Frank Vatel
@frankvatel312.bsky.social
Reader, watcher, and scribbler of noir. Also, book-cover illustrator and designer. Published @ Punk Noir Magazine, All Due Respect, Bristol Noir, and Reckon Review.
~ Thirty More Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 28: THE BLANK WALL (1947)
What do you do when your blackmailer falls in love with you? That’s the endlessly fascinating premise of this Elisabeth Sanxay Holding novel, a rare classic-era noir told from a woman’s perspective.
Day 28: THE BLANK WALL (1947)
What do you do when your blackmailer falls in love with you? That’s the endlessly fascinating premise of this Elisabeth Sanxay Holding novel, a rare classic-era noir told from a woman’s perspective.
November 28, 2025 at 8:21 PM
~ Thirty More Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 28: THE BLANK WALL (1947)
What do you do when your blackmailer falls in love with you? That’s the endlessly fascinating premise of this Elisabeth Sanxay Holding novel, a rare classic-era noir told from a woman’s perspective.
Day 28: THE BLANK WALL (1947)
What do you do when your blackmailer falls in love with you? That’s the endlessly fascinating premise of this Elisabeth Sanxay Holding novel, a rare classic-era noir told from a woman’s perspective.
~ Thirty More Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 27: KISS THE BLOOD OFF MY HANDS (1940)
Gerald Butler was ahead of his time. Though published in WWII-era Britain, this corker involving a violent drifter and his beloved reads like the greatest Fawcett Gold Medal paperback that never was.
Day 27: KISS THE BLOOD OFF MY HANDS (1940)
Gerald Butler was ahead of his time. Though published in WWII-era Britain, this corker involving a violent drifter and his beloved reads like the greatest Fawcett Gold Medal paperback that never was.
November 27, 2025 at 5:47 PM
~ Thirty More Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 27: KISS THE BLOOD OFF MY HANDS (1940)
Gerald Butler was ahead of his time. Though published in WWII-era Britain, this corker involving a violent drifter and his beloved reads like the greatest Fawcett Gold Medal paperback that never was.
Day 27: KISS THE BLOOD OFF MY HANDS (1940)
Gerald Butler was ahead of his time. Though published in WWII-era Britain, this corker involving a violent drifter and his beloved reads like the greatest Fawcett Gold Medal paperback that never was.
~ Thirty More Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 26: THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER (1980)
A lonely gumshoe is hired to track a female killer, only to discover that she reminds him of his estranged daughter. Marc Behm’s writing achieves a melancholy beauty that is rare in crime fiction.
Day 26: THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER (1980)
A lonely gumshoe is hired to track a female killer, only to discover that she reminds him of his estranged daughter. Marc Behm’s writing achieves a melancholy beauty that is rare in crime fiction.
November 26, 2025 at 8:10 PM
~ Thirty More Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 26: THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER (1980)
A lonely gumshoe is hired to track a female killer, only to discover that she reminds him of his estranged daughter. Marc Behm’s writing achieves a melancholy beauty that is rare in crime fiction.
Day 26: THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER (1980)
A lonely gumshoe is hired to track a female killer, only to discover that she reminds him of his estranged daughter. Marc Behm’s writing achieves a melancholy beauty that is rare in crime fiction.
#NoirvemberChallenge
Favorite Neo-Noir
Favorite Neo-Noir
November 26, 2025 at 7:11 PM
#NoirvemberChallenge
Favorite Neo-Noir
Favorite Neo-Noir
~ Thirty More Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 25: A KILLER IS LOOSE (1954)
A pacy, gripping ride-along noir in which the story’s hero gains the unwanted friendship of a maniac. For those who think a Gil Brewer novel without a femme fatale is like sex without foreplay, this will set you straight.
Day 25: A KILLER IS LOOSE (1954)
A pacy, gripping ride-along noir in which the story’s hero gains the unwanted friendship of a maniac. For those who think a Gil Brewer novel without a femme fatale is like sex without foreplay, this will set you straight.
November 25, 2025 at 6:55 PM
~ Thirty More Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 25: A KILLER IS LOOSE (1954)
A pacy, gripping ride-along noir in which the story’s hero gains the unwanted friendship of a maniac. For those who think a Gil Brewer novel without a femme fatale is like sex without foreplay, this will set you straight.
