Alfred Hitchcock hated mysteries. He said he would never film a mystery because too much relied on the final reveal. He of course made suspense films that were twisty enough to hold the viewer's interest, but many times in a Hitchcock film the killer is revealed early but motivation and method are revealed late.
I want both. DOMINANCE is both a mystery and a thriller, and that's the way I like it. I want my books to exist in that in-between world that will appeal to readers of whodunits (and DOMINANCE is definitely a whodunit in the classic sense of the word) and high-octane thrillers (DOMINANCE, I think, is also that).
There are few (American) novels that exist in this in-between land. I am always looking for them in the bookstore, but I strike out more often than not. Do you, dear readers, have any recommendations for me?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Jeff Vandermeer's "Finch" is a speculative crime tale but also has that France occupied by the German war story going on as well. Instead of Nazis, Vandermeer uses intelligent fungal beings. I know, but it's a terrifically layered hard-boiled fantasy.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommendation, Rob. I've heard great things about FINCH, and I was a big fan of his (very weird, but very cool) CITY OF SAINTS AND MADMEN.
ReplyDelete