What do you think?
Rate this book
Honolulu Noir
The Aloha State enters the Akashic Noir Series arena with a riveting collection, exploring shadows and corners of Honolulu that will never be found in a tourist brochure
FEATURING BRAND NEW STORIES Don Wallace, Stephanie Han, Christy Passion, Morgan Miryung McKinney, Alan Brennert, Chris McKinney, and others.
Two thousand miles away from the rest of the country, an American city evades the mind’s eye of the empire that claimed it, peddled it as paradise, then largely ignored it. And yet, Honolulu likes its anonymity. Tourists and outsiders corral themselves in hotels and resorts, vacation eyes glued to their beachfront sunsets and mai tais while the people who live here get on with their affairs. And sometimes it’s dirty business.
Honolulu Noir comprises stories about the people of the city, written by those who know this place best. The volume opens with a story featuring Chang Apana, the Native Hawaiian/Chinese real-life cop who was the inspiration for the controversial Charlie Chan. It ends with a supernatural journey from the Philippines to Hawaii. In between, readers will find multicultural tales of invasion (whether yakuza, ISIS recruiters, or vampires), madness, addiction, and murder—all the stuff that many people don’t know happens here. Unbeknownst to the rest of the country, Honolulu can be a very dangerous place. Here, even the alluring crystal-blue waters might kill you.
Chris McKinney says, “When the opportunity to edit Honolulu Noir was presented to me, I jumped at the chance. I’d been aware of the outstanding reputation of Akashic’s Noir Series, and as someone who was born and has lived and worked in just about every neighborhood in this city, I felt up to the task.”
E komo mai to Honolulu Noir.
FEATURING BRAND NEW STORIES Don Wallace, Stephanie Han, Christy Passion, Morgan Miryung McKinney, Alan Brennert, Chris McKinney, and others.
Two thousand miles away from the rest of the country, an American city evades the mind’s eye of the empire that claimed it, peddled it as paradise, then largely ignored it. And yet, Honolulu likes its anonymity. Tourists and outsiders corral themselves in hotels and resorts, vacation eyes glued to their beachfront sunsets and mai tais while the people who live here get on with their affairs. And sometimes it’s dirty business.
Honolulu Noir comprises stories about the people of the city, written by those who know this place best. The volume opens with a story featuring Chang Apana, the Native Hawaiian/Chinese real-life cop who was the inspiration for the controversial Charlie Chan. It ends with a supernatural journey from the Philippines to Hawaii. In between, readers will find multicultural tales of invasion (whether yakuza, ISIS recruiters, or vampires), madness, addiction, and murder—all the stuff that many people don’t know happens here. Unbeknownst to the rest of the country, Honolulu can be a very dangerous place. Here, even the alluring crystal-blue waters might kill you.
Chris McKinney says, “When the opportunity to edit Honolulu Noir was presented to me, I jumped at the chance. I’d been aware of the outstanding reputation of Akashic’s Noir Series, and as someone who was born and has lived and worked in just about every neighborhood in this city, I felt up to the task.”
E komo mai to Honolulu Noir.
272 pages, Paperback
First published November 5, 2024
22 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
Chris McKinney
11 books100 followersChris McKinney is a Korean, Japanese, Scottish American writer born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is the author of the Water City trilogy. Book one was named a Best Mystery of 2021 by Publisher's Weekly and a Best Speculative Mystery of 2021 by CrimeReads. All three books received starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly, and Booklist called book three a "satisfying conclusion to a magnificent trilogy (that) offers a real treat for sf fans." In 2024, Honolulu Magazine named McKinney "Author of the Year" for his Water City trilogy.
Chris has written six other novels: The Tattoo, The Queen of Tears, Bolohead Row, Mililani Mauka, Boi No Good, and Yakudoshi: Age of Calamity.
In 2011, Chris was appointed Visiting Distinguished Writer at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Over the years, he has won one Elliot Cades Award and seven Kapalapala Pookela Awards.
He currently resides in Honolulu with his wife and two daughters.
Chris has written six other novels: The Tattoo, The Queen of Tears, Bolohead Row, Mililani Mauka, Boi No Good, and Yakudoshi: Age of Calamity.
In 2011, Chris was appointed Visiting Distinguished Writer at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Over the years, he has won one Elliot Cades Award and seven Kapalapala Pookela Awards.
He currently resides in Honolulu with his wife and two daughters.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 3, 2024
Kiana Davenport has written one of the most shockingly racist stories i have ever read.
Her message is “Hawaiians should want to kill Middle Easterners because they are out here in Hawaii recruiting our kids.” There is absolutely no data to back this up. Her views certainly DO NOT REFLECT THE VIEWS OF HAWAIIANS. She’s got some god damn nerve for her psychopathic narrator to refer to Hawaii as “my islands.”
