What do you think?
Rate this book
Baltimore Noir
Brand-new stories by: David Simon, Laura Lippman, Tim Cockey, Rob Hiaasen, Robert Ward, Sujata Massey, Jack Bludis, Rafael Alvarez, Marcia Talley, Joseph Wallace, Lisa Respers France, Charlie Stella, Sarah Weinman, Dan Fesperman, Jim Fusilli, and Ben Neihart.
Laura Lippman has lived in Baltimore most of her life and she would have spent even more time there if the editors of the Sun had agreed to hire her earlier. She attended public schools and has lived in several of the city’s distinctive neighborhoods, including Dickeyville, Tuscany-Canterbury, Evergreen, and South Federal Hill.
CONTENTS
Introduction
Part I: The Way Things Used To Be
“Easy As A-B-C” by Laura Lippman (Locust Point)
“Fat Chance” by Robert Ward (Old Northwood)
“Pigtown Will Shine Tonight” by Jack Bludis (Pigtown)
“Over My Dead Body” by Rob Hiaasen (Fell’s Point)
“The Invisible Man” by Rafael Alvarez (Highlandtown)
Part II: The Way Things Are
“Stainless Steel” by David Simon (Sandtown-Winchester)
“Home Movies” by Marcia Talley (Little Italy)
“Liminal” by Joseph Wallace (Security Boulevard-Woodlawn)
“Almost Missed It By a Hair” by Lisa Respers (France Howard Park)
“Ode to the O’s” by Charlie Stella (Memorial Stadium)
“Don¹t Walk in Front of Me” by Sarah Weinman (Pikesville)
Part III: The Way Things Never Were
“As Seen on TV” by Dan Fesperman (Fells Point)
“The Haunting of Slink Ridgely” by Tim Cockey (Greenspring Valley)
“The Homecoming” by Jim Fusilli (Camden Yards)
“Frog Cycle” by Ben Neihart (Inner Harbor)
“Goodwood Gardens” by Sujata Massey (Roland Park)
Laura Lippman has lived in Baltimore most of her life and she would have spent even more time there if the editors of the Sun had agreed to hire her earlier. She attended public schools and has lived in several of the city’s distinctive neighborhoods, including Dickeyville, Tuscany-Canterbury, Evergreen, and South Federal Hill.
CONTENTS
Introduction
Part I: The Way Things Used To Be
“Easy As A-B-C” by Laura Lippman (Locust Point)
“Fat Chance” by Robert Ward (Old Northwood)
“Pigtown Will Shine Tonight” by Jack Bludis (Pigtown)
“Over My Dead Body” by Rob Hiaasen (Fell’s Point)
“The Invisible Man” by Rafael Alvarez (Highlandtown)
Part II: The Way Things Are
“Stainless Steel” by David Simon (Sandtown-Winchester)
“Home Movies” by Marcia Talley (Little Italy)
“Liminal” by Joseph Wallace (Security Boulevard-Woodlawn)
“Almost Missed It By a Hair” by Lisa Respers (France Howard Park)
“Ode to the O’s” by Charlie Stella (Memorial Stadium)
“Don¹t Walk in Front of Me” by Sarah Weinman (Pikesville)
Part III: The Way Things Never Were
“As Seen on TV” by Dan Fesperman (Fells Point)
“The Haunting of Slink Ridgely” by Tim Cockey (Greenspring Valley)
“The Homecoming” by Jim Fusilli (Camden Yards)
“Frog Cycle” by Ben Neihart (Inner Harbor)
“Goodwood Gardens” by Sujata Massey (Roland Park)
248 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2006
106 people are currently reading
1037 people want to read
About the author
Laura Lippman
112 books6,340 followersSince Laura Lippman’s debut, she has been recognized as a distinctive voice in mystery fiction and named one of the “essential” crime writers of the last 100 years. Stephen King called her “special, even extraordinary,” and Gillian Flynn wrote, “She is simply a brilliant novelist.” Her books have won most of the major awards in her field and been translated into more than twenty-five languages. She lives in Baltimore and New Orleans with her teenager.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
January 4, 2025
I’m Biased!
I am going to give this book five stars. But I’m biased because I know and love Baltimore.
From Pratt Street to the Inner Harbor, from Roland Park to Ruxton, from Howard University to Catonsville, from Morgan State University to University of Maryland from Fells Point to Little Italy and some others.
The crime in this book is all written with a Baltimore flavor. You can hear the accents above the music.
Let me talk to you. This book will “sing to you.” After that you’ll want to “read it again.” Each mystery is a delightful little gem. Chapter after chapter.
And the book is finished before you know it. So if you have a question that few people can answer, then good for you.
Five perfect stars. ✨✨✨✨✨
I am going to give this book five stars. But I’m biased because I know and love Baltimore.
From Pratt Street to the Inner Harbor, from Roland Park to Ruxton, from Howard University to Catonsville, from Morgan State University to University of Maryland from Fells Point to Little Italy and some others.
The crime in this book is all written with a Baltimore flavor. You can hear the accents above the music.
Let me talk to you. This book will “sing to you.” After that you’ll want to “read it again.” Each mystery is a delightful little gem. Chapter after chapter.
And the book is finished before you know it. So if you have a question that few people can answer, then good for you.
