EditorStark House Press continues its Film Noir Classics series with the release of Whit Masterson’s Badge of Evil, the novel that formed the basis for one of cinema’s most acclaimed crime films. The Film Noir Classics series is dedicated to presenting the original books behind some of the most enduring and influential crime movies, giving readers an opportunity to experience the source material as it first appeared.
First published in 1956, Badge of Evil stands as a hallmark of mid-century American noir. Written by Robert Wade and Bill Miller—collaborators known collectively as Wade Miller—the novel is a tightly constructed procedural that explores the uneasy intersection of justice, corruption, and personal conviction. The plot follows Assistant District Attorney Mitch Holt as he investigates the high-profile murder of a local industrialist, only to find himself navigating the dangerous waters of department politics and public scrutiny. Wade and Miller’s methodical approach and carefully drawn characters lend the narrative its lasting power.
This new edition features an introduction by Nicholas Litchfield, editor of Lowestoft Chronicle, who examines the novel’s literary significance and traces its journey to the screen. Shortly after publication, Universal acquired the rights and enlisted Orson Welles—returning to Hollywood filmmaking after several years away—to direct and star in the adaptation. Welles’s Touch of Evil reimagined the story with psychological complexity and visual daring, shifting the setting to a border town and deepening the narrative’s exploration of moral ambiguity. Litchfield’s essay, “Beneath the Tainted Badge,” provides insight into both the creative process behind the novel and the film’s turbulent production history, including its eventual restoration and critical reevaluation.
Critically praised in its time by reviewers such as Anthony Boucher and still cited today among the genre’s most effective works, Badge of Evil remains a touchstone for readers and film historians alike. This new Stark House edition restores the novel’s place in the noir canon, inviting a fresh look at the story that inspired one of film noir’s defining achievements..
You can pick up the collection from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or the publisher.
