New Orleans Noir

I was thrilled to find that I can now have an electronic copy of this book sent to my Kindle 2! I have read many of these stories more than once (bought a paper copy in the Garden District) and have a hard time putting the book down (even on read number three!). No surprise that Julie Smith, an extraordinarily talented mystery author, has her hands in this one - her story is fascinating and her editorial skills throughout the book are exceptional. I highly recommend New Orleans Noir - whether you are a lifelong New Orleans resident or simply someone who enjoys reading a fascinating collection of stories. The flavor from the various neighborhoods of New Orleans is brilliant. Budget out some time for this one - you won't be putting it down!

It is fitting the great Julie Smith was chosen as editor and post-Katrina story contributor for this terrific (terrifying?) anthology. She also should have been asked to add to "San Francisco Noir" because as in New Orleans, she spent many years there as an ace newspaper reporter and set one of her mystery serieses there. Her story "Loot" is this book is really good, about the long-time friendship between a civil rights lawyer and her maid who is stranded Uptown after the storm, and the vicious little plot dig at the end. Ditto to Outside Magazine writer Ace Atkins, who was boots-on-the ground on assignment here in the sweltering days after Katrina's eye passed, in his gritty "Angola South" about the inhuman jail set up at the Greyhound bus station. Maureen Tan's "Muddy Pond" indelibly depicts the plight of Vietnamese-Americans stuck in flooded N.O. East right after the storm. There is not a less than great story in this 18-story anthology (well maybe one of the pre-K's). This is one of the better books of the half dozen I have read in creator Tim McLoughlin's very fine (Akashic) Noir series -- the other one is D.C. Noir edited and with a story by the great George Pelecanos. Neither should be missed!

This was the first (but certainly won't be the last) of my reads in the Noir series. I picked this up as a Louisiana native and lover of New Orleans and have to admit I was extremely pleased. Really enjoy the way the book was split "Before the Levees Broke" and "Living in Atlantis". Great read for anyone who has never been to New Orleans and especially for those of us who "know what it means to miss New Orleans"...

I picked this book up because Julie Smith is the editor and has a story in it. I have to say that hers was my favorite, by far. She's an ace mystery writer and I highly recommend all of her books if you haven't yet discovered them. Exploring the darker side of the "Big Easy", these tales are unputdownable, gritty and down-to-earth whether dealing with the aftermath of Katrina, Mardi Gras or the seamier underside of life in the French Quarter. I was happy to discover that a portion of the profits from this book are being donated to the New Orleans Public Library, a fabulous cause. I'd never before read the "Noir" series, but I plan to look up other books in it. It's well deserving of five stars!!

I picked this book up at Pirate's Alley in New Orleans the day before I had to fly back home. I started reading it on the plane, came up for air in order to change planes in Dallas, and finished it before landng in LA. Every story was powerful; those in Part I: Before the Levees Broke as well as in Part II: Life In Atlantis. My favorites: Two-Story Brick Houses ( This short story captures the brutality of how cruel girls can treat one another), Muddy Pond, Annunciation Shotgun, and Night Taxi. If you want to experience the pain and sorrow of the people of New Orleans pre- and post- K, this is a MUST READ.