New Orleans Noir (Akashic Noir) (Paperback)

by Julie Smith (Editor)
Key Phrases: Big Roy, Jimmie Lee, Father Fitzpatrick (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The excellent 12th entry in Akashic's city-specific noir series illustrates the diversity of the chosen locale with 18 previously unpublished short stories from authors both well known (Laura Lippman, Barbara Hambly) and emerging (Kalamu Ya Salaam, Jeri Cain Rossi). Appropriately, Smith divides the book into pre- and post-Katrina sections, and many of the more powerful tales describe the disaster's hellish aftermath. Standouts in the first section, "Before the Levees Broke," include Laura Lippman's short, twisted tale of victims and victimizers, "Pony Girl," and Tim McLoughlin's "Scared Rabbit," a tight, punchy account of a police shooting. Among the contributions to the post-Katrina "Life in Atlantis" section, Thomas Adcock's gritty crime tale, "Lawyers' Tongues," captures the chaos of the hurricane's wake with notable skill. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description

Brand-new stories by: Thomas Adcock, Ace Atkins, Patty Friedmann, David Fulmer, Barbara Hambly, Greg Herren, Laura Lippman, Tim McLoughlin, James Nolan, Ted O'Brien, Eric Overmyer, Jeri Cain Rossi, Maureen Tan, Jervey Tervalon, Olympia Vernon, Christine Wiltz, Kalamu Ya Salaam, and Julie Smith.

Julie Smith is the author of two detective series set in New Orleans and an Edgar Award winner. A former reporter for the New Orleans Times-Picayune and the San Francisco Chronicle, she lives in the Faubourg Marigny section of New Orleans, which is much funkier than it sounds.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 270 pages
• Publisher: Akashic Books (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933354240
• ISBN-13: 978-1933354248
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #384,331 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #9 in

  Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Authors, A-Z > ( S ) > Smith, Julie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of those books you just can't put down, April 22, 2007

By	D. Weber "shira4cats" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I picked this book up at Pirate's Alley in New Orleans the day before I had to fly back home. I started reading it on the plane, came up for air in order to change planes in Dallas, and finished it before landng in LA. Every story was powerful; those in Part I: Before the Levees Broke as well as in Part II: Life In Atlantis. My favorites: Two-Story Brick Houses ( This short story captures the brutality of how cruel girls can treat one another), Muddy Pond, Annunciation Shotgun, and Night Taxi. If you want to experience the pain and sorrow of the people of New Orleans pre- and post- K, this is a MUST READ.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartbreaking, Gritty Stories of The Big Easy, August 14, 2007

By	Marion "[e-mail]" (Louisiana) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I picked this book up because Julie Smith is the editor and has a story in it. I have to say that hers was my favorite, by far. She's an ace mystery writer and I highly recommend all of her books if you haven't yet discovered them.

Exploring the darker side of the "Big Easy", these tales are unputdownable, gritty and down-to-earth whether dealing with the aftermath of Katrina, Mardi Gras or the seamier underside of life in the French Quarter.

I was happy to discover that a portion of the profits from this book are being donated to the New Orleans Public Library, a fabulous cause.

I'd never before read the "Noir" series, but I plan to look up other books in it. It's well deserving of five stars!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Meh, November 6, 2008

By	jazzypizzaz - See all my reviews

I wasn't impressed. I bought this book in Faulkner's House of Books in New Orleans to read while I was there. I was enchanted by the city, its history, and the stories of it's people and thought that this could be complemented by a good read.

However, I found most of the stories rather bland and simple-- there was none of the poetry and heart-felt, homey grittiness that I saw in New Orleans myself, nothing that made me see New Orleans in a different light or understand it better. The writing style seemed almost the same throughout the book (with the exception of just a few stories) to me, which should not have been case with 18 different authors. However, "Marigny Triangle" by Eric Overmyer stuck out as a particularly creative piece and a few others had their powerful moments.

Maybe I had too high of expectations. I would instead strongly recommend "New Orleans, Mon Amor" by Andrei Codrescu.