Moore’s masterful noir novel delights

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This article was published 04/05/2019 (2672 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Noir (Morrow, 352 pages, $21) could be the funniest book yet from Christopher Moore, the fiendishly clever author of such hilarious novels as Lamb, Fool and You Suck.

In 1947 San Francisco, bartender Sammy falls desperately in love with a beautiful, enigmatic girl called Stilton. Yes, like the cheese. She’s not your typical damsel in distress, but events do conspire to put her in jeopardy.

Sammy might not be the most courageous guy in the world, but when the woman of his dreams is in trouble, there ain’t nothing he won’t do to rescue her.

Moore’s spoof of noir thrillers is gloriously, stupendously, side-splittingly funny.

It’s also wildly ridiculous, featuring not just a damsel in distress but also shady government agents, an impressive snake and a mysterious flying object (there’s a reason the novel is set specifically in 1947).

Another splendidly loopy novel from a master mirthmaker.

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The Forbidden Door (Bantam, 608 pages, $13) is the fourth chapter in Dean Koontz’s magnificent Jane Hawk series. Not only does Koontz take the story of a rogue FBI agent investigating the murder of her husband into new and terrifying territory, he also creates what could be his most compelling villain, the wondrously evil, over-the-top-but-never-cartoonish Egon Gottfrey. And he delivers some of the best writing he’s ever done, reaching near-Shakespearean heights from time to time.

At its heart an old-fashioned story of conspiracy and revenge, the Jane Hawk saga has elements of horror and science fiction, too — stuff that should make us throw up our hands and say, “Oh, come on, now.” But we don’t, because Koontz is such a persuasive writer.

Beautiful writing, a super-clever story and richly textured characters: what more could you ask for?

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The Border (Morrow, 720 pages, $25), which was published in hardcover in the U.S. but is available in paperback up here, wraps up Don Winslow’s ambitious dissection of the United States’ “war on drugs.”

Former Drug Enforcement Administration agent Art Keller, who’s racked up his share of enemies in his 40-year obsession with destroying the Mexican drug cartels, is surprised when he’s offered the opportunity to run the DEA.

It’s a chance finally to effect some real change in America’s policies, but Keller soon finds the narcos aren’t as dangerous as the homegrown criminals.

Keller’s story began with 2005’s The Power of the Dog and continued in 2015’s The Cartel. As much as The Border stands on its own two feet, if you want to experience the full power and nuance of Winslow’s epic story, then you really should read those two books before you read this one. But that’s not exactly a chore: Don Winslow is a remarkable storyteller and a first-class writer.

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In Lee Child’s superb Past Tense (Dell, 512 pages, $13), former military cop Jack Reacher decides, since he happens to be in the neighbourhood, to stop by the town of Laconia, N.H., and have a look at the place where his father was born. The town records suggest no one by the name of Reacher ever lived there, but — and if you’re a fan of Child’s meticulously drawn action hero, you’ll already know this — Jack is a pretty damned determined guy.

He’s also a guy who, when he sees someone in trouble, is impelled to step into the fray. So when a couple of Canadian tourists wind up on the run from some very dangerous people, Jack doesn’t hesitate to put his own life on the line to save theirs.

It would be silly to call this the best of the Reacher novels — the series started with a nearly perfect thriller, 1997’s Killing Floor, and every subsequent novel has been just as good — so let’s say this instead: you should stop what you are doing and go get this book. Right now.

Halifax writer David Pitt’s paperbacks column runs the first Saturday of every month. Follow him on Twitter at @bookfella.