Akashic is a publisher, whereas I sought out this collection of short stories because I mistakenly thought that "Akashic" was a particular type of noir, sort of like "Scandi noir" or "southern noir." "The Akashic noir series was launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Since then, there have been 60 original anthologies, all centered on a specific city, region, or neighborhood in the U.S. and abroad. The 37 stories in this collection represent the best of the U.S.-based anthologies (Booklist)." The editor of this collection is "Johnny Temple... the publisher and editor-in-chief of Akashic Books, an award-winning Brooklyn-based independent company dedicated to publishing urban literary fiction and political nonfiction. He won the 2013 Ellery Queen Award, the American Association of Publishers' 2005 Miriam Bass Award for Creativity in Independent Publishing; and the 2010 Jay and Dean Kogan Award for Excellence in Noir Literature (from the book jacket)." "
Library Journal calls this anthology "A must read for mystery fans, not just devotees of Akashic's "Noir" series, this anthology serves as both an introduction for newcomers and a greatest-hits package for regular readers of the series. Broken into six parts, ...the volume contains the best short mystery fiction has to offer...The best of these stories are tightly written character studies with an amazing sense of place, be it San Diego or Pittsburgh, while also concisely examining larger issues such as domestic violence, post-traumatic stress disorder, or gentrification. There isn't a weak story in the collection...Strongly recommended for readers who enjoy mysteries published by Hard Case Crime, as well as for fans of police procedurals. Not recommended for readers who are 100 percent committed to cozies ...but other mystery fans who give it a chance will find much to enjoy."
Publishers Weekly also offered a strong recommendation: "This compendium showcases 37 exceptional stories from 32 separate volumes, in six thematic categories: 'True Grit,' 'American Values,' 'Road Rage,' 'Homeland Security,' 'Under the Influence,' and 'Street Justice'"... concluding "Readers will be hard put to find a better collection of short stories in any genre."
I found myself not in a place to read all 37 well-written but, indeed, dark stories so I picked out those to read whose authors were familiar to me. "the list of contributors includes virtually anyone who's made the best-seller list with a work of crime fiction in the last decade. Among them are Lee Child, George Pelecanos, Michael Connelly, Don Winslow, Dennis Lehane, and T. Jefferson Parker (Booklist)." Also Joyce Carol Oates, Jonathan Safran Foer, S. J. Rozan, William Kent Krueger, Laura Lippman and Lawrence Block.
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