Las Vegas Noir [Paperback]

The latest compilation in Akashic Books' fine Noir series takes us on a wide-ranging tour de force of Las Vegas, America's own City of Lights. Here, the standard cliches are out, while a fresh literary degustation is in. Nicely edited by Jarret Keene (author of 2000's 'Underground Guide to Las Vegas') and Todd James Pierce, Las Vegas Noir avoids ubiquitous Hollywood-driven conventions regarding that which exists away from showgirls, poker geeks, and high roller suites on the Strip. Instead, we are treated to 15 highly original stories by a fresh roster of writers who capture the surprising diversity of voice and millieu that is 21st Century Las Vegas. From Felicia Campbell's riotous take on the University of Never Leaving Vegas ('Murder is Academic') to Tod Goldberg's knowing snapshot of my home neighborhood of Summerlin ('Mitzvah'), Las Vegas Noir vindicates a Southern Nevada literary scene slowly emerging from its clique-ish, native-born treehouse of not long ago - and gives Akashic's well-earned national readership another Noir collection to feast upon.

I was hoping for a little more casino action, but the 16 stories comprising this great new addition to the Akashic noir series conceived by Tim McCloughlin is one of the better ones. The best thing about the Akashics is how they introduce us to some of the finest new talent writing in this genre today. It's where I discovered Charlie Stella and Ken Bruen, amongst many others. This is the 10th title of the already-published 20; another 15 are forthcoming. All have thumbnail photos and bios of the authors at the end of the books, giving further information about the writers and their other work. This one is divided into three sections: Sin City, Neon Grit, and Tales from the Outskirts. My favorite stories are the five in the first section. John O'Brien's "The Tik" is about a man who returns to his woman's house after a prolonged absence and re-enacts a dark ritual with a strange drug and a woman the couple picks up on a late-night prowl of the strip and lures home. David Corbett's "Pretty Little Parasite" concerns a woman drawn into the world of cocaine dealing and the junkie undercover cop she enables. Tod Goldberg's "Mitzvah" is about a pair of aging Chicago gangsters who for years have posed as rabbis and preside over a private cemetery which is a perfect dumping ground for the Mob. Scott Phillips' "Babs" covers an ex-stripper he visits while on his way back to L.A., to pick up a package of meth for a friend. One of the finest stories is Vu Tran's "This or Any Desert" about an Oakland cop who travels to Vegas to avenge the abuse his ex-wife suffers at the hands of her new husband. In Part Two, my favorite was Pablo Medina's "Benny Rojas and the Rough Riders" whose protagonist is a Cuban exile landing a new life on the boulevard of broken dreams. In Part Three, I especially liked Bliss Esposito's "Guns Don't Kill People". Schockingly, I learned John O'Brien, author of "The Tik" and to whom he and his sister this book is dedicated, came to a tragic end at 34 years old in the eighth year of a prodigal writing career. He produced many fine short stories and three brilliant novels including the now-famous "Leaving Las Vegas". Two weeks after learning it was to be made into a movie, he inexplicably blew his brains out. Next on my to-read list: Havana Noir and Detroit Noir. For the latter, Akashic couldn't quite swing Elmore Leonard, but landed one of Motor City's finest scribes, the superbly prolific Loren D. Estleman. Hats off to editors Jarret Keene and Todd James Pierce for ferreting out these terrifying tales from Vegas' dark side.

I have enjoyed the other noir collections and Las Vegas Noir definitely was not a disappointment. Highly recommend this as well as the rest of the collections.

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