Five perfect stars. ✨✨✨✨✨
January 4, 2025
A Visit To Noir Baltimore
I have never lived in Baltimore but have visited many times during my forty years living in Washington, D.C. Baltimore is an ideal setting for noir: I found this 2006 collection, "Baltimore Noir" on the shelves of a dusty used bookstore, where it belongs. The book is part of a large and growing seiries of "Akashic Noir" each of which features stories set in a particular location. The series has branched out from the United States and now has settings in locations in other countries.
This collection of "Baltimore Noir" includes 16 stories each published for the first time by as many different writers with some connection to the city. Mystery writer Laura Lippman edited the volume, wrote and introduction, and also contributed the opening story, "Easy as A-B-C." The stories are divided into three groups for "The Way Things Used to Be", "The Way Things Are", and "The Way Things Never Were." The collection includes a simple neighborhood map and brief biographies of the authors.
The test of a collection of stories such as this is whether it captures the nature of the city and its people. Many of the stories in this anthology are distinctively Baltimore. The stories capture the gritty nature of the city, its violence, and its past. The stories show the old waterfront during its days as a port, the city's strong industrial base, the transportation network, the bars, the streets and street patterns, sometimes in intimate detail,, the old row houses, neighborhood bars and restaurants, the decaying nature of the city and the recent efforts of Baltimore to reinvent itself. The stories show the Baltimore Orioles (or "erioles") and the much-missed Memorial Stadium. In one of the stories, the characters get lost leaving Memorial Stadium. This happened to me more than once during trips to see the Orioles before the city posted direction signs in the stadium's final years. Many stories are written in the tough hard-boiled voice appropriate to noir and to crime fiction.
The stories also capture Baltimore's varied demographics from the wealthy and the new urban professionals to the middle class and the poor. Some of the stories feature African Americans, Jewish characters, and immigrants. The stories include many strong characterizations of the city and its people.
Although many neighborhoods are well-described, there is an omission. I found it a loss that a collection of noir Baltimore stories failed to do much more than mention the notorious "Block". With its strip clubs and porn stores, there is room in the Block for many noir stories about its employees, residents, and patrons.
The stories themselves are a mixed group, as would be expected in any collection. The stories I enjoyed for their Baltimore atmosphere and their characterizations include works by authors I already knew, including Charlie Stella, "Ode to the O's" and Sarah Weinman, "Don't Walk in Front of Me." I enjoyed Laura Lippman's story and Joseph Wallace's story "Liminal" about the world of webcamming. Probably my favorite story of the collection was Jack Bludis' "Pigtown Will Shine Tonight" which is an impressive, moving work in its characterizations and in its plot. Several other stories offer impressive portrayals of Baltimore and its noir character. There were a few stories that didn't work for me and that didn't have a noir character or a memorable depiction of Baltimore life.
I enjoyed visiting noir Baltimore through this book. This collection will appeal to readers of noir fiction and to readers with a place in their hearts for Baltimore.
Robin Friedman.
I have never lived in Baltimore but have visited many times during my forty years living in Washington, D.C. Baltimore is an ideal setting for noir: I found this 2006 collection, "Baltimore Noir" on the shelves of a dusty used bookstore, where it belongs. The book is part of a large and growing seiries of "Akashic Noir" each of which features stories set in a particular location. The series has branched out from the United States and now has settings in locations in other countries.
This collection of "Baltimore Noir" includes 16 stories each published for the first time by as many different writers with some connection to the city. Mystery writer Laura Lippman edited the volume, wrote and introduction, and also contributed the opening story, "Easy as A-B-C." The stories are divided into three groups for "The Way Things Used to Be", "The Way Things Are", and "The Way Things Never Were." The collection includes a simple neighborhood map and brief biographies of the authors.
The test of a collection of stories such as this is whether it captures the nature of the city and its people. Many of the stories in this anthology are distinctively Baltimore. The stories capture the gritty nature of the city, its violence, and its past. The stories show the old waterfront during its days as a port, the city's strong industrial base, the transportation network, the bars, the streets and street patterns, sometimes in intimate detail,, the old row houses, neighborhood bars and restaurants, the decaying nature of the city and the recent efforts of Baltimore to reinvent itself. The stories show the Baltimore Orioles (or "erioles") and the much-missed Memorial Stadium. In one of the stories, the characters get lost leaving Memorial Stadium. This happened to me more than once during trips to see the Orioles before the city posted direction signs in the stadium's final years. Many stories are written in the tough hard-boiled voice appropriate to noir and to crime fiction.
The stories also capture Baltimore's varied demographics from the wealthy and the new urban professionals to the middle class and the poor. Some of the stories feature African Americans, Jewish characters, and immigrants. The stories include many strong characterizations of the city and its people.
Although many neighborhoods are well-described, there is an omission. I found it a loss that a collection of noir Baltimore stories failed to do much more than mention the notorious "Block". With its strip clubs and porn stores, there is room in the Block for many noir stories about its employees, residents, and patrons.
The stories themselves are a mixed group, as would be expected in any collection. The stories I enjoyed for their Baltimore atmosphere and their characterizations include works by authors I already knew, including Charlie Stella, "Ode to the O's" and Sarah Weinman, "Don't Walk in Front of Me." I enjoyed Laura Lippman's story and Joseph Wallace's story "Liminal" about the world of webcamming. Probably my favorite story of the collection was Jack Bludis' "Pigtown Will Shine Tonight" which is an impressive, moving work in its characterizations and in its plot. Several other stories offer impressive portrayals of Baltimore and its noir character. There were a few stories that didn't work for me and that didn't have a noir character or a memorable depiction of Baltimore life.