She used her Hawaiian ancestry to mask her white supremacy. She has NO place writing Hawaiian characters because she only does so to add fake legitimacy to her fetish for watching brown people die Coliseum-style.
I am SO disappointed with this author who has carried the flag of Hawaiian fiction for many years. I am especially disappointed because she was one of like TWO Hawaiian authors in an anthology ABOUT Honolulu.
Akashic has lost all credibility as a source of crime fiction.
Her message is “Hawaiians should want to kill Middle Easterners because they are out here in Hawaii recruiting our kids.” There is absolutely no data to back this up. Her views certainly DO NOT REFLECT THE VIEWS OF HAWAIIANS. She’s got some god damn nerve for her psychopathic narrator to refer to Hawaii as “my islands.”
She used her Hawaiian ancestry to mask her white supremacy. She has NO place writing Hawaiian characters because she only does so to add fake legitimacy to her fetish for watching brown people die Coliseum-style.
I am SO disappointed with this author who has carried the flag of Hawaiian fiction for many years. I am especially disappointed because she was one of like TWO Hawaiian authors in an anthology ABOUT Honolulu.
Akashic has lost all credibility as a source of crime fiction.
December 22, 2024
Don't let the title mislead you: Honolulu Noir is far more than a mystery anthology set in paradise. Yes, the term "homicide dick" appears -- courtesy of expert noirist Scott Kikkawa in "Midori" -- and underworld (or just unseemly) protagonists make fatal miscalculations in gripping stories by Stephanie Han, Lono Waiwai'Ole and Chris McKinney, ed., of "The Tattoo" and the wonderful "Water City" trilogy. Where the collection transcends, however, is with tales rich in imagination and character, as stories by Tom Gammarino, Mindy Eun Soo Pennybacker and Don Wallace showcase the terrific range of the collection. Gammarino's "It Entered My Mind," is impossible to put down or forget, a "Dick-esque" sci-fi detective story that feels perfectly at home in a Chris McKinney collection. Pennybacker's "Diamond Dreams," the collection's signature work of literary fiction, is meticulously crafted and precisely told as it weaves the story recounted -- a woman searching for a lost necklace and saving her mother from a con-artist in the process -- into a broader query of identity, ethnicity, and belonging in Hawaii. Don Wallace's "Third Night of Carnival" is, as always, both a riotous read and full of empathy for its misfit teen protagonists, though you may never look at Punahou Carnival -- or a tubular malasada -- the same way again. All of the stories in the collection are well worth the read and I look forward to future contributions by each of the authors. Mahalo for this excellent collection!
October 19, 2024
This collection reflects the diversity in Honolulu well, but I am not sure the stories could be classified as noir. They are bleak and pessimistic and reflect a cynicism with systemic justice, but I just don’t see kids using AI to write their homework as criminals.
January 6, 2025
*3.5 stars, it’s hard to rate an anthology with stories that are so different from each other. Part I was strong, and my favorite story was The Swimmers, but I am not sure how I felt about that one being the opening tale of the collection. I thoroughly enjoyed Part II, with Third Night of Carnival being my favorite of the three making up this section, though I wish the characters had been a bit more fleshed out as I was left wanting to know more. Part III was my favorite overall section, as I loved all three of the cop stories and how different they managed to be. The twists in both Midori and Apana’s Last Case were intriguing and unexpected, and the ending of the latter was heartwarming. The unreliable narrator and descent into madness portrayed in It Entered My Mind was grabbing and felt almost like a dystopian Telltale Heart. If the book ended after Part III, it would have pushed 4 or 4.5 stars, however the final three stories making up Part IV kind of lost me.
A note for the book as a whole; I wish the contributors had included a collective index at the end of all the native Hawaiian, Japanese, and other culturally specific words. Some of them were defined in the text, but others not, and some were so crucial to the plots that I kept having to look up definitions online.
A note for the book as a whole; I wish the contributors had included a collective index at the end of all the native Hawaiian, Japanese, and other culturally specific words. Some of them were defined in the text, but others not, and some were so crucial to the plots that I kept having to look up definitions online.
September 22, 2024
Honolulu Noir is edited by Chris McKinney. It is the latest (2024) title in Akashic Books’ Noir series - a short story anthology series featuring original stories written by local authors focusing on a geographical location - a city, a state, a region, a country. I have traveled vicariously around the world with these books - Palm Springs, Chicago, Wall Street, Helsinki, Dublin, Sydney, Berlin, Singapore, Montreal, including my birthplace Columbus, Ohio.
