What do you think?
Rate this book
Denver Noir
Denver enters the Noir Series arena with a wide range of mile-high misgivings and perils.
Featuring brand-new stories from: Peter Heller, Barbara Nickless, Cynthia Swanson, Mario Acevedo, Francelia Belton, R. Alan Brooks, D.L. Cordero, Amy Drayer, Twanna LaTrice Hill, Manuel Ramos, Mark Stevens, Mathangi Subramanian, David Heska Wanbli Weiden, and Erika T. Wurth.
From the editor's introduction: "Even a city that boasts three hundred days of sunshine a year has its sudden, often violent storms—and writers have long taken advantage of that metaphor. Renowned authors Katherine Anne Porter, Jack Kerouac, Stephen King, Rex Burns, Robert Greer, Michael Connelly, and Kali Fajardo-Anstine—among many others—have brilliantly portrayed this picturesque but often merciless city. Today, Denver is home to a thriving literary scene, with writers of all stripes finding inspiration in its people and streets. The authors and stories featured in Denver Noir are no exception . . .
"Editing this collection, working with this talented group of writers, has been one of the highlights of my career. Fans of noir and Denver devotees alike, I invite you into this journey of our Mile High City, our home beside the mountains, our capital of sunshine and darkness, optimism and anguish."
Featuring brand-new stories from: Peter Heller, Barbara Nickless, Cynthia Swanson, Mario Acevedo, Francelia Belton, R. Alan Brooks, D.L. Cordero, Amy Drayer, Twanna LaTrice Hill, Manuel Ramos, Mark Stevens, Mathangi Subramanian, David Heska Wanbli Weiden, and Erika T. Wurth.
From the editor's introduction: "Even a city that boasts three hundred days of sunshine a year has its sudden, often violent storms—and writers have long taken advantage of that metaphor. Renowned authors Katherine Anne Porter, Jack Kerouac, Stephen King, Rex Burns, Robert Greer, Michael Connelly, and Kali Fajardo-Anstine—among many others—have brilliantly portrayed this picturesque but often merciless city. Today, Denver is home to a thriving literary scene, with writers of all stripes finding inspiration in its people and streets. The authors and stories featured in Denver Noir are no exception . . .
"Editing this collection, working with this talented group of writers, has been one of the highlights of my career. Fans of noir and Denver devotees alike, I invite you into this journey of our Mile High City, our home beside the mountains, our capital of sunshine and darkness, optimism and anguish."
288 pages, Paperback
Published May 3, 2022
46 people are currently reading
493 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Swanson
4 books776 followersNamed 2025 Indie Author of the Year by the Indie Author Project, Cynthia Swanson is the author of three novels of psychological suspense. Cynthia’s debut novel, The Bookseller, was a New York Times bestseller, an Indie Next selection, the winner of the 2016 WILLA Literary Award for Historical Fiction, and is slated to be a motion picture produced by Julia Roberts. The Bookseller was also nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award and the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association Reading the West Award. The Bookseller is translated into 18 languages. Cynthia’s second novel, The Glass Forest, was a CAL Award finalist, a USA Today bestseller, has been noted in Forbes as being one of “Five Novels With a Remarkably Strong Sense of Place” and is translated into 7 languages. Her third novel, Anyone But Her, won the 2025 Colorado Book Award (Thriller), was a finalist for the 2025 WILLA Literary Award (Mystery/Thriller), and was named 2024 Best Mystery/Thriller by the Indie Author Project. Cynthia is also the editor of the anthology Denver Noir, which features dark, morally ambiguous stories set in and around Denver, Colorado, written by 14 notable literary and mystery authors. Denver Noir received the 2023 Colorado Book Award (Anthology). She lives with her family in Denver. She lives with her family in Denver. Find Cynthia online at www.cynthiaswansonauthor.com and follow her on Facebook (Cynthia Swanson, Author), Bluesky (cynswanauthor), and Instagram (cynswanauthor).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
May 5, 2022
I love reading stories about my chosen hometown, and this collection lets you visit Denver and its outlying suburbs from a variety of perspectives, but with a dark, brooding feeling through it all.
From the historical story “Pieces of Everyone, Everywhere” by the editor of the anthology, Cynthia Swanson, we see a young laborer escaping a dangerous home life and getting a job exhuming graves, transforming a paupers’ cemetery into what is now Cheeseman Park. I used to go there all the time and never knew about its scandalous start and apparent rumors of being haunted.
