Point Blank is a podcast about hardboiled, noir, and detective fiction. Mixing serious analysis and humor, the co-hosts (Justin and Kurt) discuss classic or contemporary works of crime fiction in each episode. In addition to major works, they offer shorter reviews, and examine noir-ish topics such as alcoholism in detective fiction, the femme fatale, and race and labor in crime fiction. Stroll with Kurt and Justin down the rain drenched alleys and mean streets as they explore the fascinating ...
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Subscribe here: https://anchor.fm/sherringfordstabletalk/subscribe Your podcast about crime fiction's finest leading characters. In each episode, I present you the story of one fictional detective. I talk about interesting side information concerning names, authors, and the influence of the character on the concept of the fictional detective, and thereby will lead you through the character's fictional biography and maybe make you curious enough to read about the one or the other on your own.
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That's it. Join us for our last episode as we discuss The Long Goodbye and reflect on the show. Thank you to all who have listened and supported the show along the way. Leave the show in your podcast feed if you want to be notified of our future projects.Af Justin & Kurt
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E84: Writing Rat Face: A Point Blank Limited Series (Episode 10)
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Welcome to "Writing Rat Face," a Point Blank Limited Series on one writer's process of writing a 50,000 word novel first draft. Rat Face is a post-apocalyptic crime novel set in a world ravaged by nuclear war and climate change. The main character, Rat Face, is a noir-ish hitman and delinquent looking to solve his father figure's murder before the …
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E83: Writing Rat Face: A Point Blank Limited Series (Episode 9)
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Welcome to "Writing Rat Face," a Point Blank Limited Series on one writer's process of writing a 50,000 word novel first draft. Rat Face is a post-apocalyptic crime novel set in a world ravaged by nuclear war and climate change. The main character, Rat Face, is a noir-ish hitman and delinquent looking to solve his father figure's murder before the …
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E82: Writing Rat Face: A Point Blank Limited Series (Episode 8)
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Welcome to "Writing Rat Face," a Point Blank Limited Series on one writer's process of writing a 50,000 word novel first draft. Rat Face is a post-apocalyptic crime novel set in a world ravaged by nuclear war and climate change. The main character, Rat Face, is a noir-ish hitman and delinquent looking to solve his father figure's murder before the …
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E81: Writing Rat Face: A Point Blank Limited Series (Episode 7)
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Welcome to "Writing Rat Face," a Point Blank Limited Series on one writer's process of writing a 50,000 word novel first draft. Rat Face is a post-apocalyptic crime novel set in a world ravaged by nuclear war and climate change. The main character, Rat Face, is a noir-ish hitman and delinquent looking to solve his father figure's murder before the …
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E80: Writing Rat Face: A Point Blank Limited Series (Episode 6)
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Welcome to "Writing Rat Face," a Point Blank Limited Series on one writer's process of writing a 50,000 word novel first draft. Rat Face is a post-apocalyptic crime novel set in a world ravaged by nuclear war and climate change. The main character, Rat Face, is a noir-ish hitman and delinquent looking to solve his father figure's murder before the …
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E79: Writing Rat Face: A Point Blank Limited Series (Episode 5)
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Welcome to "Writing Rat Face," a Point Blank Limited Series on one writer's process of writing a 50,000 word novel first draft. Rat Face is a post-apocalyptic crime novel set in a world ravaged by nuclear war and climate change. The main character, Rat Face, is a noir-ish hitman and delinquent looking to solve his father figure's murder before the …
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E78: Writing Rat Face: A Point Blank Limited Series (Episode 4)
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Welcome to "Writing Rat Face," a Point Blank Limited Series on one writer's process of writing a 50,000 word novel first draft. Rat Face is a post-apocalyptic crime novel set in a world ravaged by nuclear war and climate change. The main character, Rat Face, is a noir-ish hitman and delinquent looking to solve his father figure's murder before the …
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E77: Writing Rat Face: A Point Blank Limited Series (Episode 3)
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Welcome to "Writing Rat Face," a Point Blank Limited Series on one writer's process of writing a 50,000 word novel first draft. Rat Face is a post-apocalyptic crime novel set in a world ravaged by nuclear war and climate change. The main character, Rat Face, is a noir-ish hitman and delinquent looking to solve his father figure's murder before the …
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E76 Writing Rat Face: A Point Blank Limited Series (Episode 2)
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Welcome to "Writing Rat Face," a Point Blank Limited Series on one writer's process of writing a 50,000 word novel first draft. Rat Face is a post-apocalyptic crime novel set in a world ravaged by nuclear war and climate change. The main character, Rat Face, is a noir-ish hitman and delinquent looking to solve his father figure's murder before the …
