The Hardboiled detective fiction genre has remained popular with readers almost a century later. Nothing beats a good detective story which is why we will be looking at the 7 best hardboiled detective novels. Keep reading to find out which books made the list!
What Are Hardboiled Detective Novels?
If you know nothing about hardboiled detective novels, then you are in for a treat. It is a subgenre that is known for its violence and blood and a detective who will make everything right. That usually means shooting his way through the novel as he solves the mystery at hand.
Yes, it is violent and not for the faint of heart. Many of these novels were published in magazines and later released as books. Some authors combined their shorter stories while others rewrote their stories so they could publish them. So, if you read any of these novels in a magazine, you’d see how different the novels ended up being.
The heyday for these novels has come and gone but that hasn’t diminished their popularity with readers. There are amazing books in this subgenre that everyone should read. And we selected the 7 best novels that define the genre perfectly. You can see the full list below!
The 7 Best Hardboiled Detective Novels
- The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
- The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
- Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler
- Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
- The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy
- The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett
- They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? by Horace McCoy
Fans Love Hardboiled Detective Novels a Century Later
Authors that helped this genre thrive such as Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett make multiple appearances. They have come to define the genre almost a century later but there are other authors that helped make the genre as popular as it was.
The violence and blood have given the subgenre a grim and dark reputation but it doesn’t take away the brilliance of these novels. It is no wonder many of them made great adaptations and still resonate with readers today!
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook
Discover more from Books of Brilliance
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.