Day 25: A KILLER IS LOOSE (1954)
A pacy, gripping ride-along noir in which the story’s hero gains the unwanted friendship of a maniac. For those who think a Gil Brewer novel without a femme fatale is like sex without foreplay, this will set you straight.
#NoirvemberChallenge
Favorite noir featuring a boat?
A short scene, but Harry Fabian hides out on a barge at the end of NIGHT AND THE CITY (1950).
The shady little weasel.
Favorite noir featuring a boat?
A short scene, but Harry Fabian hides out on a barge at the end of NIGHT AND THE CITY (1950).
The shady little weasel.
November 25, 2025 at 4:00 PM
#NoirvemberChallenge
Favorite noir featuring a boat?
A short scene, but Harry Fabian hides out on a barge at the end of NIGHT AND THE CITY (1950).
The shady little weasel.
Favorite noir featuring a boat?
A short scene, but Harry Fabian hides out on a barge at the end of NIGHT AND THE CITY (1950).
The shady little weasel.
Chicagoans who travel east for the holidays enjoy an annual taste of what Republican “small government” really means. Or rather, their suspension systems do.
I’m convinced most Indiana roads have not been repaved since the Eisenhower administration.
I’m convinced most Indiana roads have not been repaved since the Eisenhower administration.
November 25, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Chicagoans who travel east for the holidays enjoy an annual taste of what Republican “small government” really means. Or rather, their suspension systems do.
I’m convinced most Indiana roads have not been repaved since the Eisenhower administration.
I’m convinced most Indiana roads have not been repaved since the Eisenhower administration.
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 24: GRIMHAVEN (1985)
For years, the only way to read Charles Willeford’s rejected sequel to Miami Blues was by visiting his archives. Now it’s online. Because everything disturbing is online. A bucket-list novel if there ever was one.
Day 24: GRIMHAVEN (1985)
For years, the only way to read Charles Willeford’s rejected sequel to Miami Blues was by visiting his archives. Now it’s online. Because everything disturbing is online. A bucket-list novel if there ever was one.
November 24, 2025 at 10:58 PM
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 24: GRIMHAVEN (1985)
For years, the only way to read Charles Willeford’s rejected sequel to Miami Blues was by visiting his archives. Now it’s online. Because everything disturbing is online. A bucket-list novel if there ever was one.
Day 24: GRIMHAVEN (1985)
For years, the only way to read Charles Willeford’s rejected sequel to Miami Blues was by visiting his archives. Now it’s online. Because everything disturbing is online. A bucket-list novel if there ever was one.
November 24, 2025 at 4:06 PM
#NoirvemberChallenge
Which noir actor stole the scenes they were in?
My vote goes to the man who likes talking to a man who likes to talk.
Which noir actor stole the scenes they were in?
My vote goes to the man who likes talking to a man who likes to talk.
November 23, 2025 at 10:22 PM
#NoirvemberChallenge
Which noir actor stole the scenes they were in?
My vote goes to the man who likes talking to a man who likes to talk.
Which noir actor stole the scenes they were in?
My vote goes to the man who likes talking to a man who likes to talk.
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 23: THE MERCENARIES (1960)
The first novel Donald Westlake wrote under his own name starts like a Hammett tribute, complete with a mob fixer trying to solve a murder. Then it takes a turn toward darkness and becomes a masterpiece all its own.
Day 23: THE MERCENARIES (1960)
The first novel Donald Westlake wrote under his own name starts like a Hammett tribute, complete with a mob fixer trying to solve a murder. Then it takes a turn toward darkness and becomes a masterpiece all its own.
November 23, 2025 at 10:12 PM
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 23: THE MERCENARIES (1960)
The first novel Donald Westlake wrote under his own name starts like a Hammett tribute, complete with a mob fixer trying to solve a murder. Then it takes a turn toward darkness and becomes a masterpiece all its own.
Day 23: THE MERCENARIES (1960)
The first novel Donald Westlake wrote under his own name starts like a Hammett tribute, complete with a mob fixer trying to solve a murder. Then it takes a turn toward darkness and becomes a masterpiece all its own.
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 22: THE CRIMES OF JORDAN WISE (2006)
Bill Pronzini’s versatility is legendary. This novel—narrated by an old sailor with a grim trail of undiscovered crimes—finds him in James M. Cain waters, and he navigates them to perfection.
