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leserdtke's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
3.75
Wie oft bei Kurzgeschichtensammlungen sind einige hervorragend, einige Durchschnitt und einige haben in einer Noir-Sammlung nichts zu suchen. Und wie immer ist alles subjektiv.
pamwinkler's review
4.0
Overall, good.
Keeping the Faith by 'Nathan Burgoine was good.
Patience, Colorado by Rob Byrnes was good and a little chilling; good noir.
Mouse by Jeffrey Round was dark and good.
Faithful by Michael Thomas Ford was something that I kinda skimmed through after a bit. It was more erotica than story; and I got bored.
Spin Cycle by Greg Herren was good. A nice little murder mystery, but not noir.
Murder on the Midway by Jeffrey Ricker was very good noir; I liked it.
The Thin Blue Line(s) by Max Reynolds was also not something I'd think of as noir. Pretty entertaining though.
An Appetite for Warmth by Neil Plakcy was pretty good noir; although I wanted to shake the main character to not be an idiot.
Miss Trial by Adam McCabe was good and interesting noir.
Last Call by Mel Bossa was pretty good noir. Seductress leads a man by his heart; breaks it good. I don't tend to think much of the people who just worship their lovers to the point of not being aware they're actually people.
The Case of the Missing Bulldog by Josh Aterovis was ok; not my kind of thing.
Imago Blue by Felice Picano I loved. It was occasionally a little silly but I loved it. Very heavy on the sci-fi.
The Cocktail Hour by John Morgan Wilson was ok. Not my thing.
Private Chick by Julie Smith was occasionally a little silly on the entire drag queen sort of 'I'm going to be absolutely fabulous, look at me being fabulous' but it was very sensible under the glitter and sparkles. I liked it.
Keeping the Faith by 'Nathan Burgoine was good.
Patience, Colorado by Rob Byrnes was good and a little chilling; good noir.
Mouse by Jeffrey Round was dark and good.
Faithful by Michael Thomas Ford was something that I kinda skimmed through after a bit. It was more erotica than story; and I got bored.
Spin Cycle by Greg Herren was good. A nice little murder mystery, but not noir.
Murder on the Midway by Jeffrey Ricker was very good noir; I liked it.
The Thin Blue Line(s) by Max Reynolds was also not something I'd think of as noir. Pretty entertaining though.
An Appetite for Warmth by Neil Plakcy was pretty good noir; although I wanted to shake the main character to not be an idiot.
Miss Trial by Adam McCabe was good and interesting noir.
Last Call by Mel Bossa was pretty good noir. Seductress leads a man by his heart; breaks it good. I don't tend to think much of the people who just worship their lovers to the point of not being aware they're actually people.
The Case of the Missing Bulldog by Josh Aterovis was ok; not my kind of thing.
Imago Blue by Felice Picano I loved. It was occasionally a little silly but I loved it. Very heavy on the sci-fi.
The Cocktail Hour by John Morgan Wilson was ok. Not my thing.
Private Chick by Julie Smith was occasionally a little silly on the entire drag queen sort of 'I'm going to be absolutely fabulous, look at me being fabulous' but it was very sensible under the glitter and sparkles. I liked it.
apostrophen's review against another edition
5.0
Edit: Price-drop, until March 17th, 2019, on the Bold Strokes Books web-store, in all e-formats, 20% off.
Full disclosure: I wrote one of the stories in this collection.
I just finished reading my proof of the anthology, and I'm chuffed at the company I'm keeping. These stories are fantastic - with such a wonderful range of stories and interpretations on "noir" that I think there's definitely something in here for everyone.
