MONTRÉAL NOIR (Akashic Books) by Jacques Filippi & John McFetridge

MONTRÉAL NOIR

edited by Jacques Filippi and John McFetridge

Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city. Following the success of Toronto Noir, the Noir Series explores new Canadian terrain, featuring both English and Francophone authors.

Brand-new stories by: Patrick Senécal, Tess Fragoulis, Howard Shrier, Michel Basilières, Robert Pobi, Samuel Archibald, Geneviève Lefebvre, Ian Truman, Johanne Seymour, Arjun Basu, Martin Michaud, Melissa Yi, Catherine McKenzie, Peter Kirby, and Brad Smith.

What people are saying:

“The best reason for reading short-story anthologies is to discover new writers. That means searching for talented editors to select the goods and, in this case, John McFetridge and Jacques Filippi have definitely delivered in this elegant collection for the wonderful Akashic city noir series. There are no bad stories here, but there are many standouts . . . It’s worth having this book around for quick reading and rediscovery of old spots in Montreal. It also makes a great little gift for mystery fans, and even those who aren’t.”
—The Globe and Mail

“Akashic Books has produced more than 80 city-noir collections, from Atlanta to Zagreb. Toronto has had a turn and Vancouver is in the works. The Montreal edition brings together a bicultural roster of talent by some of the city’s best crime-fiction specialists, with tales from the city’s many neighbourhoods.”
—Toronto Star

“These 15 new stories celebrate the differences between us and our northern neighbor. As in any good noir, poverty, drugs, and despair cloud many of the characters’ lives. But even the stories about druggies have a certain je ne sais quoi . . . Whether it’s the quirkiness of the characters, the ingenuity of the puzzles, or the big hearts inside some of the darkest villains, noir’s different north of the border.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“American crime fiction fans will welcome the opportunity to sample the short fiction of some worthy Canadian authors.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Montreal solidifies its reputation as the epicentre for Canadian noir in a strong new anthology.”
—Quill & Quire, selected as Editor’s Choice

“An enjoyable introduction to many Montreal-based mystery authors.”
—Library Journal Xpress Reviews

“The fifteen gripping tales within the covers of Montreal Noir are as unique as the gifted writers that relate them, and in the dark reaches of noir, where no one is without guilt, justice, if it comes at all, is a human and imperfect thing. Expertly crafted ad shrewdly edited, Montreal Noir is a perfect Christmas gift for the person who doesn’t mind missing a good night’s sleep, and a fine addition to an already-strong series.”
—Reviewing the Evidence

“Jacques Filippi and John McFetridge have assembled an impressive roster of Francophone (most translated by Katie Shireen Assef) and Anglophone writers for Montreal Noir . . . Filippi and McFetridge have done a fine job bringing together stories from across the many sub-genres of mystery: police procedural, thriller, private eye, psychological suspense, and hard-boiled crime . . . The avid crime fiction reader is sure to find a tale (or six) in Montreal Noir to suit their taste.”
—Montreal Review of Books

“Montreal Noir is a simply outstanding short story collection that will have very special appeal for dedicated mystery buffs.”
—Midwest Book Review

“Montreal’s cosmopolitan nature, old-world cool, and shifting personality make it a perfect breeding ground for noir, a genre of victims, perpetrators, self-destruction, and the frustrations of a corrupt system.”
—Brit + Co, Included in 3 New Books That’ll Make You Say, “Oh, Canada!”

“Montreal Noir ventures into the city’s shadows, capturing our diversity, our downtrodden, and the hidden history underneath the glossy, cosmopolitan sheen. Edited by John McFetridge & Jacques Filippi, and featuring brand-new pieces by both Anglophone and Francophone writers, each story exposes the darker side of a different Montreal location. The settings are recognizable yet inconsistent, revealing the cracks and crevices that the characters have fallen through, people students see on the street but are privileged enough to ignore. Even if you’ve been to these places before, with Montreal Noir you’ll experience them in a whole new light.”
—The Bull & Bear (McGill University student newspaper)

“It’s always fun to be able to follow characters as they move through a city that you’re so familiar with, but you don’t need to recognize the names of streets or landmarks (or bagel shops…) to be able to enjoy these tales.”
—The Girdle of Melian Blog

From the introduction by John McFetridge and Jacques Filippi:

Montreal is one of the oldest cities in North America and seems to be in a constant state of flux, changing its personality every few decades. Today, the city has its own language: Franglais (or Frenglish). Maybe the first word spoken in that language was noir . . .

Perhaps it’s fitting that a collection that brings so many of Montreal’s cultures together is noir. Much of the city’s literary tradition was defined by the two solitudes and most of the works delved deeply into single neighborhoods . . . This collection, with voices of both French and English writers, visits many neighborhoods and combines them into something that is, if not totally coherent, at least as coherent as the beautiful mess that is Montreal . . . Each neighborhood is different, and of course, each Montrealer (Montrealais) is different, making up the pieces of the mosaic of our city. Some are bright and shiny, others are darker and somber, but all have a shadow in the noir.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Part I: Concrete Jungle
“Rush Hour” by Patrick Senécal (Downtown)
“Such a Pretty Little Girl” by Geneviève Lefebvre (Ville-Marie)
“Three Tshakapesh Dreams” by Samuel Archibald (Centre-Sud)
“The Haunted Crack House” by Michel Basilières (Boulevard Saint-Laurent)
“Wild Horses” by Arjun Basu (Mile End)

Part II: Bloodlines
“Driftwood” by Ian Truman (Hochelaga)
“Joke’s On You” by Catherine McKenzie (Saint-Henri)
“Coyote” by Brad Smith (Westmount)
“The Crap Magnet” by Peter Kirby (L’île Sainte-Thérèse)
“Poppa” by Robert Pobi (Little Burgundy)

Part III: On the Edge
“Journal of an Obsession” by Johanne Seymour (Plateau Mont-Royal)
“The Sin Eaters” by Melissa Yi (Côte-des-Neiges)
“Milk Teeth” by Howard Shrier (Rue Rachel)
“Other People’s Secrets” by Tess Fragoulis (Sherbrooke Street)
“Suitcase Man” by Martin Michaud (Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery)

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