In Mark Stevens’ story “Junk Feed,” a former food critic turned private investigator is asked to dig into who committed a murder. Amid the dark theme are some funny insights on poor dining experiences, true crime podcast conspiracy theorists, and our reliance on technology that can be manipulated.
I found the last story in the collection, Mario Acevedo’s “El Ermero,” set in the near future, especially chilling. At first, I was in complete agreement with the protagonist about how government misuses funds to talk about helping folks who need help but not actually assisting anyone. Then, I realized that my life experience, even on days that seem bleak, have nothing on this kid’s.
Themes of men (in particular) behaving horrifically (domestic violence, rape, racism, homophobia) run throughout this collection. If you’re in the mood for gritty, well-written short stories, this has something for everyone.
Thanks to Akashic Books for a free copy of this collection in exchange for an honest review. They’ve been publishing a series of noir anthologies set in different cities since 2004.
From the historical story “Pieces of Everyone, Everywhere” by the editor of the anthology, Cynthia Swanson, we see a young laborer escaping a dangerous home life and getting a job exhuming graves, transforming a paupers’ cemetery into what is now Cheeseman Park. I used to go there all the time and never knew about its scandalous start and apparent rumors of being haunted.
In Mark Stevens’ story “Junk Feed,” a former food critic turned private investigator is asked to dig into who committed a murder. Amid the dark theme are some funny insights on poor dining experiences, true crime podcast conspiracy theorists, and our reliance on technology that can be manipulated.
I found the last story in the collection, Mario Acevedo’s “El Ermero,” set in the near future, especially chilling. At first, I was in complete agreement with the protagonist about how government misuses funds to talk about helping folks who need help but not actually assisting anyone. Then, I realized that my life experience, even on days that seem bleak, have nothing on this kid’s.
Themes of men (in particular) behaving horrifically (domestic violence, rape, racism, homophobia) run throughout this collection. If you’re in the mood for gritty, well-written short stories, this has something for everyone.
Thanks to Akashic Books for a free copy of this collection in exchange for an honest review. They’ve been publishing a series of noir anthologies set in different cities since 2004.
December 1, 2024
Denver Noir (Akashic Noir) edited by Cynthia Swanson, was a riveting book that I read from cover to cover. It was not only the depth of the stories but all of the familiar places that have been at the heart of Denver over the years. It is noted that from the earliest prospectors to today's millennials, young people have always found the innovative, frontier nature of Denver appealing. Cynthia Swanson graciously invites us to join this talented group of writers, including Peter Heller, Barbara Nickless, Mario Acevedo, Manuel Ramos, Mark Stevens, David Heska Wanbli Weiden, and Erika T. Wurth into "this journey of our Mile High City, our home beside the mountains, our capital of sunshine and darkness, optimism and anguish."
Today Denver is home to a thriving literary scene as evidenced by the writers contributing to this book. One of my favorite writers is novelist Peter Heller. His short story takes place by his home on Sloan's Lake and his experiences as he paddles throughout the year. It is prose like this that makes one appreciate his MFA in poetry from the Iowa Writer's Workshop:
There is also the story Tough Girls by Erika T. Wurth taking place in Lakewood but the long road of Colfax looming large, one of the longest streets starting in east Aurora and going west circling by the capitol in Denver as it goes through the western suburbs ending in Golden.
And one more, Northside Nocturne by Manuel Ramos when he talks about shootings happening in north Denver, one where a young white man was shot outside Gaetano's at Tejon and Thirty-eighth Avenue. That beautiful restaurant has captured a lot of Denver history in its wonderful restaurant, one of our favorites. Its history goes back to the 1930s when it was a market and probably did a lucrative business during Prohibition. Its walls have all of the vintage photographs that certainly will give one the flavor of that north Denver neighborhood. Another wonderful story has Union Station at its heart, Ways of Escape by Barbara Nickless:
"But even a city that boasts three hundred days of sunshine a year has its sudden, often violent storms--and writers have long taken advantage of that metaphor. Renowned authors Katherine Anne Porter, Jack Kerourac, Stephen King, Rex Burns, Robert Greer, Michael Connelly and Kali Fajardo-Anstine--among many others--have brilliantly portrayed this picturesque but often merciless city."
Today Denver is home to a thriving literary scene as evidenced by the writers contributing to this book. One of my favorite writers is novelist Peter Heller. His short story takes place by his home on Sloan's Lake and his experiences as he paddles throughout the year. It is prose like this that makes one appreciate his MFA in poetry from the Iowa Writer's Workshop:
"Well, the lake is dependable. She always floats and rocks me, always has something new to say. If there is a wind before sunset and I paddle into it she sprays me happily as I hit each little whitecap. If there is a fog at dawn she embraces and covers me. Always."
