We would like to propose a classic noir/hardboiled/pulp mystery for the September group read. We'll be doing a classic horror group read in October, so don't despair if mystery isn't your jam.

The great thing about a group read is that it is a wild card for any square! So, if you realize along the way that you aren't going to be able to find a book for a square, come and buddy read with us & you'll be able to check that off your list.

Nominations are hereby open!

I think this will actually be the square (Classic noir) that I don't have any ideas what to read for; though I didn't exclude it because I'm curious enough to try one of these books. Looking forward to the group read!

Some out of copyright (aka free) I assume would suit:

Murder in the Gunroom by H. Beam Piper. Synopsis: "The Lane Fleming collection of early pistols and revolvers was one of the best in the country. When Fleming was found dead on the floor of his locked gunroom, a Confederate-made Colt-type percussion .36 revolver in his hand, the coroner's verdict was "death by accident." But Gladys Fleming had her doubts. Enough at any rate to engage Colonel Jefferson Davis Rand--better known just as Jeff--private detective and a pistol-collector himself, to catalogue, appraise, and negotiate the sale of her late husband's collection. § There were a number of people who had wanted the collection. The question was: had anyone wanted it badly enough to kill Fleming? And if so, how had he done it? Here is a mystery, told against the fascinating background of old guns and gun-collecting, which is rapid-fire without being hysterical, exciting without losing its contact with reason, and which introduces a personable and intelligent new private detective. It is a story that will keep your nerves on a hair trigger even if you don't know the difference between a cased pair of Paterson .34's and a Texas .40 with a ramming-lever."... one free source: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17866

The Rome Express by Arthur Griffiths. Synopsis: "A mysterious murder on a flying express train, a wily Italian, a charming woman caught in the meshes of circumstantial evidence, a chivalrous Englishman, and a police force with a keen nose for the wrong clue, are the ingredients from which Major Griffiths has concocted a clever, up-to-date detective story.". One free source: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/11451

The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan. Synopsis: "When Richard Hannay is warned of an assassination plot that has potential to take Britain into a war, and then discovers in his flat the murdered body of the American that warned him, he becomes a prime suspect. He flees to the moors of Scotland and a spirited chase begins as he is pursued by the police and the German spies involved with stealing British plans. Buchan's tale unfolds into one of the seminal and most influential 'chase' books, mimicked by many, yet unrivaled in the tension and mystery created by his writing.". One free source: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/558

I've got 3 Raymond Chandlers in my TBR pile I'd join for a buddy read:

The Big Sleep
Farewell My Lovely
The Long Goodbye

Norbert Davis is a less well know hard boiled/pulp author who also happens to be funny. His Doan and Carstairs novellas --available as ebooks-- feature the shady PI Doan and Carstairs, a pure bred Great Dane he won in a poker game. I've read the 2nd in the series and am game to try another one or do a re-read. A couple of combined editions of all the novellas are also available.

#1 Holocaust House
#2 The Mouse in the Mountain
#3 Sally's In the Alley
#4 Oh, Murderer Mine

Raymond Chandler sounds great to me. I can also recommend Dashiell Hammett's The Thin Man.

If 39 Steps qualifies, I have that one in my TBR.

What about James M. Cain

Double Indemnity
The Postman Always Rings Twice
Mildred Pierce

or Horace McCoy's "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?"

Or David Goodis:

Shoot the Piano Player
Dark Passage

-- or, of course, Cornell Woolrich:

The Bride Wore Black
Phantom Lady
I Married a Dead Man

I second The Thin Man.

Reply to post #4 (show post):
A funny one with a Great Dane sounds great, too.

Hammett's The Thin Man is tempting. :)

I would be up for The Thin Man, too :)

I'm also interested in The Thin Man by Hammett. It looks like it is pretty widely available through amazon. There is a kindle version, linked here, as well as a print version published by black lizard, linked here.

For folks who don't like amazon, or who are out of the u.s., the book depository seems to have three editions available. The least expensive appears to be the Penguin Modern Classic edition, linked here.

Hopefully it would also be available through local libraries.

I would be interested in The Thin Man, too.

It looks like pretty solid consensus on The Thin Man, with Grimlock, me, Lillelara, Jennifer & Person of Interest all indicating interest, and with a solid recommendation from SusanaG!

Let's do it!

Sounds good.