From: Queens Noir ed. Robert Knightly. Akashic Books, 2008.
Winner of this year's MWA Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for Best First Short Story, "Buckner's Error" is equal parts classic baseball banter and true noir. As the story trundles on the 7 Train from Grand Central Station to Shea Stadium, readers follow an unnamed Mets fan hitman zeroing in on power broker, pervert, and Sox fan Jack Buckner.
Showing posts with label Akashic Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Akashic Books. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
NBS Special Report: 2009 Best Short Story Edgar Nominees
As presented by the Mystery Writers of America:
BEST SHORT STORY
"A Sleep Not Unlike Death" - Hardcore Hardboiled by Sean Chercover (Kensington Publishing)
"Skin and Bones" – Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine by David Edgerley Gates (Dell Magazines)
"Scratch of a Woman" - Hardly Knew Her by Laura Lippman (HarperCollins – William Morrow)
"La Vie en Rose" - Paris Noir by Dominique Mainard (Akashic Books)
"Skinhead Central" - The Blue Religion by T. Jefferson Parker (Hachette Book Group – Little, Brown and Company)
ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD (Best First Short Story)
"Buckner's Error" - Queens Noir by Joseph Guglielmelli (Akashic Books)
Congratulations and good luck to all.
The full list of Edgar nominees via Sarah Weinman's Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind.
BEST SHORT STORY
"A Sleep Not Unlike Death" - Hardcore Hardboiled by Sean Chercover (Kensington Publishing)
"Skin and Bones" – Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine by David Edgerley Gates (Dell Magazines)
"Scratch of a Woman" - Hardly Knew Her by Laura Lippman (HarperCollins – William Morrow)
"La Vie en Rose" - Paris Noir by Dominique Mainard (Akashic Books)
"Skinhead Central" - The Blue Religion by T. Jefferson Parker (Hachette Book Group – Little, Brown and Company)
ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD (Best First Short Story)
"Buckner's Error" - Queens Noir by Joseph Guglielmelli (Akashic Books)
Congratulations and good luck to all.
The full list of Edgar nominees via Sarah Weinman's Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
"Babs" by Scott Phillips
From: Las Vegas Noir ed. Jarret Keene & Todd James Pierce. Akashic Books, 2008.
From the author of The Ice Harvest comes the story of Tate, a good-natured pothead originally from Kansas who, as a favor to his friend Skip, agrees to pick up some crystal meth from Skip's friend Babs, and bring it back to L.A. Babs, described by Skip as "a stripper", is nothing like Tate expects. Falling a little in love with her, he agrees to back her up retrieving the meth from a dealer.
I'm not a fan of first-person present-tense narrative as a rule, but the style works here to set up Tate's sensibilities. I was as disarmed by Babs as he was, even as I realized Tate was getting in over his head.
From the author of The Ice Harvest comes the story of Tate, a good-natured pothead originally from Kansas who, as a favor to his friend Skip, agrees to pick up some crystal meth from Skip's friend Babs, and bring it back to L.A. Babs, described by Skip as "a stripper", is nothing like Tate expects. Falling a little in love with her, he agrees to back her up retrieving the meth from a dealer.
I'm not a fan of first-person present-tense narrative as a rule, but the style works here to set up Tate's sensibilities. I was as disarmed by Babs as he was, even as I realized Tate was getting in over his head.
Friday, July 11, 2008
"Mitzvah" by Tod Goldberg
From: Las Vegas Noir ed. Jarret Keene & Todd James Pierce. Akashic Books, 2008.
Fifteen years into his assumed identity as a Las Vegas rabbi, former Chicago mob hitman Sal Cupertine is fed up with the phoniness and monotony of his new life. After officiating at the fake funeral of policeman Vincent Castiglione, now known as Vincent Castleberg, Sal decides to steal the cop's identity and make a play to return to Chicago.
Showing the complexity of Sal's feelings and the depth of his despair, Goldberg makes readers care about a killer.
Fifteen years into his assumed identity as a Las Vegas rabbi, former Chicago mob hitman Sal Cupertine is fed up with the phoniness and monotony of his new life. After officiating at the fake funeral of policeman Vincent Castiglione, now known as Vincent Castleberg, Sal decides to steal the cop's identity and make a play to return to Chicago.
Showing the complexity of Sal's feelings and the depth of his despair, Goldberg makes readers care about a killer.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
"Pretty Little Parasite" by David Corbett
From: Las Vegas Noir ed. Jarret Keene & Todd James Pierce. Akashic Books, 2008.
Upon learning she is pregnant, cocaine-addicted casino worker Sam Pitney tries to provide for her child by becoming a low-level coke dealer. Her business succeeds for some time, but unfortunately one of her sources for new clientele brings in an undercover cop, himself an addict. Shifting viewpoints from Sam, to her source, and to the cop, Corbett keeps this sad tale moving.