There is also the story Tough Girls by Erika T. Wurth taking place in Lakewood but the long road of Colfax looming large, one of the longest streets starting in east Aurora and going west circling by the capitol in Denver as it goes through the western suburbs ending in Golden.
"But we'd always come back to Denver, back to Colfax, back to Lakewood, Aurora. Back to the same large, sweeping T.C. cannon and R.C. Gorman prints that were on the walls over the couch in front of me--the Indians gray-haired, old and beautiful, crows at their shoulders, their braids moving down their back like living things."
And one more, Northside Nocturne by Manuel Ramos when he talks about shootings happening in north Denver, one where a young white man was shot outside Gaetano's at Tejon and Thirty-eighth Avenue. That beautiful restaurant has captured a lot of Denver history in its wonderful restaurant, one of our favorites. Its history goes back to the 1930s when it was a market and probably did a lucrative business during Prohibition. Its walls have all of the vintage photographs that certainly will give one the flavor of that north Denver neighborhood. Another wonderful story has Union Station at its heart, Ways of Escape by Barbara Nickless:
"I knew that when I got to Union Station, I'd feel like I was walking into Nirvana. Already I had soaked up every available fact about the place. It was located in Denver's historic LoDo district; it was supposed to be one of the most beautiful stations in the country; it had been around since 1858 and was listed in the National Register of Historic Placed; it was the only station in the country that provided bus, light rail, and passenger train service. The immense neon sign, 'Travel by Train,' that hung over the entrance was both a recommendation and an homage to a bygone era."
July 25, 2022
When I saw this book, I knew I had to read it. Colorado had always been a favorite state for our family to visit for vacations, especially the various National and State parks and monuments. So it was not a surprise that after college our daughter moved to Denver. Whenever we visited her, and based on her six years of living in that city, we got the impression that Denver was overwhelmingly white. (We are a brown family). So I was pleased to see several stories in this collection featuring Black, Latino, Asian and Indigenous characters, as written by authors of the same background.
The stories I liked best were: "Colfax and Havana" (my daughter worked at The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus off Colfax, at the border of Denver and Aurora, so we are familiar with that "infamous" road); "Tough Girls" (I loved the connection to Albuquerque, the city where I grew up); "The Lake" (my daughter and her fiance rented a house a few blocks from Sloan Lake and we enjoyed walking around it whenever I visited); "Junk Feed" (a classic whodunit, solved with some technical expertise); "Northside Nocturne"; "Dreaming of Ella" (a great twist ending); and "On Grasmere Lake" (I was happy to see a South Asian protagonist).
Alas, my daughter and her fiance had to leave Denver last year because as Millenials who weren't making a ton of money and trying to live in an expensive city, they decided they weren't able to buy a house. They moved to a city in the southeastern US, where MAYBE they can afford a teeny-tiny house at least.
The stories I liked best were: "Colfax and Havana" (my daughter worked at The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus off Colfax, at the border of Denver and Aurora, so we are familiar with that "infamous" road); "Tough Girls" (I loved the connection to Albuquerque, the city where I grew up); "The Lake" (my daughter and her fiance rented a house a few blocks from Sloan Lake and we enjoyed walking around it whenever I visited); "Junk Feed" (a classic whodunit, solved with some technical expertise); "Northside Nocturne"; "Dreaming of Ella" (a great twist ending); and "On Grasmere Lake" (I was happy to see a South Asian protagonist).
Alas, my daughter and her fiance had to leave Denver last year because as Millenials who weren't making a ton of money and trying to live in an expensive city, they decided they weren't able to buy a house. They moved to a city in the southeastern US, where MAYBE they can afford a teeny-tiny house at least.
April 27, 2022
Noir conjures up many feelings and emotions - despair, hopelessness, violence, shadows and secrets. Things done in the dark and things hidden in the bright light of day. "Denver Noir" has all of this and more. So much more. Each slice of life story wraps you in a miasma of time and place, yet strangely, seems timeless, or maybe a place out of time.
Each unique story in this stellar collection will make you feel something, good, bad or indifferent. But mostly you'll run the gamut of what noir embodies. And if you're like me, you'll also find yourself wanting to take a trip to Denver and surrounding environs. Because simply reading these excellent stories won't be enough, they're so good you'll want the visceral pleasure of actually being in these locales and seeing them for yourself. It also makes me want to immediately check out the other collections in this outstanding series of noir stories set in specific cities.
