Best Mystery Book Reviews (2026): 5 Noir Picks

The best mystery book reviews point you to noir worth your time. We compared five NYRB Classics by fit for mystery readers, contents, value and edition.

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The picks

#	Product	Shelf Score	Buy
1	Nightmare Alley	9.7/10	Buy
2	In a Lonely Place	9.7/10	Buy
3	Hard Rain Falling	9.6/10	Buy
4	The Expendable Man	9.6/10	Buy
5	The Day of the Owl	9.5/10	Buy

1

Nightmare Alley

William Lindsay Gresham·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

For carnival noir: a grifter's rise and fall, 304 pages.

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Pros

• Carnival noir with a film nominated for 4 Oscars
• 304 pages from NYRB, April 2010
• Paperback edition, reissue of the classic

Cons

• 304 pages, a long read for some
• Carnival setting may not suit all tastes
• April 2010, the older of the two longest

2

In a Lonely Place

Dorothy B. Hughes·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

For LA noir: a 1947 classic with a feminist twist, 224 pages.

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Pros

• 1947 noir that inspired the 1950 Bogart film
• 224 pages from NYRB Classics, August 2017
• Reprint of the golden age classic

Cons

• 224 pages, shorter than the two longest
• 1947 setting may feel dated to some
• Dark subject matter throughout

3

Hard Rain Falling

Don Carpenter·9.6/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

For hardboiled: pool halls to San Quentin, 336 pages.

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Pros

• Hardboiled tale from Portland to San Quentin
• 336 pages, the longest here, from NYRB Classics
• First edition reissue, September 2009

Cons

• 336 pages, the longest here
• Bleak subject matter throughout
• September 2009, the older of the two longest

4

The Expendable Man

Dorothy B. Hughes·9.6/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

For wrong-man noir: a doctor accused in the desert, 264 pages.

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Pros

• 1963 noir upending the wrong-man narrative
• 264 pages from NYRB Classics, July 2012
• By the author of In a Lonely Place

Cons

• 264 pages, mid-length here
• Slow-burn wrong-man setup
• July 2012, the older of the two Hughes books

5

The Day of the Owl

Leonardo Sciascia·9.5/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

For Sicilian crime: a Mafia investigation, 136 pages.

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Pros

• Short, paced novel of the Mafia at work
• 136 pages from NYRB Classics, September 2003
• New edition of the Sciascia classic

Cons

• 136 pages, the shortest here
• Translation may feel spare to some
• September 2003, the oldest edition here

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More picks to compare

• Black Wings Has My AngelDoomed love on the run, 224 pages.Check on Amazon
• No Room at the MorgueFrench private eye tale, 208 pages.Check on Amazon
• To Each His OwnSicilian amateur sleuth, 176 pages.Check on Amazon
• Command PerformancePlayful French caper, 176 pages.Check on Amazon

Compare the picks

Book details as published on each listing, collected 17 October 2026.

How we scored them

The Shelf Score weighs fit for mystery readers, contents and edition, and value. No reading ages are stated for these adult noir reissues. How we pick explains the weights.

Scores run from 9.2 to 9.8: each book’s point total is placed on that range, so more points always means a higher score. Reading age or level counts on a list where at least one listing gives one, and a book whose listing gives none then scores zero on it. Where no listing gives one, the score is taken over the other 85 points. Books carry no warranty, so warranty is not scored.

How to choose from the best mystery book reviews

Pick your noir flavor

Nightmare Alley is carnival noir; In a Lonely Place and The Expendable Man are LA noir; Hard Rain Falling is hardboiled; The Day of the Owl is Sicilian. For more, browse every thriller and mystery list.

Long or short

Hard Rain Falling runs 336 pages; Nightmare Alley 304; The Expendable Man 264; In a Lonely Place 224; The Day of the Owl 136.

Film connections

In a Lonely Place inspired the 1950 film starring Humphrey Bogart; Nightmare Alley became a film with 4 Oscar nominations.

Before you buy

• All five are adult noir reissues; no reading ages are stated.
• The shortest is The Day of the Owl at 136 pages; the longest is Hard Rain Falling at 336.
• Two are by Dorothy B. Hughes: In a Lonely Place and The Expendable Man.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the longest book?

Hard Rain Falling, at 336 pages.

Which books were made into films?

In a Lonely Place inspired the 1950 film starring Humphrey Bogart; Nightmare Alley became a film nominated for 4 Oscars.

Which is the shortest?

The Day of the Owl, at 136 pages.

Still deciding? Our top pickNightmare Alley

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