I enjoyed visiting noir Baltimore through this book. This collection will appeal to readers of noir fiction and to readers with a place in their hearts for Baltimore.
Robin Friedman.
May 26, 2017
So, as I end my reading list and prepare to turn the cycle again, I figured I'd make the desperate attempt to catch up with this city-based anthology series - although, there is now officially no way I'll catch up, unless they just come to a dead stop printing further volumes. This anthology series, more than any other I know of, typifies the death of the "magazine delivery system model for short fiction". Think about it - if you wanted to put out a magazine of noir fiction, quarterly (because, let's be honest, you couldn't expect to do it monthly the way things are) - you could *do* that and produce a nice magazine that would have to struggle to be seen on the newsstands and would get thrown away in quantity 3 months later. Or, you could just put out 4 books a year, for a slightly higher price point, and stay on shelves a lot longer - just makes sense.
Noir is not a "loved genre" for me - I haven't read widely in it (except for the masterful Cornell Woolrich), which allows me to be a little more forgiving of stories here - all I really want out of a good crime or noir story is a well-told tale, like the ones that used to appear in ALFRED HITCHCOCK MYSTERY MAGAZINE of my youth. Yeah, sure, maybe it shouldn't be too familiar or predictable but *shrug* what do I know? I did, this turn around, begin to realize some truths about crime/noir writing - that it's best read with drink in hand, that it is allowed to be probably more bluntly "true" in its assertions about human nature, fallibility and economic realities than almost any other genre....
Baltimore is the focus this time around and I have some small experience with the city (Fell's Point is an amazing place, and what an aquarium) but not much, even though I only live about 45 minutes away. I must visit soon (especially Bertha's bar/restaurant).
And now, the usual line-up (excellent introduction by the way, a brief spin through Baltimore's literary pedigree) ....
Four stories really didn't work for me, although they weren't without individual charms. I found "Frog Cycle" by Ben Neihart both evocative and undeveloped, as a p.r. guy for a biotech firm oversees his batrachian monstrosity's presentation to the world. "Goodwood Gardens" by Sujata Massey starts promisingly, with a wife's concerns that the real estate agent who sold them their upscale historical home is hitting on her, as well as her worry that the basement contains ghosts. But this example of the occasional whiff of the supernatural that Akashic editors sometimes include in the CITY NOIR series pays off differently than expected and the ending seemed too rushed for my tastes (granted, drawn out would have been just as bad, it's a tough balance). One way that an author can tell a noir story is by focusing in on a career or business that one doesn't normally associate with crime - and yet, is run by people, all of whom are potentially criminally fallible - as Lisa Respers France does here with the hair styling industry in "Almost Missed It By A Hair". It's a detective story with some good snarky writing (which usually I hate) but I felt it lacked something overall. Robert Ward's oddly named "Fat Chance" is oddly unbalanced but engagingly written story that lurches from one direction to another as a Baltimore escapee returns from his Hollywood screenwriter life to visit his emotionally abusive mother and then meets with old "friends" who have continued in a life of crime. I found the conclusion unsatisfying.
There were a number of stories that were sold enough, but perhaps were a bit too easy or familiar or fumbled the ball slightly in some way. An elderly cop chews over a cold case from 1963 in "The Invisible Man" by Rafael Alvarez. This is kind of choppily told, jumping around a bit, but has some nicely poetic moments as well. Challenging.
David Simon's "Stainless Steel" is an emotionally honest portrayal of homeless street people, their drug habits, and an act of intended valor that goes horribly wrong. Good dialogue, but it felt a but longer than it needed to be. Marcia Talley'S "Home Movies" is one of those familiar, Hitchcock-like short pieces where a woman waits to join a stranger she's met over the internet on a coastal cruise - but "the predator is the prey", as it often happens. A quick, disposable, enjoyable read. Another way to write a city-centric noir story (as seen here in "Ode To The O's" by Charlie Stella) is to focus on local sports and how the eternal competition effects and is reflected in the local populace (here, as the Oriole's history is intertwined with the local mafia). Interesting, kind of easy. I quite enjoyed the build up in "Liminal" by Joseph Wallace, as a teenage girl meets an internet pornographer at a hotel - the writing was especially well done and very suspenseful. Unfortunately, the story had one of those endings where a bit too much is explained and which goes on about a page or so longer than it should have.
There were, as might be expected, some very solid stories here as well. "Over My Dead Body" by Rob Hiaasen has a boozy local reporter track the economic fortunes of his favorite places, giving us a great sketch of the gentrification of Fells Point in the process - a great writing voice that told a story that felt lived. Dan Fesperman's "As Seen On TV" is a charming story of a Slavic hit-man (on a budget!) flying into his favorite American city, where they film his favorite American TV show (HOMICIDE: LIFE IN THE STREETS) to perform a job, only to run afoul of his unrealistic preconceptions about the city (but maybe THE WIRE will help!) - a lot of fun and you really feel for the guy! "Don't Walk In Front Of Me" by Sarah Weinman has an ex-con (trying to go straight) hired by a local rabbi to investigate his potential son-in-law. Again, good voice and nice, tight writing. "The Haunting Of Slink Ridgely" by Tim Cockey offers us another of those occasional ghost stories, here following a deceased, average joe Milkman as he tracks the sad, bitter life of the little girl who accidentally caused his demise. While this essentially violates a standard writing rule (the Milkman can only observe, he cannot effect any change in the world) this is a painfully heartfelt story about the emotional burden of guilt and how it can destroy lives.