Upon learning she is pregnant, cocaine-addicted casino worker Sam Pitney tries to provide for her child by becoming a low-level coke dealer. Her business succeeds for some time, but unfortunately one of her sources for new clientele brings in an undercover cop, himself an addict. Shifting viewpoints from Sam, to her source, and to the cop, Corbett keeps this sad tale moving.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
"Tourist Trade" by James O. Born
From: Dublin Noir ed. Ken Bruen. Akashic Books, 2006.
Born's contribution to this memorable anthology follows a serial-killing Irishman with an otherwise idyllic life and a surprising, darkly comic motivation.
Born's contribution to this memorable anthology follows a serial-killing Irishman with an otherwise idyllic life and a surprising, darkly comic motivation.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
"Rude Awakening" by Lawrence Block
From: Bronx Noir ed. S.J. Rozan. Akashic Books, 2007.
A young woman wakes up after a night of binge drinking with no idea where she is or how she got there. Slowly her senses, the last of which is sight, help her deduce she is in the Bronx. Finally the man beside her stirs awake, and she goes through the awkward, ominous process of getting to know him again.
As changeable as Block's voice is, it's distinctly New York, and his facility with prose made me want to keep reading about the characters and forget this was a noir story. The twist here might be predictable if not well covered in the uncertainty of a morning after.
A young woman wakes up after a night of binge drinking with no idea where she is or how she got there. Slowly her senses, the last of which is sight, help her deduce she is in the Bronx. Finally the man beside her stirs awake, and she goes through the awkward, ominous process of getting to know him again.
As changeable as Block's voice is, it's distinctly New York, and his facility with prose made me want to keep reading about the characters and forget this was a noir story. The twist here might be predictable if not well covered in the uncertainty of a morning after.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Gold Mountain by Terrence Cheng
This is the story (Bronx Noir, edited by SJ Rozan for Akashic Books)of a chinese food delivery man. No ordinary delivery man to be sure. He's a recent immigrant to New York and works near Lehman College in the Bronx - a college I myself went to as a student for the first couple of years in my undergraduate education.
He suffers all the little and large indignities that a newcomer to New York faces and others that most newcomers don't face. His immigration wasn't quite legal and even within the chinese community it seems that his dialect sets him apart as a minority. In fact, he was a survivor of one of the more in/famous NYC moments - the "Golden Venture", a ship that ran aground with 286 illegal immigrants, ten of whom died. The delivery man escaped, even made off with something valuable, but what will he need to do to keep it and will he ever be able to catch hold of the unedited version of the American Dream?
The story grows to a crescendo and the ending will make you do a double take as you reexamine the events that led up to it and the unassuming delivery man himself. Enjoy.
Oh, and by the way, I have an extra copy of the book if anyone's interested - free, postage paid, but let me know in the comments. I'll choose a winner if there's more than one request when I get back home on Monday.
He suffers all the little and large indignities that a newcomer to New York faces and others that most newcomers don't face. His immigration wasn't quite legal and even within the chinese community it seems that his dialect sets him apart as a minority. In fact, he was a survivor of one of the more in/famous NYC moments - the "Golden Venture", a ship that ran aground with 286 illegal immigrants, ten of whom died. The delivery man escaped, even made off with something valuable, but what will he need to do to keep it and will he ever be able to catch hold of the unedited version of the American Dream?
The story grows to a crescendo and the ending will make you do a double take as you reexamine the events that led up to it and the unassuming delivery man himself. Enjoy.
Oh, and by the way, I have an extra copy of the book if anyone's interested - free, postage paid, but let me know in the comments. I'll choose a winner if there's more than one request when I get back home on Monday.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
"White Trash" by Jerome Charyn
From: Bronx Noir ed. SJ Rozan. Akashic Books, 2007.
Escaping from a women's prison in Georgia, Prudence Miller, robber and murderer across several states, makes her way to the Bronx on the advice of her cellmate. Connecting with a charismatic, yet oddly chaste man named Omar Kaplan, Pru plans to get lost in a sea of ethnicity.
Charyn's long descriptive passages capture the diversity of the Bronx while tracking Pru's pragmatic, suspicious nature. A fine, fast, dark story.
Escaping from a women's prison in Georgia, Prudence Miller, robber and murderer across several states, makes her way to the Bronx on the advice of her cellmate. Connecting with a charismatic, yet oddly chaste man named Omar Kaplan, Pru plans to get lost in a sea of ethnicity.
