Advance Review: SuperNOIRtural Tales

SuperNOIRtural Tales
Ian Rogers
Burning Effigy Press (October 2025)
Reviewed by Carson Buckingham

First, I must say that I am always delighted to read anything by Ian Rogers. His writing is nothing short of brilliant, and I never feel anything but honored to review his work.

SuperNOIRtural Tales is no exception. This is a collection of six stories, of which I am hard-pressed to find a favorite, as they are all so beautifully written. They are not the thin gruel of so many short stories I‘ve read lately, but rather, are jam-packed with fascinating characters, ideas that I wished I had had first, and the philosophy of dealing with a hostile dimension right next door to ours—a hostile dimension that can enter ours through portals that have appeared all over the world. This hostile dimension has been named ‘The Black Lands,’ and the moniker is quite appropriate, as there is no sun there and everything wants to kill you (much like the wildlife in Australia). But the supernatural creatures that do make their way across often cannot be put down with regular bullets, or bullets at all, which complicates matters.

One of the folks dealing with such complications is Private Investigator Felix Renn. He doesn’t try to find supernatural cases, but they always seem to find him—well, hey, a flat fee plus expenses when he can get them isn’t anything to walk away from, and that’s the reason he is dubbed the Supernatural Detective, or ‘Super Dick’ for short. He just loves that name…

In these stories, Rogers has created a brand new genre—Supernatural Noir. Picture Mickey Spillane in Madame Lalaurie’s mansion, and you’ve pretty much got it. And the wisecracks and banter are reminiscent of Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor at their best. My two favorite genres are combined like a Cordon Bleu Mille-Feuille, and are just as delicious.

Here’s what you get:

“Temporary Monsters” – Some Hollywood actors will do just about anything to have an edge over the competition.

“The Ash Angels” – Christmas Eve has been the night of many suicides, and Felix Renn finally finds out why—and it’s not depression.

“Black-Eyed Kids” – They come from The Black Lands, and they want you to let them in…and they won’t go away until you do. Creepy…very creepy.

“The Brick”—There is so much action packed into this story that you’ll find it hard to believe it’s only 96 pages long. With the rich quirkiness common to Raymond Chandler, it had me on the edge of my seat right to the end. What starts out as a missing child case takes on Black Lands complications when Felix is loaned a brick taken from Rosedale Cottage—a place that “makes Shirley Jackson’s Hill House look like the Playboy Mansion” according to Jerry, the local real estate agent who only sells haunted houses. He tells Renn that the brick will help him with his case. Ohhhhhkkkkkaaayyyyy.

“My Body”—was a sort of sweet, sort of sad little story about a child Renn finds on the side of the road late at night. I shed a tear or two. Nicely done.

“The History of the Black Lands” – is so believably written that you’ll think it’s true. A fascinating ending to a book that made me eagerly anticipate Felix Renn’s next foray into the Black Lands mythos.

Ian Rogers also has another book out about Felix Renn and The Black Lands—and just as excellent as SuperNOIRtural Tales—it’s called Sycamore. But I recommend reading SuperNOIRtural Tales first. I have reviewed Sycamore on Hellnotes.

Should you be interested in reading more about Felix Renn and the Black Lands, here’s where to go: www.theblacklands.com

You will most definitely want to get a copy of this book for yourself and pick up a few more for Christmas gifts that those on your list are sure to treasure.

6 out of 5 stars! I mean it!