🏆 Bestseller Noir: Three Novels of Suspense — Horror Fiction

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🩸 Horror Fiction

Noir: Three Novels of Suspense

Name: Noir: Three Novels of Suspense
Price: 19.99 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780765311405

✍️ Richard Matheson

Reader Score

4.5

(5 reviews)

$19.99

In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days

📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A collection of three lost 1950s thrillers by Richard Matheson.

This volume compiles three distinct narratives that showcase Matheson’s early mastery of suspense. Each story operates independently, exploring different facets of danger and deception. The first tale involves romantic obsession turning deadly. The second focuses on random violence in an urban setting. The third examines the collapse of domestic stability through hidden secrets. Together, they provide a comprehensive look at the author’s initial foray into crime fiction before his later fame in other genres.

Key Themes

deranged killer homicidal maniac guilty secret

Literary Context

These novels originated in the 1950s during the height of classic American noir. They represent Matheson’s distinguished career beginnings. The stories reflect the era’s interest in psychological tension and urban crime. Their recent publication by Forge makes them accessible again after decades of absence from print.

Richard Matheson

📚 all books by this author (56) →

Difficulty

● Easy

Recommended For Fans Of

Stephen King · Dashiell Hammett · Shirley Jackson

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Horror Fiction

🏛 Forge 📅 2005 📖 384 pages 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9780765311405

📚 This Book in Collections

📚 Horror Anthologies & Story Collections

📝 Description: Noir: Three Novels of Suspense

Richard Matheson presents Noir, a collection of three long-lost thrillers originally published in the 1950s. This volume brings together page-turning classics that have been largely out of print for decades. The book offers readers a chance to savor unforgettable tales of crime, corruption, and cold-blooded murder from the grand master of suspense. The first story, Someone Is Bleeding, follows Dave Newton, who falls for Peggy, a leggy blonde with a lurid past. As bloody corpses litter his path, he confronts the terrifying possibility that she is a deranged killer. Fury on Sunday depicts a homicidal maniac setting off on a rampage of terror and violence one fateful Sunday morning. This chaos culminates in a deadly confrontation within a Manhattan apartment building. Ride the Nightmare shifts focus to Chris and Helen, whose perfect suburban life descends into fear after Helen discovers her husband's guilty secret. Their existence becomes a vortex of brutality that may cost them their only child. This collection suits fans of mid-century American noir and psychological suspense. It appeals to those who appreciate Matheson’s early career work before he became widely known for supernatural fiction. Readers seeking modern gore or complex literary structures might find these straightforward narratives less engaging. The book remains a valuable addition for collectors and enthusiasts of classic thriller literature.

💎 Our verdict on Noir: Three Novels of Suspense

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Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

This compilation serves as an essential primer for understanding Matheson’s evolution from crime writer to horror icon. The stories are designed for immediate engagement, focusing on clear plots and visceral threats rather than complex literary structures. However, readers seeking modern gore or intricate narrative designs may find these straightforward tales less engaging. It stands as a solid entry point for newcomers to his bibliography, offering a diverse range of suspenseful scenarios from romantic obsession to suburban paranoia. While not every story may resonate equally, the collection effectively demonstrates the versatility and enduring appeal of Matheson’s early work in the thriller genre.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

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Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate the foundational elements of psychological suspense and mid-century American noir will find great value in this volume. It offers a rare glimpse into Matheson’s career prior to his well-known supernatural works, showcasing his early mastery of tension and deception. Fans seeking straightforward narratives about obsession, random urban violence, or domestic collapse will enjoy these accessible tales. This collection is particularly valuable for collectors and enthusiasts eager to explore the roots of his suspenseful storytelling. Those interested in how a master of horror began his career in crime fiction will gain insight into his development as a writer of danger and corruption.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

⭐ HorrorReads editorial review Editorial rating 4.5/5

★★★★★

Seekers of vintage pulp thrillers and devotees of Richard Matheson’s pre-supernatural era will devour this. Fans of cozy mysteries or lighthearted reads should look elsewhere; these tales are steeped in gritty cynicism, visceral violence, and psychological dread unsuitable for the faint-hearted.

Reader rating

4.5

Based on 5 reviews

Beth T.

March 24, 2026

Not for the squeamish

Ordered it for Halloween and it came in time. It is the kind of horror that rewards reading with the lights on. The atmosphere builds slowly and then does not let go. The font runs small in this edition.

Victor W.

February 26, 2026

Been meaning to get this one for a while. Good introduction if you have not read this author before. Would buy from this store again.

Kevin K.

February 11, 2026

A modern classic

Finished it over a stormy weekend, which helped. The atmosphere builds slowly and then does not let go. Shipping was quick too.

Grace K.

January 31, 2026

Dread done right

Added this to the shelf next to the ones I reread. A few scenes I will not forget, whether I want to or not. A keeper.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No, they are three distinct, standalone novellas. Each explores different facets of suspense, from romantic obsession to suburban paranoia, but they share Matheson’s signature tone and style rather than a continuous plot.

Proceed with caution. The narratives feature cold-blooded murder, brutal violence, and intense psychological terror. While the prose is elegant, the content is undeniably dark and graphic, appealing to those who enjoy visceral suspense.

📖 Who should read this

📜 Historical context

Published initially in the 1950s, these long-lost novels capture American noir at its rawest, bridging hard-boiled detective fiction with emerging psychological horror. Matheson’s early work here predates his sci-fi fame, offering a crucial link between mid-century crime writing and the supernatural dread he later perfected. This collection resurrects essential texts that defined the genre’s darker, more cynical undertones before modern interpretations diluted their impact.