Pop. 1280

Pop. 1280 is a razor-sharp masterpiece of American noir that turns the small town inside out. Set in the seemingly quiet Texas town of Pottsville (population 1,280), the novel is narrated by Sheriff Nick Corey—a folksy, lazy lawman who appears harmless until his chilling intelligence and moral emptiness slowly emerge. With dark humor, biting social satire, and relentless psychological insight, Thompson exposes the rot beneath civic respectability and the terrifying ease with which evil can wear a friendly smile. Brutal, funny, and unforgettable, Pop. 1280 stands as one of the greatest crime novels ever written—an essential read for anyone drawn to noir at its most subversive and uncompromising.