I found three stories particularly strong. "The Homecoming" by Jim Fusilli is similar to "Fat Chance" mentioned earlier, with a man returning to his old neighborhood for a visit with his daughter - but here the shifting of economic realities and ethnic neighborhoods is very effectively presented, as the man stumbles across a crime committed by an old associate. Very good. "Pigtown Will Shine Tonight" is very Cornell Woolrich as a young boy knows more about the rape/murder of a local girl than he is telling, and is wracked by guilt over this. The editor's own "Easy as A-B-C", which opens the books, is a nasty little piece about contractor and home-flipping. Again, good stuff.
And there you have it. Next up is Twin Cities Noir and then the whole wheel turns again!
Noir is not a "loved genre" for me - I haven't read widely in it (except for the masterful Cornell Woolrich), which allows me to be a little more forgiving of stories here - all I really want out of a good crime or noir story is a well-told tale, like the ones that used to appear in ALFRED HITCHCOCK MYSTERY MAGAZINE of my youth. Yeah, sure, maybe it shouldn't be too familiar or predictable but *shrug* what do I know? I did, this turn around, begin to realize some truths about crime/noir writing - that it's best read with drink in hand, that it is allowed to be probably more bluntly "true" in its assertions about human nature, fallibility and economic realities than almost any other genre....
Baltimore is the focus this time around and I have some small experience with the city (Fell's Point is an amazing place, and what an aquarium) but not much, even though I only live about 45 minutes away. I must visit soon (especially Bertha's bar/restaurant).
And now, the usual line-up (excellent introduction by the way, a brief spin through Baltimore's literary pedigree) ....
Four stories really didn't work for me, although they weren't without individual charms. I found "Frog Cycle" by Ben Neihart both evocative and undeveloped, as a p.r. guy for a biotech firm oversees his batrachian monstrosity's presentation to the world. "Goodwood Gardens" by Sujata Massey starts promisingly, with a wife's concerns that the real estate agent who sold them their upscale historical home is hitting on her, as well as her worry that the basement contains ghosts. But this example of the occasional whiff of the supernatural that Akashic editors sometimes include in the CITY NOIR series pays off differently than expected and the ending seemed too rushed for my tastes (granted, drawn out would have been just as bad, it's a tough balance). One way that an author can tell a noir story is by focusing in on a career or business that one doesn't normally associate with crime - and yet, is run by people, all of whom are potentially criminally fallible - as Lisa Respers France does here with the hair styling industry in "Almost Missed It By A Hair". It's a detective story with some good snarky writing (which usually I hate) but I felt it lacked something overall. Robert Ward's oddly named "Fat Chance" is oddly unbalanced but engagingly written story that lurches from one direction to another as a Baltimore escapee returns from his Hollywood screenwriter life to visit his emotionally abusive mother and then meets with old "friends" who have continued in a life of crime. I found the conclusion unsatisfying.
There were a number of stories that were sold enough, but perhaps were a bit too easy or familiar or fumbled the ball slightly in some way. An elderly cop chews over a cold case from 1963 in "The Invisible Man" by Rafael Alvarez. This is kind of choppily told, jumping around a bit, but has some nicely poetic moments as well. Challenging.
David Simon's "Stainless Steel" is an emotionally honest portrayal of homeless street people, their drug habits, and an act of intended valor that goes horribly wrong. Good dialogue, but it felt a but longer than it needed to be. Marcia Talley'S "Home Movies" is one of those familiar, Hitchcock-like short pieces where a woman waits to join a stranger she's met over the internet on a coastal cruise - but "the predator is the prey", as it often happens. A quick, disposable, enjoyable read. Another way to write a city-centric noir story (as seen here in "Ode To The O's" by Charlie Stella) is to focus on local sports and how the eternal competition effects and is reflected in the local populace (here, as the Oriole's history is intertwined with the local mafia). Interesting, kind of easy. I quite enjoyed the build up in "Liminal" by Joseph Wallace, as a teenage girl meets an internet pornographer at a hotel - the writing was especially well done and very suspenseful. Unfortunately, the story had one of those endings where a bit too much is explained and which goes on about a page or so longer than it should have.
There were, as might be expected, some very solid stories here as well. "Over My Dead Body" by Rob Hiaasen has a boozy local reporter track the economic fortunes of his favorite places, giving us a great sketch of the gentrification of Fells Point in the process - a great writing voice that told a story that felt lived. Dan Fesperman's "As Seen On TV" is a charming story of a Slavic hit-man (on a budget!) flying into his favorite American city, where they film his favorite American TV show (HOMICIDE: LIFE IN THE STREETS) to perform a job, only to run afoul of his unrealistic preconceptions about the city (but maybe THE WIRE will help!) - a lot of fun and you really feel for the guy! "Don't Walk In Front Of Me" by Sarah Weinman has an ex-con (trying to go straight) hired by a local rabbi to investigate his potential son-in-law. Again, good voice and nice, tight writing. "The Haunting Of Slink Ridgely" by Tim Cockey offers us another of those occasional ghost stories, here following a deceased, average joe Milkman as he tracks the sad, bitter life of the little girl who accidentally caused his demise. While this essentially violates a standard writing rule (the Milkman can only observe, he cannot effect any change in the world) this is a painfully heartfelt story about the emotional burden of guilt and how it can destroy lives.
