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Memphis Noir
"Stories by some of the city's finest writers... This new collection is a boon for readers who love a good ghost story and a shiver in the night....The skill of the fifteen writers represented here is evident on every page of Memphis Noir, a testament to the cultural richness of the Bluff City."
--Chapter 16
"Jealousy, lust and murder are common themes...there's not a bad [story] in the bunch."
--Underrated Reads
"Voodoo, ghosts, guns, hatred, jealousy and greed play their part here. There is no place for weakness here."
--Journey of a Bookseller
Akashic Books continues its groundbreaking series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each story is set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the city of the book.
Featuring brand-new stories by: Richard J. Alley, David Wesley Williams, Dwight Fryer, Jamey Hatley, Adam Shaw, Penny Register-Shaw, Kaye George, Arthur Flowers, Suzanne Berube Rorhus, Ehi Ike, Lee Martin, Stephen Clements, Cary Holladay, John Bensko, Sheree Renée Thomas, and Troy L. Wiggins.
From the introduction by Laureen P. Cantwell & Leonard Gill:
"A city equal parts darkness and hope. A scarred city. An often violent one. But a resilient city too.
That's our Memphis.
Like many cities, we have a namesake--in Egypt, Men-nefer became Menfe became Memphis, enduring and beautiful, on the banks of the Nile. Centuries later, another continent, another people, another river: Memphis, Tennessee, the soul of the Mississippi Delta, was formed. We are a place born of history, inhabited as much by memory as by the living--the past and present inextricably and inescapably linked....Memphis is marvels and misfits--two-faced and unabashedly so.
We are Memphis, and this is our noir."
--Chapter 16
"Jealousy, lust and murder are common themes...there's not a bad [story] in the bunch."
--Underrated Reads
"Voodoo, ghosts, guns, hatred, jealousy and greed play their part here. There is no place for weakness here."
--Journey of a Bookseller
Akashic Books continues its groundbreaking series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each story is set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the city of the book.
Featuring brand-new stories by: Richard J. Alley, David Wesley Williams, Dwight Fryer, Jamey Hatley, Adam Shaw, Penny Register-Shaw, Kaye George, Arthur Flowers, Suzanne Berube Rorhus, Ehi Ike, Lee Martin, Stephen Clements, Cary Holladay, John Bensko, Sheree Renée Thomas, and Troy L. Wiggins.
From the introduction by Laureen P. Cantwell & Leonard Gill:
"A city equal parts darkness and hope. A scarred city. An often violent one. But a resilient city too.
That's our Memphis.
Like many cities, we have a namesake--in Egypt, Men-nefer became Menfe became Memphis, enduring and beautiful, on the banks of the Nile. Centuries later, another continent, another people, another river: Memphis, Tennessee, the soul of the Mississippi Delta, was formed. We are a place born of history, inhabited as much by memory as by the living--the past and present inextricably and inescapably linked....Memphis is marvels and misfits--two-faced and unabashedly so.
We are Memphis, and this is our noir."
- GenresShort StoriesNoirFiction
250 pages, Paperback
First published October 9, 2015
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381 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 19, 2020
I liked this collection of short stories. Some of them better than others. I did not much care for the Misfits section though I thought I would, except for the story "MOTHER" by Ehi Ike on page 196. Now that one I really enjoyed. At one point the young teen who is our narrator says, "she may have been the most interesting person I ever met. But I never knew her, considering she was my mother and all." Here's another quote from "Mother" that I like, but found puzzling as to what it means. "None of them know how to be sane in our environment. None of them understand consideration. They deceive for their own benefit, even my father." I understand the first sentence, but can't figure out what she means by even my father deceives for his own benefit? I also liked the section titled Abandoned especially the story "Stinkeye" by Cary Holladay. One of the passages I like from "Stinkeye": "Downtown was alive with the news, as if katydids in the trees were broadcasting."I also liked a story titled A Shut and Open Case, but didn't really care for the ending. I had read the reviews by Kirkus Review and I had hoped for more, but I did enjoy some of the stories. I'm from that area, and I could relate to some of the legends such as Bottle Trees, the Hoodoo man, and Voodoo Village, as well as some of the alleged haunted places in midtown. So that made it interesting too. And at one time. I used to live in one of those old turn of the century or older houses off Peabody, that did have some strange happenings there, and was reported to be haunted. Great stuff for stories.Check it out for a good read!