Each unique story in this stellar collection will make you feel something, good, bad or indifferent. But mostly you'll run the gamut of what noir embodies. And if you're like me, you'll also find yourself wanting to take a trip to Denver and surrounding environs. Because simply reading these excellent stories won't be enough, they're so good you'll want the visceral pleasure of actually being in these locales and seeing them for yourself. It also makes me want to immediately check out the other collections in this outstanding series of noir stories set in specific cities.
May 23, 2022
Read my full review here: http://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot.c...
Denver Noir is this spring’s offering from Akashic Books and their marvelous Noir series. There are over 100 books in this series, each one set in a major city in the world, each one featuring a local set of authors, and each one with a different take on the concept of noir. The Oprah Magazine says, “Each volume in the series reveals a city’s distinctive inner darkness.”
One of the fascinating aspects of Denver Noir is the diversity of the story authors and the diversity of the characters—as diverse as the city itself. The noir-ness (is that a word?) is also very diverse. There is a Native attorney and a female private investigator. There are crime-ridden streets and wealthy neighborhoods. There is beautiful scenery and scrubby apartments above taquerias. There is history and there is gentrification. My favorite story was “On Grasmere Lake” by Mathangi Subramanian, about a young woman college student and an unsolved murder.
The editor, Cynthia Swanson gives a remarkably good introduction, and says that working with these authors has been one of the highlights of her career. Although all of the story authors have all been published beyond Denver Noir, this book was my introduction to their talent.
This is a great collection of stories, and Swanson has done an excellent job introducing Noir readers to the neighborhoods of Denver, a city I visited many years ago. It is a fun, diverse, and immersive read.
Denver Noir is this spring’s offering from Akashic Books and their marvelous Noir series. There are over 100 books in this series, each one set in a major city in the world, each one featuring a local set of authors, and each one with a different take on the concept of noir. The Oprah Magazine says, “Each volume in the series reveals a city’s distinctive inner darkness.”
One of the fascinating aspects of Denver Noir is the diversity of the story authors and the diversity of the characters—as diverse as the city itself. The noir-ness (is that a word?) is also very diverse. There is a Native attorney and a female private investigator. There are crime-ridden streets and wealthy neighborhoods. There is beautiful scenery and scrubby apartments above taquerias. There is history and there is gentrification. My favorite story was “On Grasmere Lake” by Mathangi Subramanian, about a young woman college student and an unsolved murder.
The editor, Cynthia Swanson gives a remarkably good introduction, and says that working with these authors has been one of the highlights of her career. Although all of the story authors have all been published beyond Denver Noir, this book was my introduction to their talent.
This is a great collection of stories, and Swanson has done an excellent job introducing Noir readers to the neighborhoods of Denver, a city I visited many years ago. It is a fun, diverse, and immersive read.
March 24, 2023
Denver Noir is short stories by Denver authors in the noir vein. I read stories by Peter Heller and Cynthia Swanson, as well as a graphic short story. Very interesting to read so many stories from so many points of view. Includes a map of where the murders took place. Recommended
October 15, 2022
Denver Noir edited by Cynthia Swanson is another solid entry in Akashic Books Noir Series. As expected, some stories are better than others. I did like seeing the addition of a graphic short story in this edition. As for the other stories, 'Pieces of Everyone, Everywhere' by Cynthia Swanson was truly outstanding. I also really enjoyed 'Dreaming of Ella' by Francelia Belton and 'On Grasmere Lake' by Mathangi Subramanian.
[Note: The publisher provided me with a copy of this book via LibraryThing's Early Reviewers.]
[Note: The publisher provided me with a copy of this book via LibraryThing's Early Reviewers.]
June 28, 2022
Bringing all the wonderful Colorado authors together for Denver Noir produced an amazing set of stories. I enjoyed all of them. I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to dip into the noir side of Denver.
October 16, 2022
I found this definition of noir fiction: "Hardboiled crime stories and detective antiheroes help define classic noir fiction, a genre of mystery writing that takes a grim view of the human condition. Learn more about both classic and contemporary noir fiction and tips for writing noir novels of your own."
In French, noir means black, which can also be translated as dark.
I can't say that this collection of short stories hit the mark with hardboiled crime stories or detective antiheroes - but it sure hit the mark with dark. If you're ever feeling too good about yourself, or enjoying life to the fullest, then pick up this book and you'll quickly become depressed.
Using Denver as a location was the only interesting aspect of most of the stories, and some of them could have taken place in Anywhere USA. As a reader of crime fiction and a resident of Denver, I sort of had to read this book; but my life would have been no worse if I'd never seen it.
In French, noir means black, which can also be translated as dark.
I can't say that this collection of short stories hit the mark with hardboiled crime stories or detective antiheroes - but it sure hit the mark with dark. If you're ever feeling too good about yourself, or enjoying life to the fullest, then pick up this book and you'll quickly become depressed.
Using Denver as a location was the only interesting aspect of most of the stories, and some of them could have taken place in Anywhere USA. As a reader of crime fiction and a resident of Denver, I sort of had to read this book; but my life would have been no worse if I'd never seen it.
September 20, 2022
I love the whole Noir series, but this one is all about Denver! ❤️
August 7, 2023
Denver Noir brings this iconic series back to its roots in the mean streets of Everywhere, this time in Denver, Colorado. I am always intrigued when the Noir Series features a city from a place that has no noir tradition, where the invited writers are, in a way, inventing a new genre. But I love coming back to books edited and written by authors who understand noir in their bones. That is what puts Denver Noir near the top of my Noir list.
It’s not that Cynthia Swanson, the writer who edited Denver Noir, avoided risk-taking. She include a graphic (illustrated) short story by R. Allan Brooks, that was quite wonderful. I’ve only read a couple graphic novels and usually get tired by the format, but as a short story, it hits the sweet spot for me.
There are fourteen stories in three sections. The first section has stories from “the longest, wickedest street in America.” These are stories of people on the downside of power, struggling to make ends meet, to live their lives with what dignity they can, and the grifters, cons, and miscreants that always, always kick down. The middle section is about the Colorado-ness of it all, they outdoors, the urban counterculture, the influx of people, gentrification, and surely the bleakest story of them all, “No Gods” that takes place one night at a local bar being forced out of business. The third part is innovative in that the focus is stories with youth. Editors find different ways of filters stories into sections, but I’ve read most in the Noir series, and I think this is the first time I’ve come across that focus. It worked. Sometimes I think our teen years are the most noir years of our lives, the uncertain future, the scramble to fit in, the hierarchies, and the lax permission structure for bullying. It’s great to see that captured.
I loved Denver Noir. Swanson did an excellent job of including diverse voices, not just ethnic diversity, but also age, from young people to retirees, from the right and the wrong side of the law and the ambiguous who are neither. The stories are well-written, demonstrating the short story writers’ skills at saying a lot with a little.
I have probably become tedious in my admiration for and proselytizing about Akashic Noir books, but I remain as enthusiastic as ever. When I went to Spain in high school, my friend and I got lost in Cordoba with very little cash because the bank had closed and we couldn’t cash our travelers’ checks (long ago) we were wandering around looking for a place that looked cheap, got lost, and met two women who took us to a commissary for the Guardia Civil where our $3 between us bought a huge meal and the soldiers bought us lots of beer. We became friends with the women and the took us to the Mosque though it was closed for repairs, snuck in by a friendly guard. We went to Spanish Drivers’ Ed, taught by one of them. It was the best experience and the closest thing to “travel tourings” was our late night illicit tour of the Mosque. Akashic Noir is like that. It takes you to a place and shows you what is under the surface, what is not on postcards. And I love the series for that.
I received a copy of Denver Noir from the publisher through Shelf Awareness
Denver Noir at Akashic Books
Cynthia Swanson author site
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
It’s not that Cynthia Swanson, the writer who edited Denver Noir, avoided risk-taking. She include a graphic (illustrated) short story by R. Allan Brooks, that was quite wonderful. I’ve only read a couple graphic novels and usually get tired by the format, but as a short story, it hits the sweet spot for me.
There are fourteen stories in three sections. The first section has stories from “the longest, wickedest street in America.” These are stories of people on the downside of power, struggling to make ends meet, to live their lives with what dignity they can, and the grifters, cons, and miscreants that always, always kick down. The middle section is about the Colorado-ness of it all, they outdoors, the urban counterculture, the influx of people, gentrification, and surely the bleakest story of them all, “No Gods” that takes place one night at a local bar being forced out of business. The third part is innovative in that the focus is stories with youth. Editors find different ways of filters stories into sections, but I’ve read most in the Noir series, and I think this is the first time I’ve come across that focus. It worked. Sometimes I think our teen years are the most noir years of our lives, the uncertain future, the scramble to fit in, the hierarchies, and the lax permission structure for bullying. It’s great to see that captured.
