Status Updates From USA Noir

37. A Nice Place to Visit ***** by Jeffery Deaver, Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan Noir (2006). A small time thug, his Irish mob boss and a corrupt cop fall into a grifter scam. In trademark Deaver style the twist reveal at the end makes it all worthwhile. This is actually the final story in the collection, the rest being author biographies and promotional advertising.

36. Phelan’s First Case ***** by Lisa Sandlin, Beaumont, Lone Star Noir (2010). This one is absolutely my style, more in the hardboiled detective vein. As the title says it is a short story introducing Sandlin’s occasional series featuring Tom Phelan and Delpha Wade.

35. If You Can’t Stand the Heat *** by Lawrence Block, Clinton, Manhattan Noir (2006). A man approaches a woman in a bar and starts a conversation telling her about the Clinton neighbourhood, previously known as Hell’s Kitchen. He may be looking for a one-night-stand, but turnabout is fair play.

34. Promised Tulips ** by Bharti Kirchner, Wallingford, Seattle Noir (2009). When a friend goes missing, a woman begins to suspect foul play by the husband. She wants to start an investigation but it just seems to fizzle out by the end. An Unsatisfactory Ending Alert!

33. Feeding Frenzy * by Tim Broderick, 40 Wall Street, Wall Street Noir (2007). A drawn graphic novel / comics story about some sort of scandal at a Wall St. firm with various office workers turning on each other. Didn’t make a lot of sense.

Part VI: Street Justice
32. Vic Primeval **** by T. Jefferson Parker, Kearny Mesa, San Diego Noir (2011). A police detective is friends with an ex-wrestler who now works as a bouncer. The detective suspects that the bouncer is being grifted and sets out to investigate. Another favourite story in this collection!

31. Bums **** by William Kent Kruger, West Side, St. Paul, Twin Cities Noir (2006). A down and out alcoholic hears that his sometime homeless friend has been killed in an apparent home invasion. Suspecting foul play (because of an earlier story he had heard) he sets out to solve the crime.

30. Secret Pool ** by Asali Solomon, West Philadelphia, Philadelphia Noir (2010). It is all fun and games at a secluded University pool club until suddenly there is a death involved.

29. Lighthouse **** by S.J. Rozan, St. George, Staten Island Noir (2012). This one was at least unique. The lead is a schizophrenic who hears 3 voices in his head and thinks of them as aliens from another world who crash landed on earth. At least one of them is provoking him into evil acts.

28. The Tik * by John O’Brien, Scotch 80s, Las Vegas Noir (2008). Another despicable one. Under the influence of a drug called “the Tik”, a man is driven to murderous acts.

Part V: Under the Influence
27. Amapola *** by Luis Alberto Urrea, Paradise Valley, Phoenix Noir (2009). A high school punk falls for the younger sister of his punk friend. But the girl’s father doesn’t approve and his family “business” on the Mexican border is a dangerous one which the punk will learn about to his regret.

26. The Rose Red Vial **** by Pir Rothenberg, Museum District, Richmond Noir (2010). Another favourite here. Two Edgar Allen Poe obsessives try to out game each other over the possession of some Poe artifacts including a perfume vial apparently gifted by Poe to his wife Virginia.

25. Easy as A-B-C ** by Laura Lippman, Locust Point, Baltimore Noir (2006). A home renovator takes on the job of renovating his childhood home for a possible house flipper. An affair starts but it all ends badly. The tension built throughout but a lot of it didn’t make sense.

24. Helper **** by Joseph Bruchac, Adirondacks, Indian Country Noir (2010). A hunting guide is the target of an apparent hit squad due to old history, but he has a plan to take revenge.

23. The Prison *** by Domenic Stansberry, North Beach, San Francisco Noir (2005). Set in 1946 when there was a riot on Alcatraz Island Prison. Otherwise the prison doesn’t play any part in this. Instead a man travels to San Francisco to see his mother but also to take revenge.

22. Loot **** by Julie Smith, Garden District, New Orleans Noir (2007). A story of looting during Hurricane Katrina with some surprising twists. One of my favourites so far in this collection.

21. Missing Gene * by J. Malcolm Garcia, Troost Lake, Kansas City Noir (2012). Various bar flies meet and share tales. The lead character obsesses over a homeless man Gene who has gone missing. In the end some sort of PTSD causes him to erupt. Again distasteful and disturbing.

Part IV: Homeland Security
20. After Thirty * by Don Winslow, Pacific Beach, San Diego Noir (2011). Yet another brutal domestic abuse tale. In 1945 a girl friend tries to convince a soldier on AWOL to go back to the service before he becomes a deserter after 30 days.

19. Second Chance * by Elyssa East, Buzzards Bay, Cape Cod Noir (2011). Disturbing animal and bird torture in this one. Otherwise a story of juvenile delinquents sent to work off a one year sentence at an island work camp under an ex-Marine.

18. Ride Along *** by James W. Hall, Coconut Grove, Miami Noir (2006). A writing teacher who is looking for material for his next crime novel rides along with one of his students on rather dangerous field trips.

17. Too Near Real ** by Jonathan Safran Foer, Princeton, New Jersey Noir (2011). Somewhat surreal story about a professor put on sabbatical leave due to sexual harassment accusations. He begins to obsess about Google Maps street view and seeing himself photographed by the Google street camera.

16. Public Transportation ** by Lee Child, Chandler, Phoenix Noir (2009). Not a Reacher story. A policeman relates the story of an investigation involving a criminal’s escape by bus. The case was closed but the solution left him unsatisfied. The reporter who hears the story happens to know the real truth.