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Chicago Blues
This anthology includes 21 stories by Stuart Kaminsky, Max Allan Collins, Sara Paretsky, Libby Fischer Hellmann, Marcus Sakey, Sean Chercover, J.A. Konrath, Barbara D'Amato, and more. It was originally published in hardcover and paperback in October, 2007. Blue is the new Noir, and nobody does Blues like Chicago. This collection of dark stories from some of the best Chicago crime fiction authors captures the depths to which people sink when they have the Blues. The emptiness and pain caused by greed. The violence of revenge. And, occasionally, the bittersweet redemption that comes from a broken heart. Whether it s the back alleys of Lower Wacker, the Blues clubs of yesteryear, or even the baseline at Wrigley Field, these stunning edgy tales of desperation, deceit, love gone bad, and revenge will haunt you like the riff of a Muddy Waters tune you can t get our of your head. Read these stories and see why the heart of Chicago throbs to the beat of the Blues... and why the Blues are made for Chicago.
424 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2007
43 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
About the author
Libby Fischer Hellmann
78 books970 followersLibby Fischer Hellmann left a career in broadcast news in Washington, DC and moved to Chicago a long time ago, where she, naturally, began to write gritty crime fiction. She soon began writing historical fiction as well. Eighteen novels and twenty-five short stories later, she claims they’ll take her out of the Windy City feet first. She has been nominated for many awards in the mystery writing community and has even won a few. Her newest work is MAX'S WAR, her 6th historical saga. MAX, set before and during WW2, It will be released in April, 2024.
Libby began her career as an assistant film editor for NBC News in New York before moving back to DC to work with Robin McNeil and Jim Lehrer at N-PACT, the public affairs production arm of PBS. Retrained as an assistant director when Watergate broke, Libby helped produce PBS’s night-time broadcast of the hearings. She went on to work for public relations firm Burson-Marsteller in Chicago in 1978, where she stayed until she left to found Fischer Hellmann Communications in 1985.
Originally from Washington, D.C.—where, she says, “When you’re sitting around the dinner table gossiping about the neighbors, you’re talking politics”—Libby earned a Masters Degree in Film Production from New York University and a BA in History from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to writing, Libby writes and produces videos, and conducts speaker training programs in platform speaking, presentation skills, media training and crisis communications.
Libby’s best-selling novels have won widespread acclaim since her first novel, AN EYE FOR MURDER, which was nominated for several awards and described by Publisher’s Weekly as “a masterful blend of politics, history, and suspense”.
Libby is known for her portrayal of strong female characters. EYE introduced Ellie Foreman, a video producer and single mother who went on to star in five more novels in a series described by Libby as “a cross between Desperate Housewives and 24.”
Libby’s second series, also six novels now, follows Chicago PI Georgia Davis, a no-nonsense hard-boiled detective operating in the Northern suburbs and beyond.
In addition to her popular series, Libby has also written five standalone thrillers in diverse settings and historical periods that demonstrate her versatility as a writer. Readers will meet young activists during the late Sixties, a young American woman who marries and moves to Tehran, three women forced to make dire choices during WW2, and a female Mafia boss who chases power at the expense of love. And in A BEND IN THE RIVER, she takes a break from her thrillers to write an award-winning novel of two Vietnamese sisters trying to survive the Vietnam war. MAX is the upcoming 6th addition to the loosely-linked series she calls her "Revolution Sagas."
Libby began her career as an assistant film editor for NBC News in New York before moving back to DC to work with Robin McNeil and Jim Lehrer at N-PACT, the public affairs production arm of PBS. Retrained as an assistant director when Watergate broke, Libby helped produce PBS’s night-time broadcast of the hearings. She went on to work for public relations firm Burson-Marsteller in Chicago in 1978, where she stayed until she left to found Fischer Hellmann Communications in 1985.
Originally from Washington, D.C.—where, she says, “When you’re sitting around the dinner table gossiping about the neighbors, you’re talking politics”—Libby earned a Masters Degree in Film Production from New York University and a BA in History from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to writing, Libby writes and produces videos, and conducts speaker training programs in platform speaking, presentation skills, media training and crisis communications.