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E75: Writing Rat Face: A Point Blank Limited Series (Episode 1)
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Welcome to "Writing Rat Face," a Point Blank Limited Series on one writer's process of writing a 50,000 word novel first draft. Rat Face is a post-apocalyptic crime novel set in a world ravaged by nuclear war and climate change. The main character, Rat Face, is a noir-ish hitman and delinquent looking to solve his father figure's murder before the …
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Welcome! In this episode we discuss the film version of The Third Man. For the full plot summary and commentary on the novella, check out episode 73. We riff on our reactions to the film with the written story fresh in our minds. What a masterpiece! Truely a joy to watch, even when you know what's going to happen. ***Sorry this one took so long to …
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E73 -- The Third Man -- Graham Greene
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Blankers! We review Graham Greene's novella, The Third Man. Is it better than the film? Listen to hear our thoughts! Email the show: pointblanknoir@gmail.com Twitter: @pointblanknoir Facebook: Point Blank: Hardboiled, Noir, and Detective Fiction Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/point-blank-hardboiled-noir-detective-fiction/id1276038868…
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E72 -- Drive (the film) -- Sallis, Gosling, Refn
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Blankers! Last episode we discussed James Sallis's hardboiled, neo-noir classic Drive. This time we interrogate Nicholas Winding Refn's 2011 film adaptation starring Ryan Gosling. In what ways is the film better than the novel and vice versa? Hit play to find out! Get in touch with the show: pointblanknoir@gmail.com Facebook Group #crimefiction #re…
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E71: -- Drive -- James Sallis
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Get in and buckle up! In this episode, we cover Drive by James Sallis. It's a short work that speaks to the kind of crime fiction we love. For the appropriate listening experience break out your classic car and crank the stereo. Get in touch with the show: pointblanknoir@gmail.com Facebook Group #crimefiction #sallis #jamessallis #drive #noir…
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Episode 15 - Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin Part 2, Archie Goodwin
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The long-awaited second part of the two-part series about Rex Stout's magnificent detective duo. All about the illustrious, witty, hardboiled assistant detective of Nero Wolfe: Mr. Archie Goodwin. Tune in and find out!
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Episode 70 -- Iceberg Slim -- Pimp
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For Episode 70, we visit mid-century urban America with Iceberg Slim's Pimp. This is a gritty memoir that sold millions of copies, yet remains under discussed in crime writing circles. We will talk about the good of this book, and we also dig into the problems we had with it. Email the show: pointblanknoir@gmail.com Facebook: Point Blank: Hardboile…
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We finally get to Elmore Leonard! We asked for recommendations and received a lot of great suggestions from our listeners. Swag delivered with a tale of two robbers trying to make a buck. If they stick to the 10 rules, what can go wrong? Email the show: pointblanknoir@gmail.com Facebook: Point Blank: Hardboiled, Noir and Detective Fiction…
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E68: Book Vs Film -- The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
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With the book fresh in our minds we take a look at the classic film "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart. This is mostly a reaction episode looking at how the film diverged from the source material. Enjoy. Email: pointblanknoir@gmail.com Find us on Facebook: Point Blank: Noir, Hardboiled, and Detec…
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E67: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre -- B. Traven
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Greed. Ambition. Gold Fever. Adventure. Join us for a discussion of "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" by the mysterious author B. Traven. Three men down on their luck strike out to find gold in the mountains of Mexico. Will they find their fortunes? Probably not or else it would be a boring book. While this one isn't exactly crime fiction, we thin…
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E66: Adios Muchachos -- Daniel Chavarria
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Bienvenido a Cuba! Grab a rum and join us for Adios Muchachos by Daniel Chavarria. Alicia is a woman looking for a rich man to help her escape. She's got a plan that involves a bicycle and seduction. What she doesn't plan for is a kidnapping. We discuss this novel, provide some short reviews, and touch on the world of Cuban Noir. Get in touch with …
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Episode 14 - Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin Part 1, Nero Wolfe
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Welcome back to SFTT! Today's episode is the first part of the two-part series about Rex Stout's great detective duo: Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. We start off with the stories' title giver, the notoriously opinionated genius Nero Wolfe!
