Brooklyn Noir

Brooklyn Noir #1

by Tim McLoughlin (Editor), Michael Braun (Narrator), Adam Chase (Narrator)

New York's punchiest borough asserts its criminal legacy with all new stories from a magnificent set of today's best writers. Brooklyn Noir moves from Coney Island to Bedford-Stuyvesant to Bay Ridge to Red Hook to Bushwick to Sheepshead Bay to Park Slope and far deeper, into the heart of Brooklyn's historical and criminal largesse, with all of its dark splendor. Each contributor presents a brand new story set in a distinct neighborhood.

Brooklyn Noir mixes masters of the mystery genre with the best of New York's literary fiction community-and, of course, leaves room for new blood. These brilliant and chilling stories see crime striking in communities of Russians, Jamaicans, Hasidic Jews, Puerto Ricans, Italians, Irish and many other ethnicities-in the most diverse urban location on the planet.

Contributors include Pete Hamill, Nelson George, Sidney Offit, Arthur Nersesian, Pearl Abraham, Ellen Miller, Maggie Estep, Adam Mansbach, CJ Sullivan, Chris Niles, Norman Kelley, and many others.

Akashic Books announces Brooklyn novelist Tim McLoughlin as the editor of the anthology (in addition to his contributing a story). For years, McLoughlin has worked in the Kings County Supreme Court in downtown Brooklyn.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Noir, Mystery, Crime, New York, Anthologies

Audible Audio

First published July 1, 2004

Reviews

[Shannon M (Canada) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yes, I read every story—well, at least, skimmed every one—so I could give the book an honest one-star rating. I wish I could say something witty, but facetiousness is not my strong point. I don’t think one could call most of them stories, just ramblings by authors who were trying for MFA brownie points. And if they weren’t jumbling up the English language, they were inserting as much sex as possible. They were supposed to be crime stories, but many of them were simply incoherent narratives containing lots of porn.

One completely disgusted me (and I’m not easily disgusted). It was about incestuous pedophilia involving a very young girl—very young, not Lolita age. It was written by a woman, so I guess that made it all right. NOT!

A couple were probably okay, not great but at least okay, but the majority weren’t. This collection was especially disappointing because I had really liked Manhattan Noir (part of the same Akashic Noir series). After comparing my reactions to both, I realized that the editor had a major influence on the quality of a short story collection. That editor, Tim McLoughlin, is one that, from now on, I’m going to stay far away from.

The two okay stories in this collection were Crown Heist by Adam Mansbach and Case Closed by Lou Manfredo. Not great, but worth at least three stars. All the others were muddled or salacious, or both.


[Harold · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's not a dud in this bunch. Upon finishing this I immediately started in on Manhattan Noir. I'm really enjoying the short story form. It is concise and to the point. I find that many of the stories stay with me, unlike many books that while i may enjoy them a few weeks later they are largely forgotten. The only author I was familiar with in this book was Pete Hamill. The rest were new to me but now that I've enjoyed them I'll be looking for more. So if you like noir this book is for you.

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am intrigued by Akashic Books Noir series - the central idea, location-based crime anthologies, appeals on a general level (sense of place captured in writing styles), an organizational level (new cities! how will they differ?), a structural level (anthologies are a favorite of mine, although anthologies of contemporary writers, and themed anthologies less so - but more on that anon) and on a "broadening-my-horizons" level (I am an avid reader of many different "types" of fiction but I've yet to make much time for crime fiction and figured I'd start with Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, et al. but this offer is tempting, my only previous outings being some ALFRED HITCHCOCK anthologies back in the 70s). This last point is important, because I do know that I'm not a very big fan of detective fiction (perfectly serviceable, but shackled by its genre constraints - ymmv, of course) and so this being BROOKLYN NOIR and not, say BROOKLYN MYSTERIES, is very important to me.

A word about that, though, first off. The remit here is "crime stories set in [city x:]". You could make the argument that not all crime stories are "noir", and you'd be right, but the definition is stretchable enough and, let's be honest, the name is catchier. So what you're getting, aside from the titular city, are crime stories: cops and robbers, heists, petty larceny, the edges of mysteries (yes), double-dealing, unpalatable people, mobsters, private-eyes, etc. In other words, they don't need to have the "bleak cynical world-view / white knight in a corrupt world" concept in the story as a given (but it does help). So, as opposed to my first love, horror stories, crime fiction seems to be more about "content" than "intent" - it's not about trying to *do* something (like scare or disturb), it's more about putting the pieces together in interesting ways

And that leads to the first call-back to my above noted "anon" - themed anthologies always have a problem because what if that name writer you asked to contribute turns in something that doesn't really fit the remit? Well, if reading a lot of anthologies has taught me anything, generally the editor goes with it and prints it anyway. But too much of that and you dilute the soup. This is not a *pressing* problem with BROOKLYN NOIR, but it does crop up. Anyway, let's get our hands dirty and I'll fill you in as we go (as usual, I'll attempt to not be spoiler-ish but general plots will be sketched).

