Euro Noir

The Pocket Essential Guide to European Crime Fiction, Film & TV, by Barry Forshaw

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 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.