Noir Fiction and Film: Diversions and Misdirections

Written in an accessible style, this book describes how detective mysteries appeal through their diverting styles rather than their violent plots. Ranging from Hammett's early P.I. stories to films by Coppola and David Lynch, this study probes the ways verbal and cinematic strategies hold our attention. The diversions offered by irrelevant descriptions, the misdirections flaunted by snappy dialogue and unusual personal "attitudes", keep suspense alive when weleast expect it.