>It was raining when I woke up. A weak drizzle. Like God was pissing on us in a hungover stupor.

>I couldn't believe how bad felt. I looked at the empty bottles by the nightstand. I started to understand. A trail of vomit led to the bathroom door. A prostitute's cheap perfume hung in the air. When I pissed it felt like fire. Will God bar me for heaven for having the clap. That's Tuesdays for you.

>I looked outside. The sky was cold, formless, like a sheet of steel stretching to eternity. I took another drag of my cigarette before putting it out on the stale nuggies atop the dresser. If this was hell, it was better than I deserved.

>I decided to hit the bar on the way to work. To atone for my sins. By the time I was done the office was closed. Back at the condo a woman stood outside my door smoking a cigarette real slow. She looked like trouble. I like trouble.

>She was the kinda gal with legs from her feet to her shoulders and eyes in her sockets. A genuine bombshell. This city takes its toll on everyone.

She said she had a problem and she needed help. I said sugar everyone does. She asked me what my problem was. I told her I was looking at it. She slapped my twice across the face. I smiled and said you're alright.

>A hot, white premonition shot through my mind like a bullet through a skull. Muffled murmurs in gloomy alleys, dark eyes lurking in darker shadows. I glanced around. Nothing. Not yet. I pushed open the door, scattering some empty bottles across the floor, and gestured her inside.

>Everyone knew Tony was in with the Verratti boys downtown, but nobody knew how deep. The guy led the city council and granted permits for the Verratti's construction business, but the foundations of their buildings were built on more than just corruption.

>This is what she told me. Nothing new. I'd had dealings with Verratti since before my third heart attack, and it was no secret that an outfit that large needed a guy in office to stitch it together. What was new was her fella, some young Yid in the DAs office who'd come home drunk and teary, telling her he'd blow their whole operation wide open. Brave boy. Stupid boy.

>The gal and I hopped into bed and made something just south of love. After we smoked and looked out over the falling rain. By the time I sobered up it was too late. I had promised her I'd fix the kid. That's women for you. Always pressing the advantage.

>I could see her clearly now, in the cold moonlight glittering over the empties and broken glass scattered across the floor. Nose as long has her legs. Kikes, I thought. Why did it have to be kikes. The Yids kept themselves to themselves, and Verratti'd have me bent over a fire with a hot poker up my ass if he caught me snooping again. There was only way I was going to get a lead on this kid. I had to talk to Chang.

>>24616244
> Chang. I didn't like him one bit. Same with the rest of those shady gooks he hangs out with. Back in the day was when I first met Chang, one of my early cases. Some sweet old lady asked me to find were her cat went missing. I tracked it down. Changs Kitchen it was called. There i found cages of cats. But for the sweet old ladies i was too late. Found out it had already been served earlier that morning.

Chang's Chinese chime ching-chonged cheerfully as I stepped inside. Herro, wercome Chang's, he called from behind the counter, but he paused as his eyes, squinty by nature, met mine, squintier still from near-sightedness, a hangover and my customary suspicion. The mask fell from his face, and he cut the bullshit. Good afternoon, Mr Hawkestone, he drawled in his foppish English accent. I hope you're not here to do me another mischief. Not this time, Chang. Lucky day for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_IImfpAIcI

>>24615960 (OP)
Post your noir reccs NOW.

>>24616475
>Kung Pow Chicken, three double whiskeys, and a moment of your time, I growled. Chang was a tricky customer. Smart. Too smart to run and operation of his own. Instead, him and his boys kept their ears to the ground, harmless, defenceless, almost pitiable - slipping their way through every crack, always playing the fly on the wall. If he had the American grit to go straight, reckon they'd put me out of work as a PI. Instead, Chang plays the middle-man, greasing the wheels. The Verrattis, the Fratellis, Mick Murphy and his boys, all of them came to Chang, and he told each of them just enough to keep them coming back. I guess I'm no different. This city is sinking, and dragging us all down with it.

Why is this story not in LWC?

>>24616945
Honestly most of it isn't much better than this thread

>>24616996
At least let them finish it first!

>>24616945
Notes from a Women Salesman (ignore the film)

I would read up to a hundred pages of just this. Any recs?

