Book description
Examines the history and works representative of American detective fiction, providing psychological insight into popular opinions on violence, crime, revenge, and justice. Bibliogs
Why read it?
1 author picked Saint with a Gun as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
This provocative work of investigatory scholarship takes a dim view of private eyes, but that’s fair enough – as a detective (definitely not a saint) who has never carried a gun myself, I share the author’s dismay at the violent anti-heroes of mythic American lore. Ruehlmann’s question in this book is also my own: why are people so interested in private eyes? Answering it, he traces the idea of an omniscient private eye back to the outlaw vigilantes of the Old West, draws a distinction between intellectual English detectives and the musclemen of American noir, and includes an overview of…
From Ellen's list on The best books about what it’s like – and what it takes – to be a real-life private eye.
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