I admit I was a little too quick to judge this sentence. On the surface it reads like the epitome of the noir cliche - everything we've come to love and hate about the genre. My initial thought was that this was either the lamest way to begin a noir book à la rip-off, or it was a parody. Either way I didn't like it. Then the second sentence enters the scene and slaps me in the face:
The dame was Sunnye Hardcastle, celebrated crime novelist, and Trouble was her dog, a big Rottweiler with teeth like boning knives.
D'oh. I should have noticed Trouble was uppercase. I like how the first sentence implies cliche but in fact should be taken literally and differently, all the while alluding to the genre's characteristics and poking fun at them.
As I like this genre and the title suggests a book mystery, I think I am what the shrinks call seriously hooked.
First thing said:
"Sunnye Hardcastle?"
Verdict: Pass
Sincerely,
Theodore Moracht
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