I loved Denver Noir. Swanson did an excellent job of including diverse voices, not just ethnic diversity, but also age, from young people to retirees, from the right and the wrong side of the law and the ambiguous who are neither. The stories are well-written, demonstrating the short story writers’ skills at saying a lot with a little.
I have probably become tedious in my admiration for and proselytizing about Akashic Noir books, but I remain as enthusiastic as ever. When I went to Spain in high school, my friend and I got lost in Cordoba with very little cash because the bank had closed and we couldn’t cash our travelers’ checks (long ago) we were wandering around looking for a place that looked cheap, got lost, and met two women who took us to a commissary for the Guardia Civil where our $3 between us bought a huge meal and the soldiers bought us lots of beer. We became friends with the women and the took us to the Mosque though it was closed for repairs, snuck in by a friendly guard. We went to Spanish Drivers’ Ed, taught by one of them. It was the best experience and the closest thing to “travel tourings” was our late night illicit tour of the Mosque. Akashic Noir is like that. It takes you to a place and shows you what is under the surface, what is not on postcards. And I love the series for that.
I received a copy of Denver Noir from the publisher through Shelf Awareness
Denver Noir at Akashic Books
Cynthia Swanson author site
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
March 31, 2022
DENVER NOIR edited by Cynthia Swanson is Akashic Books latest addition to its award-winning noir series. This series of original noir anthologies was launched in 2004 with BROOKLYN NOIR edited by Tim McLoughlin. There are presently 100+ titles available - each title showcasing a particular city, state, region or country around the world.
As an armchair traveler, I find it fascinating to read stories (albeit noir stories) from Paris, Oakland, Cape Cod, Montana, Sao Paulo, Singapore - you get the drift.
The series has stuck with the same format with all its publications. (which I like and appreciate)
The book cover is a very dark-toned print. It helps set the stage for the stories within.
There is a map of the city, state, region -wherever we happen to be - with a silhouetted ‘body’ in the neighborhood or street or area where a particular story takes place. (I love a good map!)
In DENVER NOIR we visit Sloan’s Lake, Northside, Globeville, 5 Points, Union Station, Auraria, Washington Park, Glendale, S. Broadway, Baker, Lakewood, Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park, and Aurora.
There is an Introduction by the editor. The editor in his (or her) Introduction gives us ‘inside information’ about the area (in this case, Denver) and sets the tone for the stories that follow. Ms. Swanson tells us that “even a city that boasts 300 days of sunshine a year has its sudden, often violent storms - and writers have long taken advantage of that metaphor.”
There is a Table of Contents. DENVER NOIR is divided into 3 Parts.
There is an About the Contributors section - following the stories. (interesting to read about these talented authors)
All the stories embody the Noir genre. Noir is a genre of crime fiction characterized by cynicism, fatalism and moral ambiguity. Noir features hard-boiled cynical characters and bleak, sleazy settings.
There are 14 stories in this anthology.
Part I: The Longest Wicked Street includes
Colfax and Havana by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
A life of Little Consequences by Twanna LaTrice Hill
Pieces of Everyone, Everywhere by Cynthia Swanson
Tough Girls by Erika T. Wurth
Part II: 5,280’
The Lake by Peter Heller
A Baker’s Duckling by R. Alan Brooks
No Gods by Amy Drayer
Junk Feed by Mark Stevens
Northside Nocturne by Manual Ramos
Part II: Things to do in Denver when you’re young
Ways of Escape by Barbara Nickless
Sangre by D.L. Cordero
Dreaming of Ella by Francella Belton
On Grasmere Lake by Mathangi Subramanian
El Armero by Mario Acevedo
I am a big fan of Noir and this Noir series of anthologies. I read Noir, especially this anthology series, for locations, historical tidbits and human interest.
I was pleased to see a ‘graphic’ story. The drawing was very good and the story very noir. I don’t have a lot of experience reading graphic novels & works. It took me 2 or 3 times to pick up the rhythm of the pairing of the writing and the art. But once I did I had a lot of appreciation for the art form. (and the writing)
I had a favorite story - “Pieces of Everyone, Everywhere” by editor, Cynthia Swanson. The story takes place in 1893 in the pauper’s cemetery area that was transformed into Cheesman Park. A young girl (disguised as a boy) runs away from home and her father’s debauchery and gets a manual labor job exhuming bodies from the old cemetery. I looked up Cheesman Park in Denver and the events are true. I quite like historical tidbits like this one.
