Pulp Fiction discussion

This thread will be for announcements, such as group read winners and new polls, and other club business.

As usual, no author self-promotion will be allowed in this folder.

DECEMBER GROUP READ WINNER

For our All Through the Night theme, we’re diving into Cornell Woolrich’s Night Has a Thousand Eyes, a shadow-soaked blend of noir, supernatural dread, and psychological suspense. Written under his George Hopley pseudonym, it showcases Woolrich at his most fatalistic and influential, shaping the tone of mid-century crime fiction and film noir. If you’re looking for a quintessential pulp experience—moody, atmospheric, and full of creeping inevitability—this is the perfect month to jump in and join the discussion.

Discussion link - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

JANUARY POLL IS UP

January’s theme is Holiday Hangover, a chance to revisit some of the near-miss favorites from past polls. We’re giving four compelling titles a second shot at your attention—classic thrillers, contemporary crime, and international noir, each with rich characters, sharp storytelling, and plenty of discussion potential. Grab a cup of coffee, shake off the holiday haze, and join us as we dive into these overlooked gems.

VOTE HERE - https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...

JANUARY GROUP READ WINNER

Our Holiday Hangover winner has been chosen! Eric Ambler’s The Light of Day is a smart, lean thriller from one of the architects of modern espionage fiction. Built around a reluctant criminal drawn into an international caper, it delivers taut suspense, dry wit, and the kind of moral gray areas that influenced everyone from Graham Greene to John le Carré. A deceptively modest classic that proves how entertaining—and enduring—intelligent pulp can be.

Discussion link - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

It looks like a good start for our literary adventures in 2026.
Happy Holidays everyone!

FEBRUARY 2026 POLL IS UP

February’s theme is Roots & Reckonings, a month dedicated to exploring crime, mystery, and noir through the lens of diverse cultural and ethnic experiences. Our four selections highlight African American, Asian, Latino, and Native American voices, each deeply rooted in heritage, identity, and the moral questions that drive compelling stories.

VOTE HERE - https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...

FEBRUARY 2026 GROUP READ SELECTED

Our February 2026 group read is Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke, the winning selection for our Roots & Reckonings theme. This powerful and engaging crime novel explores justice, identity, and community through a culturally grounded noir lens—making it a perfect fit for our Multicultural Month, which coincides with Black History Month. Jump into the discussion, share your thoughts as you read, and help make this another lively and thoughtful Pulp Fiction Book Club conversation.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

MARCH 2026 POLL IS UP

March’s theme is American Crime Chronicles, spotlighting classic American mystery novels reissued under the American Mystery Classics imprint. Curated by Otto Penzler, founder of The Mysterious Press, these editions rescue essential but often overlooked crime novels from the mid-20th century and return them to print in definitive form. From hard-boiled noir to ingenious puzzle mysteries, this poll offers four very different — and very tempting — ways to spend March in the shadows.

Dread Journey — A tense, claustrophobic noir thriller set aboard a cross-country train where danger feels unavoidable and trust is in short supply.

The Fabulous Clipjoint — A fast-moving, emotionally grounded mystery pairing a teenage runaway with his carnivalesque uncle to solve a murder in postwar Chicago.

The Plague Court Murders — A classic locked-room puzzle steeped in atmosphere, showcasing Carr’s mastery of the “impossible crime.”

The Cat Saw Murder — A sharp, intimate crime novel that turns everyday domestic life into a pressure cooker of suspicion and menace.

VOTE HERE - https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...

The votes are in, and our March selection for the American Crime Chronicles theme is The Fabulous Clipjoint by Fredric Brown! Part of the American Mystery Classics imprint curated by Otto Penzler of The Mysterious Press, this award-winning debut helped redefine postwar American crime fiction with its blend of noir atmosphere and deeply human storytelling. Set against the backdrop of 1940s Chicago, it promises suspense, heart, and plenty to unpack in discussion. Get your copy now so we can dive into this restored classic together!

Discussion thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

APRIL 2026 POLL IS UP

This April, the Pulp Fiction Book Club presents Crime With An Edge: CWA Dagger Winners , featuring novels honored by the UK’s Crime Writers’ Association, one of the most prestigious institutions in crime fiction. The CWA Daggers recognize books that combine literary excellence with sharp plotting, moral ambiguity, and an unflinching look at the darker side of human nature. For our group, this theme offers the perfect intersection of pulp sensibilities and literary ambition—crime fiction that cuts deep and lingers long after the final page.

VOTE NOW! - https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...

