Before I stumbled onto this title thanks to a surf lit list on LitHub, I didn’t even know that surf noir was a thing. That has been remedied in spades after churning through the pages of Nunn’s classic in less than 48 hours. (I’ve already checked out two of his other books from the library, to boot.)
Tapping the Source was a finalist for the National Book Award for First Work of Fiction when it was first published in 1984. It essentially created the subgenre where none had previously existed, filling a void that in turn led to such master works as the movie Point Break.
The narrative is a bit loose at times, but never anything less than absorbing and convincing. In fact, my only disappointment with the book was the satanic cult thrown in toward the end without much warning.
Overcoming that, however, is the way that Nunn writes about California and heat, and the ways they both get into your head and make you lose something about yourself. There are descriptions of seaside scrub that instantly made me feel like I was back on the coast. There are sweat-fueled transgressions that feel as real as if they came from my own memories. Plus, Nunn’s knack for building, revealing, and describing characters makes me feel like I’d recognize Ike and Preston walking down the street.
Interestingly, there’s a lot of attention given to Scandinavian noir these days. However, I have to admit that, as its opposite in terms of climes, Nunn’s work is vastly more appealing to me in its sandy and sun-drenched suspense.
This post is part of #MySummerOfMysteries, a project to immerse myself in mysteries, thrillers, crime writing, and whodunits. For each book I finish, I’m posting brief thoughts and reflections here. Please note that these are not intended as full reviews. To view my reading progress throughout the summer, click here.