November 7, 2015
Muggy, dark, steamy, gritty, grimy, sad, tense...all adjectives to describe this set of stories. Not all were to my liking, but there were some gems for me to discover. Different flavors, addressing rich and not-so alike. Something about the South that makes for atmospheric suspense and seems to cause some of its inhabitants to be a bit bonkers at times.
There is a graphic novelette that took me askew for a bit. Bits of Gothic, mystical, straight up violence and what can cause one to create it, cheatin', lyin'....people caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The stories move along in a quick page turning way for all that the feel of each story is molasses slow.
Definite recommend.
There is a graphic novelette that took me askew for a bit. Bits of Gothic, mystical, straight up violence and what can cause one to create it, cheatin', lyin'....people caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The stories move along in a quick page turning way for all that the feel of each story is molasses slow.
Definite recommend.
August 18, 2018
I love the Akashic Noir series, having read or browsed through the Baltimore, Detroit, New Orleans and Bronx ones. They provide two things I enjoy: a murder mystery and a tourism read. My dad is a native Memphian and despite the city’s many flaws, I’m partial to it. So it was a no-brainer to pick this one up.
As with the rest of the series, some of these are better than others. I was partial to Through Valleys (which had an ending I didn’t expect), Never Never (the first graphic cartoon I recall reading in this series), A Game of Love (simple and fun), and Stinkeye (which was weird in an endearing way and featured the perspective of the statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest. Not the man himself, which is good because Forrest was a horrible human being, but the statue).
If you haven’t discovered these, I encourage you to do so. They’re fun stories and good representations of neighborhoods within whatever city they’re covering.
As with the rest of the series, some of these are better than others. I was partial to Through Valleys (which had an ending I didn’t expect), Never Never (the first graphic cartoon I recall reading in this series), A Game of Love (simple and fun), and Stinkeye (which was weird in an endearing way and featured the perspective of the statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest. Not the man himself, which is good because Forrest was a horrible human being, but the statue).
If you haven’t discovered these, I encourage you to do so. They’re fun stories and good representations of neighborhoods within whatever city they’re covering.
July 24, 2020
I won this in a goodreads giveaway.
Like most short stories you have good and bad. But it did give a feel like it all lived in Memphis.
Her Better Devils:
A husband and wife on the porch watching the rain hit. There's a story that's told of her and he's a collector from up north. Floating down the river on a one-johnboat. They hear stories of an escaped convict and dance in the rain to the blues.
Heartbreak at Graceland:
Story of an old love triangle turned bad. She was found dead in The King's bathroom, all over missed acting in a play because he wouldn't sleep with her.
Through Valleys:
A librarian with a secret. Playing with pawns in a bigger game playing the damsel. Telling a tall tell about and working a scam on boys who call themselves men.
The Panama Limited:
Telling stories on a train about a wonderful mysterious women to a hitman unbeknownst to them. About her story with her and how she infatuated people.
Green-Eyed Blues:
A black police officer. A white politician trying for a cover up for a murder.
The Never Never is Forever:
A pill to relive your favorite memories.
Chain of Custody:
Someone gets called to save the damsel but when they’re sleeping is when the shit really hits the fan. In the end can only really in yourself. Really liked this one.
There Is No Rest:
Hoodoo detective looking into all the hoodoo being killed. Weird rhythm in the writing.
A Game of Love:
A rich overweight man and his trophy tennis coach wife get tangled up in a coverup after her cheating mishaps come to a head.
Mother:
Told through a kids eyes about the withering of her mother.
Battle:
A veteran gets sent hone after going down the wrong path and having his wife leave him. At home and on crack his old war buddy trying to help, he is in a low place but is able to save at least one life.
Stinkeye:
A baby is found abandoned with black sharpened teeth. And weird things happen. Don’t know what really happened half the time.
A Shut-and-Open Case:
A hidden room in a mansion for a cult who wear pig masks with horns and a mom who’s an occultist with her own religion.
Nightflight:
Hard story to follow for me right now. Was falling asleep but the sky was black and stuff happened.
Tell Him What You Want:
Story of a cameraman that gets stopped by police on his way home from work at night.
Like most short stories you have good and bad. But it did give a feel like it all lived in Memphis.
Her Better Devils:
A husband and wife on the porch watching the rain hit. There's a story that's told of her and he's a collector from up north. Floating down the river on a one-johnboat. They hear stories of an escaped convict and dance in the rain to the blues.
