Toronto Noir

by Janine Armin (Editor), Nathaniel G. Moore (Editor)

A multicultural nexus, Toronto hosts Indian, Portuguese, African, Italian, and Chinese communities that provide fertile backdrops for Toronto Noir ’s corrosive exposés.

Features brand-new stories RM Vaughan, Nathan Sellyn, Ibi Kaslik, Peter Robinson, Heather Birrell, Sean Dixon, Raywat Deonandad, Christine Murray, Gail Bowen, Emily Schultz, Andrew Pyper, Kim Moritsugu, Mark Sinnet, George Elliott Clarke, Pasha Malla, and Michael Redhill.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Noir, Mystery, Canada, Anthologies, Dark

300 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2008

Reviews

[Dorothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a fan of the noir genre, I am thrilled that Akashic Books’ first entry in the “noir project” (Brooklyn Noir) became sufficiently successful that it now has over 30 anthologies in the series, and counting. Starting with my home town, Toronto, I will be working my way through these collections of themed short stories as time and finance permits.

For those not familiar with this series, all the stories in a given anthology are noir in style and set in the particular city named in the title. For example, in this anthology the stories are set in the various neighbourhoods of Toronto: The Beaches, East York, Yorkville, Distillery District, etc. Writers known for setting their novels in Toronto were approached to contribute. Thus we have noted authors such as Gail Bowen, Peter Robinson, Pasha Malla, and George Elliott Clarke giving us gritty peaks into the strangeness and the malevolence lurking in Toronto the Good.

I found this to be an uneven collection of stories. Some work better than others. But the first criteria, the framework, I used to judge the worthiness of the story in this collection is if it is truly noir. The definition I use is:
- a genre of crime literature featuring tough, cynical characters and bleak/sleazy settings.
- spare, tight writing; hard-boiled
- evoking the style of film noir

Most of these stories, some dark, some excellent in their own right, are not noir. That said, reading these short stories is still an excellent way to sample rising and established Canadian authors. Their styles are as diverse as their origins and subject matter. I encourage you to seek out their longer works if you find their offering here to be of interest.

The first story is by Arthur Ellis Award winner Gail Bowen. The King of Charles Street West is ordinary woman who gathers the courage to face her 40-year-old demons. It is also a loving reminiscence of the Toronto that was. Those of us of a certain age will recognize references to Winston’s restaurant and the Toronto Nut House (the food not the people), and quotes from former mayors used as section breaks.

Walking the Dog by Peter Robinson (of the Inspector Banks series) is an excellent story about how lives can intersect in unexpected ways and, sometime, justice is done as well. A bored wife, a dog-walking actor, and a jealous, “connected” husband provide Detective Bobby Aiken with a puzzle with several missing pieces.

George Elliott Clarke, noted novelist, has written Numbskulls, a story about “three lads [who] could still drink to the acme of absurdity”. In lurid language he tells the tale of requiting love even though the object of his desire is dead. Things do not end well.

Set in Little India, Pasha Malla’s Filmsong is a powerful, moving story of filial loyalty and the far-reaching hand of local corruption.

Written by poet Michael Redhill, A Bout of Regret is the only truly noir story in this collection. It starts with a simple tale of a cheating wife, her cop husband, and the bar owner lover. Clean, strong writing builds the suspense sentence by sentence, layer by layer as we being to see where this might lead.

The story Brianna South by RM Vaughn takes a fresh approach. Told as diary excerpts from a teen Hollywood starlet, it is a humorous satire of the self-involved celebrity and their publicity machine. The diary is published in a local paper after her disappearance. As we read it, we see her develop a relationship with and become infatuated with a secret admirer. Eventually he tells her his name: Azrael. Very funny stuff.

As good as some of these stories are, they are not noir style. For this reason alone, I don’t think they should have been included in this collection. I would still encourage you to read them to discover writers new to you.

Midnight Shift by Raywat Deonandan is a well-written ghost story told by a dying man from Guyana where he was a pandit of Kali. A pair of doctors find him in an unoccupied room. He is driven to tell them his story before Yama (Death) comes to claim him that night.