“The editors and authors define what Noir means to them, which leads to a diverse range of voices.”
The series is long-running with over 100 titles published with more to come.
The series was launched in 2004 with the publication of Brooklyn Noir. It paid homage to Brooklyn, one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world.
The series is well-written, well-edited. The location, the culture is abundantly present in every title and individual story.
Then there are the ‘usual suspects’ of Noir - cynicism, fatalism and moral ambiguity
It features ‘hard-boiled’, cynical characters and bleak, sleazy settings.
It is raw, very dark and brooding. Noir has been described as “whiskey, neat’.
Every title in the series has the same format which I love. It is very well-organized.
There is a brooding, dark cover.
There is a list of previously (and forthcoming) Noir titles.
There is a map with silhouettes marking the area where a particular story takes place. (I love
the map.)
There is a Table of Contents. Titles are usually divided into 4 parts. In Honolulu Noir, we have
Part 1: One-Way Ticket Part 2: Home in the Islands Part 3: Cops: Past, Future, Past and
Part 4: Modern Mana
The Introduction written by the editor is a very integral part of the anthology as it sets the tone
and background for the location. In Honolulu Noir, editor Chris McKinney writes “Honolulu
is also the great bridge of the Pacific. And when it comes to Noir, this makes it a setting with unique potential.”
The stories, themselves, written by Alan Brennert, Kiana Davenport, Tom Gammarino, Stephanie Han, Scott Kikkawa, B.A. Kobayashi, Chris McKinney, Morgan Miryung McKinney, Christy Passion, Mindy Eun Soo Pennybacker, Michelle Cruz Skinner,
Lono Waiwai’ole, and Don Wallace.
About the Authors lists the authors with a short biographical sketch.
A great book (and series) to read. I like that I can set my own pace with the short stories.
I received this book, Honolulu Noir, as an ARC (Advance Reading Copy) from Akashic Books.
Mahalo.
“The editors and authors define what Noir means to them, which leads to a diverse range of voices.”
The series is long-running with over 100 titles published with more to come.
The series was launched in 2004 with the publication of Brooklyn Noir. It paid homage to Brooklyn, one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world.
The series is well-written, well-edited. The location, the culture is abundantly present in every title and individual story.
Then there are the ‘usual suspects’ of Noir - cynicism, fatalism and moral ambiguity
It features ‘hard-boiled’, cynical characters and bleak, sleazy settings.
It is raw, very dark and brooding. Noir has been described as “whiskey, neat’.
Every title in the series has the same format which I love. It is very well-organized.
There is a brooding, dark cover.
There is a list of previously (and forthcoming) Noir titles.
There is a map with silhouettes marking the area where a particular story takes place. (I love
the map.)
There is a Table of Contents. Titles are usually divided into 4 parts. In Honolulu Noir, we have
Part 1: One-Way Ticket Part 2: Home in the Islands Part 3: Cops: Past, Future, Past and
Part 4: Modern Mana
The Introduction written by the editor is a very integral part of the anthology as it sets the tone
and background for the location. In Honolulu Noir, editor Chris McKinney writes “Honolulu
is also the great bridge of the Pacific. And when it comes to Noir, this makes it a setting with unique potential.”
The stories, themselves, written by Alan Brennert, Kiana Davenport, Tom Gammarino, Stephanie Han, Scott Kikkawa, B.A. Kobayashi, Chris McKinney, Morgan Miryung McKinney, Christy Passion, Mindy Eun Soo Pennybacker, Michelle Cruz Skinner,
Lono Waiwai’ole, and Don Wallace.
About the Authors lists the authors with a short biographical sketch.
A great book (and series) to read. I like that I can set my own pace with the short stories.
I received this book, Honolulu Noir, as an ARC (Advance Reading Copy) from Akashic Books.
Mahalo.
October 21, 2025
During my stay in Honolulu, I discovered an adorable little shop just outside Waikiki called da Shop: books + curiosities. The friendly owner guided me to a table displaying just what I was hoping to find - books by local authors featuring stories that take place locally. I picked up Honolulu Noir - an anthology of gripping and thoughtful takes on Hawaii, challenging the common misconceptions of paradise with a counter-narrative.
As the latest installment in Akashic Books’ acclaimed Noir series (They have 123 books in the series, each featuring a different city. You could find a book for any city you are visiting: Austin, Baghdad, Copenhagen, Dallas… no Salt Lake City!), Honolulu Noir shines a light on the hidden sides of the city, showcasing the areas that tourists often overlook or wouldn’t see behind the sunsets and tiki bars. While many picture Hawaii as a sun-soaked paradise filled with surfing and hula dancing, this collection of short stories reveals a more complex Honolulu—a place impacted by crime, corruption, and various socioeconomic hurdles.