Libby’s best-selling novels have won widespread acclaim since her first novel, AN EYE FOR MURDER, which was nominated for several awards and described by Publisher’s Weekly as “a masterful blend of politics, history, and suspense”.
Libby is known for her portrayal of strong female characters. EYE introduced Ellie Foreman, a video producer and single mother who went on to star in five more novels in a series described by Libby as “a cross between Desperate Housewives and 24.”
Libby’s second series, also six novels now, follows Chicago PI Georgia Davis, a no-nonsense hard-boiled detective operating in the Northern suburbs and beyond.
In addition to her popular series, Libby has also written five standalone thrillers in diverse settings and historical periods that demonstrate her versatility as a writer. Readers will meet young activists during the late Sixties, a young American woman who marries and moves to Tehran, three women forced to make dire choices during WW2, and a female Mafia boss who chases power at the expense of love. And in A BEND IN THE RIVER, she takes a break from her thrillers to write an award-winning novel of two Vietnamese sisters trying to survive the Vietnam war. MAX is the upcoming 6th addition to the loosely-linked series she calls her "Revolution Sagas."
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February 9, 2016
A collection of stories set in Chicago. Many stories center on 'blues' in the musical sense. In some cases, 'blues' means the police, for better or for worse. Very few of these stories involve PIs or police solving crimes. I haven't read many crime short stories, beyond the Matt Scudder collection and Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective, but this wasn't what I was expecting. Less straightforward crime, many of these stories aim for for a horror feel, focusing on the emotional trauma over logistical crime-solving details.
Stories:
Blue Note by Stuart M. Kaminsky. Card talent and son of a talented blues singer with a problem gets forced into a high-stakes card game. Great atmosphere surrounding the clubs and the game, believable set-up, solid emotional tone. One of my favorites.
O Death Where Is Thy Sting? by Kevin Guilfoile. A teacher has with a passion for collecting records is on the lookout for a pre-war, American blues record sees the Holy Grail in an elderly lady's collection. The only problem is that others are after it as well. Fabulous atmosphere, but really feels more like the tone is about the emotional horror. Great line: "See twenty years ago almost every house had dozens and sometimes hundreds of obsolete vinyl records stacked up in basement rec rooms like fossils in layers of shale."
Your Sweet Man Calvin is bringing his dad to his home, after he's granted a medical release from his prison sentence--he's dying of cancer. Calvin's got a lot of family baggage stemming from when his mama the blues singer ran off with a tw0-bit promoter. Nice emotional development.
Good Evenin', Blues by Jack Fredrickson. Jim's been cut loose from his job at the screw factory and goes into business with his brother-in-law running a bar called The Crossroads. Trouble is, its a small space right under the El with no regular business. A guy name Pearly comes in offering to start an open-mike night for the blues, for a small cut. There's something about some of those performers... It's a good story, but really, I feel like the guys from Supernatural should be stopping by.
Publicity Stunts by Sara Paretsky. An anti-feminist author is seeking to hire V.I. Warshawski for protection while she's in town promoting her latest book. V.I. isn't interested: "And now someone's threatening your life?" I tried to sound more interested than hopeful." It goes sour when she targets V.I. as part of a publicity campaign. Most traditional of the stories, the ending was completely predictable.
Guarding Lacey by Kris Nelscott. This was one of my favorites. A kid is navigating the challenges of school with his 'cousins,' including Lacey, who just hit junior high and is ready to go big. He decides to shadow Lacey and her new guy and his cousin Keith wants to help. Also one of my favorite stories--interestingly told, intriguing story. I'm going to try more from Nelscott, who has a series centered around the child's adopted father, Smokey.
Overproof by JA Konrath. Lt. Jack Daniels, Homicide, is on the way home from shopping for a present for the boyfriend when he runs into a man sitting in the middle of traffic on Michigan Avenue. The situation quickly escalates, evolving into the traditional exchange of confessions. Not a particularly interesting story, I spent most of my time trying to figure out the gender identity of the narrator who appears to be female with a male name.