There is quite a bit of exploitation of women, sexual predation and domestic violence that runs through many of these stories.
Thank you to Akashic Books for sending me an ARC (Advance Reading Copy) of this book.
****
As an armchair traveler, I find it fascinating to read stories (albeit noir stories) from Paris, Oakland, Cape Cod, Montana, Sao Paulo, Singapore - you get the drift.
The series has stuck with the same format with all its publications. (which I like and appreciate)
The book cover is a very dark-toned print. It helps set the stage for the stories within.
There is a map of the city, state, region -wherever we happen to be - with a silhouetted ‘body’ in the neighborhood or street or area where a particular story takes place. (I love a good map!)
In DENVER NOIR we visit Sloan’s Lake, Northside, Globeville, 5 Points, Union Station, Auraria, Washington Park, Glendale, S. Broadway, Baker, Lakewood, Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park, and Aurora.
There is an Introduction by the editor. The editor in his (or her) Introduction gives us ‘inside information’ about the area (in this case, Denver) and sets the tone for the stories that follow. Ms. Swanson tells us that “even a city that boasts 300 days of sunshine a year has its sudden, often violent storms - and writers have long taken advantage of that metaphor.”
There is a Table of Contents. DENVER NOIR is divided into 3 Parts.
There is an About the Contributors section - following the stories. (interesting to read about these talented authors)
All the stories embody the Noir genre. Noir is a genre of crime fiction characterized by cynicism, fatalism and moral ambiguity. Noir features hard-boiled cynical characters and bleak, sleazy settings.
There are 14 stories in this anthology.
Part I: The Longest Wicked Street includes
Colfax and Havana by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
A life of Little Consequences by Twanna LaTrice Hill
Pieces of Everyone, Everywhere by Cynthia Swanson
Tough Girls by Erika T. Wurth
Part II: 5,280’
The Lake by Peter Heller
A Baker’s Duckling by R. Alan Brooks
No Gods by Amy Drayer
Junk Feed by Mark Stevens
Northside Nocturne by Manual Ramos
Part II: Things to do in Denver when you’re young
Ways of Escape by Barbara Nickless
Sangre by D.L. Cordero
Dreaming of Ella by Francella Belton
On Grasmere Lake by Mathangi Subramanian
El Armero by Mario Acevedo
I am a big fan of Noir and this Noir series of anthologies. I read Noir, especially this anthology series, for locations, historical tidbits and human interest.
I was pleased to see a ‘graphic’ story. The drawing was very good and the story very noir. I don’t have a lot of experience reading graphic novels & works. It took me 2 or 3 times to pick up the rhythm of the pairing of the writing and the art. But once I did I had a lot of appreciation for the art form. (and the writing)
I had a favorite story - “Pieces of Everyone, Everywhere” by editor, Cynthia Swanson. The story takes place in 1893 in the pauper’s cemetery area that was transformed into Cheesman Park. A young girl (disguised as a boy) runs away from home and her father’s debauchery and gets a manual labor job exhuming bodies from the old cemetery. I looked up Cheesman Park in Denver and the events are true. I quite like historical tidbits like this one.
There is quite a bit of exploitation of women, sexual predation and domestic violence that runs through many of these stories.
Thank you to Akashic Books for sending me an ARC (Advance Reading Copy) of this book.
****
April 25, 2022
Denver Noir edited by Cynthia Swanson is a very highly recommended collection of fourteen short stories set in the Denver area.
This is part of Akashic Books international noir series that launched in 2004 and now is at over 100 volumes. The volumes are all set in a specific city, feature a local writer as an editor, and then have fourteen new stories by local authors. The volumes showcase a broad variety of styles from authors included and take place in neighborhoods across the city. A basic map of the city/area is included with the silhouette of a body indicating where individual stories take place. As a fan of procedurals and detective stories it was fun to read the wide variety of talented writers found in this latest edition to the international noir series
The collection is presented in three parts and writers included are: David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Twanna LaTrice Hill, Cynthia Swanson, Erika T. Wurth, Peter Heller, R. Alan Brooks, Amy Drayer, Mark Stevens, Manuel Ramos, Barbara Nickless, D.L. Cordero, Francelia Belton, Mathangi Subramanian, and Mario Acevedo.
The wide range of styles and diversity of the selections (including a graphic story) are well selected. As with any short story collection some of the selections will resonate more with readers than others and not every story will appeal to all readers. All in all, however, this is a strong collection with a good variety of stories and styles. Denver Noir is an excellent addition to the series.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Akashic Books via Library Thing.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2022/0...
