“Complex Nuances in the Underworld: Dusk for a Hitman” by Ken Hall

FILM REVIEW: “A brutal tale of a hitman that is very effectively presented without excessive resort to shock violence….”

“Dead Men Are My Business: Day Keene’s Mrs. Homicide, Naked Fury, and Murder on the Side” by William Blick

BOOK REVIEW: “While not of the caliber of Chandler or Hammett, Keene’s working-class novels show his talent for telling intriguing mysteries at a breakneck pace.”

RFO Editor Discusses Edgar G. Ulmer’s Strange Illusion on SUNY TV

INTERVIEW: Matthew Sorrento discusses Ulmer’s 1945 noir as a guest on Jerry Carlson’s City Cinematheque at SUNY TV.

Preview – “Patrick Tam’s My Heart Is That Eternal Rose (1989)” by Thomas M. Puhr

FILM REVIEW: “Violent, sensual, and at times poetic Hong Kong neo-noir….”

“Soderbergh’s Neo-Noir Heist: No Sudden Move (2021)” by Anees Aref

FILM REVIEW: “Soderbergh knows the genre terrain, soaking up the urban atmosphere through his typically crisp camerawork and editing….”

NoirCon 2024 Announces Dates in Palm Springs, CA

NOIRCON 2024 will take place NOVEMBER 7-10 2024 in PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA. More details to follow….

“Prison Amnesia” by George Toles

MICROFICTION: “Maybe this bit was being filmed, and he might have a chance to make a real impression, when others discovered he was far braver and resourceful than they supposed. The man was impatient for his answer….”

“The Purple Pit Cigarette Girl” by Charles Rammelkamp

POETRY: “I snicker now, the announcement of the Nobel Prize Chemistry Award winners having jogged my memory, as I hobble behind my aluminum walker…. “

“Faith, Sport, and Tragedy: Don’t Know Tough” by William Blick

BOOK REVIEW: “As deadly serious as an infected a wound that Billy and people like him live with every day. No humorous anecdotes here. The novel is consistently tragic….”

Preview: “The Surveillance Economy of David Fincher’s The Killer” by David Ryan

ESSAY EXCERPT: “The Killer argues that no matter how much security wealth buys or the number of datalocks that conglomerates build, these defenses can be poked and usurped by determined criminals. Conversely, no matter how clandestine criminal cells are organized, they can be destroyed, particularly from within….”