Also as usual, weak things first: there are 20 stories here and 1/5 don't really cut the muster. "No Time For Senior's" by Sidney Offit is just a little too precious and pat with it's private eye slinging baseball lingo story - it reads more like an homage to an old style than anything new. "New Lots Avenue" by Nelson George sounds like it might make a good story - it's a shame this reads like an outline for that potentially good story. Finally, two stories here are much closer to horror fiction than "crime" (in one case, absolutely horror fiction). Arthur Nersesian's "Hunter/Trapper" is paced nicely, but its tale of an internet serial killer stalking his victim has plot resolution you can see coming from far, far away. Similarly, "Can't Catch Me" by Thomas Morrisey is a sub-grade horror knock-off about an unsolved murder that makes the unforgivable mistake of introducing a "fantastic/supernatural" aspect into this hard-bitten collection. Plus, it's just kind of lame.

The fair-to-middling stories dominate. "Hasidic Noir" by Pearl Abraham has a great main character, intriguing setting (the Hasidim of Williamsburg) and marvelously controlled tone, but the ending feels a but rushed and unsatisfying (a potential novelistic expansion, methinks?). "Practicing" by Ellen Miller is a tad overwritten but then, it could more honestly be classed as a "lit" story with pretensions at being a crime tale (a daughter reflects on her life with her father, who works the high steel bridges and his, technically criminal, intentions to share his workplace with her). It's a nice, solid read, touching and emotive at times, but it meanders a bit and the ending seems jarringly sour. Norman Kelly's "The Code", a story about a rising young gansgta rappa and his sexual conquests, seems to be heading somewhere but, honestly, just ends up as some kind of BDSM/femme-slaveboy rape fantasy - easily skipped. "Eating Italian", a twitchy cop/double-cross tale by Luciano Guerriero, does a good job entertaining and then gets out. Fun but forgettable. "Slipping Into Darkness" by C.J. Sullivan is an authentic character study of a latina working hard to escape her neighborhood - good, but a little too compressed (another potential novel, it seems, but still worth reading for the character detail). Chris Niles turns in a nice little noir tale involving an expatriate writer, a Hungarian gangster and some lost identity, in "Ladies Man". Very, solidly noir, and the ending is pleasingly cinematic. Finally, "One More For The Road" is, we're told in the back, the first chapter of a novel about an alcoholic cop, written by Robert Knightly. It reads exactly like that - all set-up, no pay off (but good set-up, with lots of cop details). At least this doesn't pretend at being short fiction.

Best for last: Pete Hamill's "The Book Signing" starts BROOKLYN NOIR with a bang (a "bang" that never happens, technically) - the story of old wounds being reopened in old neighborhoods, regrets and dreams re-surfacing due to a return to stomping grounds. Tight and effective. "When All This Way Bay Ridge" by Tim McLoughlin is another story about uncovering old secrets (and how much better it might have been to let them lay buried) as the son of a dead cop canvases an old Irish bar to identify someone in a photograph and gets, maybe (the ambiguity is deftly handled), a completely different story than he was expecting. "Crown Heist" (great title!) by Adam Mansbach is a short, punchy, street-level tale of a weed-dealer and his friend. Again, authentically sketched, it knows to tell an involving story and high-tail it outta there. Neal Pollack's "Scavenger Hunt", set in Coney Island, is both vicious and sad, as an old man who runs a carousel gets used...but doesn't mind. A rookie detective learns the benefits (and price) of closing cases when he falls for the victim of a sexual assault in "Case Closed"; Lou Manfredo's ending to this story is so dark and morally painful it almost physically hurts! Kenji Jasper gives us "Thursday", a tightly plotted little slice of life about a street operator...operatin'. Punchy, punchy, punchy, it just clips along. "Triple Harrison" by Maggie Estep, sketches an interesting local niche in Brooklyn, a neighborhood with a unique topography for a city (East New York), as she tells one of her "horse noir" stories. It's got some nice character work and a surprise ending. The ending of "Dumped" by Nicole Blackman is, perhaps, a little easy to see coming, but the backstories of three men who fail the same woman in different (and increasingly more awful) ways is gut-wrenching. Pitch-black noir. Last but not least, Ken Bruen's "Fade...to Brooklyn" is set nowhere near the city and is a dark love note to a lost chance and the idea of a city. Very well done.