I found three stories particularly strong. "The Homecoming" by Jim Fusilli is similar to "Fat Chance" mentioned earlier, with a man returning to his old neighborhood for a visit with his daughter - but here the shifting of economic realities and ethnic neighborhoods is very effectively presented, as the man stumbles across a crime committed by an old associate. Very good. "Pigtown Will Shine Tonight" is very Cornell Woolrich as a young boy knows more about the rape/murder of a local girl than he is telling, and is wracked by guilt over this. The editor's own "Easy as A-B-C", which opens the books, is a nasty little piece about contractor and home-flipping. Again, good stuff.
And there you have it. Next up is Twin Cities Noir and then the whole wheel turns again!
December 2, 2015
Enjoyable collection, though as with others in the series, uneven quality - some stories are taut and tense, and others read as though some of these writers got some good feedback in a workshop, and decided they knew how to write crime fiction - overly expository narration (though that is sometimes part of the genre), clumsy dialogue, bizarre and unjustified plot twists.
Standouts were the stories by Robert Ward ("Fat Chance"), Charlie Stella ("Ode to the O's"), and Tim Cockey ("The Haunting of Slink Ridgely"). The former two are memorable statements on how your hometown can pull on you, whether you like it or not. Particularly Stella's story, which is immediately rife with tension and mystery - vague hints at nefarious activity in the beginning, building in tension as the two main characters examine violence, manhood, and loyalty to one's hometown. Definitely encouraged to read more of Stella's work after this. Tim Cockey's story was weird, moving, and riveting from the first word as well.
I also like these collections because of how they play on the history and people of the locales where they are set. There are a lot of references to local neighborhoods that definitely enhance the enjoyment for me.
Standouts were the stories by Robert Ward ("Fat Chance"), Charlie Stella ("Ode to the O's"), and Tim Cockey ("The Haunting of Slink Ridgely"). The former two are memorable statements on how your hometown can pull on you, whether you like it or not. Particularly Stella's story, which is immediately rife with tension and mystery - vague hints at nefarious activity in the beginning, building in tension as the two main characters examine violence, manhood, and loyalty to one's hometown. Definitely encouraged to read more of Stella's work after this. Tim Cockey's story was weird, moving, and riveting from the first word as well.
I also like these collections because of how they play on the history and people of the locales where they are set. There are a lot of references to local neighborhoods that definitely enhance the enjoyment for me.
November 22, 2015
I wanted to like this more than I actually did. The stories were very uneven and oddly arranged.
While enjoyed her story the most, I find it a little pretentious that the editor put her story first in the anthology. Is that just me? I suppose it's her prerogative. Anyway, he rehab in Locust Point had a very Poe-like feel and the contractor was very well written - especially in such a small number of pages. It had the right dose of creepy.
Dan Fesperman's As Seen on TV is exactly that - a scene from 'The Wire' and had I not watched that show I don't know if I'd give a shit about either the street kids or the cops (renamed in this story, but I want to call them Bubbles & McNulty anyway) or understand how things like the cop's drinking and ex-wife could possible be important to the story about the street kids (it's not - totally unrelated character development in this story but completely ripped from the show)
The one set in Little Italy, Home Movies suffered from too many place name droppings. It's 20 pages long, and stuffed full of landmarks like the Rusty Scupper, the World Trade Center, the Aquarium, etc. Like a dozen at least. The tie-in with the outdoor movies in Little Italy was amusing, but otherwise this felt like something written for an assignment.
The worst was the Frog Cycle. If you read this anthology and you skip this, you're not missing anything.
There are two things that kept this from being a 2-star for me: I read one at a time so I didn't feel like I was reading an anthology and I liked the setting (being from here, I love things set in Baltimore).
While enjoyed her story the most, I find it a little pretentious that the editor put her story first in the anthology. Is that just me? I suppose it's her prerogative. Anyway, he rehab in Locust Point had a very Poe-like feel and the contractor was very well written - especially in such a small number of pages. It had the right dose of creepy.
Dan Fesperman's As Seen on TV is exactly that - a scene from 'The Wire' and had I not watched that show I don't know if I'd give a shit about either the street kids or the cops (renamed in this story, but I want to call them Bubbles & McNulty anyway) or understand how things like the cop's drinking and ex-wife could possible be important to the story about the street kids (it's not - totally unrelated character development in this story but completely ripped from the show)
The one set in Little Italy, Home Movies suffered from too many place name droppings. It's 20 pages long, and stuffed full of landmarks like the Rusty Scupper, the World Trade Center, the Aquarium, etc. Like a dozen at least. The tie-in with the outdoor movies in Little Italy was amusing, but otherwise this felt like something written for an assignment.
The worst was the Frog Cycle. If you read this anthology and you skip this, you're not missing anything.
There are two things that kept this from being a 2-star for me: I read one at a time so I didn't feel like I was reading an anthology and I liked the setting (being from here, I love things set in Baltimore).
December 24, 2009
Good set of short mystery stories centered around Baltimore and written by local authors. I think Baltimore, with its murder rate, and of course, being one of the places E.A. Poe lived, is a particularly apt setting for this kind of thing, however, there are also Brooklyn/DC/Manhattan/Dublin/San Francisco and Chicago Noir volumes. I enjoy reading stories set in places I know well, with characters typical of those likely to live there. As far as individual authors go, I started reading this a long time ago, and just finished today, so I don't want to try to comment on best stories, but I didn't think there was a "worst"; all were well written. I did enjoy the mix of contributors in a short story anthology, since a single author's style can tend to feel formulaic when reading a whole book of his or her short stories.