Day 22: THE CRIMES OF JORDAN WISE (2006)
Bill Pronzini’s versatility is legendary. This novel—narrated by an old sailor with a grim trail of undiscovered crimes—finds him in James M. Cain waters, and he navigates them to perfection.
November 22, 2025 at 9:10 PM
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 22: THE CRIMES OF JORDAN WISE (2006)
Bill Pronzini’s versatility is legendary. This novel—narrated by an old sailor with a grim trail of undiscovered crimes—finds him in James M. Cain waters, and he navigates them to perfection.
Day 22: THE CRIMES OF JORDAN WISE (2006)
Bill Pronzini’s versatility is legendary. This novel—narrated by an old sailor with a grim trail of undiscovered crimes—finds him in James M. Cain waters, and he navigates them to perfection.
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 21: MURDER ME FOR NICKELS (1960)
It’s difficult to write a funny noir novel, let alone one that observes gang warfare from a fresh angle. Peter Rabe does both here with a jukebox-racket exposé that buzzes with off-kilter dialogue.
Day 21: MURDER ME FOR NICKELS (1960)
It’s difficult to write a funny noir novel, let alone one that observes gang warfare from a fresh angle. Peter Rabe does both here with a jukebox-racket exposé that buzzes with off-kilter dialogue.
November 21, 2025 at 11:55 PM
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 21: MURDER ME FOR NICKELS (1960)
It’s difficult to write a funny noir novel, let alone one that observes gang warfare from a fresh angle. Peter Rabe does both here with a jukebox-racket exposé that buzzes with off-kilter dialogue.
Day 21: MURDER ME FOR NICKELS (1960)
It’s difficult to write a funny noir novel, let alone one that observes gang warfare from a fresh angle. Peter Rabe does both here with a jukebox-racket exposé that buzzes with off-kilter dialogue.
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 20: THE KILLER INSIDE ME (1952)
Arguably, there are better Jim Thompson novels. But no narrator in crime fiction infiltrates the reader’s mind—and lingers there—like deputy Lou Ford, Central City’s resident philosopher and psychopath.
Day 20: THE KILLER INSIDE ME (1952)
Arguably, there are better Jim Thompson novels. But no narrator in crime fiction infiltrates the reader’s mind—and lingers there—like deputy Lou Ford, Central City’s resident philosopher and psychopath.
November 20, 2025 at 11:54 PM
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 20: THE KILLER INSIDE ME (1952)
Arguably, there are better Jim Thompson novels. But no narrator in crime fiction infiltrates the reader’s mind—and lingers there—like deputy Lou Ford, Central City’s resident philosopher and psychopath.
Day 20: THE KILLER INSIDE ME (1952)
Arguably, there are better Jim Thompson novels. But no narrator in crime fiction infiltrates the reader’s mind—and lingers there—like deputy Lou Ford, Central City’s resident philosopher and psychopath.
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 19: THE VANISHING (1984)
You expect this Dutch novel about a woman’s kidnapping to be straight horror, and that’s famously how it ends. But the middle section—told from the abductor’s perspective—is pure noir, brilliant and haunting.
Day 19: THE VANISHING (1984)
You expect this Dutch novel about a woman’s kidnapping to be straight horror, and that’s famously how it ends. But the middle section—told from the abductor’s perspective—is pure noir, brilliant and haunting.
November 19, 2025 at 11:50 PM
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 19: THE VANISHING (1984)
You expect this Dutch novel about a woman’s kidnapping to be straight horror, and that’s famously how it ends. But the middle section—told from the abductor’s perspective—is pure noir, brilliant and haunting.
Day 19: THE VANISHING (1984)
You expect this Dutch novel about a woman’s kidnapping to be straight horror, and that’s famously how it ends. But the middle section—told from the abductor’s perspective—is pure noir, brilliant and haunting.
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 18: THE GLASS KEY (1931).
Red Harvest fans are sometimes blindsided by the emotional depth of this book, which explores the strained friendship between a machine politician and his fixer. Dashiell Hammett was right to call it his best.
Day 18: THE GLASS KEY (1931).
Red Harvest fans are sometimes blindsided by the emotional depth of this book, which explores the strained friendship between a machine politician and his fixer. Dashiell Hammett was right to call it his best.
November 18, 2025 at 11:26 PM
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 18: THE GLASS KEY (1931).
Red Harvest fans are sometimes blindsided by the emotional depth of this book, which explores the strained friendship between a machine politician and his fixer. Dashiell Hammett was right to call it his best.
