Buffalo Noir

by Ed Park (Editor), Brigid Hughes (Editor), Joyce Carol Oates (Contribution by), Lawrence Block (Contribution by), Ed Park (Contribution by)

Overview

"From the Irish enclave of South Buffalo and a Niagara Street bar to a costly house in Nottingham Terrace and a once-grand Gothic structure in Elmwood Village, Buffalo's past and present come to life in the offbeat, disturbing, and sometimes darkly comical tales by authors who really know their city."
—Kirkus Reviews

"Park's introduction, in effect a true-crime case study, is as gripping as any of the 13 stories set in or around Buffalo, N.Y., in this strong Akashic noir volume, whose contributors include several mystery heavyweights....Those curious about the criminal side of the second-biggest city in New York will be rewarded."
—Publishers Weekly

"The anthology features 12 dark tales of Buffalo, written by 13 authors with strong ties to Buffalo. Each story represents a different neighborhood and cross-section of the city, and the resulting collection feels like a vivid, comprehensive tour of a distinctive place, administered by locals. There's nothing quite like noir to shine a light, after all."
—Los Angeles Review of Books

"12 original short stories by established local authors with flawless credentials....Together, the stories cover cityscapes well-known to Buffalonians—to name a few, Elmwood Avenue, Niagara Street, Black Rock, North Park, Delaware Park, and Allentown. Local landmarks Peace Bridge and the Anchor Bar made it in there, too."
—Examiner.com

"Superb....What we have in this anthology brilliantly edited by Ed Park and Brigid Hughes are 12 writers with strong Buffalo connections writing dark tales specifically for this anthology and set in Buffalo....It's a dark but very happy surprise between paper covers."
—The Buffalo News

"Our fair city finally lands its volume in the acclaimed City Noir series from Brookyn's Akashic Books, and it's a dandy—twelve stories from writers born or otherwise attached here, with a stunning cover taken from a photo by area writer and chef Joe George. The stories, with settings all over the city, provide a virtual tour of what's noir about Buffalo, and Buffalo about noir."
—Artvoice

"Buffalo gets its day in the dark with 183 pages of marvelous yarns....A true treat."
—Buffalo Rocket

Akashic Books continues its groundbreaking series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each story is set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the city of the book.

Featuring brand-new stories by: Joyce Carol Oates, Lawrence Block, Ed Park, Gary Earl Ross, Kim Chinquee, Christina Milletti, Tom Fontana, Dimitri Anastasopoulos, Lissa Marie Redmond, S.J. Rozan, John Wray, Brooke Costello, and Connie Porter.

Buffalo, New York, is still the second-largest metropolis in the state, but in recent years its designation as the Queen City has been elbowed aside by a name that's pure noir: The City of No Illusions. Presidents came from here; and in 1901, a president was killed here while visiting the Pan-American Exposition, by a man who checked into a hotel under a name that translates as Nobody.

As Buffalo saw its prosperity wane, those on the outside could only see harsh winters and Rust Belt grit, chicken wings and sports teams that came agonizingly close. (Vincent Gallo's Buffalo 66 is less the doomed quest of a would-be assassin than the collective fever dream of every Bills fan.)

Anyone who has spent more than a few days in Buffalo will tell you that this city can spar with any other major American metropolis in the noir arena. This highly anticipated entry in the Akashic Noir Series includes stories from Buffalo-affiliated mystery titans as well as up-and-comers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781617753817
Publisher:	Akashic Books
Publication date:	11/03/2015
Series:	Akashic Noir Series
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Ed Park was born in Buffalo in 1970. He is the author of the novel Personal Days and has been a newspaper, magazine, and book editor. He lives in New York City, where he and his sons continue to root for the Sabres and Bills.

Brigid Hughes is the founding editor of the literary magazine A Public Space, and a contributing editor at Graywolf Press. She was born and raised in Buffalo.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction

Part I: Buffalo Unveiled

“Dr. Kirkbride’s Moral Treatment Plan” by Christina Milletti (Elmwood Village)

“It’s Only for Forever” by Tom Fontana (Niagara Street)

“The Ehrengraf Settlement” by Lawrence Block (Nottingham Terrace)

“The Bubble Man of Allentown” by Dimitri Anastasopoulos (Black Rock)

Part II: Hearts & Minds

“Falling on Ice” by Lissa Marie Redmond (South Buffalo)

“Parkside” by S.J. Rozan (North Park)

“Chicken Noodle’s Night Out” by John Wray & Brooke Costello (Anchor Bar)

“Peace Bridge” by Connie Porter (East Side)

Part III: Bloodlines

“Valentine” by Joyce Carol Oates (Delaware Park)

“The Odd” by Ed Park (Central Business District)

