July Is Crime Month: Noir at the Bar

For my money, a crime novel just isn't complete without a few slugs: from a .45, from the fist of a hired goon, and from a bottle of hooch. The first two I don't need to experience personally for my reading pleasure to be enhanced, but that third slug always adds a little kick to my slip into crime. Which puts Noir at the Bar right up my crime alley.

This series, originated in Philadelphia and since replicated in cities from coast to coast, has authors who specialize in crime fiction read from their work where the kind of stuff their heroes swig down between beatings is served for the public's enjoyment. MysteryPeople – the crime fiction specialists from local indie BookPeople – have brought the concept to our fair city, and they're giving you the opportunity to sample the heady cocktail of hardboiled fiction and hard liquor tonight at Opal Divine's South. 3601 S. Congress.

At 7pm Monday, July 7, Noir at the Bar will feature readings by Tim O'Mara, Dan O'Shea, and Jonathan Woods.

O'Mara received a 2013 Barry Award nomination in the "Best First Novel" category for Sacrifice Fly, which focuses on Raymond Donne, a former police officer turned Brooklyn public school teacher. He followed it last year with another mystery starring the character, Crooked Numbers.

O’Shea hails from Chicago, and his debut thriller, Penance, dug deep into the gritty history and culture of corruption in his hometown. He's just released a followup, Greed, which also stars Chi-town detective John Lynch.

Woods splits his time between Dallas and Key West, mostly spinning out twisted short fiction – Bad Juju & Other Tales of Madness and Mayhem and Phone Call from Hell and Other Tales of the Damned are his first two collection of short stories. His novel A Death in Mexico was named one of the top five debut crime novels of 2012 by MysteryPeople.

I get the feeling these three won't be pulling any punches with their material tonight. You might just need that drink to calm your nerves.