On the HahaFiction shelf
Noir
Sammy Tiffin tends bar in San Francisco in 1947, where meeting Stilton seems like a promising distraction from work. An Air Force general’s business soon complicates things. When Stilton vanishes, Sammy has to find her while his own schemes and secrets threaten to catch up with him.
From the author’s blurb
“San Francisco. Summer, 1947. A dame walks into a saloon”Read the full description at Christopher Moore, author’s book description
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What makes it funny?
In the opening chapter, Sammy wants to tip his hat to Stilton. Lacking one, he borrows another drinker’s fedora to complete the gesture. His attempt at effortless charm requires the cooperation of a bystander.
The comedy at work
Sammy narrates in hard-boiled slang and piles extravagant comparisons onto people and situations. The swagger leaves room for his own foolishness, while the Roswell hints take the crime story toward stranger territory.
Try this if…
Readers who enjoy verbal sparring and elaborate noir narration have plenty to follow here. A reader in Book Recommendations particularly enjoys the combination of a funny 1940s setting and a science-fiction plot.
Good to know
Strong language and sexual innuendo appear alongside racist language and attitudes in the period setting. Publishers Weekly flags the author’s warning about material some readers may find disturbing.
More funny crime & thriller
Sources & further reading
- Publishers Weekly review
Review
- Reader discussion
Reader discussion
- Author’s book page
Author commentary
- Author’s opening chapter
Author commentary
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