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E65: Razorblade Tears -- Mildred Pierce -- The Asphalt Jungle
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Hello, again, Point Blank Listeners! Sorry for the delay. I've been sick. Here's episode 65. We cover the bestselling, award-winning Razorblade Tears. S.A. Cosby delivers another powerful noir tale, and we get down into the grit to examine why this one is making all of the "best" lists. Justin provides a short review of the classic James M. Cain no…
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Episode 64 -- Margaret Millar -- Beast in View
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Blankers! This episode we discuss Margaret Millar's terrific noir classic Beast in View. This book's got it all: murder, threatening phone calls from bar telephones, a waterproof woman, domestic drama, gender politics, unreliable narrators, and a twist that will knock your socks off. Want to get in touch with the show? Email: pointblanknoir@gmail.c…
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We are back! Sorry for the delay. We needed an extended holiday break. In this episode, we discuss Tartan/Scottish Noir through the lens of what is considered the first Tartan Noir Laidlaw. Laidlaw is a gritty detective novel taking place on the streets of Glasgow in the 1970s. William McIlvanney or Gus to his friends is considered the father of Sc…
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Hey Blankers - Kurt & I finally got around to recording Episode 62. This time we take a walk down the mean streets of Isola with Ed McBain's Cop Hater. The first novel in the acclaimed 87th Precinct series, Cop Hater (1956) set the blueprint for modern police procedurals. Does it hold up? Tune in & find out! Get in touch with the show: Email: point…
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E61 -- Ecological Noir -- The Monkey Wrench Gang -- Animals
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What in the world is eco-noir? We attempt to answer that question by looking at a few texts that might be ecological noir. In the discussion, we mention: The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abby Animals by Will Staples Zodiac by Neal Stephenson The Glass Factory by Kenneth Wishnia Nature Noir by Jordan Fisher Smith Captiva by Randy Wayne White If you'…
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Episode 13 - Sam Spade and Mike Hammer, the hard-boiled Detectives #2 & #3
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Our little excursus through the world of hardboiled and noir fiction continues! In today's episode I will compare some of what we have learned about Philip Marlowe with these two other famous detective tough-guys. Music: Ketsa - Tomorrow Has Gone Checkie Brown - A life on Mother Earth
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E60 -- 5 Round Review: Summer Edition
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Blankers! Find your sun hat, stab that beach umbrella into the sand, and break out the Banana Boat -- this is Five Round Reviews: Summer Edition. We have 13 short reviews for you--from Jim Harrison & Dorothy B. Hughes to David Heska Wanbli Weiden & Nick Kolakowski. (See the full list below.) Get in touch with the show: Email: pointblanknoir@gmail.c…
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Episode 12 - Philip Marlowe, the hard-boiled Detective #1
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In today's episode, I will tell you a little bit about the godfather of hardboiled fiction. Maybe, Marlowe is more than booze, guns and trench-coats? Give it a listen and find out! Music: - Prelude 2 by VGM Mark H | https://soundcloud.com/user-656562764 Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 U…
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Throw on your white blazer, power up the speed boat, and cut yourself a line. We're head to '80's Miami for Charles Willeford's 'Miami Blues." In what can only be described as a "weird and unsettling novel," we join Hoke Moseley, Frederick J. Frenger Jr, and Susan Waggoner for a bizarre tale of Floridian crime. Get in touch with the show: pointblan…
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Episode 11 - Arsène Lupin, the Gentleman Thief
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In today's episode, I will tell you the story of the greatest fictional thief of all time: the one and only Arsène Lupin! He is known as the man of a thousand disguises and the prototype of the gentleman thief character. Music: Serge Quadrado - Spy Piano Gotama - Dissolving Dreams Ketsa - Tomorrow-Has-Gone…
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Blankers! Zip up your windbreakers and don’t forget change for the highway tolls — in Episode 58 we head to Chicago to wrap our heads around Chicago Noir. We talk about Chicago as a city for noir, and we look at crime fiction by Nelson Algren, Howard Browne, Frederic Brown, Sara Paretsky, Michael Harvey, Danny Gardner, Bob Hartley, & more. Italian …
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Episode 10 - Jules Maigret, the "Bridge Character"
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It is amazing! After half a year of absence the Table Talk is back with episode 10. The detective of the moment is Jules Maigret, french commissaire and my favorite "bridge character"!Af Rusty B.