Charyn's long descriptive passages capture the diversity of the Bronx while tracking Pru's pragmatic, suspicious nature. A fine, fast, dark story.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
"Freddie Prinze is My Guardian Angel" by Liz Martínez
From: Manhattan Noir ed. Lawrence Block. Akashic Books, 2006.
Freddie Prinze first appears to the narrator while she's praying the Rosary on the fourth anniversary of his death. "You're supposed to join the NYPD," he says.
Already infatuated with Prinze, the narrator follows his cryptic, counterintuitive advice in smaller things, persisting even when it turns out badly for her. Prinze appears unpredictably throughout her teens and early twenties, and finally she agrees to apply to the NYPD.
A morbidly funny story highlighted by the narrator's engaging voice and blind faith in Prinze.
Freddie Prinze first appears to the narrator while she's praying the Rosary on the fourth anniversary of his death. "You're supposed to join the NYPD," he says.
Already infatuated with Prinze, the narrator follows his cryptic, counterintuitive advice in smaller things, persisting even when it turns out badly for her. Prinze appears unpredictably throughout her teens and early twenties, and finally she agrees to apply to the NYPD.
A morbidly funny story highlighted by the narrator's engaging voice and blind faith in Prinze.
Friday, August 31, 2007
"The Recipe" by Carolina Garcia-Aguilera
From: Miami Noir ed. Les Standiford
This story by real-life P.I. Garcia-Aguilera opens with an out-of-work, fitness-obsessed husband threatening to kill his wife's aging dog. The wife, an investigator for a law firm, is forced to put off the argument to interview a client at the Dade County Jail.
According to the arrest report, the client, a Mr. Campos, killed his neighbor. Campos says he actually intended to kill his neighbor's loud-barking, free-pooping dog by means of a poisoned barbecued steak. After preparing the steak, Campos left it unattended for thirty minutes and returned to discover his neighbor sprawled by the barbecue.
Sickened at first, Campos became angry when he spotted steak juice around his neighbor's mouth. With his wife away on a trip, Campos decided to chop up the body and bury it as he would have the dog. The neighbor's gym-toned body proved tough to cut, however, so Campos decided to marinate it before finishing the job.
Repulsed as she is by Campos's graphic account, the P.I. comes away with a plan to resolve her situation at home.
This story seems long on exposition at times, but a final noir twist ties things together nicely.
This story by real-life P.I. Garcia-Aguilera opens with an out-of-work, fitness-obsessed husband threatening to kill his wife's aging dog. The wife, an investigator for a law firm, is forced to put off the argument to interview a client at the Dade County Jail.
According to the arrest report, the client, a Mr. Campos, killed his neighbor. Campos says he actually intended to kill his neighbor's loud-barking, free-pooping dog by means of a poisoned barbecued steak. After preparing the steak, Campos left it unattended for thirty minutes and returned to discover his neighbor sprawled by the barbecue.
Sickened at first, Campos became angry when he spotted steak juice around his neighbor's mouth. With his wife away on a trip, Campos decided to chop up the body and bury it as he would have the dog. The neighbor's gym-toned body proved tough to cut, however, so Campos decided to marinate it before finishing the job.
Repulsed as she is by Campos's graphic account, the P.I. comes away with a plan to resolve her situation at home.
This story seems long on exposition at times, but a final noir twist ties things together nicely.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
NBS Special Report: 2007 Shamus Award Nominees
The 2007 Shamus Award nominees were announced Friday, July 13.
Best Short Story:
“Sudden Stop,” by Mitch Alderman (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine [AHMM], November 2006)
“The Heart Has Reasons,” by O’Neil De Noux (AHMM, September 2006)
“Square One,” by Loren D. Estleman (AHMM, November 2006)
“Devil’s Brew,” by Bill Pronzini (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, December 2006)
“Smoke Got in My Eyes,” by Bruce Rubenstein (from Twin Cities Noir, edited by Julie Schaper; Akashic Books)
Congrats to all.
Best Short Story:
“Sudden Stop,” by Mitch Alderman (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine [AHMM], November 2006)
“The Heart Has Reasons,” by O’Neil De Noux (AHMM, September 2006)
“Square One,” by Loren D. Estleman (AHMM, November 2006)
“Devil’s Brew,” by Bill Pronzini (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, December 2006)
“Smoke Got in My Eyes,” by Bruce Rubenstein (from Twin Cities Noir, edited by Julie Schaper; Akashic Books)
Congrats to all.
"Mulholland Drive" by Michael Connelly
From: Los Angeles Noir ed. Denise Hamilton, Akashic Books, 2007.
Police reconstructionist Clewiston is called in when a multi-millionaire's Porsche swerves over the side of Mulholland Drive. Using a combination of computer calculations and educated guesses, Clewiston determines the crash was caused by coyote.
