Bronx Noir (Akashic Noir) [Paperback]

Patrick Picciarelli (Author), S.J. Rozan (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Akashic Noir | Publication Date: August 1, 2007

Brand-new stories by: Thomas Adcock, Kevin Baker, Thomas Bentil, Lawrence Block, Jerome Charyn, Suzanne Chazin, Terrence Cheng, Ed Dee, Joanne Dobson, Robert Hughes, Marlon James, Sandra Kitt, Rita Laken, Miles Marshall Lewis, Pat Picciarelli, Abraham Rodriguez Jr., S.J. Rozan, Steven Torres, and Joe Wallace.

S.J. Rozan was born and raised in the Bronx and is a lifelong New Yorker. She’s the author of eight novels in the Lydia Chin/Bill Smith series, and of the stand-alones Absent Friends and In This Rain (forthcoming). Her books have won Edgar, Nero, Macavity, and Shamus awards for best novel. She’s at work on another series novel, Shanghai Moon.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Akashic's latest city-themed crime anthology successfully captures the immense diversity of the Bronx, from the mean streets of the South Bronx to affluent Riverdale, in 19 tales by authors both well known and obscure. The most imaginative entry, Joseph Wallace's The Big Five, about a hunter who targets his prey in the Bronx Zoo as part of a national contest, concludes with a satisfying noir twist. Lawrence Block's Riverdale story, Rude Awakening, also surprises the reader with its clever resolution of a one-night stand. Particularly inventive is Kevin Baker's grim The Cheers Like Waves, set in the shadow of Yankee Stadium. Rozan, herself a contributor, has put together one of the series' better entries, with memorable tales of betrayal and despair that reflect the borough's varied ethnic populations and geography. (Aug.)
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About the Author

SJ Rozan was born and raised in the Bronx and is a life-long New Yorker. She's the author of eight novels in the Lydia Chin/Bill Smith series, and of the stand alones Absent Friends and In This Rain (forthcoming, Delacorte Jan. 2007). Her books have won Edgar, Nero, Macavity, and Shamus awards for Best Novel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 361 pages
• Publisher: Akashic Books (August 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933354259
• ISBN-13: 978-1933354255
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #927,377 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

SJ Rozan was born and raised in the Bronx and is proud of it. She spent over twenty years as an architect in New York City and is kind of proud of that, too. Now she writes and teaches. She's done 10 books in the Lydia Chin/Bill Smith series (the newest, ON THE LINE, comes out Sept. 28, 2010) and two standalones. She's also published three dozen short stories. A collection of her stories, A TALE ABOUT A TIGER, is available, and a second volume is coming.

SJ's work has won the Edgar, Anthony, Shamus, Nero and Macavity Awards, and she's a recipient of the Japanese Maltese Falcon. She's served on the National Boards of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She's a past President of the Private Eye Writers of America. She's been Guest of Honor at Left Coast Crime (El Paso, 2003), Toastmaster at Bouchercon (Indianapolis, 2009), an invited speaker at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland (2003) and as if that weren't enough, she has the key to the city of Fort Worth, Texas.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Old School Short Stories w/ a Twist, August 8, 2007

By 

jen (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bronx Noir (Akashic Noir) (Paperback)

I really like this collection (maybe even more so because I'm from New York) because it evokes so much atmosphere as well as history and context to various regions in the Bronx, that I suspect many readers do not know too much about. But after reading these stories, you will come away with more than a feeling for this borough that is world famous yet still over-stereotyped and misunderstood.

These stories as a whole create a fine read with great atmosphere and setting and again, a sense of authentic history. But in the end these are well crafted short stories that are driven by characters who are haunted by their dreams and desires and flaws--many trying to right wrongs from the past, many still living in the midst of conflicts they cannot escape, some by their own creation.

My favorite stories are: Terrence Cheng's "Gold Mountain" (after reading this you will never look at a Chinese delivery man the same way again); Kevin Baker's "The Cheer's Like Waves" (set in and around Yankee Stadium); S.J. Rozan's "Hothouse" (Botanical Gardens, the writing is so sharp and clear); Joseph Wallace's "The Big Five" (if you've been to the Bronx Zoo, you will be chilled by this piece); and "The Prince of Arthur Avenue" by Patrick Picciarelli (puts a twist on the stereotypical gangster story).

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Mean Streets, July 29, 2007

By 

Tom S. "filmfan3" (New York City) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Bronx Noir (Akashic Noir) (Paperback)

Wow! Here's a rare batch of short mystery stories that really covers the full spectrum of styles and moods. All of the works here are set in NYC's Bronx, but the similarity ends there. Some of the authors are well-known, even bestselling, and a few are just getting started--but they all write at a very high level of excellence. From private eyes to shady ladies to desperate citizens at the end of their rope, each story creates a dark, frightening world. And that is the essence of "noir."

The best thing an anthology can do is introduce us to a wide range of writers, and this one really delivers. S.J. Rozan has assembled an impressive gallery of voices (including her own) with crime stories that shock, amuse, disturb, and--most importantly--entertain. This is a great addition to the great Akashic series of noir anthologies. Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Visit To The Bronx, August 11, 2008

By 

Michael L. Slavin "HardBopper" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Bronx Noir (Akashic Noir) (Paperback)

This was my third read of the Noir series. I enjoyed this collection. Not as much as the Manhattan book. But, more than the New Orleans venture. Any work that includes 19 different authors may suffer from some inconsistency. However, by and large this delivered. Particularly, I liked Jerome Charyn's White Trash; Terrence Cheng's Gold Mountain about an illegal Chinese immigrant delivery man who found ways to a financial windfall; Lawrence Block's Rude Awakening about a woman who murdered and robbed men she picked up in bars; Abraham Rodriguez,Jr.'s Jaguar about wealthy murderers who came from Westchester to find their victims; Steven Torres's Early Fall about about a young prostitute who met her fate;Joseph Wallace's The Big Five about would be game hunters who met their ends and Patrick Picciarelli's The Prince Of Arthur Avenue about an aging boss with years of service to La Cosa Nostra who was going senile. Definitely a fast paced worthy read.