Winner of the 2013 Spinetingler Award for Best Anthology/Short Story Collection!
From R. Narvaez, a board member of the Mystery Writers of America, New York Chapter, and exciting new voice in noir . . .
“If there is any justice in the world, [R. Narvaez] should become a giant on the literary noir scene within the next couple of years.”
—Anthony Neil Smith, author of Yellow Medicine, on the story “Roachkiller”
"'Roachkiller" is an accomplished debut from an author in full and firm control of his voice. Narvaez is definitely a name to watch."
—Eva Dolan, Crime Factory
A pregnant single mother who becomes a numbers runner in 1970s Brooklyn; an ex-con fighting against insurmountable odds not to kill again; a middle-aged tax lawyer who’s discovered the secret to happiness—at any cost: these are just a few of the hard-luck characters you’ll meet in Roachkiller and Other Stories, the debut collection of short stories from exciting noir writer R. Narvaez. Included are 10 hard-boiled tales, many with a dash of dark humor. Get-rich schemes gone violently awry. A slacker detective far out of his depth. A reformed criminal who can’t get past his killer instincts. The action moves from Brooklyn to Puerto Rico, from the ’70s to the near future, from deadly divorces to homicidal hipsters. Narvaez travels down the dimly lit side streets of noir you’ve never seen before.
Contents
In the Kitchen with Johnny Albino
Juracán
Roachkiller
GhostD
Santa’s Little Helper
Unsynchronicity
Ibarra Goes Down
Watching the Iguanas
Rough Night in Toronto
Zinger
“Juracán” is also available as an ebook single under the title “Hurricane”!
“Plenty of good surprises [in this book]: R. Narvaez in ‘Juracán’ tells a story set in Puerto Rico among the legends of the Tainos, stolen artifacts, double- and triple-crosses, uneasy justice.”
—Manuel Ramos, author of King of the Chicanos, on the collection Indian Country Noir
“Hilarious and memorable.”
—Kirkus Reviews, on the story “Hating Holly Hernandez” in the collection You Don’t Have a Clue
"Hardboiled prose, noir sensibility, and all very effective. Check it out."
—Bill Crider, author of the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series
Author Bio
Nuyorican writer R. Narvaez was born and raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. His fiction has been published in Mississippi Review, Murdaland, Street Magazine, Thrilling Detective, Indian Country Noir, Long Island Noir, Hit List: The Best of Latino Mystery, and You Don’t Have a Clue: Latino Mystery Stories for Teens. His short story "Roachkiller" was selected as a Distinguished Mystery Story in Best American Mystery Stories 2008, edited by George Pelecanos. He blogs at Nuyorican Obituary.
From R. Narvaez, a board member of the Mystery Writers of America, New York Chapter, and exciting new voice in noir . . .
“If there is any justice in the world, [R. Narvaez] should become a giant on the literary noir scene within the next couple of years.”
—Anthony Neil Smith, author of Yellow Medicine, on the story “Roachkiller”
"'Roachkiller" is an accomplished debut from an author in full and firm control of his voice. Narvaez is definitely a name to watch."
—Eva Dolan, Crime Factory
A pregnant single mother who becomes a numbers runner in 1970s Brooklyn; an ex-con fighting against insurmountable odds not to kill again; a middle-aged tax lawyer who’s discovered the secret to happiness—at any cost: these are just a few of the hard-luck characters you’ll meet in Roachkiller and Other Stories, the debut collection of short stories from exciting noir writer R. Narvaez. Included are 10 hard-boiled tales, many with a dash of dark humor. Get-rich schemes gone violently awry. A slacker detective far out of his depth. A reformed criminal who can’t get past his killer instincts. The action moves from Brooklyn to Puerto Rico, from the ’70s to the near future, from deadly divorces to homicidal hipsters. Narvaez travels down the dimly lit side streets of noir you’ve never seen before.
Contents
In the Kitchen with Johnny Albino
Juracán
Roachkiller
GhostD
Santa’s Little Helper
Unsynchronicity
Ibarra Goes Down
Watching the Iguanas
Rough Night in Toronto
Zinger
“Juracán” is also available as an ebook single under the title “Hurricane”!
“Plenty of good surprises [in this book]: R. Narvaez in ‘Juracán’ tells a story set in Puerto Rico among the legends of the Tainos, stolen artifacts, double- and triple-crosses, uneasy justice.”
—Manuel Ramos, author of King of the Chicanos, on the collection Indian Country Noir
“Hilarious and memorable.”
—Kirkus Reviews, on the story “Hating Holly Hernandez” in the collection You Don’t Have a Clue
"Hardboiled prose, noir sensibility, and all very effective. Check it out."
—Bill Crider, author of the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series
Author Bio
Nuyorican writer R. Narvaez was born and raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. His fiction has been published in Mississippi Review, Murdaland, Street Magazine, Thrilling Detective, Indian Country Noir, Long Island Noir, Hit List: The Best of Latino Mystery, and You Don’t Have a Clue: Latino Mystery Stories for Teens. His short story "Roachkiller" was selected as a Distinguished Mystery Story in Best American Mystery Stories 2008, edited by George Pelecanos. He blogs at Nuyorican Obituary.
