LitQueuelitqueue

After

Jar City

Arnaldur Indriðason2005

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

1 more ↓

  • Mind's Eye

    Håkan Nesser2008

    A man wakes up with no memory of killing his wife, and a weary Chief Inspector must determine if the confession is true.

    bleak → sardonic, still police procedural

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • Blood on the dining-room floor

    Gertrude Stein1948

    A repetitive, circular narrative about a death in a country house. It uses experimental prose to obscure the facts of a traditional mystery.

    bleak → playful

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1

  • The Doves Necklace

    Raja Alem2014

    A detective investigates an unidentified woman's body found in a Mecca alleyway. The city itself narrates parts of the story.

    bleak → dreamlike

    pace0·prose+2·bleak0

  • American Psycho

    Bret Easton Ellis1991

    A wealthy investment banker details his daily routines, consumer habits, and graphic murders. The narrative is cold and repetitive.

    bleak → cold

    pace0·prose+2·bleak+1

To recover

bleak → propulsive, still police procedural

3 more ↓

  • Ghost Ship

    Clive Cussler2014

    Kurt Austin survives a yacht sinking but suffers from conflicting memories. He investigates a global cybercrime conspiracy to find the truth.

    bleak → propulsive

    pace+2·prose-1·bleak-2

  • This Girl

    Colleen Hoover2013

    A husband retells the story of his early relationship to his wife. It uses dual timelines to revisit events from the first book in the series.

    bleak → earnest

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

  • The Score

    Elle Kennedy2016

    A college senior has a one-night stand with a hockey player to get over a breakup. They continue the arrangement as graduation approaches.

    bleak → playful

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

Faster

bleak → propulsive, still police procedural

3 more ↓

  • Golden Prey

    John Sandford2017

    A U.S. Marshal tracks a pair of thieves who robbed a drug cartel and killed a small child during their escape.

    pace+2·prose-1·bleak-1

  • The Crucifix Killer

    Chris Carter2010

    An LA detective finds a signature mark on a victim that suggests a previously executed serial killer is still active or has a copycat.

    pace+2·prose-1·bleak0

  • Memory Man

    David Baldacci2015

    A detective with a brain injury that prevents him from forgetting anything hunts for the person who murdered his family.

    pace+2·prose-1·bleak0

Slower

3 more ↓

  • Gödel, Escher, Bach

    Douglas R. Hofstadter1979

    An exploration of how cognition emerges from hidden neurological patterns. It uses math, art, and music to explain self-referential systems.

    bleak → playful

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-2

  • Ulysses

    James Joyce1914

    Three characters wander through Dublin on a single day in 1904. Each chapter uses a different literary style to mimic thoughts and sensations.

    bleak → playful

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1

  • A maça no escuro

    Clarice Lispector1961

    A man flees into the Brazilian interior believing he killed his wife. He works on a remote farm while navigating his own internal monologue.

    bleak → meditative

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • Mystic River

    Dennis Lehane2001

    Three childhood friends are reunited in Boston when one's daughter is murdered. One is the detective, one the father, and one the lead suspect.

    Same bleak register, still police procedural

    pace+1·prose+1·bleak+1

  • Birdman

    Mo Hayder1999

    Detective Jack Caffery hunts a serial killer in London who performs surgical procedures on his victims while they are alive.

    Same bleak register, still police procedural

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+1

  • Broken Harbor

    Tana French2012

    A detective investigates a family murdered in a failed housing development. The story focuses on the investigator's mental unraveling.

    Same bleak register, still police procedural

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+1