Can’t Buy Me Love by Christine Murray. An ad exec takes pity on a stranded young woman at Union Station. Tables turn and soon it is the executive who may need rescuing.

Sic Transit Gloria at the Transit Loop by Sean Dixon tells the rambling tale of a struggling bass-playing musician dealing with a complication from having an affair with an (un)married woman.

Lab Rats by Ibi Kaslik is a disturbing story of a former ad man who quit his job to go to grad school. He now finds himself impoverished and signs up for an experiment at CAMH, for the money. The effects are unexpected, both for him and his girlfriend.

In The Emancipation of Christine Alpert by Nathan Sellyn, a wife plans revenge Socratic-style for her husband’s infidelity. The way into the story, first through a neighbour’s grief and then through the wife’s anxiety attacks is over long and is not balanced by the final paragraph’s conclusion.

The grief of a miscarriage drives Beth and Paul to take a trip to Ecuador with unexpected consequences in Wanted Children by Heather Birrell.

Tom by Andrew Pyper is a mediation on the relationship between a peeper and the one on whom he peeps.

A Taste of Honey by Kim Moritsugu. This is an excellent, tightly written story with strong thread of dry humour. Struggling actress meets successful ingénue whom she used to mentor in an acting class. Macabre fun. Imagine it read by Sandra Oh’s character, Christine Yang.



About the Authors
In the back of the book are summary descriptions of the authors, noting the awards for which they were nominated (and won), and the title of their most popular works. Of course, you could just look them up in Wikipedia.org or FantasticFiction.co.uk.

[Lucile Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

24. Toronto Noir edited by Janine Armin and Nathaniel G. Moore
A wonderful collection of noir stories, enhanced by the fact that they are set on streets that I am only too familiar with. However, with some of the things that have been going on here for the past few months, we may be inspiring enough for a second volume. Other reviewers have complained that these tales are not noir enough, but this is Toronto, eh. I loved how Ben Mulroney showed up interviewing a teen star. There was a great Toronto-Vancouver story with a perfect twist at the end. Gail Bowen, Michael Redhill, and other great names in Canadian fiction are represented, as well as lesser known authors that I now want to get to know, especially some from the ethnic communities that I should explore more. This may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for Torontonian mystery lovers, go for it.

[livia · Rating 3 out of 5]

some stories were good, some were mid (you can tell that this book is a piece of its time; not to be like that type of gen z, but vintage, if you will), but the best part was that i was able to visualize it perfectly in my mind. my city, my home; it is in our emergency rooms and carrying our groceries home that we are torontonians.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

I expected dark glimpses of Toronto, I didn't expect to be so entertained. I've read books by some of the authors in this collection and the added bonus is I have some new authors to check out.

[Sean James McLean · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Toronto is a city that welcomes you with folded arms."

[Zaneta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my very first Akashic Noir book, and I absolutely loved it! There was a lot of diversity, many different points of views (from heroes to villains), and even within the short story format, no character was two-dimensional. Wish there was a warning for the extremely explicit content; I didn't think that's what 'noir' would encompass. The writing for those particular stories was so good, though, that it only disturbed me in a very enlightening way. Every author did an amazing job here. I plan to read more Akashic Noir books!

[Alex Mulligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

While certainly not a prerequisite, being familiar with Toronto adds a depth to the book not usually found. One can visualize the sights, sounds, and smells of the areas each of these short stories takes place in. These stores are dark, true to noir fiction, and certainly not a light read. Yet written by some amazing Canadian authors, they are rich in detail and as diverse as the city the stories take place in.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my second read in this series. I enjoyed the Vancouver noir stories more. This Toronto noir collection was not what I would call noir. Some of the stories were much better than others and I found too many references to the local film industry.

[Cybercrone · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not much that was impressive here.

[Jim Bostjancic · Rating 3 out of 5]

4 star ratting for fans of pulp.
From living to visiting, every time I pass T.O. something unique to learn...
Great take on the Distillery district.
Necrophilia on the edge of Cabbagetown - ghoulish.
Transferred many streetcars at "Humber" loop back in the day - minus "bodies in suit cases," thanks.

[Sandy Auld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent stories!

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 3.5? Enjoyed overall, but definitely hit or miss with the stories-some were great, some I skipped halfway through.

