In the context of French media culture, the detective novel has evolved as a genre depicting the excesses of modern urban society that emerged as a consequence of the industrial revolution in the nineteenth century. From its inception, the French detective novel has willingly incorporated elements of social critique into its narratives, where the urban space plays a pivotal role. Since the 1970s, authors have added critiques of the political system to their stories. The term ‘noir novel’ was coined in the United States and, as such, it is known across the world to this day. The French detective/noir novel inherits part of its character from the serialised novel. Following a brief introduction to the latter, this analysis examines the evolution of the image of urban and suburban Paris based on six novels published between the 1970s and 2000s.