Manhattan Noir [Paperback]

Lawrence Block (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2006

Brand-new stories by: Jeffery Deaver, Lawrence Block, Charles Ardai, Carol Lea Benjamin, Thomas H. Cook, Jim Fusilli, Robert Knightly, John Lutz, Liz Martínez, Maan Meyers, Martin Meyers, S.J. Rozan, Justin Scott, C.J. Sullivan, and Xu Xi.

Lawrence Block has won most of the major mystery awards, and has been called the quintessential New York writer, although he insists the city’s far too big to have a quintessential writer. His series characters—Matthew Scudder, Bernie Rhodenbarr, Evan Tanner, Chip Harrison, and Keller—all live in Manhattan; like their creator, they wouldn’t really be happy anywhere else.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A pleasing variety of Manhattan neighborhoods come to life in Block's solid anthology, the latest entry in Akashic's city-themed noir series (Brooklyn Noir, etc.). "Building" by S.J. Rozan, for example, brings the reader a strong sense of Harlem, while "The Most Beautiful Apartment in New York" by Justin Scott perfectly presents the Chelsea landscape. Purists may balk at a tale like Liz Martínez's "Freddie Prinze Is My Guardian Angel," which is offbeat and funny but not really noir. Charles Ardai's "The Good Samaritan," on the other hand, offers bad weather, night and even cigarettes. Thomas H. Cook's "Rain" is nothing if not bleak, though it's really just an elaborate sketch. The most satisfying story, Jeffery Deaver's "A Nice Place to Visit," is long enough to develop a full plot, and it's got a hell of a twist at the end. Block contributes a respectable entry, "If You Can't Stand the Heat," but it certainly doesn't rival his best writing. Though not all the story lines are uniformly compelling, the writing is of a high order and a nice mix of styles. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

The publisher's fast-growing Noir series includes Brooklyn, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Dublin, Chicago, San Francisco--and now Manhattan. The volumes are uneven, but when the right editor sits at the desk, the results can be well worthwhile, as is the case here. Where George Pelecanos' D.C. Noir felt more political, with sympathies for the downtrodden little guys, Block's selections, generally speaking, span the social spectrum. But all involve moral compromise, existential hells, or revenge (even if a couple of sort-of-happy endings may offend noir purists). Quality is high throughout, but standouts include Carol Lea Benjamin's "The Last Supper," a snappy story of spousal separation; Jeffery Deaver's "A Nice Place to Visit," a twisty tale of con men, cops, and comeuppance; and Justin Scott's "The Most Beautiful Apartment in New York," which gives a dark twist to the New York obsession, real estate. Any irony in the evolution--a book created to celebrate Brooklyn becomes a series in which one of the best installments honors Manhattan--is New Yorkers' to enjoy. Keir Graff
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 257 pages
• Publisher: Akashic Books (April 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1888451955
• ISBN-13: 978-1888451955
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #884,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lawrence Block (b. 1938) is the recipient of a Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America and an internationally renowned bestselling author. His prolific career spans over one hundred books, including four bestselling series as well as dozens of short stories, articles, and books on writing. He has won four Edgar and Shamus Awards, two Falcon Awards from the Maltese Falcon Society of Japan, the Nero and Philip Marlowe Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the Crime Writers Association of the United Kingdom. In France, he has been awarded the title Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice received the Societe 813 trophy.

Born in Buffalo, New York, Block attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Leaving school before graduation, he moved to New York City, a locale that features prominently in most of his works. His earliest published writing appeared in the 1950s, frequently under pseudonyms, and many of these novels are now considered classics of the pulp fiction genre. During his early writing years, Block also worked in the mailroom of a publishing house and reviewed the submission slush pile for a literary agency. He has cited the latter experience as a valuable lesson for a beginning writer.

Block's first short story, "You Can't Lose," was published in 1957 in Manhunt, the first of dozens of short stories and articles that he would publish over the years in publications including American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and the New York Times. His short fiction has been featured and reprinted in over eleven collections including Enough Rope (2002), which is comprised of eighty-four of his short stories.

In 1966, Block introduced the insomniac protagonist Evan Tanner in the novel The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep. Block's diverse heroes also include the urbane and witty bookseller--and thief-on-the-side--Bernie Rhodenbarr; the gritty recovering alcoholic and private investigator Matthew Scudder; and Chip Harrison, the comical assistant to a private investigator with a Nero Wolfe fixation who appears in No Score, Chip Harrison Scores Again, Make Out with Murder, and The Topless Tulip Caper. Block has also written several short stories and novels featuring Keller, a professional hit man. Block's work is praised for his richly imagined and varied characters and frequent use of humor.

