Not My Style?

For just a moment I wondered if Hard Boiled, 1950's era, noir style detective novels were for me. This soul searching came as I finished John McPartland's Big Red's Daughter and threw it away in pseudo-disgust at having wasted so much time reading it.

Why did I question my views on this genre? Because I hated Three For the Ring as well. I found it hollow, pedantic and silly. Same reasons I didn't like Big Red's Daughter. But, as I looked through my blog I saw two that I remember liking. There was Ross MacDonald's The Imaginary Blonde and John D. MacDonald's On the Make. Granted, I liked Ross much more than John, but I remember liking both of those far more than this last one.

I read Big Red's Daughter because I saw a blogger I like recommend it. Never again. A more pointless, less well written, with more pathetically fleshed out character's I don't think I've ever read.

Maybe I should go try another Ross MacDonald just to get my legs under me again.