“Good Neighbors” by Gary Earl Ross (Allentown)

“Hand” by Kim Chinquee (Historic District)

Editorial Reviews

09/07/2015
Park’s introduction, in effect a true-crime case study, is as gripping as any of the 13 stories set in or around Buffalo, N.Y., in this strong Akashic noir volume, whose contributors include several mystery heavyweights. Lawrence Block’s arresting “The Ehrengraf Settlement” brings his dapper, devious lawyer, the Perry Mason–like Martin Ehrengraf, into a case reminiscent of George Zimmerman’s killing of Trayvon Martin. Joyce Carol Oates’s “Valentine” is a remarkably tense and atmospheric study in emotion and relationships. S.J. Rozan’s “Parkside” is a throat-clutching modern version of the conte cruel. But the greatest surprise is “Falling on Ice” by Lissa Marie Redmond, a Buffalo police detective who specializes in cold-case investigations. Redmond mixes character, emotion, and formal detection into an irresistible amalgam. Among the lesser- known authors, Dmitri Anastasopoulos’s police procedural, “The Bubble Man of Allentown,” stands out. Those curious about the criminal side of the second-biggest city in New York will be rewarded. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

"Buffalo Noir, edited by Park and former Paris Review editor Brigid Hughes, brings together an impressive array of writers with Queen City ties, including Joyce Carol Oates, Lawrence Block, Tom Fontana, several former and current UB professors (Gary Earl Ross, Christina Milletti, Dimitri Anastasopoulos) and a sprinkling of UB alumni...In addition to the individual neighborhoods where each story is set, Buffalo fans will recognize beloved urban icons, such as the Anchor Bar, the H.H. Richardson Complex and the Bubble Man of Allentown."
—At Buffalo Magazine

"The stories in Buffalo Noir result in one of the most impressive and memorable of Akashic's many Noir collections to date....Buffalo Noir should be added to the pile of books on the side table of all crime fiction fans, especially those who admire contemporary noir."
—Bookgasm

"Buffalo Noir, released at the end of 2015, is yet another great addition to Akashic's catalog and a collection that fans of gritty fiction should definitely check out....An anthology that fans of great crime fiction need to check. Of course, for those familiar with the series, saying that is preaching to a very devout choir."
—Dead End Follies

"If you enjoy noir, you simply cannot go wrong with any of the books in the Akashic Books noir series, this one included."
—Book Chase

"A very nice collection of stories."
—Journey of a Bookseller

"The Richardson Complex, Delaware Park, Anchor Bar, Nottingham Terrace—all places we've heard about on the news, walked by or even visited, and all are in this book. The 12 short stories, by writers like Tom Fontana and Joyce Carol Oates, resonate from the darker side of Buffalo, but have a tone that will leave you smirking to yourself by the end of the tale. In spite of its darkness, Buffalo Noir is a book one can easily get lost in."
—BfloGirlWorld

From the Publisher

2015-09-03
Twelve new short stories show the darker side of the City of Light. In "Dr. Kirkbride's Moral Treatment Plan," Christina Milletti follows a patient in a crumbling old psychiatric hospital who insists her husband went into his study to write a book and never came out. Tom Fontana's "It's Only for Forever" describes a barroom bargain written and signed on a paper napkin. A rich man trying to beat a murder rap underestimates Lawrence Block's dapper lawyer in "The Ehrengraf Settlement." Dimitri Anastasopoulos presents a suspended crime-scene investigator and his layabout housemate living near the perpetually drifting bubbles of "The Bubble Man of Allentown." A former vet who can't live up to his father's reputation finds rough redemption in Lissa Marie Redmond's "Falling on Ice," and a stuffed teddy bear is an unwitting decoy in S.J. Rozan's "Parkside." The hero of John Wray and Brooke Costello's "Chicken Noodle's Night Out" joins the entourage of a hometown music legend. In "Peace Bridge," Connie Porter's failed artist doesn't foresee the consequences of buying a gun for protection. When Joyce Carol Oates' lonely 15-year-old girl gives her algebra teacher a homemade valentine, it leads to a surreal journey amid a nighttime snowstorm in "Valentine." A mother anxious for morning reassures her son with stories about a Buffalo landmark in editor Park's "The Odd." Lust for a vintage car motivates Gary Earl Ross' "Good Neighbors," and a chance discovery takes an unexpected turn in Kim Chinquee's "Hand." From the Irish enclave of South Buffalo and a Niagara Street bar to a costly house in Nottingham Terrace and a once-grand Gothic structure in Elmwood Village, Buffalo's past and present come to life in the offbeat, disturbing, and sometimes darkly comical tales by authors who really know their city.

Kirkus Reviews