Buffalo Noir

“Offbeat, disturbing, and sometimes darkly comical” crime stories set in upstate New York by Joyce Carol Oates, Lawrence Block, S.J. Rozan, and more (Kirkus Reviews). Buffalo is still the second-largest metropolis in New York State, but in recent years its designation as the Queen City has been elbowed aside by a name that’s pure noir: The City of No Illusions. Presidents came from here—and in 1901 while visiting the Pan-American Exposition, a president was killed here by a man who checked into a hotel under a name that translates as Nobody. As Buffalo saw its prosperity wane, those on the outside could only see harsh winters and Rust Belt grit, chicken wings, and sports teams that came agonizingly close. This collection of crime stories is both a treasure for mystery fans and an atmospheric tour of this moody, gritty city. Featuring brand-new stories by Joyce Carol Oates, Lawrence Block, Ed Park, Gary Earl Ross, Kim Chinquee, Christina Milletti, Tom Fontana, Dimitri Anastasopoulos, Lissa Marie Redmond, S.J. Rozan, John Wray, Brooke Costello, and Connie Porter. “From the Irish enclave of South Buffalo and a Niagara Street bar to a costly house in Nottingham Terrace and a once-grand Gothic structure in Elmwood Village, Buffalo’s past and present come to life . . . by authors who really know their city.” —Kirkus Reviews “Contributors include several mystery heavyweights. . . . Those curious about the criminal side of the second-biggest city in New York will be rewarded.” —Publishers Weekly “Each story represents a different neighborhood and cross-section of the city, and the resulting collection feels like a vivid, comprehensive tour of a distinctive place, administered by locals. There’s nothing quite like noir to shine a light, after all.” —Los Angeles Review of Books “Original short stories by established local authors with flawless credentials . . . .Together, the stories cover cityscapes well-known to Buffalonians—to name a few, Elmwood Avenue, Niagara Street, Black Rock, North Park, Delaware Park, and Allentown. Local landmarks Peace Bridge and the Anchor Bar made it in there, too.” —Examiner “Superb.” —The Buffalo News

Brand new stories by: George Pelecanos, James Grady, Kenji Jasper, Jim Beane, Jabari Asim, Ruben Castaneda, James Patton, Norman Kelley, Jennifer Howard, Richard Currey, Lester Irby, and others. Mystery sensation Pelecanos pens the lead story and edits this groundbreaking collection of stories detailing the seedy underside of the nation's capital. This is not an anthology of ill-conceived and inauthentic political thrillers. Instead, in D.C. Noir, pimps, whores, gangsters, and con-men run rampant in zones of this city that most never hear about. "From the Chevy Chase housewife who commits a shocking act to the watchful bum protecting Georgetown street vendors, the tome offers a startling glimpse into the cityscape's darkest corners...Fans of the [noir] genre will find solid writing, palpable tension and surprise endings." --Washington Post "Every story in this all-original noir anthology set in the nation's capital is well-written." --Publishers Weekly "Imbued with countless collective years of local experience." --Washington City Paper "[Pelecanos] has assembled a compelling mix of ex-convicts, retired police officers, former crime beat reporters and a few writing pros willing to turn their storytelling eye, whether jaundiced or tender, inward toward the neighborhood...Local haunts and hangouts are lovingly drawn." --Washington Times "Pick up a copy of the book D.C. Noir...and prepare to be transported to a different D.C. that the tourists see...Pure Washingtonian." --Washingtonian "Those looking for redemption in humanity would do well to look elsewhere, but this set of gritty urban tales, written with all the requisite touches of shadow and fog of the noir masters, is a rare cut for crime aficionados and should pique the interest of anyone who calls the Dark City home." --Examiner Washington

On the heels of the stunning success of the award-winning Brooklyn Noir, here comes the second volume of this groundbreaking series of original noir anthologies. The city of Chicago has spent much time and money over the last decade marketing itself as a tourist-friendly destination for the whole family. The stories in this anthology reclaim a Chicago where people struggle to survive and where, for many, crime is the only means for their survival - a Chicago once depicted by James Farrell and Nelson Algren.

"Drifter" by Emily Mandel was selected for inclusion in The Best American Mystery Stories 2013, edited by Otto Penzler and Lisa Scottoline Original stories by: Peter James, Emily St. John Mandel, Barbara Baraldi, Mike Hodges, Mary Hoffman, Maria Tronca, Matteo Righetto, Tony Cartano, Francesco Ferracin, Isabella Santacroce, Michelle Lovric, Francesca Mazzucato, Maxim Jakubowski, and Michael Gregorio. "Forget the magnificence of Venice's art, architecture, and music, and delve into this tour of the City of Water's murky depths...visions of a Venice not seen in tourist brochures." --Publishers Weekly "Editor Jakubowski does an excellent job of selecting a variety of stories that represent all strata of Venetian life, from tourists visiting for Carnevale to criminals running illegal operations in the bay...A must-read for lovers of Venice...the presence of a new and intriguing voices, many of them Italian, will pique the interest of international-mystery readers." --Booklist "Sex, food and real estate inspire 14 hot-blooded new takes on crime in the magical city of Venice...Rather than crimes of passion, this collection focuses on the passion of crime, painting its noir in robust tones rather than gritty gray." --Kirkus Reviews "Venice Noir, edited by Maxim Jakubowski, aims to shred through our preconceptions of this remarkable city. The 14 writers featured in this anthology of short stories take our travel brochure images of Venice and scatter them like confetti." --NY Journal of Books Maxim Jakubowski is a British editor and writer. Following a long career in book publishing, during which he was responsible for several major crime imprints, he opened London's mystery bookshop Murder One. He reviews crime fiction for the Guardian, runs London's Crime Scene Festival, and is an advisor to Italy's annual Courmayeur Noir in Festival. His latest crime novel is Confessions of a Romantic Pornographer, and he edits the annual Best British Mysteries series.

