Detroit Noir (Akashic Noir) [Paperback]

E.J. Olsen (Editor), John C. Hocking (Editor)

Book Description

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

From crime stories in the classic hard-boiled style to the vividly experimental, from the determination of those risking everything to the desperation of those with nothing left to lose, Detroit Noir delivers unforgettable tales that capture the city’s dark vitality.

Includes stories by: Joyce Carol Oates, Loren D. Estleman, Craig Holden, P.J. Parrish, Desiree Cooper, Nisi Shawl, M.L. Liebler, Craig Bernier, Joe Boland, Megan Abbott, Dorene O’Brien, Lolita Hernandez, Peter Markus, Roger K. Johnson, Michael Zadoorian, and E.J. Olsen.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While the many fans of Akashic's consistently high-quality series might have expected the Motor City to be tapped sooner (maybe before the Twin Cities), they will find the delay well worth the wait. Few cities are as well suited to the genre as Detroit, with its embattled inner city and history of urban decline and blight, and the editors have assembled a talented lineup to do it justice with 16 original short stories. The always superb Loren D. Estleman starts the anthology off on a high note with his spare hard-boiled whodunit short, Kill the Cat. The constantly simmering background threat of violence informs two very different but equally accomplished tales: Joyce Carol Oates's Panic and Detroit Free Press columnist Desiree Cooper's Night Coming. The editors also include some well-done period pieces, like the 1950s-era The Coffee Break by Detroit News business editor Melissa Preddy, and their discerning selections maintain Akashic's excellent track record. (Nov.)
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About the Author

E.J. Olsen is a freelance writer and editor who grew up in the shadow of the Motor City. He reads everything, but his heart was stolen by noir fiction and film. John C. Hocking grew up outside Detroit in the '60s and '70s. He is an obsessive reader, writer, and collector of pulp and noir fiction.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Akashic Books (November 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933354399
• ISBN-13: 978-1933354392
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #241,424 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Uneven collection still worth the time, February 27, 2008

By 

Joseph Borri "motorcityjoe" (Farmington Hills, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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

This is the first collection from Akashic'a Noir series I have purchased. I grew up in Detroit, on the northeast side, and felt the authors painted a very accurate picture, for the most part, of the city and its various locales. The highlights of the book are the stories by Loren Estelman, Dorene O'Brien, Megan Abbott and Michael Zadoorian, which came across as nuanced and layered in comparison to several others. Dead Man's Boat, the story by Peter Markus, is told in a very original voice also and has a beautiful closing that left me wanting to read more of his work. Only a scant three of the stories seemed like odd socks in the drawer, trying to hard to create requirements of the noir genre to be included, and makes one wonder why Olsen and Hocking found them up to snuff. In the end though, so many of the stories satisfy, that I feel this is a book of short stories worth adding to your shelf.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good collection, January 1, 2008

By 

H. Fitzgerald "pixelcat" (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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

Detroit is definitely a city that lends itself to dark tales. I liked this collection and thought it captured the mood of the city very well. It was nice to see some of the literary talent coming out of the Motor City together in one volume. It will be a quick but absorbing read.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Just Another Pretty Place, December 11, 2007

By 

Former "litteacher" (Newington, CT USA) - See all my reviews

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

Detroit Noir lives up to the promise of the earlier books in the series. Leading off with stories by P.J. Parrish, Loren Estleman, and Joyce Carol Oates, this volume starts at a high level and, although I knew few of the following writers, the stories and writing skill don't sag at all.
Each writer shows the darker side of a particular Detroit landmark or district, sometimes with humor, but usually with the kind of bleakness that befits a book with "Noir" in the title.

Some of the stories aren't technically crime or mystery, but they convey such a powerful sense of Urban Blight (Motor City Malaise?) that they fit in with those of the better known writers. I plan to start combing bookshelves for other work by the people I've discovered thanks to this collection.