June 1, 2019
Some great stories and some real duds, but overall this gets a thumbs up from me. Some were very sad, others made me laugh, and a couple made me want the time I’d spent reading back. My only real gripe is that if you didn’t know anything at all about Baltimore, you’d think the city focused solely on either Baltimore Orioles baseball or reminiscing about “Homicide: Life on the Street”. Now, I loved both the book and the TV show, but there’s more to Baltimore than just that one show and baseball.
June 27, 2012
Didn't finish. Not my cup o' tea, I guess.
September 9, 2017
One of the better of the series. Some of the stories really had a true sense of Baltimore.
March 4, 2022
I remember when I couldn’t put a book down as a young and eager reader but for quite some time I haven’t found a book that drove me through chapter after chapter. I believe it is when a teenager is told to read a book that all of the fun of it is drained away, even with good books. Baltimore Noir edited by Laura Lippman made me feel like I was a kid again, nothing else mattered except the following plot and I read huge portions of this book in one sitting.
Baltimore Noir is a collection of short stories from many different authors so there wasn’t any large plot development throughout the whole book but the stories fit together very well to tell a story about Baltimore. Each story was completely new with the only commonality being that they were all in the same city, Baltimore. I have only been to Baltimore once and it was a short time before reading this book which gave me an interesting perspective of imagining these things happening in similar streets with similar architecture to what I so recently witnessed.
I think Baltimore Noir was really set apart from other Noir Fiction that I have read because every story was its own approach to the Noir plotline and had their own twists that kept the reader engaged and wondering what crazy twist will be in the next short story. One of my favorite examples of this is Don’t Walk In Front of Me by Sarah Weinman. This story is based around an ex-prisoner and it sets the reader up to expect a good old no good deed goes unpunished plot where we think he will be coerced into committing a murder to keep his job. The story seemed to have been all written out in foreshadowing and I was simply reading on to see when it happened. I was so deep in this thought I knew what the ending would be, when I reached it and was completely different I was just shocked by my expectations. I think that's exactly why it was written the way it was. The whole plot conflict is the reader expecting aspects of a Noir story so when they didn’t happen it came as a shock.
I think this book is good for anyone who is interested in Noir Fiction as well as anyone who enjoys suspenseful action packed stories. This book would be insightful for any mature reader because it lets you take away something concrete about the way you think. It could be similar to my realization that I immediately assume the worst when given an open ended situation or something completely unexpected. A common element in Noir Fiction is murder mystery which is always one of my favorite parts but it follows a rather basic plot development and it rather similar. In Baltimore Noir there were tons of murder mysteries but they all felt different than any I had seen before. The murders remained mysteries, most of the short stories contained murder mysteries that leave the reader feeling like they missed something. This is exactly how a real murder mystery feels and it is more genuine. Some of these stories left me on the opposite side of the murder mystery where I was the only one other than the murderer who knew the story of the murder and this was really interesting as well. This book would be a home run for almost anyone but I will recommend staying away from this book if you are sensitive to violence and sexual expression but that is almost true of any noir novel.
This book taught me about myself and the way I think but I think the strongest lesson in this book is that life isn’t fair. It shows how shit just happens and sometimes people get away with terrible things and people are randomly the victims of these terrible things. It is a way of the world and it is what makes us human and this book just goes to show that these horrible things go on closer to you than you might think.
Baltimore Noir was an all around excellent read that strayed from the typical noir story in a highly productive and interesting way. This was a book that I couldn’t pull myself away from and I’m certain you won’t be able to either.
Baltimore Noir is a collection of short stories from many different authors so there wasn’t any large plot development throughout the whole book but the stories fit together very well to tell a story about Baltimore. Each story was completely new with the only commonality being that they were all in the same city, Baltimore. I have only been to Baltimore once and it was a short time before reading this book which gave me an interesting perspective of imagining these things happening in similar streets with similar architecture to what I so recently witnessed.
I think Baltimore Noir was really set apart from other Noir Fiction that I have read because every story was its own approach to the Noir plotline and had their own twists that kept the reader engaged and wondering what crazy twist will be in the next short story. One of my favorite examples of this is Don’t Walk In Front of Me by Sarah Weinman. This story is based around an ex-prisoner and it sets the reader up to expect a good old no good deed goes unpunished plot where we think he will be coerced into committing a murder to keep his job. The story seemed to have been all written out in foreshadowing and I was simply reading on to see when it happened. I was so deep in this thought I knew what the ending would be, when I reached it and was completely different I was just shocked by my expectations. I think that's exactly why it was written the way it was. The whole plot conflict is the reader expecting aspects of a Noir story so when they didn’t happen it came as a shock.
I think this book is good for anyone who is interested in Noir Fiction as well as anyone who enjoys suspenseful action packed stories. This book would be insightful for any mature reader because it lets you take away something concrete about the way you think. It could be similar to my realization that I immediately assume the worst when given an open ended situation or something completely unexpected. A common element in Noir Fiction is murder mystery which is always one of my favorite parts but it follows a rather basic plot development and it rather similar. In Baltimore Noir there were tons of murder mysteries but they all felt different than any I had seen before. The murders remained mysteries, most of the short stories contained murder mysteries that leave the reader feeling like they missed something. This is exactly how a real murder mystery feels and it is more genuine. Some of these stories left me on the opposite side of the murder mystery where I was the only one other than the murderer who knew the story of the murder and this was really interesting as well. This book would be a home run for almost anyone but I will recommend staying away from this book if you are sensitive to violence and sexual expression but that is almost true of any noir novel.
