Fierce Bitches is blackhearted noir at its best

As a writer of fiction, I'd like to think I learn something from each of the novels I read, even the bad ones. But I don't often find myself wishing I'd actually written them. Even my favorites, even the ones I love, I'm content to experience them without feeling like I should have had it in me to write them. 

But I do kind of wish I'd written Fierce Bitches. Not just that I'd thought of the idea for the story, but also had the chops to pull it off in such a hard-hitting and haunting way.

The set up for Fierce Bitches is pure noir gold, and reminds me in a way of the ending for Jim Thompson's classic novel The Getaway (I won't get into it here, just read The Getaway, it's good). I'm also a sucker for stories set in Mexico, so when I read this description from Amazon I couldn't resist:

Across the border lies Politoburg: hell on earth, home to putas, punks and psychos. 
Escape is not in the stars, redemption is not in the cards, but reckoning might just be on the menu. 
Stand back. The pit is about to spit something back out. 

If you liked Coyote, or hardboiled noir in general, definitely check out Jedidiah Ayers. Fierce Bitches is the first book by him I've read, but I'll definitely be checking out his other work soon. It's a quick read, and definitely worth your time.

FATALE by Manchette is a shotgun blast of a noir novel

This shotgun blast of a noir novel hits hard and is over fast, and I enjoyed every second of it. It's my favorite type of story--the kind with no good guys, just characters who are varying levels of bad.

Fatale was written by Jean-Patrick Manchette in 1977. Manchette's a French crime novelist who's credited with reinventing the genre. There he is below, smoking a cigarette beneath an impressive mane of 1970's hair.
 


Manchette basically takes the classic femme fatale character from noir fiction (the one who always double crosses the protagonist and leads him to his downfall) and makes her the protagonist. Aimèe is an attractive and deadly woman who goes from town to town, manipulating rich men and murdering for money. Most of the action takes place in Blèville, where she sets up her biggest score yet and then--SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT--has a change of heart, which leads to here eventual downfall. 

The novel works as a hard-hitting crime story, but with lots of existentialism and satire, and while it's not overtly political, politics are definitely in the subtext. If yo dug my novel Coyote, you might dig this one as well.

Bran is a writer of fiction. His debut novel Coyote is available now on iTunes, Amazon, Kobo and more. Want a free story?  Sign up for Bran's newsletter The Lowdown and he'll send you an ebook download.