Noël Calef

Italian novelist credited with the 1956 noir Ascensore per il patibolo, a Paris-set crime story later associated with Louis Malle's 1958 film and a Miles Davis soundtrack.

The reviewed novel is set over a weekend in 1950s Paris and follows a fraudulent entrepreneur whose planned crime unravels. Critics highlight tight dialogue, precise character introspection, and a gripping pace; the book has been noted as being overshadowed by Louis Malle's 1958 film, which features a Miles Davis soundtrack.

A 1956 Paris-set noir praised as a page-turner with tight dialogue and precise character introspection. The novel's plot follows a fraudulent entrepreneur whose crime spirals into catastrophe. Reviewers note the book was overshadowed by Louis Malle's better-known 1958 film, which features a Miles Davis soundtrack.

For:Readers of classic noir and crime fiction; fans of film adaptations and 1950s Parisian settings.