Twin Cities Noir

I had read this anthology of noir short stories, part of the Akashic Noir series that explore the dark side of various world cities in 2007, soon after its publication, intrigued by a collection that drew upon the quirkiness and dark under belly of the Twin Cities. Like most anthologies, the stories themselves were a bit of a mixed bag, but I recalled really enjoying this collection. After having now read a few more in the series, I have to say that TC Noir remains among the most thematic of the series. I recently revisited the title with its expanded edition and the three new stories included in the collection turned out to be three of my favorites. I think I might enjoy the "noir" genre more than most mystery, exploring theme, show more atmosphere and characterization as much as just a rote "who-dun-it" plot, and the additions of John Jodzio, Peter Schilling Jr., and especially the short comic of Tom Kaczynski really illustrate this.

For some reason, Minnesota has a vibrant and growing community of mystery writers and I wanted to see some of this local color, as I am not a habitual reader of mysteries. While the stories varied in their depiction of Minneapolis and St. Paul (some used the city as mere backdrop, while others drew distinctive local color into their narratives), they are quite evocative of the culture of the Twin Cities and Minnesota in general, its diversity and idiosyncrasies both. A variety of styles are explored, from surreal, almost magic realist, to traditionalist film noir crime drama. A handful of period pieces set in the 1890s and 1930s (both very evocative periods) round it out, some go for humor and others for introspection, others for pure action, a good mix. At worst, the stories are only okay.

The new stories added for this edition bumped the collection up even more; each of these stories expand the theme, juxtaposing human pathologies like greed with the weirdness and the darkness of everyday life. Kaczynski's almost mystical depiction of the Minneapolis skyway defies genre. These stories join other worthy tales in the collection, including very popular writers William Kent Krueger, Ellen Hart, Pete Hautman, and Steve Thayer. I'd recommend this as a fun, quick, gritty read that explores the breadth of the flexible noir style and the quirks of Minnesota. show less

Never a big fan of short stories, except early Hemingway's, I highly recommend this book. And, that's a little crazy since I never traveled to Minneapolis or Saint Paul and don't intend to.
I do intend to explore this Noir Series that was totally a new discovery for me. I couldn't imagine how I had missed this whole collection of books each one targeted at a certain city across the globe. Wow! I just can't stress enough the magic of these Noir short stories. Now I guess I am on way to Boston Noir, Manhattan Noir and Istanbul Noir, etc. Gee!

For the most part good stories, all set in the Twin Cities except for one set in Duluth. Some are historical, some contemporary, and most fall squarely in the "noir" category.