EURO NOIR

EURO NOIR examines the astonishing success of European fiction and drama which is often edgier, grittier and more compelling than some of its British or American equivalents, and provides a highly readable guide for those wanting to look further than the obvious choices. EURO NOIR provides the perfect shopping list for what to watch or read any time — and particularly before that trip to Paris, Rome or Berlin.

The invasion of foreign crime fiction, films and TV (not just the Scandinavian variety) has transformed the crime shelves of bookshops and DVD stores. But the sheer volume of new European writers and films is daunting and there is a keen need for a guide to the field. Euro Noir presents a roadmap to the territory and is the perfect travel guide to the genre. From Italy, such influential authors as Andrea Camilleri and Leonardo Sciascia and Mafia crime dramas "Romanzo Criminale" and "Gomorrah," along with the gruesome Gialli crime films. From France and Belgium, important writers from Maigret’s creator Georges Simenon to today’s Fred Vargas, cult television programmes "Braquo" and "Spiral" and films, from the classic heist movie "Rififi "to modern greats such as "Hidden," "Mesrine," and "Tell No One." German and Austrian greats such as Jakob Arjouni and Jan Costin Wagner, crime films including "Run Lola Run" and "The Lives of Others." Along with the best crime writing and filmmaking from Spain, Portugal, Greece, Holland, and other European countries. • EURO NOIR has already been chosen as a University text • European Noir is being touted as the next crime fiction phenomenon to hit British shores, following the huge fascination with all things Scandinavian • Barry Forshaw is Britain’s leading high-profile expert on European and Scandinavian crime fiction • Utilizes the author's unparalleled personal knowledge of virtually every major author and up-and-coming writers, most of whom he has met • Packed with author interviews • The author writes for a variety of newspapers and magazines, broadcasts on crime fiction for radio and TV and appears at many literary festivals interviewing major Noir writers Barry Forshaw is a renowned expert on European, Scandinavian and general crime fiction, who edits Crime Time, writes for newspapers and regularly appears in ITV and BBC TV documentaries. He has also been Vice Chair of the Crime Writers’ Association.