They've found some kind of sanity in this ink, blood and noir on their hands

You may have heard about the horrible early life of James Ellroy. His mother was murdered and he became a petty thief and speed freak. Well he is not the only noirish writer to turn to words to escape the darkness. It seems Ken Bruen had an incredibly brutal experience in Brazil that writing helps alleviate. I recently picked up a copy of American Skin at the library and I devoured Vixen, one of the DS Brant novels. Excellent stuff, which I recommend to all lovers of crime fiction.