Heartbreak at Graceland:
Story of an old love triangle turned bad. She was found dead in The King's bathroom, all over missed acting in a play because he wouldn't sleep with her.
Through Valleys:
A librarian with a secret. Playing with pawns in a bigger game playing the damsel. Telling a tall tell about and working a scam on boys who call themselves men.
The Panama Limited:
Telling stories on a train about a wonderful mysterious women to a hitman unbeknownst to them. About her story with her and how she infatuated people.
Green-Eyed Blues:
A black police officer. A white politician trying for a cover up for a murder.
The Never Never is Forever:
A pill to relive your favorite memories.
Chain of Custody:
Someone gets called to save the damsel but when they’re sleeping is when the shit really hits the fan. In the end can only really in yourself. Really liked this one.
There Is No Rest:
Hoodoo detective looking into all the hoodoo being killed. Weird rhythm in the writing.
A Game of Love:
A rich overweight man and his trophy tennis coach wife get tangled up in a coverup after her cheating mishaps come to a head.
Mother:
Told through a kids eyes about the withering of her mother.
Battle:
A veteran gets sent hone after going down the wrong path and having his wife leave him. At home and on crack his old war buddy trying to help, he is in a low place but is able to save at least one life.
Stinkeye:
A baby is found abandoned with black sharpened teeth. And weird things happen. Don’t know what really happened half the time.
A Shut-and-Open Case:
A hidden room in a mansion for a cult who wear pig masks with horns and a mom who’s an occultist with her own religion.
Nightflight:
Hard story to follow for me right now. Was falling asleep but the sky was black and stuff happened.
Tell Him What You Want:
Story of a cameraman that gets stopped by police on his way home from work at night.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2018
I don't know why Goodreads says I read this book twice, because I've only read it once and have no desire to read it again. I appreciate that this book had a good percentage of black authors and characters, but that was really the only thing I liked about it. It was a struggle to get through, as you can probably tell by the start and end dates. (A good amount of that time I spent reading a different book to get a break from this one.) I rated the stories individually, and they were all 1 star (bad), 2 star (mostly bad with some good) or 3 star (#meh). Nothing above a 3 star. I'll fully admit that noir is a style I have a lot of trouble with, and its trademark bleakness was a big part of the problem in some places, but that wasn't the only problem. The reason I picked up this book in the first place was because it's about my city, Memphis, but the setting almost never felt authentic to me. Either it read like any other city with a few familiar names thrown in (rarely naturally) or it felt like an overdone gimmick. (Reading "A Game of Love," I wondered if the author had ever been here at all.)
I just couldn't connect with any of this, and it ended up averaging out to a 2-star read for me, and one that I'm glad to be done with.
I just couldn't connect with any of this, and it ended up averaging out to a 2-star read for me, and one that I'm glad to be done with.
October 8, 2017
3.5/5 stars
The problem with anthologies is that they suffer from unevenness so often. Some will be filled with gems, others will have one or two standout tales ... and others will be, sadly, flat.
Memphis Noir is one of those anthologies with a couple of standouts among some otherwise forgettable stories. I have to agree with the Publisher's Weekly reviewer who said they saw little of the "new South" in the selections. All the same, I enjoyed "Heartbreak at Graceland" and "Skylight" above all of the other stories, and would recommend those two if someone were interested in reading the best samples from this book.
The problem with anthologies is that they suffer from unevenness so often. Some will be filled with gems, others will have one or two standout tales ... and others will be, sadly, flat.
Memphis Noir is one of those anthologies with a couple of standouts among some otherwise forgettable stories. I have to agree with the Publisher's Weekly reviewer who said they saw little of the "new South" in the selections. All the same, I enjoyed "Heartbreak at Graceland" and "Skylight" above all of the other stories, and would recommend those two if someone were interested in reading the best samples from this book.
July 7, 2020
Rounded down from 1.9, which is the average of the individual story ratings - summarized below (not that it matters) - because I hated it.
Only a select few of these could be considered mediocre - many are borderline unreadable. Honestly, were some of the authors intoxicated while writing? Pointless drivel.
Her Better Devils 1
Heartbreak at Graceland 2
Through Valleys 2
The Panama Limited 3
Green-eyed Blues 2
The Never Never is Forever 2
Chain of Custody 3
There is no Rest 1
A Game of Love 3
Mother 2
Battle 3
Stinkeye 1
A shut-and-open case 1
Tell him what you want 1
Only a select few of these could be considered mediocre - many are borderline unreadable. Honestly, were some of the authors intoxicated while writing? Pointless drivel.