Day 18: THE GLASS KEY (1931).
Red Harvest fans are sometimes blindsided by the emotional depth of this book, which explores the strained friendship between a machine politician and his fixer. Dashiell Hammett was right to call it his best.
#NoirvemberChallenge
Best noir MacGuffin?
A MacGuffin is usually a throwaway, a means to an end. But the mysterious box in KISS ME DEADLY (1955) turns the entire movie on its head. Though it divides viewers, I think it’s the best thing in the film.
Best noir MacGuffin?
A MacGuffin is usually a throwaway, a means to an end. But the mysterious box in KISS ME DEADLY (1955) turns the entire movie on its head. Though it divides viewers, I think it’s the best thing in the film.
November 18, 2025 at 9:47 PM
#NoirvemberChallenge
Best noir MacGuffin?
A MacGuffin is usually a throwaway, a means to an end. But the mysterious box in KISS ME DEADLY (1955) turns the entire movie on its head. Though it divides viewers, I think it’s the best thing in the film.
Best noir MacGuffin?
A MacGuffin is usually a throwaway, a means to an end. But the mysterious box in KISS ME DEADLY (1955) turns the entire movie on its head. Though it divides viewers, I think it’s the best thing in the film.
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 17: FOOLS’ GOLD (1958)
Dolores Hitchens pits a trio of juvies against a hardened criminal in the hunt for a million dollars. Not only a smashing heist novel, but one that shows rare insight into the psychology of teenagers.
Day 17: FOOLS’ GOLD (1958)
Dolores Hitchens pits a trio of juvies against a hardened criminal in the hunt for a million dollars. Not only a smashing heist novel, but one that shows rare insight into the psychology of teenagers.
November 17, 2025 at 11:44 PM
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 17: FOOLS’ GOLD (1958)
Dolores Hitchens pits a trio of juvies against a hardened criminal in the hunt for a million dollars. Not only a smashing heist novel, but one that shows rare insight into the psychology of teenagers.
Day 17: FOOLS’ GOLD (1958)
Dolores Hitchens pits a trio of juvies against a hardened criminal in the hunt for a million dollars. Not only a smashing heist novel, but one that shows rare insight into the psychology of teenagers.
#NoirvemberChallenge
Favorite noir duo?
Sure, I could pick something with Bogie and Bacall or Ladd and Lake. But for me, noir is about depravity and human weakness. So it’s gotta be Marie Windsor and Elisha Cook, Jr. in THE KILLING (1955).
@ladykdesigns.bsky.social
Favorite noir duo?
Sure, I could pick something with Bogie and Bacall or Ladd and Lake. But for me, noir is about depravity and human weakness. So it’s gotta be Marie Windsor and Elisha Cook, Jr. in THE KILLING (1955).
@ladykdesigns.bsky.social
November 17, 2025 at 5:07 PM
#NoirvemberChallenge
Favorite noir duo?
Sure, I could pick something with Bogie and Bacall or Ladd and Lake. But for me, noir is about depravity and human weakness. So it’s gotta be Marie Windsor and Elisha Cook, Jr. in THE KILLING (1955).
@ladykdesigns.bsky.social
Favorite noir duo?
Sure, I could pick something with Bogie and Bacall or Ladd and Lake. But for me, noir is about depravity and human weakness. So it’s gotta be Marie Windsor and Elisha Cook, Jr. in THE KILLING (1955).
@ladykdesigns.bsky.social
#NoirvemberChallenge
Lesser-known noir everyone should see?
TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY (1951). If it starred Robert Mitchum and had a decent title, folks would see this for the excellent noir it is. Definitely one to hunt down.
Lesser-known noir everyone should see?
TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY (1951). If it starred Robert Mitchum and had a decent title, folks would see this for the excellent noir it is. Definitely one to hunt down.
November 17, 2025 at 12:07 AM
#NoirvemberChallenge
Lesser-known noir everyone should see?
TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY (1951). If it starred Robert Mitchum and had a decent title, folks would see this for the excellent noir it is. Definitely one to hunt down.
Lesser-known noir everyone should see?
TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY (1951). If it starred Robert Mitchum and had a decent title, folks would see this for the excellent noir it is. Definitely one to hunt down.
