- Paperback: 270 pages
- Publisher: Akashic Books (Aug 1 2006)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 188845198X
- ISBN-13: 978-1888451986
- Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 16.2 x 2.2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 281 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #680,110 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
While few of the names in the 10th entry in the city noir anthology series that began with Brooklyn Noir (2004) will be familiar to American readers (where, for example, are Robert Barnard and John Harvey?), by way of compensation eight of the 17 contributions focus on punk rock. Ken Bruen, best known for his native Dublin settings, offers a sharp jab to the gut in "Loaded." Michael Ward's "I Fought the Lawyer" profiles one of the worst blackmail schemes ever devised. Unsworth's tale, "Trouble Is a Lonesome Town," riffs nicely on the seedy PI who gets in over his head. Martyn Waites's "Love" is a frightening portrait of a skinhead recruit. Joolz Denby's "Sic Transit Gloria Mundi" effectively traces the arc of would-be punk stars from the country trying to find fame in the big city. If this volume doesn't match the quality of the best in the series, there are still pleasures to be found, especially for those into the contemporary London music scene. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Book Description
Brand-new stories by: Desmond Barry, Ken Bruen, Stewart Home, Barry Adamson, Michael Ward, Sylvie Simmons, Daniel Bennett, Cathi Unsworth, Max Décharné, Martyn Waites, Joolz Denby, John Williams, Jerry Sykes, Mark Pilkington, Joe McNally, Patrick McCabe, and Ken Hollings.
Cathi Unsworth moved to Ladbroke Grove in 1987 and has stayed there ever since. She began a career in rock writing with Sounds and Melody Maker, before co-editing the arts journal Purr and then Bizarre magazine. Her first novel, The Not Knowing, was published by Serpent’s Tail in August 2005.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
What you have in your hands is not a collection of crime stories set in London. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
What you have in your hands is not a collection of crime stories set in London. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2.3 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
The Darker Side on London, Aug 10 2008
By Drewry F. Wofford III - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: London Noir (Paperback)
This is the second book I have read in this series, and while I like the books, they get a bit over bearing after a while. "London Noir" paints a consistently bleak and desperate picture of one of my favorite cities, and there is simply no let up in the constant parade of hopeless characters. I found that the stories - for this is a collection of short stories, each anchored in a specific geographic location around London - to get increasingly less well written, definitely less interesting, and even a bit more bizarre, as the book went on.There are some well known authors, such as Ken Bruen, but many are first time writers, or at least new to the genre. Like Cinema Noire, the stores all have a dark, crime ridden atmosphere, populated by characters on the periphery of society. Many are interesting, but because they are short stories, you really make no connections with any character. There is no single character that runs through the stories to give any sense of continuity (they are all written by different authors), and I think that also hurts the collection. While I recommend the book, maybe just because I'll read almost anything about London, come with the proper expectations. I'll keep reading through the series (I think there are 16 or 17 books now) as time and interest permits
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
London Punk 1977, Feb 19 2007
By Andrew J. Tumey - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: London Noir (Paperback)
Like dirt on the streets of London, these dirty characters are afixed to a dirty world. Pushers and addicts, crooked cops, the homeless and ,of course, punk rockers star in these short stories.The lives portrayed touch the reality that is quite often glossed over and glamourized by artists who tend to elevate these dark ends of London in their works. One would rather read this book than live it out.
The scenes are bleak but eye opening as they teach about their dark and hopeless world. These stories illuminate the often attractive London , especially during punk's early days.
So if you survived those heady times you can have fun, reminisce and read these tales and be glad you survived!
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
London No Way, Jan 17 2012
By diane antonich - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: London Noir (Paperback)
My first introduction to this series was "Twin Cities Noir" a well-written,and at times funny collection of short stories. My next selection was "Manhattan Noir" which also offers up sad, frightening and fascinating
tales. My third choice was "London Noir" as I recently visited the city
and was eagar to learn more about it's neighborhoods. In all honesty, I couldn't finish the book. After five stores, at least one which borders on the pornographic, I had my fill of dark, depressing characters and prose so poorly written I was ready to throw the book in the garbage. What kind of editor would publish this kind of trash? It was so disappointing I know it will be a long time before I pick up another
book in this series.
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