Her Better Devils 1
Heartbreak at Graceland 2
Through Valleys 2
The Panama Limited 3
Green-eyed Blues 2
The Never Never is Forever 2
Chain of Custody 3
There is no Rest 1
A Game of Love 3
Mother 2
Battle 3
Stinkeye 1
A shut-and-open case 1
Tell him what you want 1
September 15, 2021
Generally the short stories were well written, although a couple of them lost me as to story line or meaning. Some interesting facts in the introduction. Memphis had the larges mule market in the 1950s. Also hardwood lumber and spot cotton in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. And floods, music, race, yellow fever and barbecue. Crime problem remains. And as to my visit, the Mississippi and the heat and humidity. Also Beale Street not what is once was. Especially liked Heartbreak at Graceland.
August 31, 2018
A wonderful selection of noir stories! Some of them blew my mind with how amazing they were. The intro was fundamental to me understanding a little more of the history of Memphis, which in turn assisted in fleshing out the stories. As someone who has never been to Memphis, it was incredibly helpful. There's definitely something for everyone in here.
May 10, 2018
Being an anthology there was a mix of talent and personal preferences. Several deserved a 5 star rating. Some were only a 3 star so it got a 4 star overall. My favorite was "Green-Eyed Blues" by Dwight Fryer.
September 29, 2019
This is a great book. If you’re from Memphis or have visited, you’ll definitely recognize some of the sites, even if they are unnamed.
Does a great job of placing you in the city and giving you a sense of the flavor and ambience.
Great stories. Some haunting. Some funny. All well crafted.
Does a great job of placing you in the city and giving you a sense of the flavor and ambience.
Great stories. Some haunting. Some funny. All well crafted.
January 28, 2019
Local Diamonds
This book captures sometimes beautifully and other times starkly ther variety of life and stories available to be told in and of thre Bluff City. I loved it.
This book captures sometimes beautifully and other times starkly ther variety of life and stories available to be told in and of thre Bluff City. I loved it.
July 8, 2021
Anything with Sheree Renée Thomas, Troy L. Wiggins, or Jamey Hatley is gold. This one has all three. Highly recommend.
September 20, 2023
Disappointing and odd is all I have to say about that.
December 29, 2023
I enjoyed this book. It started off slow in part one but gradually got more interesting. It was also cool to imagine Memphis in a different way.
April 30, 2024
a normal enough anthology. no stories about the pyramid though (tragic).
February 22, 2025
A few excellent stories--particularly those by Cary Holliday, John Bensko, and Arthur Flowers--make this collection worth reading, but it is mostly disappointing.
April 1, 2016
I grew up in Memphis. This is a book of stories about Memphis, but it's not a Memphis that I recognize. Mostly, at least. There's nothing wrong with that; I led one kind of life there, while _Memphis Noir_ focuses on a completely different type of living.
The stories offered here drip with atmosphere. One definitely feels the effect of place: a dark, warm, languid, sharp city full of secrets. As in most story collections, some entries are more enjoyable than others; a few I barely understood.
Perhaps this collection is typical of the noir genre or of this particular series. I haven't read enough of either to be sure. I requested this review copy primarily because it's about Memphis, a place that I know, or knew. But, as I don't know the Memphis that's portrayed here, I'm not sure that I'm likely to visit it again.
The stories offered here drip with atmosphere. One definitely feels the effect of place: a dark, warm, languid, sharp city full of secrets. As in most story collections, some entries are more enjoyable than others; a few I barely understood.
Perhaps this collection is typical of the noir genre or of this particular series. I haven't read enough of either to be sure. I requested this review copy primarily because it's about Memphis, a place that I know, or knew. But, as I don't know the Memphis that's portrayed here, I'm not sure that I'm likely to visit it again.
March 24, 2016
I read the books in this series when I've visited the cities or they are a place I'm planning to visit. Memphis Noir falls in the latter category. This one is a little more supernatural than the others I've read. There are some real gems in this collection. Some hoodoo, some train rides, some food - all in all a satisfying collection.
February 8, 2016
I always enjoy the noir series - mystery stories penned by local authors, full of local flavor. This one is no exception - as usual, some of the stories are better than others. A strong addition to the series.
February 3, 2016
Excellent collection of short stories with a Memphis theme. I read one at a time to savor the writer's voice.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews