Description
Charlotte Armstrong: America’s Queen of Suspense
Armstrong won an Edgar Award for Best Novel in 1957 with A Dram of Poison. Two of her books, The Unsuspected and Mischief, are included in the Haycraft-Queen list of mystery cornerstones. The Albatross is in the Queen’s Quorum. She won sustained critical acclaim during her lifetime. How is it that she is neglected today?
Nine Neglected Noirs
“Noir” films and the books that gave rise to them were part of a cultural shift that occurred during and immediately after World War Two, as Americans shed their prewar naiveté. Several of them have become cultural icons. But there were many more noirs that have been generally overlooked. The films are not readily available in the home entertainment marketplace, and their source books have been ignored. We chose nine of these “neglected noirs” from the 1940s for rediscovery.
Previously in FIRSTS
March 1991: Shirley Jackson and Robert Penn Warren
March 2001: Rafael Sabatini