Noir

by David B. Coe (Editor), John Zakour (Editor)

A missing intergalactic artifact valuable enough to inspire murder. A cartoon gag gone bad that leads to a gruesome death. Greek deities unraveling a divine mystery in New York City. A human detective navigating the temptations of Faerie in pursuit of a magical killer. Call them sleuths, call them gumshoes, call them shamuses or dicks or beagles—these private investigators prowl the back alleys of imagination, explaining the unexplainable, seeking answers and justice for two hundred dollars a day plus expenses.

In Noir, speculative fiction authors Hal Bodner, Jessie Kwak, Esther M. Friesner, Travis Wade Beaty, John Zakour, Alex Bledsoe, Erik Grove, Andrija Popovic, Julie E. Czerneda, Aprilynne Pike, D.B. Jackson, Justin Jordan, Steven Harper, R.S. Belcher, and Eve Golden-Woods spin tales of intrigue and danger, introducing you to worlds where information is currency and life is cheap. So put on your fedora, raise your trench coat collar against the evening chill, and come explore the shadows. But remember, in this seedy business, you can trust no one…sometimes not even yourself.

260 pages, Paperback

Published July 29, 2022

About the author

David B. Coe is an author of fantasy novels and short stories. He lives with his wife, Nancy Berner, and their two daughters on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee.
He has begun writing a new historical fantasy series under the pen name D.B. Jackson. The first one is titled Thieftaker, published in 2012.

Reviews

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid Collection

ZNB anthologies are, like all other such books, hits and misses. However, this collection didn’t have a single dud, so as to say, earning full five stars from me.
I especially enjoyed the following stories~
1. Jessie Kwak's "Storm Warning";
2. Esther M Friesner's "Outside the Box";
3. Alex Bledsoe's "The Basilisk Bluff";
4. Erik Grove's "Blackhole Suicide";
5. Andrija Popovic's "Wolves and Cubs";
6. D.B. Jackson's "Plato and the Apprentice";
7. Justin Jordan's "Police";
8. R.S. Belcher's "Fatherless Son".
Overall, this was a truly top-order anthology.
Highly recommended.

[Mark Slauter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting twists on crime. I don't typically call out favorites, but I have to say that "I Am The Ink" by Hal Bodnar was not a crime story I was expecting - a very cool twist on the concept. After this opener, I just got pulled along.

[Brenda Rezk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting collection of fantasy and sci-fi crime stories with detectives or PIs in a Noir style. There were stories about alien species, the fae, zombie cops, cartoon characters, and so forth. The stories were very imaginative. I sometimes read short stories when I feel like reading before bed, because I can't be relied on to stop reading a novel after "one more chapter". These were perfect! ZNB anthologies are the best!

[adi ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read only the aprilynne pike’s chapter and the fangirl inside of me just came out because of TAMANI THE LOML <3 I wish there was a scene with Laurel, I really wanted it! but it was interesting story!