What I love most about a Christopher Moore book is his complete irreverence, nothing is off the table. He wrote a film noir-style book, set in the nineteen-forties and damn it he kept true to the time and place. Sorry snowflakes, this book is filled with “dames” and men who say and think things that would get them strung up today. That’s just the way it was back then!

Now, a book cannot thrive alone on being true to the setting, it needs more: marvelous characters and a great plot are necessary elements.

What can I say about Moore’s characters? Flawed, rich (in depth of character, not cash), and completely fascinating. From the leads, to the villains and even the fly-by-nighters, every single character is good for at least one good laugh. Oh yeah, in case you weren’t aware, Christopher Moore writes comedy and he’s damn good at it too.

The story is filled with its ups and down. Like any comedy, there are plenty of scenes that don’t really move the story forward, but they always keep the good times rolling. It amazes me how Moore kept so many balls in the air with  Noir  and still managed to tie the whole thing up at the end with a pretty bow on it.

I was constantly highlighting passages so I could share them with my wife, the fact that she listened to each and every single one speaks volumes of her love and patience.

The world that Moore created spoke to me. I connected with the characters; the story was absurdly fascinating. It is a time and place I would love to go back to again and again.

I love to stick a great comedy into my reading list from time to time. It helps to mix things up and keep me on my toes.

*4.5 Stars

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    2 Book Lovers Reviews

Noir

By Christopher Moore

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Greco-Roman and Historical Fiction