This collection is not aces. There are weaknesses, no doubt. But the gems do shine and I look forward to continuing these reviews (thank you, Inter-Library Loan!) and helping the interested reader pan for the stories that sparkle.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection was especially good compared to the others in the Akashic Noir series. Nice variety of contributors and stories.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

The “noir” location based series of short stories is pretty extensive, I’ve read a half dozen or so of these books so far. I found the stories more consistently enjoyable in this collection than some of the others and liked the way they were arranged. My particular favorite story was “When All This Was Bay Ridge” by Tim McLoughlin, who is the editor of this book.

[Victoria Conti · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is part of an extensive noir series. I've read a few and thought they were 4-5 stars, but this one fell a little short for me. There were some that I loved, and some I dragged through, so I still recommend giving it a read. I was a little disappointed that the Brooklyn collection didn't hit like the others, but there are Brooklyn 2 and three available! Looking forward to reading those.

[Dan D’Amico · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed most of the stories in here, only had a couple that didn’t interest me. They’re all pretty weird and dark, but I felt it worked for the most part.

[Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

My hometown is Brooklyn. I grew up in Flatbush and then Sheepshead Bay. How could I not read this? Short stories are easy, easily digestible. I'll read a story here, a story there, usually in between the novels I am making my way through. It's great for a commute where the world can be shut out for an hour.

There are twenty stories here, a fair amount based in crime, some petty, some major, some deadly. There are a few where the darkness of noir is shown in personal relationships. Be mindful, Brooklyn itself is not a dark place (some would claim otherwise), but it provides a perfect urban backdrop for these tales.

Recommended!

[Abbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOTTOM LINE: One of the earliest of the acclaimed series of anthologies. A nice mix of regular PI stories and moody melodrama, salted with bits of neighborhood color; has little gloss but a good deal of emotion.

Stories by:
Pearl Abraham, “Hasidic Noir”
— a bit too much ethnic info, not enough noir but good characters and tricky plot
Nicole Blackman, “Dumped”
— devilishly fine revenge tale
Ken Bruen, “Fade to... Brooklyn”
— several kinds of crooks and criminals, moody
Maggie Estep, “Triple Harrison”
— caring about people, and horses, beautifully wrought
Nelson George, “New Lots Avenue”
— wispy short-short lifeonthestreet, barely a whisper of noir, little plot
Luciano Guerriero, “Eating Italian”
— da mob, crooked cops and straight, too many bodies
Pete Hamill, “The Book Signing”
— creepy, well-crafted, about old friends, and enemies
Kenji Jasper, “Thursday”
— a bit too vulgar, streetwise for my taste, but solid plotting, semi-heist
Norman Kelley, “The Code”
— S&M and darkness in the music biz
Robert Knightly, “One More for the Road”
— young cop in trouble
Lou Manfredo, “Case Closed”
— cops’n’robbers
Adam Mansbach, “Crown Heist”
— cruel tale of wannabe street guys, very sharp
Tim McLoughlin, “When All This Was Bay Ridge”
— attempt at nostalgia that doesn’t quite work, a bit too precious
Ellen Miller, “Practicing”
— father/daughter, creepy and powerful but not really noir
Thomas Morrissey, “Can’t Catch Me”
— creepy serial killer
Arthur Nersesian, “Hunter/Trapper”
— very scary dating scene with a lovely twist
Chris Niles, “Ladies Man”
— mistaken identities and misleading ideas, dark
Sidney Offit, “No Time for Senior’s”
— baseball, deli’s, old folks, an odd PI, and lots of fun
Neal Pollack, “Scavenger Hunt”
— kids with too much money and time on their hands, finely twisted
C.J. Sullivan, “Slipping into Darkness”
— the streets catch up with a girl who thought she’d escaped, VERY noir!

[Marie Michaels · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a solid collection, but some of the stories sort of blend together. There are some winners here (come on, Hasidic noir!) and some that just left me deflated. One of the things I admire about noir is how sudden upsets in the story can come at you like a cruel left hook even as everything falls into place, and I think it was this deftness that was lacking in some of these stories. This should have been something I loved (Brooklyn! noir!), but in spite of some gems, I was a bit underwhelmed. But of course, it was fun to read the stories and recognize a lot of the locales.