The Non Compos Mentis Blues by Sean Chercover. It begins with a surveillance report and then goes on to the confrontation between PI and the rich woman seeking extra services. When the FBI gets involved, the PI finds himself in hot water. He seemed tense and it was the kind of tension that can be contagious." Solid noir feel. A little humor from the detective yanking the FBI chain.
Scrap by Max Allan Collins. 1930s period piece about a complicated situation with a childhood friend who is now heavily involved in the unions. "I went into one of the rackets myself, after all--known in Chicago as the police department--and I figured Jake wouldn't hold that against me, either." Confusing, emotionally distant piece, heavily reliant on historical knowledge.
Chasing the Blues by Michael A. Black. A rookie on the Chicago Police force vice squad gets a historical lesson from his preceptor. Solid feel. Gender dynamic and prostitution angle.
Blind Man Blues by Steve Mandel. Billy Call is still hung up on the death of an old friend and trying to gather evidence against her husband. His partner Abby thinks he's making a mistake and that nothing about his 'friend' was good for him. The writing is clunky and the crime fairly obvious. Still, basically satisfying.
A Weekend in the Country by David J. Walker. A Chicago cop is developing a 'catering' business on the side that involves a house on a deserted piece of land in Wisconsin. When something goes wrong, it takes some effort to clean it up. Unfortunately, I.A. isn't long in arriving. Twist ending. Emotionally dark with a lead worth hating.
A Shade of Blue by Michael Allen Dynmoch. A man who tied one on last night want to report the murder of a blues singer to the police. When the cop investigates, it turns out it is a Cold Case with a lot of twists. bare walls and windows with shades at half mast, unmatched furniture, wastebasket overflowing with evidence that McDonald's and Taco Bell catered most of his meals." More ghost/gotcha story.
The Test by Sam Reaves. Gino and Terry are made men in Casalegno's crew, but now his second is approaching them for support for a change of leadership. Gino and Terry have been friends forever. It gets complicated when Gino tries to give Terry information on the down-low. Vivid, complicated, a little hair-raising.
My Heroes Have Always Been Shortstops D.C. Brod. Abby, Cubs fan extraordinaire, works for a sports agent and finds she has to reconsiders shortstops when she meets Keith. Soon after he is signed to the Cubs, they start a relationship and things get complicated. I'd just brought Ernie back from the cat painter, and I was beginning to think that I'd gone too far this time. The cat had not asked to be a Cubs fan. Still, I sensed that he was.
Code Blue by Mary V. Welk. Two paramedics bring a man to the E.R. with chest pain. Turns out he's the brother of a Congressman and the perpetrator of a heinous crime. An ER nurse has her own idea of justice.
The Sin Eater by Sam Hill. Horror feel. Confusing and not particularly memorial. Not sure why it's included, except it is a multi-generational history.
No One by Marcus Sakey. A man remembers his relationship with Sara, a woman he met at DePaul University. When Sara starts spending time with classmate Mark, his jealousy grows. Again, horror-crime angle.
The Blue Line Ronald Levitsky. A man is offered a job by a famous Mexican artist. There's been death threats against his wife. The artist wants him to protect her at a dinner they are attending, but the P.I. has his suspicions. A solid story with a nice twist.
Lower Wacker Blues by Brian Pinkerton. Two childhood friends, stuck in the grown-up grind of 9 to 5, recreate their childhood game of 'Escape' in the abandoned urban landscape of Lower Wacker. Decent writing, unsurprising ending.
The Lower Wacker Hilton Four cops about to go on duty are standing around telling stories. Sent out to make a dent in shoplifting, they discover a dead transient in the Lower Wacker tunnels. Awkwardly written, 'surprise' ending with no actual clues.
Stories:
Blue Note by Stuart M. Kaminsky. Card talent and son of a talented blues singer with a problem gets forced into a high-stakes card game. Great atmosphere surrounding the clubs and the game, believable set-up, solid emotional tone. One of my favorites.
