Book #82: Boston Noir

Book #82: Boston Noir edited by Dennis Lehane

April 10, 2014


I found this book, like many others, on my library's ebook site. I put it on my wish list months ago, and as I was deciding on my next book, I went through that list and saw this one available. I thought that a bunch of crime stories set in Boston would be a fun read (and it was), but I didn't realize that there are like dozens of these Akashic Noir books, all set in different cities in the U.S. and around the world. If this book follows the same theme as the others, they each have a story set in a different neighborhood or district of that city, and the stories often involve ordinary people who find themselves in some kind of situation with a crime. The authors of the series are all accomplished, though I was not previously familiar with any of them. They all seem to have ties with Boston, and the flavor of the city and its people and history are in all of these stories.

In most of the stories, the details of the characters and their situations are revealed gradually, which was as exciting to me as the details of the crimes themselves. I love good short stories, with complex characters. In my opinion, the very first story, "Exit Interview" by Lynne Heitman, was the most fascinating, definitely an appropriate pick for the opener. An anorexic, workaholic loner, after having to shoot her beloved horse dead and getting turned down for a promotion for the sixth year in a row, kills her boss and takes the man who was promoted over her hostage. The story consists of her conversations with the hostage negotiator, and her bitter recollections of her lonely, desperate life and her worries about what her mother will think. She ultimately shoots herself in the head.

Another story, "The Cross-Eyed Bear" by John Dufresne, is about a pedophile priest who is brought to justice, you might say. It is haunting; one Goodreads reviewer said she thought it was horrible. I think that, considering my professional experiences this past year, I am not so shocked (though am sickened) by the descriptions in the story. It is brief but heavy; it'd make a fascinating movie. The title made me think of that Alanis Morissette song, but it comes from the priest mishearing a joke from one of his killers; he'd really said "the cross I bear," of course.

Not all of the stories were great, but most were entertaining. I may have to check out another one of these Akashic Noir books sometime. The second Boston edition came out relatively recently. I would read D.C. Noir, Dublin Noir, Las Vegas Noir, Paris Noir, Indian Country Noir, or Moscow Noir. Maybe I could get to them all at some point! I also intend to check out some works from the mentioned authors. I also enjoyed the editor 's contribution,  "Animal Rescue." I'd shoot somebody in the throat if they threatened my dog, too. Apparently Lehane wrote Mystic River and Gone, Baby, Gone. The films were both acclaimed. I have never been into the mystery genre as a whole, but the authors in this collection have my interest.