1 of 1 copy available
San Diego is home to miles of beaches, Balboa Park, a world-famous zoo, and some of the country’s most expensive home and resort real estate. Yet the city also houses a few items that aren’t actively promoted by the visitor’s bureau: a number of the country’s most corrupt politicians, border-related crimes, terrorists, and the occasional earthquakes. A noir feast!
In the fifty-plus years since Raymond Chandler set Playback in Esmeralda, his name for La Jolla, the population has grown by more than a million, and crime has proliferated as well. San Diego of the past and the present offers the book’s contributors a rich selection of settings, from the cross on Mount Soledad to the piers of Ocean Beach, and perpetrators and victims from the residents of its wealthiest enclaves to the inhabitants of its segregated barrios.
San Diego Noir includes stories by T. Jefferson Parker, Jeffrey J. Mariotte, Martha C. Lawrence, Diane Clark & Astrid Bear, Debra Ginsberg, Morgan Hunt, Ken Kuhlken, Taffy Cannon, Don Winslow, Cameron Pierce Hughes, Lisa Brackmann, Gabriel R. Barillas, Gar Anthony Haywood, Luis Alberto Urrea, and Maria Lima.
“When it’s done right, noir is a darkly delicious thrill: smart, sharp-tongued, surprising. The knife goes in at the end with a twist. San Diego Noir, a new 15-story collection by some of the region’s best writers, has all that going for it, and the steady supply of hometown references makes it even more fun.” —The San Diego Union-Tribune
-
Creators
-
Series
-
Publisher
-
Release date
May 17, 2011 -
Formats
-
Kindle Book
- ISBN: 9781617750441
-
OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781617750441
-
EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781617750441
- File size: 724 KB
-
-
Languages
- English
-
Reviews
-
April 11, 2011
San Diego, Calif., calls itself "America's Finest City," but apparently it's not "America's Finest City for Noir Fiction," if this uneven anthology is any guide. Perhaps the best entry is T. Jefferson Parker's character-driven "Vic Primeval," about a stripper/hooker and the poor sap who falls for her. Another standout is Don Winslow's "After Thirty," about a "hard case," sailor Charlie Decker, on leave in San Diego in the closing days of WWII. The characters feel real, and the story has a neat, ironic twist at the end. Also notable is Cameron Pierce Hughes's "Moving Black Objects," a grungy exploration of San Diego's underside by a character who will surprise the reader. But most of these 15 stories are subpar, with too much local color and too little plotâand not nearly enough of a noir sensibility. -
June 1, 2011
For my money, the "Akashic Noir" series has been one of the best bargains of the past decade. Started in 2004, the series has almost 50 titles thus far. These regional gems give us a chance to sample new stories from the locals, writers who know the dark sides of their cities, regions, or even countries. The introductions, maps, and author bios all enhance the respective volumes. George, author of an Edgar-nominated Pittsburgh-based series (Hideout; The Odds) shares the "dark underbelly" of her city, sectioning her anthology off thematically: "Prime Real Estate"; "Three Rivers"; "Universities, Parks, Recreation"; and "Neighbors Who Care." The volume is solidly anchored with familiar names like K.C. Constantine, Thomas Lipinski, and Nancy Martin--plus others you might not have expected.
The San Diego volume, edited by the co-owner of San Diego bookstore Mysterious Galaxy, is structured much the same, but this city's themes run to "Working Stiffs"; "Neighborhood Watch"; "Life's a Beach"; and "Boundaries & Borders." T. Jefferson Parker and Don Winslow are headliner choices, but it is delightful to find Martha C. Lawrence, Taffy Cannon, and Luis Alberto Urrea included, too. Maria Lima brings in a bonus urban fantasy. VERDICT Keep in mind these are noir collections, not at all cozy. I get the feeling that the contributors enjoy stretching their wings and trying new personas, so proceed accordingly. Perfect for adventurous book groups and for travelers seeking the less rosy side of the cities they're planning to visit.
Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
-