The Shaow 1939: The Man Who Murdered Time Artwork

Noir Confidential

Noir Confidential draws upon the era of filmmaking known as Film Noir. Today, the genre is called Neo-Noir, but the same concepts, tropes, and techniques are used to reflect today's feelings of inevitability, cynicism and defeat. The pessimism, distrust, and greed displayed in classic Film Noir movies like "The Maltese Falcon" and "The Third Man" speak to a society racked by geopolitical conflict and economic disparity. All the elements that sparked the Film Noir heyday have returned to haunt society, and a new class of cynical anti-heroes and manipulative Femme Fatales have arrived to exorcise their demons by finding their elusive MacGuffin. Occasionally we will present a classic radio play from the 1940s and early 50s: some Dashiell Hammett (Sam Spade) and Raymond Chandler (Philip Marlowe), but to be completely upfront we are here to promote audiobooks in general and more specifically my own books like Deception, Delusion, Dilemma, Diversion, and Defection.Coming very soon is a special Noir Confidential Premiere Exclusive, CULT - The Podcast Movie. That's right podcast fans, we're bringing back Theatre of The Mind, radio plays for the podcast era. CULT is a movie script I wrote based on a short story published in my book Noir II. I've rewritten the story and turned it into a movie script. It is currently being produced as a special presentation just for my podcast subscribers. I hope you enjoy it.

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Noir Confidential

The Shaow 1939: The Man Who Murdered Time

August 18, 2025 • Jerry Bader

Check out the latest Axel Files book.

The Axel Files: The Mad Marchesa
https://www.amazon.com/Axel-Files-Mad-Marchesa-ebook/dp/B0FJ2KS5N3

Art and artifact investigator Axel Webb is asked to investigate a lawyer, A. Barton Bailey. The lawyer claims he represents a client willing to sell a portfolio of paintings by 20th-century bad-boy, Welsh portrait painter, Augustus John. Bailey approaches the Art Gallery of Ontario, owner of what is arguably John’s best work, a portrait of the flamboyant Marchesa Luisa Casati. The bohemian excesses of Augustus John and Luisa Casati, his occasional sexual partner, friend, and muse for over forty years, are legendary. If you thought the Kardashians were the epitome of fashion influencers, think again. Even though the Italian heiress, once the wealthiest woman in Europe, died penniless in 1957, her influence is still seen on almost every couture fashion runway in Paris. Her bizarre style sense, excessive partying, and sexual exploits make the Studio 54 crowd look like a group of Sunday school teachers. Her over-the-top approach to life could only be matched by John, who was fascinated by her, even though he was more inclined to curb his more public excesses. A portfolio of Augustus John Casati portraits, stretching from the Marchesa’s wild heydays in the 1920s to her sad, penniless, Dickensian decline in the 1950s, could be worth a fortune if they are authentic.

What would seem like a relatively simple task of authenticating the paintings ends up uncovering an international art hoax that triggered arson, insurance fraud, and murder. Webb finds himself in the middle, trying to unravel the layers of deception, unsure if the people who hired him have another agenda.

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Jerry Bader

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