A Slow Fire Burning

The domestic noir refers to a subgenre of crime fiction/mystery characterized by a focus on the experience of female characters, personal relationships (especially marriage), and the presence of secrets or the threat of violence within the private, domestic space of the home. Books in the domestic noir genre have been especially popular in the 2010s and 2020s, which represents a growing interest in stories from women’s perspectives. The genre tends to provide multiple and sometimes conflicting points of view, as well as perspectives from unreliable narrators. Given its frequent attention to heterosexual marriages, the genre allows writers to explore themes of gender, power, betrayal, and secrecy. Many authors writing in the genre are women (notable examples include Gillian Flynn, Liane Moriarty, and Sally Hepworth). A Slow Fire Burning possesses many characteristics associated with the domestic noir genre but also uses metafictional techniques to critique and poke fun at the conventions of the genre.

The term “domestic noir” was first used in film criticism and was popularized in the context of fiction by the novelist Julia Crouch in 2013. The publication of Gillian Flynn’s novel Gone Girl in 2012 dramatically increased the visibility and popularity of the genre.