Here writers depict situations where the setting is usually set among criminals rather than crime-fighters or at least policeman that are not so law-abiding. The language used is often very colloquial and coarse. Also included in this sub-genre are also authors that homefer the noir side of mysteries (often European).

	Massimo Carlotto	Having been at the center of one of the most controversial law cases in Italian history, Carlotto has therefore created a character, Alligator, that has a thirst for truth and justice.
	Raymond Chandler	One of the greatest writers of all time.
	Michael Connelly	Among the most appreciated modern mystery writers.
	Ron Ellis	Author of a very good series featuring DJ-PI Johnny Ace.
	James Ellroy	Among the most popular hard boiled mystery authors.
	Sue Grafton	Very famous in the US with her PI Kinsey Millhone, Grafton's books are characterized also by her titles with the use of letters of the alphabet.
	Dashiell Hammett	The father of hard boiled.
	Patricia Highsmith	One of the most famous and acclaimed mystery authors, Patricia Highsmith's Thomas Ripley and her other stories may be defined as noir.
	Jean-Claude Izzo	A very successful French writer known also in Italy, Jean-Claude Izzo has a series set in Marseilles.
	Yasmina Khadra	Forced to write under as pseudonym, Yasmina Khadra sharp and very noir mysteries depict the sadness of current Algeria.
	Santo Piazzese	A new very cynical Italian author.
	Giorgio Scerbanenco	The father of the Italian noir.
	Sandra Scoppettone (a.k.a. Jack Early)	Jack Early, who later people found was really named Sandra Scoppettone, was considered one of the best US hard boiled authors of the 1980s.
	Cornell Woolrich	The father of noir.