This book taught me about myself and the way I think but I think the strongest lesson in this book is that life isn’t fair. It shows how shit just happens and sometimes people get away with terrible things and people are randomly the victims of these terrible things. It is a way of the world and it is what makes us human and this book just goes to show that these horrible things go on closer to you than you might think.
Baltimore Noir was an all around excellent read that strayed from the typical noir story in a highly productive and interesting way. This was a book that I couldn’t pull myself away from and I’m certain you won’t be able to either.
March 1, 2024
Murder, mystery, greed, and jealousy are all recurring ideas of the stories that make up Baltimore Noir, edited and compiled by Laura Lippman. I love true crime and crime fiction in books and in podcasts. The stories in this compilation of short stories, read like true crime stories. In books, I typically look for stories that don't drag out the boring exposition or add pointless detail. I dislike the types of authors that drag out each sentence and have a more coded type of writing. Baltimore Noir had some stories like that but mostly, because it is filled with short stories, the writing style is very deliberate, while still displaying their own personality through their writing style. Each anecdote was a page turner, embracing the noir genre with dark and surprising turns. Although I typically enjoy longer stories, I liked the format of this combination of stories and the ability to see different writing styles and enjoy different aspects of each.
The noir style, in nature, is very dark and usually surrounds a murder, as do most true crime podcasts and books. I have concluded, from the few noir genre books that I have read, that the noir genre tends to be told through very old language, mostly set in the early 20th century. I don't particularly enjoy that aspect of the genre as I find it difficult to follow. I tend to like to read books that are told in a more modern tone, which was definitely seen in Baltimore Noir. Although each story was different, the overall style of writing was very engaging and fun to read. I 100% recommend this book to people that like to explore different types of writing and like a more modern tone of voice.
The noir style, in nature, is very dark and usually surrounds a murder, as do most true crime podcasts and books. I have concluded, from the few noir genre books that I have read, that the noir genre tends to be told through very old language, mostly set in the early 20th century. I don't particularly enjoy that aspect of the genre as I find it difficult to follow. I tend to like to read books that are told in a more modern tone, which was definitely seen in Baltimore Noir. Although each story was different, the overall style of writing was very engaging and fun to read. I 100% recommend this book to people that like to explore different types of writing and like a more modern tone of voice.
March 4, 2022
It started right away from the first story written by Laura Lippman “ Easy as ABC ''. It was 12:30 and I had no wifi so I decided why not get this reading started for my final assignment. I don’t wanna spoil the story any more than I’m going to, but just know that as soon as I finished that first story I knew I was going to enjoy it and not have any trouble reading this novel. Each story has its own unique noir plot that never failed to surprise me with all the twists and turns I encountered while reading. The stories that I had the best time reading were “Easy as ABC” and “Liminal”. The imagery expressed throughout these readings also never failed to entertain me. Overall, the word choice with the imagery from the writers behind these stories was almost perfect for describing each of the scenes taking into account the setting, mood, and tone of the moments. This is a book that you can pick up and choose any story to read and enjoy your time which is a huge plus side to having vignette-type style novels and a big reason Baltimore Noir is a great read and one of my favorites in general.
One thing I truly admire about this book was the constant surprise in action. You would think that with 15+ noir stories the plots would start to get repetitive and boring but that was not the case here. Each of these stories had its own little aspect to step away from classic noir that made the plot unique to the rest.
One thing I truly admire about this book was the constant surprise in action. You would think that with 15+ noir stories the plots would start to get repetitive and boring but that was not the case here. Each of these stories had its own little aspect to step away from classic noir that made the plot unique to the rest.
October 6, 2021
Baltimore: My sister lives there and as a result, I have grown to love it..in all its gritty, historic, blighted, shimmering, golden, rusty, Poe-like beauty. Frederick Douglass, Billie Holiday, Thurgood Marshall, Babe Ruth, Dashiell Hammett, and so many more wonderful and interesting people from this fascinating and underappreciated gem of a city. This collection of noir is nearly perfect, aside from a few less than stellar tales, you will be transfixed by this compact volume of stories. My favorites: "As Seen on TV" by Dan Fesperman. "Easy as A-B-C" by editor Laura Lippman, and "The Homecoming," by Jim Fusilli. Baltimore is one of the most noir-y cities in the U.S. and I recommend this collection in particular, but the entire series does a great job introducing readers to the darker underbelly of life in some of the world's most fascinating cities. Enjoy, Hon!
June 15, 2018
I am a keen fan of the "noir" genre, and I believe I have hit the Mother Lode in the Akashic series of short stories based in dozens of cities. My gateway was Dublin Noir, and my sophomore read was this, Baltimore Noir, based in (wait for it!) my adopted home town of Baltimore.
Edited by well-known crime novelist Laura Lippman, who also contributes the opening story "Easy as ABC"*, this collection features 15 additional stories, all by authors with some connection to Charm City, aka Bulletmore, Murderland. Not all hit the spot squarely, but none are skippers. If you like crime stories with the usual dark or sinister twist, I recommend Baltimore Noir.
Next: St. Louis Noir!
* I had read "Easy as ABC" before in another collection. Just as fun the second time around.
Edited by well-known crime novelist Laura Lippman, who also contributes the opening story "Easy as ABC"*, this collection features 15 additional stories, all by authors with some connection to Charm City, aka Bulletmore, Murderland. Not all hit the spot squarely, but none are skippers. If you like crime stories with the usual dark or sinister twist, I recommend Baltimore Noir.
