So I’m really into noir, and I would really love to have a discussion about it. Specifically, I don’t mean detective stories. I prefer stuff that is told from the perspective of the criminal. Bad people getting worse, essentially. Authors that come to mind are Jim Thompson, James M. Cain, Jake Hinkson, Will Christopher Baer, Craig Clevenger and Patricia Highsmith. If you are at all into this stuff, let me know. Let’s chat.
I wouldn’t say I’m a fan, but I appreciate noir - more so in films than books. But I would highly recommend Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spufford; that book just drips with alternate history noir. Not from the perspective of a criminal, per se, but definitely a somewhat mysterious/shady protagonist. It is just one hell of a book, so I had to recommend it.