>The door to my apartment was ajar, the lock broken. Every light in the place was broken except for one in the kitchen, directly over the table. There’s a letter there, in the halo of light. It was made out of cut and pasted bits from magazines and newspapers, like those ransom notes you see all the time in movies. It said something like ‘LEAVE TOWN BEFORE TOMORROW OR ELSE’ probably. I crumpled it up and threw it in the trash with the others. At least they’d left a working light this time. Probably they’d realized reading a note in the dark was hard, maybe thought that’s why I hadn’t left town. They were awfully understanding, whoever they were.

>I poured some tequila over a bowl of cereal, dug in, and sighed. This was starting to look like one hell of a job.

calvin and hobbes is /lit/

>>24616945
Max Payne series

>>24617136
https://i.4cdn.org/wsg/1754519794130276.webm

>>24616996
>he barked into the kitchen in Chinese. I don't speak gook, but none is enough Chinese to know I was getting spit in my chicken and water in my whisky. Chang sat down across from me and sprawled himself out like a man who couldn't fake comfort if you took him out for dinner and gave him a ring. Looking for someone, I said. Young lawyer. Name of Hershel Bergenstein.

The mayor is all over my ass on this one, I'm relying on you to bring this crook in. Do what you gotta do, I heard you're a maverick.

>>24615960 (OP)
Recently got into Raymond Chandler, the books are fantastic

>>24616945
>Post your noir reccs NOW.
My standing noir recs are as follows.
"The man who paid his own way", classic 50s noir/hardboil", this was actually my introduction to this style and tone.
Macdonald who went on to find *huge* success with his Travis McGee serial books. Macdonald's earlier work showed where "Travis McGee" came from in earlier novels by him. I specifically recommend "a Bullet for Cinderella". Late 50s, maybe. AFter tht, "Darker than Amber" for a decent introduction to the related Travis McGee series. What little is perhaps the good things about my own writing, well anything I do that seems half decent is probably because I am always trying to nail "Bullet for Cinderella" style and tone.

>>24617061
>. I crumpled it up and threw it in the trash with the others. At least they’d left a working light this time. Probably they’d realized reading a note in the dark was hard, maybe thought that’s why I hadn’t left town. They were awfully understanding, whoever they were.
I particularly like the subtle dry laconic humor. I hear a dry sarcastic jaded type for the first person voice. Cool.

OP reads like AI

>>24617209
I burned through his books and I’m sad that he didn’t write more.

>The walk to the bar is always lonely, even at night. The plank stairs up to the lacquer door are in worse shape than I am, and have likely seen more cash than I have this past month. The wind is blowing ice, so cold it's like I live in the city-in-an-icebox. Dark, cold, and obsessed with the status quo. Wish someone would crack the door and take me out, but deep down I know that this is where I belong.

>Chang had told me the Yid-kid called this shithole his locale. You can tell a lot about a man by his bar of choice. My shoes stuck to the floor as I walked in. I didn't like this kike already. The barkeep was an ugly thing. Just a ginger golem made of challah. He said Bergenstein usually came in a little later. I ordered a drink, told him to keep them coming. Just another supper of whiskey and smokes. To keep the mind clear and the body strong.

uno bumpo

Recently read Red Harvest and Run (E. Winter). I found Red Harvest a bit repetitive and mostly boring in its second pry, however I was pleasantly surprised by Run in terms of pacing and action, (although a bit over the top at the end), would definitely recommend.
Also watched Chinatown, LA confidential, Sunset Boulevard and Double indemnity last week so I'm very much into this style atm

>>24617179

>>24615960 (OP)
books recs for this feel? I think Five Decembers could count on this.

The Yid walked sometime at half past my eighth whiskey. He had a face a drunk mother would love. He sat down and ordered a beer. I asked him if he was a fag. He told me he had a pregnant wife to get home to. Said she was a pain in the ass. I said kid I know the feeling. I said you best learn and bought him a proper drink. We put them together and cheersed to dames. May they never know how much we need them.

>>24617342
>OP reads like AI
maybe but this hard-boil "the gutters run overflowing with the sweet sick smell of fresh blood when this gets out" and "legs just the way I like from her ankles to her round ass cheeks." That tone is easy to ape I think. First person hard-boil narration is like Othello. Minute to learn lifetime to master. OP does it okay if its not AI. AI can likely try to imitate it easier than other styles. I like mixing hard-boil and noir with slices of other genres for fun results.