The Hub is a city that holds dear the homegrown: we take
pride in everything local, from our sports teams to our schools, our
politicians to even, on occasion, our criminals. But with all due deference to
a certain infamous Whitey, local color doesn't come any darker than in Boston
Noir, a new anthology of short stories hitting shelves
this month. The collection brings
together 11 authors who craft their own unique noir thrillers, each set within
a different neighborhood: the streets of Roxbury, Cambridge, and South Boston,
the suburbs of Watertown and North Quincy, and even the waters of Boston Harbor
are all mined for mystery. The collection is helmed by editor and contributor Dennis
Lehane, the award-winning Dorchester native behind Mystic River, and
represents the latest in publisher Akashic Books' city-hopping Noir series.
They kicked off the concept with Brooklyn Noir back in
2004, and have since churned out 30 tomes spanning everywhere from Detroit to
Dublin, Manhattan to Miami. A launch party for Boston Noir
just closed out last week's first-ever Boston Book Festival, but upcoming
author appearances will also be held on Thursday, November 5, at 7:30 p.m. at Back
Pages Books (289 Moody Street, Waltham, 781.209.0631); Thursday,
November 12, at 7 p.m. at Newtonville Books (296
Walnut Street, Newton, 617.244.6619); and Thursday, December 10, at 7 p.m. at Brookline
Booksmith (279 Harvard Street, Brookline, 617.566.6660). So no matter
what 'hood you call home, there's a story waiting for you.