[Paul Guthrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Noirish stories. Very Toronto.

Murder. Infidelity. More murder. Some necrophelia. A little peeping. More murder.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very hit or miss, which is to be expected for an anthology. Also most of the stories were not really noir.

I just really liked seeing all the references to my city.

[Tiffani · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes a place - a country, a city or a neighborhood - inexplicably captures my attention and imagination. I want to read about it, watch movies that are set there, talk to people who have been there, all in preparation of (perhaps) one day visiting the place myself. For the past year or so the city of Toronto has been the place that captured by attention and imagination. I also love mysteries. When I saw Toronto Noir at a book festival last April it felt like a sign. Here was a book that combined two things that I happened to be interested in. Plus I had been aware of this series from Akashic Books for a while but had never gotten around to reading any of them, so I decided that Toronto Noir would be my entry into the series.

For those unfamiliar with the Akashic Noir series, each book is a collection of noir short stories set in a particular city (or section of a city). In picking up Toronto Noir I was looking for something that gave me a taste of what the city is like in the form of a crime related story. As to the Toronto part of the book, underneath the title of each story is the name of the neighborhood in Toronto where the story is set. Having never been to Toronto the name of the neighborhood meant little to me but I looked forward to learning about the neighborhood. Unfortunately, for many of the stories other than being set in Toronto there didn't seem to be much of a connection to the city or the identified neighborhood. There was no sense of what the neighborhood looked like or what it was like to live there. For example, was it an old neighborhood, a new suburb, a gentrified neighborhood, or a place where starving artists lived? Was it an area populated by young, moneyed professionals, aspiring artists, starving students, or an ethnic enclave? Were the streets lined with local cafes and little shops or Starbucks and skyscrapers? This was not true of all the stories of course but overall I finished this book with not much of a sense of what Toronto was like before reading this book.

As for the noir part of the book, halfway through the book I decided to look up the definition of noir to make sure it meant what I thought it meant because the stories didn't exactly seem very noir to me. There are multiple stories involving cheating spouses, stalkers and peeping Toms, necrophilia, but there are no real mysteries. To the extent a crime occurs the reader is told early on who did it and why, so the rest of the story is mostly description of how the character committed the crime and did or did not get away with it.

Overall, I was disappointed with Toronto Noir . It will probably be awhile before I pick up another book in this series, but will pick up another one. I am still very interested in going to Toronto. Hopefully I'll make it there this spring or summer and then I finally find out what Toronto is really like.

[Jeff Swystun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toronto hides. It conceals the dark vices found in any city of size. From time to time, these vices bubble to the surface creating headlines in the Sun and Star that shock the populace and Canada. More often, much more often, these stories are buried. In this collection, some of those stories are told and told eloquently. I lived in Toronto from 2001 to 2007 and have visited extensively before and after. It has never felt big. It never felt overtly scary. Trouble can find you anywhere. What pulsed through Toronto for me was possibility but possibility can be good or bad.

I loved the depictions of the Big Smoke's various neighbourhoods. They were all artful and accurate even if a few of the stories fell short. You can pick the location by some fine descriptions, such as, "Lingering Ukrainian bakeries and speciality shops" and "It was the only place in the city where you could get rolled by crackheads, but six whit miniature eggplants for $1.99, and see female U of T students rushing from their psychology classes to get hammered on vodka ice coolers at O'Grady's Irish Pub, all within a six block radius."

Not all deliver as is the case with any anthology. The notables for me included 'The King of Charles Street' that showcases revenge of a familial nature. 'Walking the Dead' explored deception but with a few, new cool layers. 'Numbskulls' was a distasteful but oddly intriguing yarn. 'A Bout of Regret' was a favourite and began powerfully with this line, "It's bad news whenever a policeman walks into your bar, but it's worse when you've been having an affair with his wife." Andrew Pyper's 'Tom' best summed Toronto for me as it explored the amazing differences that the city presents. The main character has waitressed only in strip bars and why so is laid out with masterful psychology (I admit to visiting For Your Eyes Only on one or two occasions). I look forward to exploring other cities in this noir series.

