Buffalo Noir

By: Ed Park - editor, Brigid Hughes - editor

Narrated by: Peter Berkrot, Brian Sutherland, Vikas Adam, Jonathan Davis, Mirron Willis, Allyson Johnson

Akashic Books continues its groundbreaking series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each story is set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the city of the book.

Featuring brand-new stories by: Joyce Carol Oates, Lawrence Block, Ed Park, Gary Earl Ross, Kim Chinquee, Christina Milletti, Tom Fontana, Dimitri Anastasopoulos, Lissa Marie Redmond, S. J. Rozan, John Wray, Brooke Costello, and Connie Porter.

Buffalo, New York, is still the second-largest metropolis in the state, but in recent years its designation as the Queen City has been elbowed aside by a name that's pure noir: The City of No Illusions. Presidents came from here; and in 1901 a president was killed here while visiting the Pan-American Exposition, by a man who checked into a hotel under a name that translates as Nobody.

As Buffalo saw its prosperity wane, those on the outside could see only harsh winters and Rust Belt grit, chicken wings and sports teams that came agonizingly close. (Vincent Gallo's Buffalo 66 is less the doomed quest of a would-be assassin than the collective fever dream of every Bills fan.)

Anyone who has spent more than a few days in Buffalo will tell you that this city can spar with any other major American metropolis in the noir arena. This highly anticipated entry in the Akashic Noir Series includes stories from Buffalo-affiliated mystery titans as well as up-and-comers.

©2015 Akashic Noir (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"From the Irish enclave of South Buffalo and a Niagara Street bar to a costly house in Nottingham Terrace and a once-grand Gothic structure in Elmwood Village, Buffalo's past and present come to life in the offbeat, disturbing, and sometimes darkly comical tales by authors who really know their city." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Park's introduction, in effect a true-crime case study, is as gripping as any of the 13 stories set in or around Buffalo, N.Y., in this strong Akashic noir volume, whose contributors include several mystery heavyweights.... Those curious about the criminal side of the second-biggest city in New York will be rewarded." (Publishers Weekly)

"The anthology features 12 dark tales of Buffalo, written by 13 authors with strong ties to Buffalo. Each story represents a different neighborhood and cross-section of the city, and the resulting collection feels like a vivid, comprehensive tour of a distinctive place, administered by locals. There's nothing quite like noir to shine a light, after all." (Los Angeles Review of Books)

Not memorable

I am a huge fan of the Noir series, but this volume did not impress me. I just finished listening to it, and can’t recall a single compelling story in it . It wasn’t terrible, but nothing much happened.

Hearts, Minds, and Bloodlines Unveiled

Buffalo Noir is a very strong collection of 12 stories written by 13 authors, including Joyce Carol Oates and Lawrence Block. This collection is among my top five of the entire Location Noir series. The editors Ed Park and Brigid Hughes did an outstanding job creating and assembling this collection. This book exceeded my expectations. I enjoy this series the most when the stories are strongly connected to the location and when the stories are true noir. This collection is the most literary collection in the series that I have read to date and at the same time, each story and author has a direct connection to the location. Each story also presents a different aspect of noir. The stories are organized in three themes- Buffalo Unveiled, Hearts and Minds, and Bloodlines. My only reservation about this book is the inclusion of the last story, Hand. I found Hand to be a little too creepy and I am usually not bothered by creepiness in stories. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the series and also to anyone who is a fan of great editing and writing. The narration performances by Peter Berkrot, Brian Sutherland, Vikas Adam, Jonathan Davis, Mirron Willis, and Allyson Johnson are top rate.