A father of three daughters, Block lives in New York City with his second wife, Lynne. When he isn't touring or attending mystery conventions, he and Lynne are frequent travelers, as members of the Travelers' Century Club for nearly a decade now, and have visited about 150 countries.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Manhattan Violence - Geographical Mayhem - Thankfully, More Fictional Than Not, April 11, 2008

By 

Michael Wischmeyer (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Manhattan Noir (Paperback)

Fortunately, I did not read Manhattan Noir until shortly after returning from my first visit to Manhattan, a five day stay in a brownstone on Broadway in Harlem not too far south of Washington Heights. I had been told that crime had dramatically decreased in recent years, but nonetheless I had some early misgivings. The stories compiled by Lawrence Block in this anthology would have been anything but reassuring.

For the record Wikipedia statistics show that the actual homicide rate in New York City for 2007 ranks it 50 in American cities with a population over 250,000. New Orleans, St. Louis, Detroit, and Washington D.C. are one, two, three, and four.

The settings - Midtown, Lower East Side, Upper West Side, Battery Park, and so on - would have been recognizable place names, but ones without any emotional content. That changed entirely after just five days in Manhattan. My heart beat faster whenever I encountered a familiar place, street, or subway line in Manhattan Noir.

These stories were written specifically for this collection at the urging of Lawrence Block. They are all quite good, some clearly exceptional. Most are crime stories; most involve violence, but violence is not necessarily the central theme of each story.

Two early stories were among my favorites; The Good Samaritan (Midtown), and If You Can't Stand the Heat (Clinton, or Hell's Kitchen). The last sentence in the latter story is, "Wherever she went, she was pretty sure she'd feel safe". Nonetheless, murder is front and center.

I was disoriented in Rain (moving from Battery Park to 112th and Broadway) as the downpour shifted from place to place, from character to character, from subplot to subplot. It all came together in a second reading, thereby becoming a new favorite. "The rain falls on intrigue and conspiracy, trap doors, underground escape routes, the crude implements of quick getaways."

The longest story, A Nice Place to Visit (Hell's Kitchen again), twists and turns with double-dealings, betrayals, murder, and retribution. The Upper West Side reveals its own gruesome secret in The Laundry Room, not one of my favorites, but one decidedly difficult to forget. The Most Beautiful Apartment in New York (Chelsea) offers a mix of greed, jealousy, murder, humor, and irony while Freddie Prinze is My Guardian Angel (Washington Heights) blends fantasy and noir. (In my limited experience I encountered immigrants from the Dominican Republic rather than Puerto Rico in Washington Heights, possibly indicative of recent demographic changes.)

Manhattan Noir is a good collection. Thankfully, it is classified as fiction.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Many Shades of Noir, October 29, 2006

By 

Carl Tait (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Manhattan Noir (Paperback)

Let's face it: most short-story anthologies contain a few winners, a larger number of passable stories, and at least a few clinkers. The most remarkable attribute of "Manhattan Noir" is its sustained high quality; there are no duds at all. Sure, some of these stories are stronger than others, but every one is worth reading.

The collection is also notable for its variety of tone. Stories such as Charles Ardai's "The Good Samaritan" and Thomas H. Cook's "Rain" capture the classical noir spirit. Jeffery Deaver's "A Nice Place to Visit" is an elaborate con game with a particularly satisfying conclusion. On the more Hitchcockian side, we have fine entries by Carol Lea Benjamin ("The Last Supper") and John Lutz ("The Laundry Room"). There are also some genuinely touching stories, especially Xu Xi's "Crying with Audrey Hepburn," featuring a modern-day Susan Alexander Kane.

Highly recommended for fans of noir and urban fiction. I will be seeking out the other books in Akashic's Noir series.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars anthology is a winner!!, July 6, 2006

By 

MidwestMillennium (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manhattan Noir (Paperback)

Manhattan Noir is absolutely brilliant. I loved every story in this clever collection of noir tales. It's just a clever premise, each story set in a certain clearly-defined neighborhood in Manhattan, peopled with the kinds of unsavory characters you would find in these neighborhoods. I highly recommend that anyone who enjoys noir fiction, or gritty tales set in urban settings -- or just anyone who enjoys short stories in general -- read Manhattan Noir. This collection was so well-done, I want to read the rest of Akashic's "Noir" series, I hope they are as fabulous as this one was for me.