O Death Where Is Thy Sting? by Kevin Guilfoile. A teacher has with a passion for collecting records is on the lookout for a pre-war, American blues record sees the Holy Grail in an elderly lady's collection. The only problem is that others are after it as well. Fabulous atmosphere, but really feels more like the tone is about the emotional horror. Great line: "See twenty years ago almost every house had dozens and sometimes hundreds of obsolete vinyl records stacked up in basement rec rooms like fossils in layers of shale."
Your Sweet Man Calvin is bringing his dad to his home, after he's granted a medical release from his prison sentence--he's dying of cancer. Calvin's got a lot of family baggage stemming from when his mama the blues singer ran off with a tw0-bit promoter. Nice emotional development.
Good Evenin', Blues by Jack Fredrickson. Jim's been cut loose from his job at the screw factory and goes into business with his brother-in-law running a bar called The Crossroads. Trouble is, its a small space right under the El with no regular business. A guy name Pearly comes in offering to start an open-mike night for the blues, for a small cut. There's something about some of those performers... It's a good story, but really, I feel like the guys from Supernatural should be stopping by.
Publicity Stunts by Sara Paretsky. An anti-feminist author is seeking to hire V.I. Warshawski for protection while she's in town promoting her latest book. V.I. isn't interested: "And now someone's threatening your life?" I tried to sound more interested than hopeful." It goes sour when she targets V.I. as part of a publicity campaign. Most traditional of the stories, the ending was completely predictable.
Guarding Lacey by Kris Nelscott. This was one of my favorites. A kid is navigating the challenges of school with his 'cousins,' including Lacey, who just hit junior high and is ready to go big. He decides to shadow Lacey and her new guy and his cousin Keith wants to help. Also one of my favorite stories--interestingly told, intriguing story. I'm going to try more from Nelscott, who has a series centered around the child's adopted father, Smokey.
Overproof by JA Konrath. Lt. Jack Daniels, Homicide, is on the way home from shopping for a present for the boyfriend when he runs into a man sitting in the middle of traffic on Michigan Avenue. The situation quickly escalates, evolving into the traditional exchange of confessions. Not a particularly interesting story, I spent most of my time trying to figure out the gender identity of the narrator who appears to be female with a male name.
The Non Compos Mentis Blues by Sean Chercover. It begins with a surveillance report and then goes on to the confrontation between PI and the rich woman seeking extra services. When the FBI gets involved, the PI finds himself in hot water. He seemed tense and it was the kind of tension that can be contagious." Solid noir feel. A little humor from the detective yanking the FBI chain.
Scrap by Max Allan Collins. 1930s period piece about a complicated situation with a childhood friend who is now heavily involved in the unions. "I went into one of the rackets myself, after all--known in Chicago as the police department--and I figured Jake wouldn't hold that against me, either." Confusing, emotionally distant piece, heavily reliant on historical knowledge.
Chasing the Blues by Michael A. Black. A rookie on the Chicago Police force vice squad gets a historical lesson from his preceptor. Solid feel. Gender dynamic and prostitution angle.
Blind Man Blues by Steve Mandel. Billy Call is still hung up on the death of an old friend and trying to gather evidence against her husband. His partner Abby thinks he's making a mistake and that nothing about his 'friend' was good for him. The writing is clunky and the crime fairly obvious. Still, basically satisfying.
A Weekend in the Country by David J. Walker. A Chicago cop is developing a 'catering' business on the side that involves a house on a deserted piece of land in Wisconsin. When something goes wrong, it takes some effort to clean it up. Unfortunately, I.A. isn't long in arriving. Twist ending. Emotionally dark with a lead worth hating.
A Shade of Blue by Michael Allen Dynmoch. A man who tied one on last night want to report the murder of a blues singer to the police. When the cop investigates, it turns out it is a Cold Case with a lot of twists. bare walls and windows with shades at half mast, unmatched furniture, wastebasket overflowing with evidence that McDonald's and Taco Bell catered most of his meals." More ghost/gotcha story.
The Test by Sam Reaves. Gino and Terry are made men in Casalegno's crew, but now his second is approaching them for support for a change of leadership. Gino and Terry have been friends forever. It gets complicated when Gino tries to give Terry information on the down-low. Vivid, complicated, a little hair-raising.
