Tampa Bay Noir

by Colette Bancroft (Editor), Ace Atkins (Contributor), Karen Brown (Contributor)

Tampa Bay joins Miami in representing the (alleged) Sunshine State in the Noir Series arena.

At last, the popular Akashic Noir series has adopted the Tampa Bay area...The notion of elevating place to the status of a character in a story, a frequent topic in writers workshops, works to maximum effect. The descriptive forays are full of observations that can only be gleaned by living here.
-- Tampa Bay Times

Colette Bancroft's story, The Bite, has received the 2021 Robert L. Fish Memorial Award, presented by the Mystery Writers of America!

Wings Beating by Eliot Schrefer has been selected for inclusion in Best American Mystery and Suspense 2021!

"Move over Miami, Tampa Bay proves it has a dark side too...This somber anthology spins tales of sinister family secrets, business deals gone bad and tragedy on the bay in short stories."
-- Flamingo Magazine

A new collection of noir fiction features all sorts of miscreants finding their way through this part of Florida.
-- Ocala Star Banner

[A] lively collection of superior short stories.
-- South Florida Sun-Sentinel

[Tampa Bay Noir] has a contributor list that includes a handful of bestselling crime novelists, but more importantly, the stories are pretty excellent, too.
-- Mystery Scene Magazine

Tampa Bay gets a much-deserved turn in the spotlight with this new collection.
-- CrimeReads , One of the Most Anticipated Crime Books of 2020

Books can transport us to faraway, exotic places we've never seen, but they can also show us new angles of familiar places we thought we knew. Places closer to home like Hyde Park, Tierra Verde, Davis Islands, Palma Ceia, Clearwater Beach, Pass-a-Grille, Indian Rocks Beach, Westshore, St. Petersburg's 34th Street, Gibsonton, Lake Maggiore, Pinellas Park, Largo, Safety Harbor and Rattlesnake. Those are the local settings--yes, Rattlesnake is a real place!--for the 15 stories collected in Tampa Bay Noir, an anthology of new crime fiction due out in August.
-- Creative Pinellas

Anyone who lives in the Tampa Bay area knows there are stories of intrigue here, just waiting to be told.
-- The Gabber

Being a local, it's cool to read about locations and think, 'I've been there.' Tampa has enough sordid and colorful history to deserve another volume.
-- Ink19

Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct location within the geographic area of the book.

Brand-new stories by: Michael Connelly, Lori Roy, Ace Atkins, Karen Brown, Tim Dorsey, Lisa Unger, Sterling Watson, Luis Castillo, Sarah Gerard, Danny L�pez, Ladee Hubbard, Gale Massey, Yuly Restrepo Garc�s, Eliot Schrefer, and Colette Bancroft.

From the introduction by Colette Bancroft:

Ask most people what the Tampa Bay area is famous for, and they might mention sparkling beaches and sleek urban centers and contented retirees strolling the golf courses year-round. But it's always had a dark side. Just look at its signature event: a giant pirate parade.

Not only does Gasparilla honor the buccaneer traditions of theft, debauchery, and violence; its namesake pirate captain, Jos� Gaspar, is a fake who probably never existed. And if there's any variety of crime baked into Florida's history, it's fraud. From the indigenous residents who supposedly conned Spanish explorers seeking the Fountain of Youth through the rolling cycles of real estate scams that have shaped the Sunshine State for the last century or so, the place is a grifter's native habitat.

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

315 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 4, 2020

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tampa Bay has a long history in crime fiction. For me, it will always be the place Talmage Powell set his Ed Rivers Stories. For this anthology, a number of big names in the crime fiction business were recruited, including Ace Atkins, Michael Connelly, Lori Roy, Lisa Unger, and Tim Dorsey. The stories here give us a modern Tampa of subdivisions, of homes on canals, and of a Florida where no one really can claim to be any more native than any other newcomer, not even those returning to the scene of their childhoods.

[Armand Rosamilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big fan of this series, and decided to try the Tampa Bay selection while I was actually in Tampa Bay for a writing conference. It was a great read, with almost every story a great read. I even got to see some of the locations I was reading about, too.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not a big fan of the short story genre. This particular collections was interesting in that it was set in the Tampa area which is familiar to me. Beyond that the stories were unexceptional.

[Ray Palen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Akashic Books, who has produced dozens of Noir novels in this series since 2004, had the misfortune of having their latest one --- TAMPA BAY NOIR --- scheduled for release during the current Pandemic National Lockdown. Post-Lockdown it has begun to find an audience and I can only hope that my review will assist in that effort. I was first made aware of this edition by author Lisa Unger, who I correspond with, as she is a resident of the Tampa area as well as a contributor of a story.

