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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Creative and Original Anthology, January 13, 2008
This review is from: Queens Noir (Akashic Noir) (Paperback)
The concept behind this intensely original anthology has been manifest in its sometimes sublime, sometimes unnerving, and altogether fascinating exploration of the distinct borough of Queens. Each story has its own essential element; one feels uncomfortable and at the same time laughs out loud at the plot twists and turns.
Of particular interest is the story by Jill Abbott entitled "Jihad Sucks", which follows a terrorist in New York who encounters a talented woman, changing his perspective on the perverse imaginations of the American spirit. His ideology is transformed forever with an act wittily hinted at in the title... While the looming issues of New York life are treated with funny and interesting dialogs, as are the sometimes funny and often melancholic complexities of relationships. It is dark and amusing.
I highly recommend this book for the stories by Denis Hamil and Jill Abbott, both of them page intricate tales, with weaving noir storylines and oedipal overtones; leaving one, ultimately, with the uncomfortable darkness and intrigues of the detective novel. It is reminiscent of classic 40's noir, yet reinvented on the modern city. Wonderful.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Welcome to Queens!, December 17, 2007
This review is from: Queens Noir (Akashic Noir) (Paperback)
The newest in the Akashic Noir series, following prior compilations of short stories dedicated to tales in, among other places, other New York boroughs: Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx, this follows the pattern of the previous books in that it is comprised of all-new stories, predominantly by little-known authors. [Other books include other major American cities as well as ones outside of the U.S., e.g., Dublin, London and Havana.] I must admit the only authors in the present book with whose prior work I was familiar were Stephen Solomita and K.J.A. Wisnia.
The stories range in length from very short, e.g., four and six pages, to twenty-eight pages. They are somewhat uneven, but the whole is enjoyable. Other authors whose tales are included are Denis Hamill, Megan Abbott, and the editor, Robert Knightly. The book is divided into three sections, and covers time frames as recent as 2006, covering a blackout which engulfed the area that summer, in a story by Liz Martinez; a somber post-9/11 tale by Patricia King; one by Megan Abbott in a story about the 1970's; and one by Joe Guglielmelli sure to please any Mets fan [of which I am admittedly and unashamedly one] which includes references to one great season and one notoriously disastrous trade that will make fans grin and grimace by turn before it veers into considerably darker territory. [Mr. Guglielmelli was a co-owner of the very recently closed--and sorely missed--Black Orchid Mystery bookstore in Manhattan.] An interesting assortment of stories, and the book makes for a good read.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"A must read for anyone familiar with Queens", January 27, 2008
This review is from: Queens Noir (Akashic Noir) (Paperback)
After reading "Brooklyn Noir" I was immediatly hooked on the series and have read many of the "Noir" volumes.
Being a lifelong Queens resident I anxiously awaited "Queens Noir" but was afraid that like many of the Noir series other than the two Brooklyn's that this would be lackluster with maybe one very good story but instead I was happily surprised at what a great addition it was. I would say third in the series behind the two Brooklyn's.
A must read for anyone familiar with Queens and especially for the newcomers who have settled in Long Island City and Astoria.
You will not be disappointed.
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