APRIL 2026 GROUP READ

The votes are in for our Crime With An Edge: CWA Dagger Winners poll, and April’s selection is The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino. This award-winning novel delivers a brilliantly constructed puzzle wrapped in a deeply human story of sacrifice, intellect, and moral consequence. Get ready for a gripping discussion as we dive into one of the most unique and thought-provoking crime novels of the modern era.

Join the discussion HERE - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

MAY 2026 POLL IS UP

For May, the Pulp Fiction Book Club heads into the margins with Forgotten in the Shadows, a look at noir novels that slipped through the cracks—but never lost their bite. These are the kind of stories where one bad decision is all it takes, and nobody gets out clean. Cast your vote and help us bring one of these lost gems back into the light.

VOTE HERE - https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...

MAY 2026 GROUP READ

The votes are in, and our May selection for Forgotten in the Shadows is They Don't Dance Much. A long-overlooked noir classic, it’s a lean and quietly brutal story of how quickly things can spiral once the wrong choices start to stack up. The discussion is now open—join us as we bring this forgotten gem back into the light.

Join the discussion HERE - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

JUNE 2026 POLL IS UP

For June, the Pulp Fiction Book Club heads somewhere sunny—and straight into trouble. Our theme, Paradise Gone Wrong, explores what happens when dream destinations and easy escapes give way to bad decisions, hidden dangers, and consequences that can’t be outrun. From sun-bleached coastlines to tropical getaways, these four novels prove that sometimes the most dangerous place to be… is exactly where you wanted to go.

VOTE HERE - https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...

JUNE 2026 GROUP READ

For June, the Pulp Fiction Book Club heads into dangerous waters with Aground by Charles Williams. What begins as a routine boating trip off the Florida coast quickly spirals into greed, deception, and deadly trouble in this classic tale of sun-soaked noir suspense. Long admired by crime writers and paperback aficionados, Williams’ lean, fast-moving novel is a perfect fit for our Paradise Gone Wrong theme, where beautiful settings hide danger just beneath the surface.

Join the discussion HERE - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

JULY 2026 POLL IS UP

The future was supposed to solve our problems. Instead, it gave us new ways to lie, cheat, kill, and disappear.

For this year's science fiction theme, we're heading into the neon shadows: rain-slick streets, corrupt power structures, desperate investigators, and mysteries lurking beneath the glow of tomorrow. These four novels blend the pulse of crime fiction with the imagination of speculative fiction, proving that whether the setting is a dying Earth, a divided city, or a genetically engineered future, the oldest stories remain the same: someone has a secret, someone is asking questions, and someone would rather the truth stay buried.

Four excellent candidates await -

The City & the City by China Miéville
A homicide detective investigates a murder in a city that occupies the same physical space as another city, uncovering mysteries that challenge the very nature of reality.

The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters
With humanity counting down its final months, one stubborn detective refuses to abandon a murder investigation that no one else believes matters.

Zoo City by Lauren Beukes
In a gritty, alternate Johannesburg, a reluctant finder of lost things is drawn into a dangerous mystery involving fame, deception, and murder.

Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway
A private investigator navigates a future divided by wealth, power, and genetic enhancement when a seemingly straightforward murder case becomes anything but.

VOTE HERE - https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...

JULY 2026 GROUP READ SELECTED

The winner of the poll for our annual Science-Fiction read - the July 2026 theme Neon Shadows: Four Futures, Four Mysteries - is:

Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway

Part detective novel, part science-fiction noir, the book follows an investigator navigating a future shaped by genetic engineering, extreme wealth, and hidden agendas. Like the best crime fiction, it uses a murder mystery to explore deeper questions about power, class, and human nature. Join us as we venture into a world where technology has transformed society, but greed, ambition, and secrets remain stubbornly familiar.

Discussion Thread OPEN - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

AUGUST 2026 POLL IS UP

Lights, camera... murder! For August, the Pulp Fiction Book Club presents Backstage Stabbings, a collection of mysteries, thrillers, and noirs set amid the glamour—and the grime—of show business. Whether it's Golden Age Hollywood, the Mexican film industry, modern movie executives, or reality television, each novel explores what happens when ambition, ego, and illusion meet crime. Step behind the curtain and discover that the most dangerous performances often happen offstage.

VOTE HERE - https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...

Thanks to Algernon for suggesting this theme.

AUGUST 2026 GROUP READ SELECTED

The votes are in, and our August selection is:


Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

As part of our Backstage Stabbings theme, we'll venture behind the cameras and into the world of Mexican cinema, where a lost horror film, a legendary director, and long-buried secrets collide in a story that fuses crime, noir, horror, and film history. Whether you're already a fan of Moreno-Garcia or discovering her work for the first time, we hope you'll pick up a copy and join us for another month of lively discussion.