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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/...
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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...
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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/...
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Happy Holidays everyone!
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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...
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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/...
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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...
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Discussion thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
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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...
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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/...
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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...
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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/...
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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...
Pulp Fiction
Books mentioned in this topic
The Devotion of Suspect X (other topics)The Fabulous Clipjoint (other topics)
Authors mentioned in this topic
Keigo Higashino (other topics)Fredric Brown (other topics)
Otto Penzler (other topics)
As usual, no author self-promotion will be allowed in this folder.