A reader's journey through time, cultures and genre moods
Hardboiled detective fiction and the Noir genre are subcategories of crime fiction. Though not completely alike, they share enough characteristics to be explained together. A private investigator often leads the investigation. He is cynical, depressed, an alcoholic and shares many aspects with the antihero. The atmosphere is bleak, often violent; people are not to be trusted, and there is a pessimistic take on life. Even women are ambiguous, mysterious and of the 'femme fatale' archetype. There is a big contrast between shadows and light, night and day, in the setting or in the connotations. These genres thrived in the 1930s and 1940s in the United-States, with a revival in the 1980s/90s. It seems to be gaining new attention now, especially in movies and series.
Cosy mystery is a subcategory of detective fiction. It is the most tame, with limited violence or gruesome environments. On the contrary, the setting is more often than not mainstream social units or higher, and a murder comes to disrupt the routine. It involves a detective, professional or private, or an amateur sleuth. The investigation is a logic-and-reasoning game for the reader, who is led astray by red herrings. The basic cosy mystery is realistic and never includes supernatural elements; some books may play with this possibility, but there is always a rational explanation at the end. It has regained interest, and it is one of the most popular genres nowadays.