Next: St. Louis Noir!
* I had read "Easy as ABC" before in another collection. Just as fun the second time around.
September 15, 2019
I only read one story from this book because I was following the mystery author Sujata Massey. She's the author of the Rei Shimura (modern Japan) and Perveen Mistry (British India) series.
As with all other shorts in this anthology, they are all about the city of Baltimore. In this short, the new owners of a mansion discover some weirdness...
I've always considered Massey a very good writer, whose stories flow well and the character development is great. Same with this short story, I enjoyed the setting, the writing and the characters. If you are a fan of Sujata Massey, this short story is worth a look.
As with all other shorts in this anthology, they are all about the city of Baltimore. In this short, the new owners of a mansion discover some weirdness...
I've always considered Massey a very good writer, whose stories flow well and the character development is great. Same with this short story, I enjoyed the setting, the writing and the characters. If you are a fan of Sujata Massey, this short story is worth a look.
April 25, 2021
It sucks I’m only giving it 3 stars because some of the stories in here I really loved. It really captured what I feel Baltimore is like but some other stories just didn’t connect with me. Fans of The Wire will love David Simons story as it was used as a storyline on the show. Not all the stories are worth reading but I’d say it’s still worth a read just because of some of the really good stories in here.
July 31, 2023
Mixed bag, as with most collections of this kind. It did make me want to pick up some other works by a few of these authors. And I was an absolute sucker for every specific location reference, it really felt very grounded in the city. (Though I did notice a few of the author bios mentioned not living there currently, which got a little side eye from me.)
Favorites: Easy as A-B-C; Liminal; Don't Walk in Front of Me; Goodwood Gardens
Favorites: Easy as A-B-C; Liminal; Don't Walk in Front of Me; Goodwood Gardens
August 13, 2017
A couple of really outstanding stories here, and several really strange ones in this weird collection. I don't like this collection as much as others in this series. I'm not wild about Laura Lippman's novels but she excels at short stories and this one was no exception. Although I do wonder, as another reviewer mentioned, why she put her story first? Hubris, or something else?
July 3, 2020
Very enjoyable book with lots of quality noir writing. Especially enjoyed Robert Ward’ “Fat Chance “about a mother son relationship gone wrong, Rob Hiassen’s, “Over My Dead Body” A Fells Point character piece, Tim Cockeysville, Jim Fusilli and Sarah Weinman’s stellar contributions.
The Charlie Stella piece was choppy and boring and the Bob Neihart “Frog Cycle “ was pointless.
The Charlie Stella piece was choppy and boring and the Bob Neihart “Frog Cycle “ was pointless.
September 3, 2020
This collection of short stories set in Baltimore by Lippman and other former Baltimore Sun reporters is delightful. I especially enjoyed the stories contributed by Lippman herself, Sujata Massey and Lippman's husband, David Simon, but all the stories were a treat, especially for readers who appreciate the quirkiness of Baltimore residents and neighborhoods.
February 28, 2021
Cool portrayal of crime and mystery in Baltimore
The stories are hit or miss, but the concept of Akashic Noir in general is awesome, and I'm glad to see Baltimore represented in the series. Wall Street Noir, Tel Aviv Noir, and Baghdad Noir are good ones to read as well. Salt Lake City Noir is a noticeable gap in the series.
The stories are hit or miss, but the concept of Akashic Noir in general is awesome, and I'm glad to see Baltimore represented in the series. Wall Street Noir, Tel Aviv Noir, and Baghdad Noir are good ones to read as well. Salt Lake City Noir is a noticeable gap in the series.
July 10, 2021
Superbly dark or darkly superb. Either way this book of short stories is terrific! Some stories were better than others but the book was edited by one of my favorite authors, Laura Lippman and all focus on Baltimore as the backdrop. Turns out this is a series of books set in different cities. Highly recommend!
May 9, 2023
A DNF for me even though I'm more than halfway through. A couple of the stories were good, but a lot of them just aren't. Some of them just name dropped a ton of places in Baltimore, with no real story line and others are written like a riddle with no clues. In other words just made no sense to me at all.
April 20, 2019
A collection of noir short stories all with a Baltimore connection, mostly good, some excellent. As a Laura Lippman fan, I liked her story the best, but there were some entries that had me scratching my head, so only 3/5.
April 7, 2022
Merp
Like a lot of short story collections, some trash and some treasure. Generally, my disappointing reads were a problem of the short story format rather than poor writing. Those stories that disappointed were stories that felt like they needed longer treatments.
Like a lot of short story collections, some trash and some treasure. Generally, my disappointing reads were a problem of the short story format rather than poor writing. Those stories that disappointed were stories that felt like they needed longer treatments.
January 17, 2024
This books includes three things I love: short stories, crime fiction and Baltimore. Some good selections in here and some that fall a little short. My favorites include "Easy as A-B-C", "Stainless Steel", "The Homecoming" and "Goodwood Gardens".
August 31, 2018
Re-read this one because it contains a story by Rob Hiaasen.
December 20, 2019
very enjoyable experience especially since i'm currently watching "the wire"..introduced to some writers i'd like to know better including dan fesperman.
July 9, 2021
Very well written. It’s not my typical genre and several stories really creeped me out, but I live in Baltimore and enjoy books from authors who really know the City, which these authors do.
October 14, 2021
What an interesting and eclectic array of short stories! I enjoyed how they spanned a variety of time periods and cultures. The book really captured the oftentimes shady nature of Baltimore.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews