Manga Review: Whoever Steals This Book #1

Manga Review: Whoever Steals This Book #1 story by Nowaki Fukamidori, art by Kakeru Sora Yomunaga is a town of books. This began with Mifuyu Mikura’s great-grandfather, a bibliophile and collector who founded Mikura Hall, a splendid private library. This drew other book-lovers to the vicinity and bookstores to serve them. His daughter kept up… Continue reading Manga Review: Whoever Steals This Book #1

Comic Book Review: The Chill

Comic Book Review: The Chill story by Jason Starr, art by Mick Bertilorenzi It’s 2009 in New York City and a series of bizarre ritual killings has hit the city. The obvious suspect is a woman named Ariana who’s been seen with more than one of the victims, but no one can agree on a… Continue reading Comic Book Review: The Chill

Book Review: The Gambler

Book Review: The Gambler by William Krasner Ben Wulfson hasn’t been back to his home city in a while. He got called up during the war, and when he mustered out, Ben decided to operate in Miami for a while. Miami went sour after a while, and he did not have many other places to… Continue reading Book Review: The Gambler

Comic Book Review: Dry County

Comic Book Review: Dry County by Rich Tommaso After six months in Miami, cartoonist Lou Rossi is finding he’s not cut out for the night club lifestyle, no matter how often he goes. Tonight, he’s going to do laundry instead. At the laundromat, he meets an attractive woman named Janet Laughton, and they hit it… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Dry County

Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine July 2016

Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine July 2016 edited by Janet Hutchings Frederick Dannay, who along with Manfred B. Lee wrote the Ellery Queen mystery stories, was asked by Mercury Press to be the editor of a new magazine that would print a higher class of detective stories than the general run of pulps, with… Continue reading Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine July 2016

Manga Review: Black Blizzard

Manga Review: Black Blizzard by Yoshihiro Tatsumi The year is 1956.  Shinpei Konta, a card shark with five convictions (two for murder) and Susumu Yamaji, a pianist just convicted for murder, are handcuffed together on a train headed for prison.  The weather has turned to a blizzard, and a landslide across the tracks derails the… Continue reading Manga Review: Black Blizzard

Book Review: Jewish Noir

Book Review: Jewish Noir edited by Kenneth Wishnia Many of the themes of noir fiction, alienation, hostile society, darkness and bitter endings, resonate with the experience of Jewish people.  So it’s not surprising that it was easy to find submissions for an anthology of thirty-plus noir stories with Jewish themes.  (Not all of the authors are… Continue reading Book Review: Jewish Noir

Book Review: Twin Cities Noir: The Expanded Edition

Book Review: Twin Cities Noir: The Expanded Edition edited by Julie Schaper & Steven Horwitz Like the previously reviewed USA Noir, this is a collection of grittier crime stories from Akashic Books with a regional focus.  In this case, the cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis in Minnesota, and the surrounded metro area, plus one up… Continue reading Book Review: Twin Cities Noir: The Expanded Edition

Book Review: USA Noir

Book Review: USA Noir edited by Johnny Temple Disclaimer:  I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it.  This was an Advanced Reading Copy, and small changes may be made in the final product. “Noir”, here, is short for noir fiction, a form of hard-boiled crime fiction by… Continue reading Book Review: USA Noir

Open Thread: Coming Attractions

School has started again, and it is kicking my butt.  So reading for reviews is going to be slowing down for the next couple of weeks. However, I thought  you might like to see some of what’s coming up in the next month or so.  Here’s books I’ve received from authors and publishers on the… Continue reading Open Thread: Coming Attractions