My Heroes Have Always Been Shortstops D.C. Brod. Abby, Cubs fan extraordinaire, works for a sports agent and finds she has to reconsiders shortstops when she meets Keith. Soon after he is signed to the Cubs, they start a relationship and things get complicated. I'd just brought Ernie back from the cat painter, and I was beginning to think that I'd gone too far this time. The cat had not asked to be a Cubs fan. Still, I sensed that he was.
Code Blue by Mary V. Welk. Two paramedics bring a man to the E.R. with chest pain. Turns out he's the brother of a Congressman and the perpetrator of a heinous crime. An ER nurse has her own idea of justice.
The Sin Eater by Sam Hill. Horror feel. Confusing and not particularly memorial. Not sure why it's included, except it is a multi-generational history.
No One by Marcus Sakey. A man remembers his relationship with Sara, a woman he met at DePaul University. When Sara starts spending time with classmate Mark, his jealousy grows. Again, horror-crime angle.
The Blue Line Ronald Levitsky. A man is offered a job by a famous Mexican artist. There's been death threats against his wife. The artist wants him to protect her at a dinner they are attending, but the P.I. has his suspicions. A solid story with a nice twist.
Lower Wacker Blues by Brian Pinkerton. Two childhood friends, stuck in the grown-up grind of 9 to 5, recreate their childhood game of 'Escape' in the abandoned urban landscape of Lower Wacker. Decent writing, unsurprising ending.
The Lower Wacker Hilton Four cops about to go on duty are standing around telling stories. Sent out to make a dent in shoplifting, they discover a dead transient in the Lower Wacker tunnels. Awkwardly written, 'surprise' ending with no actual clues.
May 20, 2016
This was a great collection of crime stories with the one common ingredient being the use of the theme “blue”. Sometimes it refers directly to the musical connection that Chicago has with the blues and blues men and women who have and still do populate Chicago.
Other times, the blue refers to the Chicago police and the thin blue line, sometimes very thin indeed, that separates the good guys and the bad guys. In other stories, the great rattling El train that races all around the city is the focus – particularly, the Blue Line.
The diversity in the stories also extends to the geography of Chicago as a city. The stories range from Rogers Park in the North, all the way down Cottage Grove in the South and over to Wicker Park and beyond in the West. It includes the suburbs: Lake Forest, Hinsdale and Rosemont all make an appearance. This makes it one of the books that represents the city so well for me.
The characters are Mexican, Polish, Irish, German, African American, Jewish and Indian. The melting pot is shown in all its color and cultural composition. This too is unusual for most current stories about Chicago.
I had a few favorites in this anthology. “O Death Where Is Thy Sting?” is a great story about a long lost blues recording. “Your Sweet Man” is a very complicated family love story. “Guarding Lacey” is an important story about girls and human trafficking. “The Sin Eater” is a great Irish Catholic tale set in the western part of the city, Back of the Yards - a hard scrabble neighborhood. My other favorite is set under the El in my old neighborhood of Uptown, on Lawrence avenue in a bar at the Crossroads.
I could go on and on about how much I enjoyed this book. But rather than that, I really recommend you grab it. One rider, this has a weird look on the e-reader. The text download's in large, unevenly spaced paragraphs. I treated it like jazz and accepted it for what it is, but I would love to see the editors/publishers fix this for future readers.
Other times, the blue refers to the Chicago police and the thin blue line, sometimes very thin indeed, that separates the good guys and the bad guys. In other stories, the great rattling El train that races all around the city is the focus – particularly, the Blue Line.
The diversity in the stories also extends to the geography of Chicago as a city. The stories range from Rogers Park in the North, all the way down Cottage Grove in the South and over to Wicker Park and beyond in the West. It includes the suburbs: Lake Forest, Hinsdale and Rosemont all make an appearance. This makes it one of the books that represents the city so well for me.
The characters are Mexican, Polish, Irish, German, African American, Jewish and Indian. The melting pot is shown in all its color and cultural composition. This too is unusual for most current stories about Chicago.