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 16: GALVESTON (2010)
Nic Pizzolatto’s road noir has gained the status of a contemporary classic, and for good reason—it breaks your heart without resorting to manipulation. Occasionally violent, always beautifully written.
Day 16: GALVESTON (2010)
Nic Pizzolatto’s road noir has gained the status of a contemporary classic, and for good reason—it breaks your heart without resorting to manipulation. Occasionally violent, always beautifully written.
November 16, 2025 at 11:45 PM
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 16: GALVESTON (2010)
Nic Pizzolatto’s road noir has gained the status of a contemporary classic, and for good reason—it breaks your heart without resorting to manipulation. Occasionally violent, always beautifully written.
Day 16: GALVESTON (2010)
Nic Pizzolatto’s road noir has gained the status of a contemporary classic, and for good reason—it breaks your heart without resorting to manipulation. Occasionally violent, always beautifully written.
There must be some mistake, Suze. I only write stories in which people murder each other. But don’t let that turn you off—I’m still extremely interested in giving you money.
November 15, 2025 at 10:33 PM
There must be some mistake, Suze. I only write stories in which people murder each other. But don’t let that turn you off—I’m still extremely interested in giving you money.
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 15: BODY FOR SALE (1962)
This Richard Deming winner begins with a salesman blackmailing his boss and finishes with unspeakable gore. In between, we’re treated to some spicy noir from one of the most underrated authors of the pulp era.
Day 15: BODY FOR SALE (1962)
This Richard Deming winner begins with a salesman blackmailing his boss and finishes with unspeakable gore. In between, we’re treated to some spicy noir from one of the most underrated authors of the pulp era.
November 15, 2025 at 10:14 PM
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 15: BODY FOR SALE (1962)
This Richard Deming winner begins with a salesman blackmailing his boss and finishes with unspeakable gore. In between, we’re treated to some spicy noir from one of the most underrated authors of the pulp era.
Day 15: BODY FOR SALE (1962)
This Richard Deming winner begins with a salesman blackmailing his boss and finishes with unspeakable gore. In between, we’re treated to some spicy noir from one of the most underrated authors of the pulp era.
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 14: DOWN THERE (1956)
It took me a while to like David Goodis, but when he finally cracked my hard shell, tears began to flow. His most famous novel—about a dive-bar pianist haunted by his past—has been wrecking readers for generations.
Day 14: DOWN THERE (1956)
It took me a while to like David Goodis, but when he finally cracked my hard shell, tears began to flow. His most famous novel—about a dive-bar pianist haunted by his past—has been wrecking readers for generations.
November 14, 2025 at 9:45 PM
~ Thirty (More) Novels for #Noirvember ~
Day 14: DOWN THERE (1956)
It took me a while to like David Goodis, but when he finally cracked my hard shell, tears began to flow. His most famous novel—about a dive-bar pianist haunted by his past—has been wrecking readers for generations.
Day 14: DOWN THERE (1956)
It took me a while to like David Goodis, but when he finally cracked my hard shell, tears began to flow. His most famous novel—about a dive-bar pianist haunted by his past—has been wrecking readers for generations.
#NoirvemberChallenge
Mount Rushmore of noir?
Limiting this to lead actors:
Barbara Stanwyck is automatic.
Mitch and Bogie, too.
Who, then, is the final member of Stanwyck’s reverse harem: Robert Ryan, Richard Widmark, or Burt Lancaster?
@ladykdesigns.bsky.social
Mount Rushmore of noir?
Limiting this to lead actors:
Barbara Stanwyck is automatic.
Mitch and Bogie, too.
Who, then, is the final member of Stanwyck’s reverse harem: Robert Ryan, Richard Widmark, or Burt Lancaster?
@ladykdesigns.bsky.social
November 14, 2025 at 4:38 PM
#NoirvemberChallenge
Mount Rushmore of noir?
Limiting this to lead actors:
Barbara Stanwyck is automatic.
Mitch and Bogie, too.
Who, then, is the final member of Stanwyck’s reverse harem: Robert Ryan, Richard Widmark, or Burt Lancaster?
@ladykdesigns.bsky.social
Mount Rushmore of noir?
Limiting this to lead actors:
Barbara Stanwyck is automatic.
Mitch and Bogie, too.
Who, then, is the final member of Stanwyck’s reverse harem: Robert Ryan, Richard Widmark, or Burt Lancaster?
@ladykdesigns.bsky.social