The most recommended femme fatale books

Who picked these books? Meet our 22 experts.

22 authors created a book list connected to femme fatale, and here are their favorite femme fatale books.
Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

What type of femme fatale book?

Loading...

Book cover of Canary in the Coal Mine

Steven Jankowski Author Of Below the Line

From my list on noir crime with characters that arenā€™t detectives.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a screenwriter Iā€™ve always enjoyed noir stories, whether books or movies. Stories where the characters are not your squeaky-clean ā€œgood guys.ā€ I like to see ā€œordinaryā€ people; people who are flawed (like all of us), or maybe with a shady past, who are swayed or manipulated by dire circumstances into doing something they would not ordinarily do. I enjoy stories with unique, interesting characters that are not your run-of-the-mill private eyes, and whose moral compass might be a bit off. I particularly like stories where characters are forced to become investigators because of a situation they are thrust into, whether by accident or by their own dubious actions. 

Steven's book list on noir crime with characters that arenā€™t detectives

Steven Jankowski Why did Steven love this book?

Okay, so this main character is Private Investigator, but I loved this book. A good flawed, dubious, tough-guy main character, a sexy femme fatale, dangerous mobsters, and lots of keep-you-guessing plot twists and turns. This page-turner, with great, witty, wise-guy banter, fulfills all that this Neo-Noir Crime Novel fan craves for.  

By Charles Salzberg,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Canary in the Coal Mine as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

PI Pete Fortunato, half-Italian, half-Jewish, who suffers from anger management issues and insomnia, wakes up one morning with a bad taste in his mouth. This is never a good sign. Working out of a friendā€™s downtown real estate office, Fortunato, who spent a mysteriously short, forgettable stint as a cop in a small upstate New York town, lives from paycheck to paycheck. So, when a beautiful woman wants to hire him to find her husband, he doesnā€™t hesitate to say yes. Within a day, Fortunato finds the husband in the apartment of his clientā€™s young, stud lover. Heā€™s been shotā€¦