I had a few favorites in this anthology. “O Death Where Is Thy Sting?” is a great story about a long lost blues recording. “Your Sweet Man” is a very complicated family love story. “Guarding Lacey” is an important story about girls and human trafficking. “The Sin Eater” is a great Irish Catholic tale set in the western part of the city, Back of the Yards - a hard scrabble neighborhood. My other favorite is set under the El in my old neighborhood of Uptown, on Lawrence avenue in a bar at the Crossroads.
I could go on and on about how much I enjoyed this book. But rather than that, I really recommend you grab it. One rider, this has a weird look on the e-reader. The text download's in large, unevenly spaced paragraphs. I treated it like jazz and accepted it for what it is, but I would love to see the editors/publishers fix this for future readers.
March 9, 2018
If you’re into Chicago and enjoy short stories you’ll like this compilation. Some were 5 star and some 2 star, thus a 3star overall. Having lived in the Chicago suburbs for 20 years I found these “blue” tales a fun revisit to the city.
May 18, 2019
What a pleasant surprise this book was! I rarely read short fiction, so I wasn’t expecting much when I picked it up, but almost every one of the authors represented in this 450-page anthology has produced a well-written page-turning story related in some way to Chicago Blues. I highly recommend this book to crime and mystery lovers.
March 7, 2018
An anthology of somewhat dark blues stories based in Chicago...I loved it and highly recommend.
March 16, 2010
Erin bought me this book. I'm usually not a fan of fiction. I read a lot of fiction when I was younger but find myself far more interested in fact these days.
This book, with its couple dozen or so short stories, was a nice break. I could read a story or two at a time, put the book away for a day or two, and come back to it without worrying that I may have forgotten something.
This book, with its couple dozen or so short stories, was a nice break. I could read a story or two at a time, put the book away for a day or two, and come back to it without worrying that I may have forgotten something.
June 4, 2008
Mystery and the Second City - what could be better?
Read
August 5, 2011I am usually not that crazy about short stories, but I did enjoy these. Twp perfect elements....Chicago and crime - can't go wrong with that!
January 12, 2016
I'm not a fan of crime fiction... just read this because I'm a fan of Chicago... the Bears, the Blackhawks, the Blues, the Bulls, & my husband who grew up there :)
October 7, 2018
I always keep a book of short stories on my nightstand so that when I finish one book I don't have to jump into another one right away. This was a good anthology of Chicago stories the refreshed my memory about many parts of the city. Like any themed compilation, some of the stories were better than others. Overall it was a worthwhile read.
March 14, 2020
Like all collections of short stories, this one was a little inconsistent. However, there were very few really bad stories in it and quite a few gems. Helps that it covered my home turf but I think these stories would be enjoyable for anyone, not just people from Chicago or the burbs.
July 13, 2008
Chicago, like most large cities anywhere in the world, is really two or more cities. It exists in different times and sometimes in different universes, even while occupying the same real estate. Daytimes the people of the upper world are there, crowds of shoppers, traffic, wheelers and dealers, the thousands or millions who go busily about their daily lives in the hard sunlight, visible to almost everybody.
Then there’s the other city, the one you may encounter at night after the sun departs along with the suited workers. This city is a little less crowded, except in the sometimes stifling bars or underground caverns. In this city you’ll meet good cops trying to control the violence, and you may brush up against the others, those acquiring their reputations as bad and dangerous boys and girls. In the nighttime you can meet the scufflers, the dealers, the thugs and the killers.
There are other players in Chicago. They are the makers of music, of art, of story. And while they intersect with the rest of the night crawlers, it’s often the horn players in the bars and night clubs who lend texture and rhythm to the boozy, bluesy night, that night thick with desire and trepidation, with humidity and icy winds. This city is sometimes violent in places where the sun never filters in, where dark denizens shun the scrutiny of the day. The urban canyons of Chicago are often dark enough all day long to sustain the underlife, and the river runs the wrong direction.
