“The best crime stories, the most relatable—and this applies for noir, too—involve people driven to do things because of understandable circumstances. Inescapable circumstances. Isn’t this why shows like Breaking Bad or Ozark are so plausible? Many Americans are one illness away from bankruptcy. This creates a constant vibration of violence and precariousness in this country. Even those not standing right on the edge know the cliff will be steep, if they wind up there. So the leap of logic to imagine our way into characters dealing drugs, say, or stealing from card games, or ripping off the public school district—it’s not very big. These stories parlay that feeling into stories that reverberate around issues to do with living in a city where power often only helps the few.” Author/Editor John Freeman, explaining the premise behind stories in SACRAMENTO NOIR (available everywhere now).

Read about Noir and this particular book of it here: https://www.altaonline.com/california-book-club/a63939443/john-freeman-sacramento-noir-interview/