Laura Lippman (ed.) - Baltimore Noir (2006)
Reviewed by David J. Montgomery
Laura Lippman edits the latest in Akashic Books' acclaimed "City Noir" series. Baltimore Noir collects stories from sixteen writers, all set in "Bulletmore, Murdaland," as a wag once called the city.
Lippman's "Easy As A-B-C" is one of the book's best, the twisted tale of a contractor paying a little too much attention to one of his clients. It's especially interesting to see Lippman write from the male point of view, which she does with pleasing results.
Another standout is "Stainless Steel" from David Simon, creator of TV's "Homicide" and "The Wire." His George Pelecanos-esque story of a homeless junky is both dark and touching. That darkness is mirrored in Robert Ward's painful "Fat Chance," in which a successful screenwriter is tortured by memories of a hateful parent.
Charlie Stella's excellent "Ode to the O's" may not evoke Baltimore particularly strongly, but it's a fine piece of crime writing. The same goes for Jim Fusilli's "The Homecoming," a fascinating tale that makes us want to learn more about its characters before ending far too soon.
Inevitably in an anthology like this some of the stories will fail to shine as brightly as others. But Baltimore Noir is a worthy collection, one of the best that Ahashic has done.
Posted by David J. Montgomery in Book Reviews | Permalink
