It's all about the inevitability of betrayal. Everyone has a hidden agenda, even good people, because that's the only way to survive in a mean world. So your hero should be cynical, bitter, unwilling to trust anyone, but completely honest and open about his own goals and methods. The bad guy can be obvious (sometimes just as open and honest as the good guy is, just bad) but the person who will hurt him the most is the woman he ended up trusting (entirely against his better judgement).
Watch Chinatown
. It's a perfect demonstration of all these things.
Sorry I dont know the formal names of these tropes.
Seeker of Pie
Maybe you could avoid the crusty superior, if your characters frequently report to some kind of authority figure. Perhaps you could feature a hot-headed protagonist who benefits from the guidance of an experienced and level-headed senior member of their police force.
And I'll second the recommendation of Chinatown. Expect things at your own risk.
edited 1st Jun '14 7:06:34 AM by Deebro
Earth Needs Gentlemen
I'm writing a noir story about a cynical detective and his idealistic lieutenant investigating a series of gruesome crimes (nowt to do with Seven)
But I'm falling on typical noir tropes while I'm pretend to subvert them. Any help?
edited 1st Jun '14 6:02:28 AM by MrsRatched
Haw Haw Haw