As a lifelong New Yorker, I made the move to Central Florida a little over five years ago. It did not take long to see behind the curtain of 'the Sunshine State' to expose some of the dark underbelly that exists there. Films like "The Florida Project" did a great job of doing this. Now, a team of crime writers has focused on the Tampa Bay region to show the criminal element that shares the area with great beaches, sports venues, and tourist attractions. It should be no surprise that a territory which holds an annual parade and giant party in honor of the pirates who once raided the area --- the infamous Gasparilla fest named after the pirate captain Jose Gaspar who led a legion of buccaneers to Tampa Bay in the name of theft, debauchery, and violence. Whether Gaspar was fictional or not makes no difference to the tens of thousands of revelers who participate in their own form of debauchery in his name each year.

TAMPA BAY NOIR does a great job of showing off some of the best crime writers in the business along with many local talents as they highlight different areas and subject matters to display the 'Crime Noir' side of Tampa Bay. Rather than going through each short story I will list some of the standouts for me:

· "The Guardian" - Michael Connelly - this is the only story that features a famous fictional character easily recognizable to all Crime/Thriller fans --- the great Detective Harry Bosch. The question is what is an LAPD Officer doing in Tampa Bay? Well, he was called in by an old friend, Jasmine Corian, who believes that a famous piece of artwork of hers stolen off her living room wall. The local PD are dragging their feet so it will take Bosch and a map of the area to get things moving in this burglary case. I have noticed that there is little sense of urgency in Florida, especially in comparison to places like NYC -- and wish I had someone like Harry Bosch to intervene for me at times!
· "Chum In the Water" - Lori Roy - set in the Tampa Bay suburb of Tierra Verde we step into the areas only real tavern. This tavern also allows us to share time with local smugglers and modern-day pirates. The principle character is known simply as 'Chum', a member of the infamous organized crime family the Giordano's. In fact, the Giordano's run organized crime in the Tampa Bay area but that protection only goes so far as Chum will soon discover when he gets involved in a bad deal with some really, really bad people.
· "Only You" - Lisa Unger - she gives us a story set along one of the top-rated beaches in the country --- Clearwater Beach. Our main character is a wannabe player named Scottie, who mingles amidst the areas rich-and-famous. Scottie is planning to build the largest mansion in the area and to get the funds to do so will put him in league with some difficult real players who will want their investment back, plus interest, in an unreasonably quick time period. As abrasive and foolish as Scottie can be, you cannot help but feel for him right up to the bitter end.
· "Tall, Dark, and Handsome" - Ace Atkins - my favorite tale in the collection fell under the Grifters' Paradise section. I'm always a sucker for a good con man story and this one is great. Debbie Lyn falls instantly for the charismatic older gentlemen --- his name doesn't matter. He looks charming and rich and talks of his time as a Hollywood producer as well as the mansion he is redecorating and his boat. Debbie Lyn is warned by several locals that the man is not what he claims to be, but she will just have to find this out for herself. The ending was not predictable and Atkins actually was able to elicit some sympathy for the grifter.

Overall, an above-average collection of Crime stories that will make me seek out some of the others in the Akashic Noir Series.


Reviewed by Ray Palen for Criminal Element

[Tonstant Weader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tampa Bay Noir is an excellent addition to the Akashic Noir series of anthologies. Each edition of this series is edited by a local, usually an author, a bookseller, or book critic. In this edition, the editor is Colette Bancroft, the book editor at the Tampa Bay Times. She was an excellent choice. She selected fifteen stories in four sections, one focuses on suburbia, another on grifters, one with crimes on the water, and the last are family stories.

I loved the sort of Florida Man aesthetic of “Triggerfish Lane.” I have always liked Lisa Unger and her story “Only You” is very compelling with the fantasy of coming back to your home town as a huge success coming true, but in a nightmarish way. “Local Waters” gives us the story of the hapless substitute teacher with the vicious high school bully, a truly relatable antihero.



Tampa Bay Noir is an excellent anthology. Bancroft did not try to expand the definition of noir but let it reside in the mystery and suspense genres that welcome the noir sensibility. I generally like every book in this series, but vastly prefer the ones that stay true to noir’s roots.

