My guest on this episode of Writers at Work is Sara Gran, author and screenwriter. Sara is the author of the series featuring Claire DeWitt, self-anointed as the world's greatest private investigator. But Sara isn't confined by theme or tradition. Her feel for urban grit is on abundant display in her novel DOPE, as is her ability to convey psychological terror and come closer and the insidious nature of the occult in THE BOOK OF MOST PRECIOUS SUBSTANCE, which she self-published in 2022.

Her latest is LITTLE MYSTERIES, a short story collection cheerfully subtitled Nine Miniature Puzzles to Confuse Enthrall and Delight. Sara also wrote for the terrific TV series Southland. If quality alone were the determining factor, it would still be on air. She also wrote the Audible original audio drama MARIGOLD.

There's much to talk about with Sarah, who I've admired from afar, but I wanted to at least begin with an article that ran recently in the New York Times in which Sarah recommended eight great noir thrillers. You can find the article via the Times website. It's a wonderful list with a few surprises, the kind that sent me running to the nearest bookstore. So now I'm not only grateful for her books, but also for her recommendations.