Intermingled with the busy daytime traders and the nighttime scufflers are the watchers, the storytellers who observe and remember and write it all down. They often go down the dangerous streets and trash-strewn alleys so you don’t have to. You can read all about it and experience it at a safe distance, that frisson of danger, without really getting dirty.
If that’s your thing, this is a book for you. If you want to have an up-close experience of the down and dirty blues of Chicago, this is a book you really want to read. Here, collected by astute and talented storytellers who drift through this urban scene, observing, recording, writing it down, are some of the best stories. Twenty one of them, collected and shaped in a single volume aptly named “Chicago Blues.” Dark stories of dark deeds, crisply written, sometimes enlightening, mostly relating tales of unregenerate and occasionally ordinary crime and criminals. Here is the corrupt politician, the vengeful ER nurse, here is history and flashback, here is skin-crawling realism. Life and death in the big city.
I have a tenuous connection with Chicago of an earlier time, of Count Basie and the old Blue Note, of North Clark Street. I have connections with several of the authors represented in this excellent anthology. That said, if you are looking for the true blue essence of the canyons of urban Chicago noir, if you want a sample of the gritty, sticky pavement of crime, of individuals pushed beyond their limits, of the grasping, panting, unredemptive jazz and jive of big city noir, here’s a collection that takes hold and grasps and satisfies until the final curtain. This one is a winner, a keeper. This is the blues.
Then there’s the other city, the one you may encounter at night after the sun departs along with the suited workers. This city is a little less crowded, except in the sometimes stifling bars or underground caverns. In this city you’ll meet good cops trying to control the violence, and you may brush up against the others, those acquiring their reputations as bad and dangerous boys and girls. In the nighttime you can meet the scufflers, the dealers, the thugs and the killers.
There are other players in Chicago. They are the makers of music, of art, of story. And while they intersect with the rest of the night crawlers, it’s often the horn players in the bars and night clubs who lend texture and rhythm to the boozy, bluesy night, that night thick with desire and trepidation, with humidity and icy winds. This city is sometimes violent in places where the sun never filters in, where dark denizens shun the scrutiny of the day. The urban canyons of Chicago are often dark enough all day long to sustain the underlife, and the river runs the wrong direction.
Intermingled with the busy daytime traders and the nighttime scufflers are the watchers, the storytellers who observe and remember and write it all down. They often go down the dangerous streets and trash-strewn alleys so you don’t have to. You can read all about it and experience it at a safe distance, that frisson of danger, without really getting dirty.
If that’s your thing, this is a book for you. If you want to have an up-close experience of the down and dirty blues of Chicago, this is a book you really want to read. Here, collected by astute and talented storytellers who drift through this urban scene, observing, recording, writing it down, are some of the best stories. Twenty one of them, collected and shaped in a single volume aptly named “Chicago Blues.” Dark stories of dark deeds, crisply written, sometimes enlightening, mostly relating tales of unregenerate and occasionally ordinary crime and criminals. Here is the corrupt politician, the vengeful ER nurse, here is history and flashback, here is skin-crawling realism. Life and death in the big city.
I have a tenuous connection with Chicago of an earlier time, of Count Basie and the old Blue Note, of North Clark Street. I have connections with several of the authors represented in this excellent anthology. That said, if you are looking for the true blue essence of the canyons of urban Chicago noir, if you want a sample of the gritty, sticky pavement of crime, of individuals pushed beyond their limits, of the grasping, panting, unredemptive jazz and jive of big city noir, here’s a collection that takes hold and grasps and satisfies until the final curtain. This one is a winner, a keeper. This is the blues.
November 16, 2015
MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS.
Fischer Hellman authors 1 story in this anthology, which she also edited. I don't read a lot of short stories, but loved this book.
Such a variety of authors and treatments of stories that all have a tie either to Chicago and/or the musical genre of blues.
Loved reading about the "L", below Wacker Street, the blue-blood suburbs north of the city.
Also, a great range of eras and characters -- from '80s feminist urban P.I. to lower-level Mafia street thugs (in '70s?) to a young child of a female blues singer who's unfaithful to her husband ('50s? '60s?)
(wrote this review fr. memory, as I returned the library book a while ago)
Fischer Hellman authors 1 story in this anthology, which she also edited. I don't read a lot of short stories, but loved this book.
Such a variety of authors and treatments of stories that all have a tie either to Chicago and/or the musical genre of blues.
Loved reading about the "L", below Wacker Street, the blue-blood suburbs north of the city.
Also, a great range of eras and characters -- from '80s feminist urban P.I. to lower-level Mafia street thugs (in '70s?) to a young child of a female blues singer who's unfaithful to her husband ('50s? '60s?)
(wrote this review fr. memory, as I returned the library book a while ago)
February 27, 2016
It's not always easy to review a book of short stories because there is usually an inconsistency in the quality of the work. Especially when there are multiple authors. But in the case of Chicago Blues, a collection of 21 stories compiled by Libby Fischer Hellmann, the quality is consistently excellent.
They all take place in Chicago and contain a diverse assortment of pretty unsavory characters including, corrupt cops, crooked politicians, gangsters, perverts and general crazies. You know, the kind of people you meet every day in the Windy City. (Well, I live in Chicago so I can get away with that kind of talk.)
This is crime fiction at its best. Well done Ms. Hellmann.
They all take place in Chicago and contain a diverse assortment of pretty unsavory characters including, corrupt cops, crooked politicians, gangsters, perverts and general crazies. You know, the kind of people you meet every day in the Windy City. (Well, I live in Chicago so I can get away with that kind of talk.)
This is crime fiction at its best. Well done Ms. Hellmann.
January 9, 2016
Thought I'd just read a few stories at a time, in between other books. Ha! Each story has it's own flavor and twists that it was like eating potato chips. The "Blue" part of the book related to the blues music scene in Chicago, or the Windy City police force. With stories set in different decades, and with the variety of author's voices, this was a fun read.
March 20, 2014
meh.... Perhaps the hardest part about short stories is their length. I liked most of the stories but would have preferred them in a longer format. Definitely I have a few new authors to add to my reading list.
February 20, 2015
meh.... Perhaps the hardest part about short stories is their length. I liked most of the stories but would have preferred them in a longer format. Definitely I have a few new authors to add to my reading list.
March 20, 2016
I am not usually a fan of short stories, but I miss Stuart M Kaminsky, so I picked this up, and I was sucked into every excellent story in the book. This collection of crime stories about Chicago is from 21 great authors who feel their hometown blues.
July 22, 2008
A collection of well-written short stories involving crime stories and the blues, all taking place in Chicago. Especially good for short attention spans.
November 16, 2008
Picked this up at the Illinois Library Association. The author Libby Fischer Hellmann was there to sign my book. Plan on reading it on the train back home.
December 10, 2008
Great short stories. Loved them because I work downtown and actually have been to places described. Makes it more real. Assorted authors.
April 21, 2009
A short story collection featuring Chicago and Chicago authors. A great way to find new authors!
May 2, 2009
Mystery,Second City, short stories by some really good authors...well worth the time.
May 7, 2009
Possibly the least disappointing collection of short stories ever. Styles vary greatly, and even subject matter. However, consistently compelling writing makes this collection impressive.
March 5, 2013
My favorite opening line came late in the book: "If she was a shot of cheap tequila, I was the worm at the bottom of the bottle."
--The Blue Line by Ronald Levitsky
--The Blue Line by Ronald Levitsky
August 26, 2013
Interesting collection of different authors who use Chicago and the blues scene as a back drop. Enjoyed the variety and I intend to follow up on some of the authors.
December 27, 2014
Excellent collection of short stories, centered in and around Chicago, by some very good authors. I increased my 'must read' author list via this collection.
December 17, 2017
Unlike some reviewers, I like short stories and Chicago Blues delivers a number of very good ones. I like the way the real geography of Chicago features in many stories as does Chicago blues.
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January 16, 2016Some of the stories were very good; others, not so much. As a native Chicagoan, I did enjoy reading about places I knew.
February 24, 2016
Some of the stories are really good, others okay. All the stories take place in various Chicago neighborhoods.
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