I think this is the type of anthology that would be better to read one story at a time, spaced out, instead of back-to-back the way that I did. I think noir starts to lose its appealing darkness, too, read one story after another after another, competing with one another for most heft and most darkness.

Basically: recommended if you have an abiding interest in noir (with the language and subject matter to match) and/or stories set in Brooklyn. If not, pretty skippable.

[Steven jb · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good collection of stories although a few had disappointing endings. The stories involve crime, and take place in various Brooklyn neighborhoods, including one of my old neighborhoods.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the OG of the Akashic noir series, a series I greatly enjoy, being both a city lover and a fan of mystery/noir tales.

I don’t always like short stories. I enjoy a book that I can really sink my teeth into, a plot that grips me, an argument to be made in non-fiction. These are usually my exception to the rule.

I used to make fun of Brooklyn a lot. It’s become synonymous with gentrification, upper-middle and upper-class whites inhabiting working class neighborhoods, many housing Black, brown and non-white folk, though gentrification is certainly not limited to race, especially in Brooklyn. Everyone I know my age who lived in New York City wanted to be there, first because it was cheap, then because it was trendy, finally because it became so popular. Give me the less pretentious side of Manhattan and the Bronx any day of the week.

But I started working in Brooklyn last year and I came to really like it. I appreciate what goes on in the borough, the folks who have worked to change it for the better, and even those who have moved in seeking a better life. I figured it was finally time to square myself with this legendary short story collection that started it all.

Like all short story collections, there were some I enjoyed more than others and I’m just going to list them here…

Pete Hamill’s The Book Signing: a moving story packed with grief and a great ending.

Tim McLoughlin’s When All This Was Bay Ridge: This one started off as your typical maudlin “back in the day” tale and then became something else entirely.

Arthur Nersesian’s Hunter/Trapper: I’ve got to read more by this guy. A genuine thriller. Someone who knows how to utilize the economic language of the short story to tell a tale.

Neal Pollack’s Scavenger Hunt: Hilarious. A great concept that would make a fun movie.

Luciano Guerrerio’s Eating Italian: A bleak comedy that could have been turned into a book.

Maggie Estep’s Triple Harrison: In the same vein as her Ruby Murphy mysteries. Horses are prominently involved.

CJ Sullivan’s Slipping Into Darkness: You never really leave…

Chris Niles’ Ladies Man: A good one to close out on.

[Lucile Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

61. Brooklyn Noir edited by Tim McLaughlin
I have to read the next two Brooklyn Noirs now. A great selection of stories by a very diverse set of authors. From Hasidic Jews, nasty Russians, spurned women out for revenge, good fellas and Irish guys who want to be in Brooklyn, there is something for everyone. As someone who loves Brooklyn and almost moved there, I have a big space in my heart for the borough. Some of these start with the standard private eye getting a case, but there are huge twists, stolen identities, family secrets. A Latina student is pulled in by a small time crook and his family, men in a van share stories of the same woman they dated, authors who dumped girl friends find them again. Fun and nasty.

[Frédéric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I often find anthologies mediocre, a mixed bag of average stories, and I end up reading very few of them.

However, the idea of noir short stories centred on a specific location appealed to me, so I tried out the series with Brooklyn.

And what a surprise it was to discover a collection that was well above average. There was one story I didn't like and two or three that I found meh, but everything else was well written and very enjoyable to read.

The stories are loosely grouped by theme and all set in a specific location, highlighting the area's unique characteristics and offering an indirect way to discover the richness—and the underbelly—of Brooklyn.

[Mitchell Leventhal · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much for humbleness.I grew up on the uber tough streets of Canarsie Ran around with some tough customers but always had my head in a book.Therefore I walk down both sides of the street.Meaning Iceberg Slim to Emerson.I cant fathom not being valuable to a savvy book publisher.Who knows?I might be another Anthony Bourdain or Richard Price Or Hubert Selby. My email is mitchellleventhal@gmail.com I got the goods Give me a shot.Working on a book called Gutter Lion.I know you like that

[Cybercrone · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought the stories here, for the most part, were uninteresting and poorly written. There might have been a couple that could be classed as OK, but generally besides being a Grammar Nazi's nightmare with ridiculous sentence structure and missing words, the authors just seemed to be trying too hard. Many of the stories were pretty much jumping up and down and waving, yelling "Look at me! Look at me! Aren't I dark and edgy and original?" BAH!

