Film noir: the name comes from the French for “black” or “dark film.” It points to the central feature of the genre: mood. There is a darkness about film noir, a somberness accompanied by a thrill of dread and ever-present danger. This aura envelops wealthy heiresses, English aristocrats, tough-guy drifters, jazz musicians, drug dealers, and respected schoolteachers—all of whom have secrets to hide and much to lose if those secrets are unveiled.These four samples f...

The essential collection of crime, mystery, and film noir classics. Uniting seven defining works of mid-century mystery and noir, this collection blends the sharp intelligence of iconic detective novels with the moody tension of Golden Age cinema.Three masterful mystery novels anchor the set, while four celebrated films – adapted into immersive audio experiences – extend the collection into the world of vintage Hollywood drama.Dashiell Hammett’s The Mal...

Film noir: the name comes from the French for “black” or “dark film.” It points to the central feature of the genre: mood. There is a darkness about film noir, a somberness accompanied by a thrill of dread and ever-present danger. This aura envelops wealthy heiresses, English aristocrats, tough-guy drifters, jazz musicians, drug dealers, and respected schoolteachers—all of whom have secrets to hide and much to lose if those secrets are unveiled.These four samples f...

Ah, sweet mystery, when Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin plunge into a case of murder brimming with luscious, lethal ladies.Who murdered Waldo Wilmot Moore? Well, there were five hundred female employees at the Wall Street firm where poor Waldo had worked. Any one of them might have done it. And there was also the beautiful lady stockholder who tried to bribe Archie. And the dark-haired lovely who simply couldn't talk to a man until she kissed him. And the girl who fi...

When a loudmouthed author gets silenced, Wolfe looks for the triggermanThe gun was fired close to Charles Childress’s head, and his were the only fingerprints on it, forcing the police to conclude that the author committed suicide. But his friends know this is impossible, because Childress loved himself far too much. He had just begun attracting fame, writing new mysteries starring the iconic Sergeant Barnstable, and he had bright hopes for the future. His publishe...

Oh Danny Boy marks Edgar Award finalist Rhys Bowen's triumphant fifth installment in her New York Times bestselling Molly Murphy mystery series.In turn-of-the-century New York City, Irish immigrant Molly Murphy is contemplating giving up PI work for something a little less complicated, less exciting. Molly has had quite enough excitement recently, thank you very much. Especially from the handsome but deceptive NYPD captain Daniel Sullivan, whom sh...

Don’t tempt Nero Wolfe to find the culprit. When foul play’s the game, he always wins—and in these three crime puzzles, the stakes are high.Home to RoostSomebody at the dinner table dropped a poison pellet into the vitamin addict's pill-box.The Cop-KillerThe murdered cop carried the clue inside his folded newspaper.The Squirt and the MonkeyThe monkey was the only witness to the ...

When a group of publishers and writers hires Wolfe to solve a case of false plagiarism, it's time for the great detective to hit the books. Four unrelated accusers—including a down-and-out hack writer and a lady poet with a penchant for nude sunbathing—have been fleecing bestselling authors, claiming the authors have stolen their work and ingeniously planting evidence to back up their claims. But when punctuation gives way to puncture, Wolfe knows this is no simple case of extortion. This ...

As seen on The TODAY Show!Bestselling author ReShonda Tate presents a fascinating work of biographical fiction, a portrait of Hattie McDaniel, one of Hollywood’s most prolific but woefully underappreciated stars—and the first Black person ever to win an Oscar for her role as Mammy in the critically acclaimed classic film Gone With the Wind.It was supposed to be the highlight of her career, the pinnacle for which she’d worked all he...

Murder lurks in the wings of the sprawling Fifth Avenue penthouse of multimillionaire Otis Jarrell, who has just retained the incomparable Nero Wolfe on a case of the utmost confidentiality. But even the master detective cannot prevent tragedy when it inevitably arrives wielding Jarrell’s missing revolver. Soon a second victim meets his maker, and Wolfe must piece together the truth behind Jarrell’s scandalously ill-behaved family. And for one member of that charmed circle—a two-time kille...

Three witnesses hold all the clues in three crimes of passion that have even Nero Wolfe guessing to the very end.Did the dead millionaire who suddenly came back to life—only to end up dead again—write his own death warrant years before? Will the black Labrador retriever who follows Archie home prove that man’s best friend is a killer’s worst enemy? And in a case involving a telephone answering service with three very untalkative operators, could the great detective...

With a rich man footing the bills and a handsome lover on the side, Isabel Kerr seemed to have the perfect setup. Now the well-kept lady is stone-cold dead, and the cops have nabbed a Manhattan private eye who just happens to be an acquaintance of Nero Wolfe. Unable to refuse a friend in need, the great detective deigns to get the gumshoe off the hook. Little does Wolfe realize that in a matter of hours he’ll be entertaining a party of fools and lovers connected with the doxy’s death, incl...