An Eiffel Eyeful

Suddenly, it seems that everyone and his kid sister wants to get into the act of compiling noir-tinged urban yarns. Former Chicago Tribune books critic Dick Adler wrote here earlier this week about Libby Hellmann Fisher’s brand-new volume, Chicago Blues. And of course, Akashic Books continues to roll out its city-oriented short-story collections (including E.J. Olsen and John C. Hocking’s fresh-on-the-racks Detroit Noir).

Now, veteran British author, editor, bookstore proprietor, and critic Maxim Jakubowski adds to the mix Paris Noir (Serpent’s Tail). As he explains in a short essay for Pulp Pusher, he invited writers from the UK, the United States, Canada, and France, of course--all of whom, he explains, “confess to an ambiguous relationship with the French capital”--to contribute their voices to “a rich and varied panorama of Paris today, a psychohistory through the lens of noir fiction.” Along for the ride are John Harvey, Cara Black, Jason Starr, Sparkle Hayter, Scott Phillips, Marc Villard, and a dozen other wordsmiths of note from both sides of the Atlantic.

Describing Paris Noir’s contents, Jakubowski says that “Some stories embrace history and politics, particularly those by French authors, while others examine crime and social ills, yet others even skirt fantasy, but all display a strong sense of place and take the reader on a thrilling ride through familiar and unfamiliar streets and quartiers, which even the literary tourist knows little about.”

Hmm. I’ll see if I can get my hands on a copy, and report back to you on just how wide-ranging and rewarding these tales are.

READ MORE: “The Paris Noir Interview” (Euro Crime Blog).