I liked every story and they all fit the theme. I was irritated by “Jackknife” by Danny López, enough that I had to put the book down for a couple of days before coming back to finish the story. I am sick to death of the whine that police are unfairly punished for killing unarmed suspects and when the former cop explains he was found to have followed procedure but was fired because someone had to be punished, I just stopped reading for a few days. It has always been a lie and it is still a lie. Even with video, John Crawford’s murderer was not even charged. That story is redeemed by its ending, so I guess it was effective in making the character feel real.

Again, the Akashic Noir series is a reliable series of noir stories. I think they are great gifts. If you know someone is going to visit Tampa Bay, give them this book rather than Lonely Planet. If you know someone from Tampa, then this would be a great gift, too. If you know someone who is into mystery and suspense, likewise a great gift. If people are unable to concentrate thanks to the COVID brain fog or generalized anxiety, short stories are something they can read. Really, you can hardly go wrong.

I received an e-galley of Tampa Bay Noir from the publisher through Edelweiss

Tampa Bay Noir at Akashic Books
Akashic Noir series
Colette Bancroft at Tampa Bay Times.


https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been reading the Akashic Noir series for a while, and some of the cities are much better than others. I started reading this ARC that received and realized I had tried to read it before and quit. There seems to be some confusion what Noir means. It doesn't mean stories about meth heads that live in mobile homes. That's not an interesting perspective on the world, it's just depressing.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the only book in this series of original noir stories set in cities around the world, that I have read. I know the Tampa Bay Area so the locales of the stories in this book are familiar, in some of the stories very familiar.
In that respect I enjoyed the book. Some of the featured authors are well known to me and some were new. I realize that noir genre is dark but these, with a few exceptions, seemed dark and depressing. Editor, Colette Bancroft’s story, was good and demonstrated that she should expand her literary output beyond her book reviews.
Read as an ARC from LibraryThing .

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up while vacationing in “Tampa Bay”. I love noir and darker stories. As with any group of short stories, some are better than others. Regardless, it was fun reading works in settings I’m very familiar with. And the final story was set in the neighborhood I grew up in. Could have been my street. 4/5

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

ONLY YOU is my contribution to this original noir anthology from Akashic Books.

Florida boy turned tech billionaire returns to his coastal hometown to confront the past in this story about the tangle of secrets, lies, and lost love. Set on the edge of Caladesi Island, Unger visits one of her most beloved places to explore questions of class, identity, and the hard consequences of bad choices.

The Southern Literary Reviews say's "There’s a hint of The Great Gatsby in this tale... Unger brings out the tensions with her skillful sense of timing and precise narration. There is also a gentle nostalgic quality to Unger’s writing... she captures the natural splendor of the area when she writes... but no matter how much natural loveliness Unger fills her story with, the darkness is there in true noir fashion."

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some were great, some were just okay. Love the fact that they were all set in Tampa Bay and locations we all recognize

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are short story collections that are mildly interesting, and there are collections that grab the reader's attention and won't turn loose until the last page. Tampa Bay Noir is definitely the latter.

Edited by Colette Bancroft (the book editor for the Tampa Bay Times since 2007), Tampa Bay Noir is one of two books representing Florida in publisher Akashic Books's noir series. (Miami is the other Florida city.) As with the other noir anthologies, this book has all new short stories; these are based in different areas of the Tampa Bay area, mainly Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties. Michael Connelly's "The Guardian," set in Hyde Park, opens the anthology; Tim Dorsey, Lisa Unger, and a host of others add stories/mysteries to this quirky, dark collection, ending with Colette Bancroft's "The Bite."

While some of the stories here may not be for the faint-of-heart, I found the book difficult to put down. Each story, each writer, took the book to another level that ensured that I will definitely put this into my rotation of books-to-reread-and-reread, year after year. It also left me with a list of writers who novels will soon be in my to-be-read pile.

For anyone who has lived in the Tampa Bay area, thought about living here, or just plain wants a book to keep one captivated, Tampa Bay Noir is definitely the book to pick up and read, cover to cover.

[Jan P · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first of the Akashic Noir that I have read. Having moved recently to the FL Gulf Coast it caught by attention. Some authors I'd read before, others were new. It contains 15 short stories, perfect for picking it up and putting it down. I think all but the last, by Colette Bancroft ended with a murder but the circumstances and stories were all so different it made for really delightful (if sometimes disturbing) reading. FL is a different animal and almost everyone is from somewhere else so lots of subjects to draw from the dark side. I recommend, especially if you are a fan of Tim Dorsey, Lisa Unger, and Michael Connelly to name a few.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very difficult book to rate, as some of the short stories in it are truly exceptional. However, I have to give it 3 based on my overall enjoyment of the book. To be fair, I never seem to enjoy collections of short stories as much as novels, but I simply had to read this book set in my hometown.
My favorite story was from Lisa Unger, but I also enjoyed Ace Atkins and Tim Dorsey.

