Noir

A Novel

By: Christopher Moore

Narrated by: Johnny Heller

Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

The absurdly outrageous, sarcastically satiric, and always entertaining New York Times best-selling author Christopher Moore returns in finest madcap form with this zany noir set on the mean streets of post-World War II San Francisco, and featuring a diverse cast of characters, including a hapless bartender; his Chinese sidekick; a doll with sharp angles and dangerous curves; a tight-lipped air force general; a wisecracking waif; Petey, a black mamba; and many more.

San Francisco. Summer, 1947. A dame walks into a saloon....

It's not every afternoon that an enigmatic, comely blonde named Stilton (like the cheese) walks into the scruffy gin joint where Sammy "Two Toes" Tiffin tends bar. It's love at first sight, but before Sammy can make his move, an air force general named Remy arrives with some urgent business. 'Cause when you need something done, Sammy is the guy to go to; he's got the connections on the street.

Meanwhile, a suspicious flying object has been spotted up the Pacific coast in Washington State near Mount Rainer, followed by a mysterious plane crash in a distant patch of desert in New Mexico that goes by the name Roswell. But the real weirdness is happening on the streets of the City by the Bay.

When one of Sammy's schemes goes south and the Cheese mysteriously vanishes, Sammy is forced to contend with his own dark secrets - and more than a few strange goings-on - if he wants to find his girl.

Think Raymond Chandler meets Damon Runyon with more than a dash of Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes All Stars. It's all very, very Noir. It's all very, very Christopher Moore.

©2018 Christopher Moore (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"Narrator Johnny Heller nails the wry tones and rhythmic pacing of the working mugs, corrupt cops, streetwise urchins, and tough dames who people Christopher Moore's novel, which the author calls 'perky noir.'" (AudioFile)

Noir, a very enjoyable book

I loved the narration of this book, very well done, and it made me laugh out loud in places..I like that he kept the words from that era and used them. the story line was fun to. I will listen again, just so I can hear the narrator.

Another Moore hit!

Love his characters always and you can tell that he has done his research. Charm, witticism, vulgarity, crime, hedonism, love, and much more, as usual. I can't say enough good things about the author. The narrator was perfect for this story. Very well read and performed. A+

classic Moore, new style. liked it quite a bit

narrator was excellent. good story, funny, hard-boiled late 40s style. higly enjoyable. well worth a credit.

The only thing sharper than his wit,was his cheese

What did you love best about Noir?

It's a fantastic work, like Twain sending up Chandler, with a side of Arthur C. Clarke.

The best part is the brilliantly satirical dialogue which is reverential to, and yet still pokes fun at, the hard-boiled detective novel. It starts with the phrase "She had the kind of legs that kept her butt from resting on her shoes", and goes from there.

What about Johnny Heller’s performance did you like?

The Jimmy Cagney-esque character, of Eddie Moo Shoes, in Chinatown. At the start, the author makes clear that this story is set in a specific time and place, and modern sensibilities may become unsettled. But he deftly gets around that with a wildly off-the-wall story, which is totally entertaining.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The headline of this review.

I'd love to see a film of this book, in the spirit of "Murder By Death" and "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid". I even found myself trying to cast the film in my head as it went along.

Any additional comments?

To be honest, it probably goes a little bit longer than necessary. But the whole thing is so madcap and ridiculous, I still didn't want it to end!

A Very Well Narrated Performance of A Humorous Story

"Noir" is a Very different story that is part comedy, part science fiction and part noir mystery. Although I liked the story, the audiobook narration was by far my fav part of the novel. The comedic timing and intonation is excellent. I do not think I would have liked the novel nearly as much if I only read it.

The story started a bit slowly for me, but I stayed with it. I grew to like the characters and enjoy the unusual, funny, and bizarre story. I would not want to read this kind of writing as a steady diet, but it was a really fun change of pace for me. Thank You...

Moore’s Laugh-out loud funny best yet!

Christopher Moore is without a doubt one of the most talented and imaginative writers of the time. He has the ability to create likable characters, makes us care about them and places them in some of the most bizarre and funny situations, especially when they are in San Francisco-which he clearly knows. This story is fun, well-written, laugh-out loud funny. You won’t want to stop listening because you can’t wait to hear where it will take you next. Johnny Heller is the perfect narrator with spot-on comic delivery and timing. He brings life and depth to Moore’s characters. What a team! Like Mark Tufo and Sean Runette or Oliver Wyman and just about anyone, their work fits together like a well-engineered machine. No matter what your audiobook taste, Noir is a can’t miss good time that is well worth the price or credit!

Would give 6+ stars for the performance if availab

This was an outstanding story with perhaps the best narrative performance ever! Worth a second listen.

Delightful!

Loved this story! Silly enough to not take too seriously, but loaded with historical references to add some reality. There were so many funny lines & situations, lots of laugh-out-loud and worthy-of-sharing moments. Johnny Heller did a superb job, making many of these parts even more memorable.

Well worth the credit and time!

Wonderful dry humor with a story. So glad I got this. Narrator is perfect as well

A Must Read from Christopher Moore

A love story, sort of, that only Christopher Moore could tell. I struggled with the narrator in some character shifts, but will buy the hardcover now.