This collection features captivating stories that not only entertain but also deepened my understanding of the city’s unique realities. Through the diverse voices of its contributors, we’re welcomed into a multicultural tapestry where Native Hawaiians, Chinese, Japanese, and Filipinos confront enduring challenges. Standout pieces, such as Stephanie Han’s “The Swimmers”, Mindy Eun Soo Pennybacker’s “Diamond Dreams”, and Alan Brennert’s “Apana’s Last Case” exemplify outstanding writing that expertly balances suspense with cultural insight. “The Swimmers” is a devastating look at a father undergoing a nasty divorce, whose ocean swim with his son is poisoned by his internal rage toward his ex-wife. The story’s emotional core is truly heartbreaking and the ending will shake you. “Diamond Dreams” reveals the old money neighborhoods of Hawaii and the schemes that go on to keep one’s social standing. Meanwhile, “Apana’s Last Case” is a gripping detective story set in 1920s Chinatown, Honolulu. It features a detective unable to let go of an unsolved mystery, but its most memorable takeaway is a powerful Hawaiian phrase: Kahuna nui hale kealohalani makua, which translates to “Love all you see, including yourself.”
The trip was wonderful but it was enriched by reading this book. Chris McKinney, a writer connected to Honolulu, has curated an impactful collection that reshaped my perception of Hawaii —from mere vacation spot to a metropolis rich with narratives beneath its sunny exterior.
As the latest installment in Akashic Books’ acclaimed Noir series (They have 123 books in the series, each featuring a different city. You could find a book for any city you are visiting: Austin, Baghdad, Copenhagen, Dallas… no Salt Lake City!), Honolulu Noir shines a light on the hidden sides of the city, showcasing the areas that tourists often overlook or wouldn’t see behind the sunsets and tiki bars. While many picture Hawaii as a sun-soaked paradise filled with surfing and hula dancing, this collection of short stories reveals a more complex Honolulu—a place impacted by crime, corruption, and various socioeconomic hurdles.
This collection features captivating stories that not only entertain but also deepened my understanding of the city’s unique realities. Through the diverse voices of its contributors, we’re welcomed into a multicultural tapestry where Native Hawaiians, Chinese, Japanese, and Filipinos confront enduring challenges. Standout pieces, such as Stephanie Han’s “The Swimmers”, Mindy Eun Soo Pennybacker’s “Diamond Dreams”, and Alan Brennert’s “Apana’s Last Case” exemplify outstanding writing that expertly balances suspense with cultural insight. “The Swimmers” is a devastating look at a father undergoing a nasty divorce, whose ocean swim with his son is poisoned by his internal rage toward his ex-wife. The story’s emotional core is truly heartbreaking and the ending will shake you. “Diamond Dreams” reveals the old money neighborhoods of Hawaii and the schemes that go on to keep one’s social standing. Meanwhile, “Apana’s Last Case” is a gripping detective story set in 1920s Chinatown, Honolulu. It features a detective unable to let go of an unsolved mystery, but its most memorable takeaway is a powerful Hawaiian phrase: Kahuna nui hale kealohalani makua, which translates to “Love all you see, including yourself.”
The trip was wonderful but it was enriched by reading this book. Chris McKinney, a writer connected to Honolulu, has curated an impactful collection that reshaped my perception of Hawaii —from mere vacation spot to a metropolis rich with narratives beneath its sunny exterior.
September 4, 2025
I liked that this was a compilation of short stories so it was easy to digest one at a time. I also enjoyed the suspenseful element in many of them, often leading to a sudden dramatic conclusion in the last page or two. I liked learning about Hawaiian culture and customs through some of the stories. While fictional, they were still able to include certain glimpses of reality. I wasn’t that fond of the last part, as it contained mostly abstract, surreal stories. The more realistic stories about crime and murder were more interesting to me and easier to follow and get sucked in to. I can’t believe I tore through this book so quickly
June 3, 2025
A pretty competently edited and selected collection. There are indeed some stinkers but there are also some highlights - to be fair there are more of the latter. I quite like Hawaii as setting for gritty noir pieces. Well done and, for the most part, engaging.
April 8, 2024
A sketchy collection of crime and horror stories - liked "Apana" by Alan Brennert best. Adding his "Honolulu" to my reading list. Read an advance copy, forthcoming Nov 2024.
January 17, 2025
3.5 Stars.
March 30, 2025
Maybe I just don't like noir. I ended up skipping about 1/3 of the stories. Some were OK.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews