Denver Noir

by Cynthia Swanson (Editor)

Overview

Denver enters the Noir Series arena with a wide range of mile-high misgivings and perils.

“Denver Noir presents an impressive range of perspectives and observations. Between the writers and their characters, you’ll encounter dozens of distinct and compelling relationships with this place. Maybe you’ll start to see our city—and even yourself—in new ways.” —Denver North Star

 “Denver Noir is a fascinating exploration of this sunny city’s dark side. Mountain views, a roughneck Gold Rush past, and stories of murder and mayhem make this anthology a must-read for anyone curious about Denver and its environs. Like the countless entries before it, Akashic Books allows an editor to craft an anthology filled with stories varying in tone and perspective.” —New York Journal of Books

Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city.

Brand-new stories by: Peter Heller, Barbara Nickless, Cynthia Swanson, Mario Acevedo, Francelia Belton, R. Alan Brooks, D.L. Cordero, Amy Drayer, Twanna LaTrice Hill, Manuel Ramos, Mark Stevens, Mathangi Subramanian, David Heska Wanbli Weiden, and Erika T. Wurth.

From the introduction by Cynthia Swanson:

“Even a city that boasts three hundred days of sunshine a year has its sudden, often violent storms—and writers have long taken advantage of that metaphor. Renowned authors Katherine Anne Porter, Jack Kerouac, Stephen King, Rex Burns, Robert Greer, Michael Connelly, and Kali Fajardo-Anstine—among many others—have brilliantly portrayed this picturesque but often merciless city. Today, Denver is home to a thriving literary scene, with writers of all stripes finding inspiration in its people and streets. The authors and stories featured in Denver Noir are no exception . . .

Editing Denver Noir, working with this talented group of writers, has been one of the highlights of my career. Fans of noir and Denver devotees alike, I invite you into this journey of our Mile High City, our home beside the mountains, our capital of sunshine and darkness, optimism and anguish.”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781636140292
Publisher:	Akashic Books, Ltd.
Publication date:	05/03/2022
Series:	Akashic Noir Series
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

CYNTHIA SWANSON writes literary suspense, often using historical settings. Her debut novel, The Bookseller, was a New York Times bestseller, an Indie Next selection, and the winner of the 2016 WILLA Literary Award for Historical Fiction. Swanson’s second novel, the USA Today bestseller The Glass Forest, was noted in Forbes as being one of “Five Novels with a Remarkably Strong Sense of Place.” She lives with her family in Denver. She is the editor of Denver Noir.

Table of Contents

Introduction

 

Part I: The Longest, Wickedest Street

“Colfax and Havana” by David Heska Wanbli Weiden (Aurora)

“A Life of Little Consequence” by Twanna LaTrice Hill (Capitol Hill)

“Pieces of Everyone, Everywhere” by Cynthia Swanson (Cheesman Park)

“Tough Girls” by Erika T. Wurth (Lakewood)

 

Part II: 5,280'

“The Lake” by Peter Heller (Sloan’s Lake)

“A Baker’s Duckling” by R. Alan Brooks (Baker)

“No Gods” by Amy Drayer (South Broadway)

“Junk Feed” by Mark Stevens (Glendale)

“Northside Nocturne” by Manuel Ramos (Northside)

 

Part III: Things to Do in Denver When You’re Young

“Ways of Escape” by Barbara Nickless (Union Station)

“Sangre” by D.L. Cordero (Auraria)

“Dreaming of Ella” by Francelia Belton (Five Points)

“On Grasmere Lake” by Mathangi Subramanian (Washington Park)

“El Armero” by Mario Acevedo (Globeville)

Editorial Reviews

"The postcard version of Denver might look like a brilliant orange and blue sunset gleaming over the Rockies, beautiful young people in parks walking their dogs, everybody a mile high. Look a little deeper, or just take a drive down Colfax Avenue, and a different city appears. The second version is the one that shows up in Denver Noir, an anthology out this summer by Akashic Books."— Boulder Weekly

"The 14 stories . . . span time periods, neighborhoods, and milestones in the Mile High City’s history . . . The ranging styles and broad variety of diverse voices will provide noir fans with plenty to savor."— Publishers Weekly

"This anthology of short fictional crime and suspense stories written by 14 local authors and edited by Cynthia Swanson tells hair-raising, spine-tingling tales set in Denver’s unique neighborhoods. Follow felons down Colfax, solve a murder mystery and root for runaways as you flip through the pages, but be warned—the book’s final words may haunt you even after you turn out the lights."— Denver Life Magazine

From the Publisher