Explore the noir novel through three influential works: We begin with 'The Maltese Falcon' (1929) by Dashiell Hammett and 'The Big Sleep' (1939) by Raymond Chandler, foundational texts of the genre. Their hardboiled detectives, Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe, navigate the shadowy world of American crime, filled with gangsters, grifters, and femme fatales. Film clips from classic adaptations will illustrate how this literary form helped shape film noir. We will conclude with Sara Paretsky's 'Indemnity Only' (1982), a bold feminist reimagining of the genre. Paretsky redefines noir by upending traditional gender roles and giving voice to a new kind of detective hero.