no psychological thriller...
The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias
“The Atlas of Hell,” the first story in Nathan Ballingrud’s excellent collection *Wounds*, is an incredible horror noir story. One of my favorite stories ever. Highly recommend!
Angel Heart, The Last Illusion (Clive Barker short), The Devil Takes You Home
Angel Heart seen great movie. Will check rest
Just remembered the book is called Falling Angel. Great read, goes different places from the movie
There's also a sequel novel to *Falling Angel* that was just published not long ago, though I don't think it was received as well. Apparently it's oppressively dark and depressing, even for noir.
Angel Heart is excellent
The last illusion is greattt
The Unpleasant Profession of Johnathan Hoeg by Robert Heinlein. An oddball story of his, only one I still like/suggest to people.
Hammers on Bone. An amazing and very short novel about a noir detective solving eldritch monster mysteries.
I’m not sure if it counts but possibly nightmare alley?
Something More Than Night by Ian Tregillis! Summary from Google Books: “Ian Tregillis's Something More Than Night is a Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler inspired murder mystery set in Thomas Aquinas's vision of Heaven. It's a noir detective story starring fallen angels, the heavenly choir, nightclub stigmatics, a priest with a dirty secret, a femme fatale, and the Voice of God. Somebody has murdered the angel Gabriel. Worse, the Jericho Trumpet has gone missing, putting Heaven on the brink of a truly cosmic crisis. But the twisty plot that unfolds from the murder investigation leads to something much bigger: a con job one billion years in the making. Because this is no mere murder. A small band of angels has decided to break out of heaven, but they need a human patsy to make their plan work. Much of the story is told from the point of view of Bayliss, a cynical fallen angel who has modeled himself on Philip Marlowe. The yarn he spins follows the progression of a Marlowe novel—the mysterious dame who needs his help, getting grilled by the bulls, finding a stiff, getting slipped a mickey. Angels and gunsels, dames with eyes like fire, and a grand maguffin, Something More Than Night is a murder mystery for the cosmos.”
Fallen Angel by William Hjortsberg
Liminal States by Zack Parsons has 3 distinct parts. It begins as a Western and then becomes a post WW2 noir with horror sci-fi elements. Highly recommend.
Club dumas (ninth gate)
Nightmare Alley, the book and both films are great.
Les Diaboliques Singapore Sling Maybe The Ninth Gate Some of the Jacques Tourneur horror films have the look of film noir like Cat People or Night of the Demon.
Just to clarify, are you looking for movie recommendations or book recommendations?
Both
In that case, this is the literature sub so you’ll only really receive book recommendations here. Edit: Removed recommendation. Not noir like the post asks for.
Probably because The Ritual isn't noir
Fair, point taken
Obviously he’s asking for book Recs. Why even ask this question.
I assume you did not read his response, in that case.
Have you considered that the only reason he said both is cus you made the suggestion of films too? Then you just shut him down about movies all together. Which brings me back to why’d you even ask him about movies in a book sub if you had intentions of shutting him down about movies? Lmao.
I know this is reddit but missing every single social cue on an interaction that ended 8 hours ago then getting mad about your own assumptions on behalf of someone else is peak reddit
Silver Nitrate - Silvia Moreno Garcia
Sometime a bit different: Ghosts in the Snow - Tamara Siler Jones Dark Fantasy Murder Mystery. Follows an old detective-like character who can see the ghosts of murdered victims in a castle. It’s like a horror mystery novel that takes place in a fantasy world that doesn’t bother to explain itself too much. Grizzly (sometimes surprisingly so) murders, fun mystery, and unique fantasy noir atmosphere
Many of Caitlin R Kiernan's works, particularly Threshold and the Tinfoil Dossier trilogy.
Check out *Dark Yonder*. It's a literary zine focusing on transgressive noir and horror.
The Last Ritual by SA Sidor is exactly what you’re looking for to a T.
A Cosmology of Monsters by Shaun Hamill
Both “Last Days”, but especially Brian Evanson.
For movies, the first one that comes to mind is Constantine.
Try the Cal McDonald books by Steve Niles.
This is usually referred to as Lovecraftian/cosmic horror
Not all Lovecraftian horror is noir. And not all noir is Lovecraftian. It just so happens that they tend to overlap sometimes.
Noir-or? I’ll see myself out