Literature and film have often been employed as a space to safely explore troubling topics like childhood abuse and trauma. While nonfiction is one type of literature popularly used to explore these topics, crime fiction’s emerging subgenre “domestic noir” is another fertile site. Not only does domestic noir allow for the exploration of abuse and trauma, but it often provides an empowering resolution, as justice is typically achieved by the female protagonist.

A 21st-century phenomenon with roots tracing back to 18th-century gothic literature, domestic noir is written primarily by women (or men adopting female or gender-neutral pseudonyms) and concentrates on “domestic” spaces of work and home. These stories typically feature a strong yet vulnerable female protagonist who must use her intellectual and often physical strength to solve a mystery and protect herself and her family. The main conflict often revolves around secretive or dangerous work or family relationships. Childhood abuse and trauma occur at the heart of the toxic families that populate domestic noir. The abuse is done in the privacy of the home and often results in feelings of shame on the part of the abused. Silence and secrecy are often part of the toxic mix, especially when children are so often rendered invisible and mute in patriarchal societies.