[Alison Hardtmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the uninitiated, Akashic Books is a small publisher who has found a niche in producing a series of short story collections, each set in a different city or location and featuring writers who live or have some connection to that area. The stories are all noirish in tone, although that depends largely on what each guest editor interprets as noir. The quality of these collections is generally uneven, depending largely on the available writer population. Despite all that, or maybe because of it, I like the series. I usually finish a book with new authors to look into and a few to now avoid.

This book, which was edited by Janine Armin, was a good addition to the Akashic Noir collection. There were solid stories from well known authors Peter Robinson and Andrew Pyper as well as from less prominent writers like Gail Bowen and Michael Redhill. There were a few lackluster entries, including one I could not finish (hint: don't write in dialect unless you are very, very good at it. And maybe not even then). Some of the stories used the Toronto setting as integral to the plot, others just referenced place names.

[Robert Lozowchuk]

This is the worst book of the city noir genre that I have read. When I pick up a short story collection that is in the, "Noir", genre, I expect it to have stories featuring the gritty, underground of the city in the title. This book is full of stories about middle class people in Toronto. Very few of the stories even feature an actual crime. Every story reminded me of a Margret Atwood novel.I'd hate to think that that is the only kind of authors that get published in Ontario, because that would make the whole province look pretentious, rather then just Toronto. If they have a "Toronto Noir", 2, I hope it has some actual gritty crime stories instead of stories featuring whinny, middle class, idiots haveing extramarital affairs in which they have sex in barroom bathrooms.(ooh, that is so noir. Not!!)

[Arvinder S.]

+Gives great insight into the city of Toronto; paints vivid pictures of little worlds that exist within the city and just a few blocks from each other. In reading this, I realized how unfamiliar with the city I actually was.

+Some stories, such as “A Bout of Regret”, are great. Most are good, and one or two are just bad. Look forward to seeing future installments from Toronto.

-Was not a fan of the excessive quotes in the first short story, I felt they took away from the narrative more than they added to it.

-That lab rat story was poorly done. The ending came from nowhere. Normally that’s a good thing but in this case it’s not. It points to a lack of proper build up and characterization. So much backstory was given for K., and it didn’t provide much value towards the ending.

[Benjamin Kahn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave this up partway through the fifth story. I only liked one of the stories that I'd read to that point - "Walking the Dog" - and it missed out on being a great story by not ending with the first plot twist. "Filmsong" was OK as well. The other stories weren't as fun as they seemed to be trying to be, and tried a little too hard to squeeze in every possible reference to the neighbourhood that they were trying to evoke. A disappointing effort.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this one because I was going to Toronto to see the Red Sox play the Blue Jays. It got me acquainted with the seamy side of some of the Toronto neighborhoods. Maybe I should have stuck to Fodor or the Triple A guidebook. Three of the short stories were interesting, the rest forgettable.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like most such collections, the stories were uneven. But I did appreciate the extent to which they all were pretty evocative of Toronto and seemed well-rooted in the city. I enjoyed that aspect quite a bit, even when some of the individual stories were pretty "meh."

[Pooker]

My "official" book souvenir (not counting all the other books I bought) of my trip to Toronto. Purchased at "The Biggest Bookstore in the World", which being just a Chapters was a major disappointment, especially since they did not have a special bookbag, but c'est la vie.

[Biff Nightingale · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wildly inconsistent set of short stories all "set" in Toronto. Some are quite enjoyable and use the setting to enhance the story; others merely throw in a couple of local references and call it a day. Mostly designed with someone who does not live in Toronto in mind.

[Tyrannosaurus regina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a particularly memorable collection, but there's just something about reading about the places you live and the places you know. Some of us don't get that very often.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only stories I really enjoyed we're walking the dog & a bout of regret. The rest sort of fell flat for me

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly noir... not my fave genre but it's my hometown so I add a star. la! A couple of stories are worth reading the whole book.

[Stephanie Holt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the stories didn't quite sit well with me. Obviously regarding the subject matter, but also, some of them left me wondering or shaking my head.

[Billye · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very odd mix of stories. Unlike the other editions in this series, I found the quality of the writing to be quite disparate. Interesting at times, but I cannot recommend this one.