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After

The Kills

Richard House2013

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

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  • Arid Dreams

    Duanwad Pimwana2019

    Thirteen stories follow working-class characters in Thailand as they navigate stagnant routines and unfulfilled desires.

    Same tense register, still noir

    pace0·prose-1·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • A Fable

    William Faulkner1954

    During WWI, a French corporal leads a mutiny that halts the fighting. The narrative mirrors the events of the Passion of Christ.

    tense → meditative

    pace-2·prose+1·bleak0

  • The Aeneid

    Publius Vergilius Maro1990

    A Trojan warrior leads survivors across the Mediterranean to found a new civilization in Italy. The story is told in dactylic hexameter verse.

    tense → elegiac

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

  • Shroud

    John Banville2002

    An aging scholar with a stolen identity meets a woman who knows his secret. They travel to Turin to confront his past.

    tense → cold

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

To recover

3 more ↓

  • The case of the lucky legs

    Erle Stanley Gardner1931

    Defense attorney Perry Mason represents a woman accused of murdering a promoter who scammed her in a beauty contest.

    tense → propulsive, still noir

    pace0·prose-2·bleak-2

  • The Boy Next Door

    Meg Cabot2002

    A gossip columnist looks after her neighbor's pets after an attack and falls for the man she thinks is the woman's nephew. It is told in emails.

    tense → playful

    pace0·prose-2·bleak-2

  • Sex, Lies, and Online Dating

    Rachel Gibson2006

    A mystery writer and a detective go on dates while lying about their professions. They eventually collaborate on a real-life murder case.

    tense → playful

    pace0·prose-2·bleak-2

Faster

3 more ↓

  • Oath of Loyalty

    Kyle Mills2022

    CIA assassin Mitch Rapp goes off the grid to protect his partner while navigating a political conspiracy in Washington.

    tense → propulsive, still political thriller

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

  • The President Is Missing

    Bill Clinton2018

    The U.S. President goes underground to stop a cyberattack that threatens to wipe out the nation's electrical and financial infrastructure.

    tense → propulsive, still political thriller

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-2

  • Transfer of Power

    Vince Flynn1999

    Terrorists seize the White House and take hostages. CIA operative Mitch Rapp infiltrates the building alone to rescue the survivors.

    tense → propulsive, still political thriller

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

Slower

tense → elegiac

3 more ↓

  • Moby Dick

    Herman Melville1851

    A sailor joins a whaling voyage led by a captain seeking revenge on a specific whale. Large sections digress into the mechanics of 1850s whaling.

    tense → meditative

    pace-2·prose+1·bleak0

  • Walden

    Henry David Thoreau1854

    A man lives in a small cabin by a pond for two years. He records his daily expenses, the local wildlife, and his thoughts on solitude.

    tense → meditative

    pace-2·prose0·bleak-2

  • Gilead

    Marilynne Robinson2004

    An elderly preacher in 1950s Iowa writes a letter to his young son about their family history. He reflects on his father and grandfather.

    tense → meditative

    pace-2·prose0·bleak-1

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • The North Water

    Ian McGuire2016

    A disgraced surgeon joins a whaling expedition where a psychopathic harpooner commits a murder. The crew becomes trapped in the Arctic ice.

    tense → cold, still noir

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1

  • Red April

    Santiago Roncagliolo2009

    A prosecutor in 2000s Peru investigates a series of gruesome murders during Holy Week. He uncovers a conspiracy involving the military and rebels.

    tense → bleak, still political thriller

    pace0·prose-1·bleak+1

  • The Road

    Cormac McCarthy2006

    A father and son walk through a landscape of ash and scavengers toward the coast. They carry only what fits in a shopping cart.

    tense → bleak

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1