Crime Fiction‘s alive and kicking in France. 50s pulp greats like Jim Thompson and Ross MacDonald are are currently being re-translated and some Noir classics are now out in two different editions. This is what I found out when I visited Libraririe Lignes Noires in Avignon, one of just a handful of crime fiction book shops in France, and hung out with the owner and authority on cool, cynical detectives, Mohamed Benabed. Lots of American Noir and detective fiction on the shelves as well as vintage and contemporary European crime, some Noirish graphic novels and an eclectic selection of classic non-fiction texts on popular culture. Great place.
