It All Stays in the Family. The Revival of Domestic Noir in the 21st Century Crime Fiction

Abstract

[eng] This chapter explores the current revival of domestic noir, in particular, its distinctive dramatization of the problems and contradictions of the contemporary family. While vastly popular and visible in the mainstream press, the genre has yet to receive sustained scholarly attention. In critical discourses that circulate around novels labelled as domestic noir—most of which are authored by women—the genre has been trivialized because of its focus on “feminine” private preoccupations, such as relationships, family life and motherhood. In contradistinction to this critical derision, I call for a reappraisal of domestic crime fiction, in which a number of contemporary writers have pursued observant cultural commentary on the gendered inequities of family life. The proposed reading of The Girl on the Train (2015) by British author Paula Hawkins in the second part of this chapter will show the domestic noir genre to be unexpectedly well placed to critique contemporary gender roles and lingering social inequalities in the domains of work, motherhood, finance and domestic responsibilities.