Rob Byrnes wins the prize for best murder method with "Patience, Colorado" and the grim twist is a worthy one. "Mouse" by Jeffrey Round was a dark and disturbing journey that left me chilled. Michael Thomas Ford's "Faithful" was outright erotic and yet still launched the biggest surprise ending of the collection. "Spin Cycle" by Greg Herren, made me grin from ear to ear - and was probably the story with the murder motive I empathized with the most. Jeffrey Ricker's "Murder on the Midway" had a twisted little mystery to it that will confound you, and the fallout of bad choices that ends in blood was a great example of noir. With "The Thin Blue Line(s)" Max Reynolds reminded me of the lovely Edward O. Phillips "Sunday" series, putting an unlikely murderer in the position of having to dispose of a body - this story will delight anyone who has ever been an editor, I dare say. Neil Plakcy's "An Appetite for Warmth" is a slow collapse of pain, and pulled me along throughout the character's decline. "Miss Trial" by Adam McCabe was a sharp story with a brutal turn that actually forced me to stop and stare and absorb for a while. Mel Bossa's "Last Call" drips with the grime of the underworld, and that faded potential hope that makes you think that just maybe this time will be a happy ending - it completely drew me in. Josh Aterovis brings forth the kind of dark mystery that noir does so well in "The Case of the Missing Bulldog" and leaves you wondering if there's anyone with any amount of innocence in the telling. "Imago Blue" by Felice Picano was a favorite - Picano took noir to a speculative place, invoking a "Bladerunner" feel and showing that in the right hands, a noir mystery can be set anywhere and anywhen. John Morgan Wilson's "The Cocktail Hour" is a fiendish trap that springs around the reader and the narrator both. Rounding up all these fantastic stories is Julie Smith's "Private Chick" which brings forth one of the best character voices I've ever read - and I sincerely hope there's more Diva Delish on the way from Smith.
All of that to say I can't wait for this book to be out and about. I hope you'll join me on those mean streets. They're all worth walking.
Full disclosure: I wrote one of the stories in this collection.
I just finished reading my proof of the anthology, and I'm chuffed at the company I'm keeping. These stories are fantastic - with such a wonderful range of stories and interpretations on "noir" that I think there's definitely something in here for everyone.
Rob Byrnes wins the prize for best murder method with "Patience, Colorado" and the grim twist is a worthy one. "Mouse" by Jeffrey Round was a dark and disturbing journey that left me chilled. Michael Thomas Ford's "Faithful" was outright erotic and yet still launched the biggest surprise ending of the collection. "Spin Cycle" by Greg Herren, made me grin from ear to ear - and was probably the story with the murder motive I empathized with the most. Jeffrey Ricker's "Murder on the Midway" had a twisted little mystery to it that will confound you, and the fallout of bad choices that ends in blood was a great example of noir. With "The Thin Blue Line(s)" Max Reynolds reminded me of the lovely Edward O. Phillips "Sunday" series, putting an unlikely murderer in the position of having to dispose of a body - this story will delight anyone who has ever been an editor, I dare say. Neil Plakcy's "An Appetite for Warmth" is a slow collapse of pain, and pulled me along throughout the character's decline. "Miss Trial" by Adam McCabe was a sharp story with a brutal turn that actually forced me to stop and stare and absorb for a while. Mel Bossa's "Last Call" drips with the grime of the underworld, and that faded potential hope that makes you think that just maybe this time will be a happy ending - it completely drew me in. Josh Aterovis brings forth the kind of dark mystery that noir does so well in "The Case of the Missing Bulldog" and leaves you wondering if there's anyone with any amount of innocence in the telling. "Imago Blue" by Felice Picano was a favorite - Picano took noir to a speculative place, invoking a "Bladerunner" feel and showing that in the right hands, a noir mystery can be set anywhere and anywhen. John Morgan Wilson's "The Cocktail Hour" is a fiendish trap that springs around the reader and the narrator both. Rounding up all these fantastic stories is Julie Smith's "Private Chick" which brings forth one of the best character voices I've ever read - and I sincerely hope there's more Diva Delish on the way from Smith.
All of that to say I can't wait for this book to be out and about. I hope you'll join me on those mean streets. They're all worth walking.
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