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E57 -- Ride the Pink Horse & The Expendable Man --Dorothy Hughes
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We promised an episode on The Expendable Man, but we just couldn't contain ourselves to one book by Dorothy B Hughes! We discuss these two masterpieces of crime fiction, sharing why we find Hughes' work so compelling. We'd love to hear from you: Email: pointblanknoir@gmail.com Facebook: Point Blank: Hardboiled, Noir, and Detective Fiction Join Our …
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In Episode 57, we review the hell out of nearly a dozen books, + a couple films! We review: Run Man Run by Chester Himes Plan B by Chester Himes Darktown by Thomas Mullen The Man with the Getaway Face by Richard Stark If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned by Walter Mosley M. Ravenel's The Arrangement Champ…
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E 55 -- S.A. Cosby -- Blacktop Wasteland
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Buckle your seat belts! This is going to be a wild ride! We take a deep dive into "Blacktop Wasteland" by SA Cosby, a novel we both describe as a modern classic. Cosby takes us on a journey through the rural hills of Virginia for an exhilarating, timely work that highlights everything modern noir crime fiction has to offer. Get in touch with the sh…
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E 54 -- Raymond Chandler -- Farewell, My Lovely
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In Episode 45, we revisit to one of the masters of hardboiled detective crime fiction, Raymond Chandler, and his acclaimed second novel, Farewell, My Lovely. Damn, this book is boozy. (And racist!) But also rich with memorable secondary characters (Moose Malloy & Jessie Florian) & Marloweian one-liners. It's a classic example of hardboiled detectiv…
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E53: Strap on Your Rocket Shoes, It's Time to Review Some Spy Fiction
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We follow up our discussion of Spy Fiction from E52 with more in-depth reviews of books we read for the show. Books covered: 'A Coffin for Dimitrios' by Eric Ambler 'The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare' by GK Chesterton 'Moonraker' by Ian Fleming 'Spies of the Balkans' and 'Red Gold' by Alan Furst 'The Spy In the Ointment' by Donald Westlake 'The…
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E52: To Spy Fiction With Love
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From the shadows, we emerge to discuss the huge topic of spy fiction. We look at this genre in broad strokes, covering nearly a century of spy novels. I'm sure we've missed a lot, so if you have books we should have covered, get in touch. Please find us on Facebook at Point Blank: Hardboiled, Noir, and Detective Fiction. Join our Facebook Group or …
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Episode 8 - Erast Fandorin, the Russian Sherlock Holmes
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The topic of today's episode will be the Russian gentleman detective Erast Petrowitsch Fandorin. Find out, why he is the perfect combination between Sherlock Holmes and James Bond!Af Rusty B.
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Cinema Spotlight: "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"
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Enjoy this mini-episode review of the 2011 film adaptation of John Le Carré's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Our last episode of 2020. We'll see you next year with a fully rendered episode dedicated to spy fiction.
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E51: Russian Roulette with Kurt & Justin -- First 50 Episodes!
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Hello Blankers! In this episode we celebrate our semicentennial by regaling you with memories of our first three years & by answering tough questions about personal favorite (and least favorite) novels, authors, characters, and settings from the first 50 episodes.
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Episode 6 - Lord Peter Wimsey, snobbish Lord or suffering Aristocat?
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I'm talking about Dorothy L. Sayer's detective Lord Peter Wimsey. Interesting guy I must say. I can't wait to read some of his stories and find out the stuff I tell you about in this episode!Af Rusty B.
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We made it to 50! In this golden anniversary of a show we return to the gritty, noir world of Jim Thompson with "Pop. 1280." It's another take on the corrupt sheriff that Thompson writes so well. Which character is more menacing; Lou Ford or Nick Corey? Which is the better novel? Tune in to find out. Get in touch with the show: Twitter: @pointblank…
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E49 -- Bluebird, Bluebird -- Deep Dive -- Cinema Spotlight -- Five Round Burst
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In Episode 49, we dive deep into Attica Locke’s contemporary soon-to-be classic Bluebird, Bluebird. Justin reviews the western noir film Blood on the Moon, and we go five rounds in Five Round Burst. Get in touch with the show: Twitter: @pointblanknoir Facebook: Point Blank: Hardboiled, Noir, and Detective Fiction Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/…
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E48 -- Intro to Bluebird, Bluebird -- Rural Noir -- Forgotten Classics -- Attica Locke
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In Episode 48, we introduce Attica Locke's contemporary rural noir soon-to-be classic, Bluebird, Bluebird. We look more closely at rural noir -- what it is and who the major players are -- in Subject Unknown and take a close look at Chris McGinley's beautiful & disturbing short story collection, Coal Black. Finally, Kurt offers us up a Forgotten Cl…
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Episode 4 - Miss Marple, the country sleuth
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Welcome to Episode 4! This time, we cover the queen of female detectives, Miss Jane Marple. Notorious spinster and country sleuth!Af Rusty B.
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E47 -- Yakudoshi Age of Calamity -- Chris McKinney -- Scott Kikkawa
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Hi Blankers! This is our second of two episodes dedicated to Hawaiian Noir. Our deep dive is the short, gritty Yakudoshi: Age of Calamity by Chris McKinney, an under-heralded Hawaiian author who should be getting far more attention than he does. We also feature a review of Scott Kikkawa's first novel, Kona Winds, a historical detective story set in…
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Episode 3 - Hercule Poirot, the not so harmless Mr. Egghead
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Welcome to the podcast about crime fiction's leading characters. We cover the story of one fictional detective in every episode. Today we talk about the belgium superstar detective Hercule Poirot. Smart, arrogant, strict and with a funny appearance. What a character! Find out more on why he is in my top 3 of the best fictional detectives ever!…
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