Following the Bombay Communal Riots of 1992 which saw neighbour pitched against neighbour in fierce bouts of internecine violence, came the retaliatory bomb blasts of 1993 and the name change to Mumbai in 1995. Mumbai Noir captures the essence of a city dominated by wealth and the lack of it, where the shadowy aspects of life are never far from the ordinary person. Psychopath Romeos stalk ordinary women, men flirt with death in dance bars and families fall through the cracks of communal living in this phenomenal collection of noir literature.

This anthology of Mississippi crime fiction “has produced a unique, delicious flavor of noir” with stories by Ace Atkins, Megan Abott and more (New York Daily News). From poverty to state corruption, Mississippi has a well-deserved reputation for trouble. Could there be a connection between its many misfortunes and its rich literary legacy? Mississippians from Tennessee Williams and Eudora Welty to Richard Ford and John Grisham certainly know how to tell a good story. Now Mississippi Noir offers “a devilishly wrought introduction” to a new generation of “writers with a feel for Mississippi who are pursuing lonely, haunting paths of the imagination” (Associated Press). Mississippi Noir includes brand-new stories by Ace Atkins, William Boyle, Megan Abbott, Jack Pendarvis, Dominiqua Dickey, Michael Kardos, Jamie Paige, Jimmy Cajoleas, Chris Offutt, Michael Farris Smith, Andrew Paul, Lee Durkee, Robert Busby, John M. Floyd, RaShell R. Smith-Spears, and Mary Miller.

“Brussels, Belgium’s cosmopolitan, multilingual capital, has it[s] criminal underside, as shown in the 13 dark—and sometimes darkly humorous—stories” (Publishers Weekly). From the historic city center to the Palais de Justice to the pubs, this collection contains crime fiction tales, often with a touch of the surreal and the dystopian, that reveal the stranger and seamier side of the city known as the “capital of Europe.” Includes brand-new stories by Barbara Abel, Ayerdhal, Paul Colize, Jean-Luc Cornette, Patrick Delperdange, Sara Doke, Kenan Görgün, Edgar Kosma, Katia Lanero Zamora, Nadine Monfils, Alfredo Noriega, Bob Van Laerhoven, and Émilie de Béco. “A perfect choice for those who love noir or those who love armchair traveling, this assortment of short stories gives the reader a glimpse into what life in the Belgian capital is like. An excellent entry in Akashic Books’ noir series, which began with Brooklyn Noir more than a decade ago, Brussels Noir takes readers through the underbelly of yet another fascinating locale.” —Shelf Awareness for Readers “Akashic Books deserves kudos for their fine service to noir . . . If these volumes are designed to give crime writers a nifty forum and also capture the local flair and flavor, Brussels Noir is a fine come-hither.” —New York Journal of Books

“A collection of stories celebrating the underbelly of the city, its ghosts, and the characters that give Memphis its rich patina of blues.” —Memphis Flyer The Home of the Blues knows how darkness can permeate a person’s soul—and what it can drive you to do. It’s the soundtrack to a city that’s made up of equal parts hope and despair, past and present, death and rebirth. On the streets of Memphis, noir hits the right note. Memphis Noir features stories by city standouts Richard J. Alley, David Wesley Williams, Dwight Fryer, Jamey Hatley, Adam Shaw, Penny Register-Shaw, Kaye George, Arthur Flowers, Suzanne Berube Rorhus, Ehi Ike, Lee Martin, Stephen Clements, Cary Holladay, John Bensko, Sheree Renée Thomas, and Troy L. Wiggins. “A remarkable picture of contemporary Memphis emerges in this Akashic noir volume . . . Something for everyone.” —Publishers Weekly “Covers train cars and Beale Street, hoodoo and segregation, Nathan Bedford Forrest and, of course, Graceland, and even includes a graphic novella.” —Memphis Flyer “Captures the subtlety of the Memphis ethos, where blacks and whites, rich and poor, are intimately entwined. The collection—fifteen stories by some of the city’s finest writers—bleeds the blues and calls down the dark powers that permeate this capital of the Delta.” —The Commercial Appeal (Memphis) “The new anthology Memphis Noir is replete with murders, ghosts, gangsters, a sharp-toothed baby, Boss Crump, and high water on the bluff.” —Memphis Magazine