Another thing that bothered me about this book is how some of the short stories literally could have been taking place anywhere. Sure they mentioned in the beginning that they were set near Tampa, but nothing about them pertained to Tampa at all.

[Suz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting more from this collection. I felt some of the stories were just edits from the authors other published books. Some stories drew me to want to read more from them. I did not think that the Safety Harbor story did the town justice at all. Had he even visited the town? You cannot see a gas station from any of the spa guest room windows, and there are no window units in the rooms. He made it sound like this town and the spa were only one up from a truck stop. That was sadly, the worst Of all the stories. Safety Harbor is really charming, and very Mayberry. Luckily, the other stories were better and outweighed it.

[Les Gehman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fifth book I've read in the Akashic Books Noir series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. While a couple of the stories aren't strictly "noir," whatever that means, I still enjoyed every story in the book. Your just can't go wrong with new stories by Michael Connelly and Tim Dorsey.

[Note: A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer.]

[JP · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked best about this collection was that it seemed to capture the mix of people and attitudes that would be the dark side of a Florida gulf coast city. Aging mobsters, vulnerable transplants and disgruntled former cops find themselves in the downward spirals and lover’s quarrels that ultimately drag the to their demise. Sometimes it’s out of conniving and sometimes out of bad luck. A few of these stories will stick with me, but overall this one didn’t click for me as much as the previous editions I’ve read within the noir series.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I didn’t 100% like every story, I enjoyed the concept and genre enormously. I used to read many short story collections in high school and beyond. It’s nice to be familiar with the Tampa Bay Area, but anyone can enjoy these stories. There’s 59 more books that are each in a specific city or area of the USA; there’s others set in other countries as well. Two authors in the book I really like are Tim Dorsey and Lisa Unger.

[Abibliofob · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read Tampa Bay Noir a collection of mystery short stories edited by Colette Bancroft. Sadly I feel most of the stories are a bit simple but as a whole it was good. I have to thank #Edelweiss and #AkashicBooks for letting me read this. It is a good way to get to know many authors in an easy way.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better Akashic Noir collections I’ve read. There was only one story that I really disliked and many that were phenomenal. The stories were well written and entertaining. TWs for stories with self-harm and child molestation.

[Diogenes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fifteen short stories, some noir, some macabre, and some amusing. From well-known bestseller authors to lesser-known, but not lesser talented. One might expect the locale to be paramount, but in most, the story could have taken place anywhere.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several thought-provoking short stories by different authors, and based in Florida. Some of my favorite authors, like Michael Connelly and Tim Dorsey, and some I’ve never heard of make up the collection. The stories are all quite captivating, but some ended too soon, with too much hanging.

[Dale Ann LeClere · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to Tampa Bay Noir because of the setting being Tampa . Also I liked the idea of short stories to read especially when I have little downtime during a busy work week . I enjoyed the variety and the relevance to real crimes happening in the area with a spin on the outcome .

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of dark stories, so the "Noir" in the title was my warning. However, the "Tampa Bay" caught my attention. It's always fun to read stories set in your area. The stories were all very good, and if I was into Noir fiction, I'd probably give this book a higher rating.

[Michael Lortz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was something different for me, but I enjoyed it. There were some creative tales with some very interesting characters. The familiar locations added to the fun, although the lack of Ybor City was interesting.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag, as most short story collections are. I really enjoyed reading stories set in very familiar places. The stories in the “family secrets” section were my favorites, especially the stories by Ladee Hubbard and Gale Massey

[Shirl Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in one sitting. Quality of stories varies, but overall, an enjoyable read.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collection of detective/noir stories all set in Tampa Florida. A few big names (Michael Connelly, Tim Dorsey, Ace Atkins) and some who were new to me. Decent quality overall with no real lemons.

[Exapno Mapcase]

From Downtown St. Pete, to Indian Rocks Beach, to Gibsonton, full of wonderful beaches and very interesting people. You get it all in this book, Florida man in all his glory.

Free review copy.

[Suzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great cover photo. I'd forgotten how I love Michael Connelly's short stories.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not exactly my cup of tea. I did not enjoy 50% of the stories in this book.