On the way to file his report, Clewiston calls the dead man's wife, and we learn he orchestrated the accident so the wife could take the insurance payout. While he is filling her in, however, Clewiston gets into an "accident" of his own.
Sharp detail and solid pace as expected from Connelly, with some unexpected humor thrown into the final act.
Police reconstructionist Clewiston is called in when a multi-millionaire's Porsche swerves over the side of Mulholland Drive. Using a combination of computer calculations and educated guesses, Clewiston determines the crash was caused by coyote.
On the way to file his report, Clewiston calls the dead man's wife, and we learn he orchestrated the accident so the wife could take the insurance payout. While he is filling her in, however, Clewiston gets into an "accident" of his own.
Sharp detail and solid pace as expected from Connelly, with some unexpected humor thrown into the final act.
Monday, April 30, 2007
"Number 19" by Naomi Hirahara
From: Los Angeles Noir, ed. Denise Hamilton, Akashic Books, 2007.
After visiting a spa in L.A.'s Koreatown, Ann, a waitress, becomes curious about her masseuse, identified only as Number 19. After a rejuvenating salt scrub, Ann wants to make sure Number 19 receives all her tip money. What begins as curiosity and earnest concern ends badly for Ann, but worse for the spa manager she confronts.
After visiting a spa in L.A.'s Koreatown, Ann, a waitress, becomes curious about her masseuse, identified only as Number 19. After a rejuvenating salt scrub, Ann wants to make sure Number 19 receives all her tip money. What begins as curiosity and earnest concern ends badly for Ann, but worse for the spa manager she confronts.
Monday, April 23, 2007
"New Lots Avenue" by Nelson George
From: Brooklyn Noir, ed. Tim McLoughlin. Akashic Books, 2004.
Walking home from the grocery store, Cynthia Green is roped into a conversation with her cousin Johnny, a cop from Queens living well in Jersey thanks to his work with the DEA. As they update each other on the past two years, Johnny reveals he is looking for a neighbor of Cynthia's, a Puerto Rican drug dealer called Victorious.
In four powerful pages, filmmaker George shows that Cynthia and Johnny may be family, but for her, the neighborhood's collective struggle is the stronger bond.
Walking home from the grocery store, Cynthia Green is roped into a conversation with her cousin Johnny, a cop from Queens living well in Jersey thanks to his work with the DEA. As they update each other on the past two years, Johnny reveals he is looking for a neighbor of Cynthia's, a Puerto Rican drug dealer called Victorious.
In four powerful pages, filmmaker George shows that Cynthia and Johnny may be family, but for her, the neighborhood's collective struggle is the stronger bond.
Friday, April 13, 2007
"Dead Storage" by Christine Kling
From: Miami Noir, ed. Les Standiford. Akashic Books, 2006.
When her mother leaves, sixteen-year-old Kate is forced to live in a trailer park where she is sexually abused by her father. Pulled out of school, Kate spends most of her time reading novels, making up stories that she weaves into elaborate lies to the neighbors.
Despite this story's brevity, I quickly empathized with Kate and wondered if and how she would turn the tables on her father.
When her mother leaves, sixteen-year-old Kate is forced to live in a trailer park where she is sexually abused by her father. Pulled out of school, Kate spends most of her time reading novels, making up stories that she weaves into elaborate lies to the neighbors.
Despite this story's brevity, I quickly empathized with Kate and wondered if and how she would turn the tables on her father.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
"The Timing of Unfelt Smiles" by John Dufresne
From: Miami Noir, ed. Les Standiford, Akashic Books, 2006.
Jordan Delreese is a highly successful motivation expert and church deacon who, in this story's opening sentence, is described bludgeoning his wife and two children to death. The description is provided by Wylie Melville, the psychotherapist helping police profile Delreese.
The story alternates between Melville's first-person P.O.V. and third-person descriptions of Delreese continuing his killing spree, drugging and drowning his ultra-religious parents. The two viewpoints contrast quite starkly: Melville's very human as he juggles the case with caring for his senile father; Delreese's hopeless and inevitable, its quoteless dialogue emphasizing how withdrawn he has become.
Jordan Delreese is a highly successful motivation expert and church deacon who, in this story's opening sentence, is described bludgeoning his wife and two children to death. The description is provided by Wylie Melville, the psychotherapist helping police profile Delreese.
The story alternates between Melville's first-person P.O.V. and third-person descriptions of Delreese continuing his killing spree, drugging and drowning his ultra-religious parents. The two viewpoints contrast quite starkly: Melville's very human as he juggles the case with caring for his senile father; Delreese's hopeless and inevitable, its quoteless dialogue emphasizing how withdrawn he has become.
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