[Maliha Nazir · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8/5
The stories started off meh but then got interesting.
Some of these authors should write heist movies.
If you told me that this is a collection of diverse stories and has a wide enough representation and this is noir, of course it’s all about crime, I’d see your point. If you told me the characters were one-dimensional and they only furthered stereotypes, I’d see your point.

[Autumn Kearney · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a collection of short stories. Like many other collections, some were great, some were not so great, and some were good. It balances out to an average of a likeable book. The sad part is that this is the closest I will get to visiting Brooklyn, aside from one of my favorite TV shows, Brooklyn Bridge.

[Barbikat60 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection was absolutely FANTASTIC! I loved how some of the stories had crazy twists and spanned so many generations in the twentieth century and twenty first century. I want to to read the next collection. I hope it’s as good as this one.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read the stories run the gamut of good to well this was boring but overall a good take on NYC’s most famous borough if you’re a Brooklynite you’re going to enjoy it if you’re not it will be an read that might make you want to go there

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is solid noir, including all the tropes about dames and glorification/vilification of dirty cops, mobsters, etc. It's fun, for sure, but most of the descriptions of women could be submitted to the "Men Writing Women" Twitter account. It's distractingly eyeroll-inducing to a woman like me.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie Estep crushes! And the rest of them, a solid sharp collection.

[David Bossert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of short crime stories. An enjoyable read.

[Denise · Rating 1 out of 5]

Abandoned. Didn't like this group - first story I read was a (for me) a stinker which seemed a bad way to start a book of short stories.

DD@Phila

[Diogenes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun collection of very short stories to full novellas from many writers one wouldn't expect to know Brooklyn, collected by genre.

[Donna Hass · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mar 2019. Brooklyn Noir; reading now. Couldn't get into it. Saved for brief reading for company.

[John Boyda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing special, nothing too memorable. I just thought the book contained good, short, fiction.

[Tom The Irish · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cringe.

[William Prystauk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I inadvertently went from reading Selby’s “Last Exit” to this collection of short stories. Unfortunately, I don’t think any author truly captured the essence of Brooklyn. The tales could have come from just about any major city.

The stories ranged from first to third person and each tale was consistent with narrative. Although all of the stories were good, three truly stood out for me.

Ellen Miller’s “Practicing” was beautifully written and had the most depth. And of the four female authors, she was the only one to stay true to her gender and write a piece centering around a woman, her father and her desire to know about working in a man’s world (among other elements). The story was both riveting as well as poignant. I love Ellen Miller and want to read more of her work.

“Fade to … Brooklyn” by Ken Bruen was fantastic. Told through the eyes of an Irish postal robber wishing to get to Brooklyn to find his American dream girl, the story is fast-paced and gripping. Overall, Bruen seemed to encapsulate the flavor of Brooklyn the best – how ironic.

For the most complete story with a twist of an ending, Adam Mansbach’s “Crown Heist” truly captured my imagination with a livid tale about a Crooklyn hood. This was very compelling as well as satisfying.

One of the most interesting stories, however, worthy of honorable mention was Pearl Abraham’s “Hasidic Noir”. The tale was told from the perspective of a Hasidic PI in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn and focused on the closed communities orthodox Jewish workings. Tantalizing and intriguing to say the least. I would love for Abraham to explore her detective further in a larger work.

The most disappointing for me was Maggie Estep’s “Triple Harrison”. I truly loved her story, character and prose – but I was duped. What I thought to be the story of a lesbian horse owner in East New York, turned out to be just another guy. I didn’t realize the narrator was male till midway through the tale when I already had a female character well-entrenched in my mind. If the story had been based on a female narrator, this story would’ve been at the top.

After reading Selby, I truly wish all the female authors had written about female characters in Brooklyn instead of just Miller. I’ve had far too much of a male perspective and begged for a gender change. Male author CJ Sullivan wrote about Rosa in “Slipping into Darkness”, but the story didn’t really do it for me since she was a deer in the headlights character. Otherwise, the stories reeked of male domination.

Furthermore, and most importantly, the title “Brooklyn Noir” is deceptive. Besides what I’ve already mentioned about the lack of a truly Brooklyn aesthetic, save for place names, there was little “noir” if any. Most tales were drama-based and didn’t have an array of dark and cynical characters in a bleak environment as the genre would suggest.

[Kyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Best American Short Stories anthology this is not.