Author: Dennis Lehane
Series: Akashic Noir (The series is based in geography.)
Genre: Anthology, mystery, noir, Boston. Was that obvious or what?
Reason for Reading: When I heard about this series I wanted to read the installment about my own city. Alas, it hadn't been published yet! But now it has.
Setting: Boston, from the distant past to the present. No future noir in this collection, alas.
Pages: 236
Copyright Date: 2009
Cover: A green-tinted black and white of a bridge in winter.
First line: "No matter what you may hear to the contrary, noir is not a genre defined by fedoras, silver streams of cigarette smoke, vampy femme fatales, huge whitewall tires, mournful jazz playing in the gloomy background, and lots and lots of shadows."
Favorite story: "Animal Rescue" by the editor (I don't think the editor's story has ever been my favorite before.)
Downside: I think I may have learned from this that I don't really like noir, at least as defined by this editor as working-class tragedy. I don't go in much for tragedies.
Imaginary Theme Song: "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day
Grade: C-, but someone who actually enjoyed the genre would probably love it.
Recommended for: Bostonians and noir fans. Don't you want to read about your city? Come on. :)
Related Reads: The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler, What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman, The Three Evangelists by Fred Vargas.
