A Hell of a Woman: An Anthology of Female Noir [Hardcover]

Megan Abbott (Editor), Val McDermid (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 3, 2007

Original stories by Lynne Barrett, Charlotte Carter, Christa Faust, Alison Gaylin, Sara Gran, Libby Fischer Hellmann, Vicki Hendricks, Naomi Hirahara, Annette Meyers, Donna Moore, Vin Packer, Rebecca Pawel, Cornelia Read, Lisa Respers France, S. J. Rozan, Sandra Scoppettone, Zoë Sharp, Sarah Weinman, Ken Bruen, Stona Fitch, Allan Guthrie, Charlie Huston, Eddie Muller, Daniel Woodrell. Introduction by Val McDermid.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Despite stories from an impressive international roster of both established and up-and-coming crime novelists, this woman-themed anthology is disappointingly hit-and-miss. Abbott, herself a 2006 Edgar nominee for her noir debut, Die a Little, attempts to organize the volume by grouping pieces under catchy but not very meaningful headings such as Hellcats, Madwomen and Outlaws and Minxes, Shapeshifters and Hothouse Flowers. The few standouts include Zoë Sharp's Served Cold, a revenge tale featuring British femme fatale–cum–bodyguard Charlie Fox, and Ken Bruen's moody Nora B., chronicling a cop's disastrous relationship with a scheming Irish barmaid. Notably absent is a story from Val McDermid, whose introduction only whets the reader's appetite for a taste of her signature tartan noir. Fans of the other authors included are better off waiting for the next installments of their respective series. (Dec.)
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Review

The next time some jackass smirks and tells me that women can't write noir, I'm going to knock him upside the head with a copy of A Hell of a Woman. Megan Abbott, our leading Queenpin of crime, has assembled a powerhouse collection of noir by the best dames in the business. (And the stories by the dudes ain't half bad, either.) I've fallen hard for this antho, even though it's destined to clean out my savings account, sleep with my best friend and break my heart. --Duane Swierczynski, author of The Blonde and The Wheelman

A Hell of a Woman is a brilliant and riveting new take on noir -- a 21st century Female noir. Tales of resilient women faced with life's cards, shuffling and dealing the deck their own way. The tensions notch, the plots twist in a stranglehold, and it's one hell of an anthology. --Cara Black, author of Murder on the Ile-Saint Louis

Beautiful, bold and bloody -- the dames in this collection rock, and when they do, heads roll. This anthology of compelling stories about members of the 'fairer sex' with a proclivity for deadly schemes is a must-read for all lovers of noir. Each story is a gem. --Carolyn Haines, author of Penumbra and Revenant

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Busted Flush Press; 1st edition (December 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979270995
• ISBN-13: 978-0979270994
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,621,797 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book, September 30, 2008

By 

Dylan Cundiff - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Hell of a Woman: An Anthology of Female Noir (Paperback)

Along with Damn Near Dead, the best anthology of short stories I have read in a while. glad to see noir coming back, and as good as it used to be in the days of Thompson and Chandler.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Hell of a Read!, February 13, 2008

By 

Ann Pyke (Valparaiso, IN USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Hell of a Woman: An Anthology of Female Noir (Paperback)

I bought this book expecting to pick out more than half of the stories to occupy my mind while recovering from surgery - short, entertaining, not deep-thinking type of thing. Well, what a grand surprise! I coukd NIT put the book down - one story equal to or better than the next - all pain soon forgotten! I am a connoisseur of mystry and intrigue novels that are well-written. These are short well-written stories by the best.