This is part of Akashic Books international noir series that launched in 2004 and now is at over 100 volumes. The volumes are all set in a specific city, feature a local writer as an editor, and then have fourteen new stories by local authors. The volumes showcase a broad variety of styles from authors included and take place in neighborhoods across the city. A basic map of the city/area is included with the silhouette of a body indicating where individual stories take place. As a fan of procedurals and detective stories it was fun to read the wide variety of talented writers found in this latest edition to the international noir series
The collection is presented in three parts and writers included are: David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Twanna LaTrice Hill, Cynthia Swanson, Erika T. Wurth, Peter Heller, R. Alan Brooks, Amy Drayer, Mark Stevens, Manuel Ramos, Barbara Nickless, D.L. Cordero, Francelia Belton, Mathangi Subramanian, and Mario Acevedo.
The wide range of styles and diversity of the selections (including a graphic story) are well selected. As with any short story collection some of the selections will resonate more with readers than others and not every story will appeal to all readers. All in all, however, this is a strong collection with a good variety of stories and styles. Denver Noir is an excellent addition to the series.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Akashic Books via Library Thing.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2022/0...
May 14, 2022
While Denver is known as one of the sunniest cities in the country, it has its fair share of writers who expertly explore the shadows of the noir genre, and this collection is full of them. Editor (and author of The Bookseller and The Glass Forest) Cynthia Swanson's story set in historic (and haunted) Cheesman Park features an Emily Dickinson-reading gravedigger who experiences life lessons that lead in surprising directions in Part I: The Longest, Wickedest Street. In Part II, Peter Heller (author of The Dog Stars, The Painter, The River, The Guide) sets his more than slightly disturbing story "The Lake" on popular Sloan's Lake, and in Part III: Things to Do in Denver When You're Young, popular urban fantasy novelist Mario Acevedo (whose detective vampire series includes Nymphos of Rocky Flats, Jailbait Zombie, and Steampunk Banditos) wraps things up with "El Amero," a gritty, endearing tale set near the intersection of two of the busiest interstates in the country. And these stories are only three touchpoints in this terrific addition to the award-winning Akashic Books series of noir anthologies. An exploration of the many pockets of the Mile High City as much as a look at the multidimensional darker side of Denver, Denver Noir nails the paradoxes inherent in both.
June 22, 2022
This is my seventh Noir book in Akashic Books series. In my last review, I mentioned how I might have been burned out since the stories in that one either didn't give a good sense of place or just seemed to randomly mention locations around the city. While Denver Noir has plenty of mention of Denver businesses, streets, neighborhoods, and landmarks, what makes the stories in this collection, edited by Cynthia Swanson, stand out are the characters inhabiting Denver.
A few of the standouts to me include "The Lake" by Peter Heller, author of the fantastic The Dog Stars, told by a narrator with a secret; "Colfax and Havana" by David Heska Wanbli Weiden about a Native American lawyer whose desire to make the world better runs into some snags; and "Ways of Escape" by Barbara Nickless about a runaway who ends up in Denver's Union Station looking for a better life. A special callout to R. Alan Brooks's "A Baker’s Duckling," which is the first illustrated short story I've seen in this series.
This is a strong collection in a fun series. Recommended.
A few of the standouts to me include "The Lake" by Peter Heller, author of the fantastic The Dog Stars, told by a narrator with a secret; "Colfax and Havana" by David Heska Wanbli Weiden about a Native American lawyer whose desire to make the world better runs into some snags; and "Ways of Escape" by Barbara Nickless about a runaway who ends up in Denver's Union Station looking for a better life. A special callout to R. Alan Brooks's "A Baker’s Duckling," which is the first illustrated short story I've seen in this series.
This is a strong collection in a fun series. Recommended.
June 29, 2022
Denver Noir is a great book of collective short stories all set in the Denver metro area. There were so many really great stories, stories that truly came to life when reading them that I couldn't pick a favorite. This book is filled with rich characters and thrilling plot. And though each story is set in Denver, the stories are extremely unique from one another, celebrating all the subcultures and histories that make Denver. As a resident of Denver, it is especially thrilling to read stories set on streets or in establishments you have walked or live near. A must read for all Denverites, and an exciting read regardless of residency.
September 5, 2022
I'm not a huge fan of noir but I thought all the writers in this collection of short stories were excellent. I am a little unnerved after reading this book to visit some of my favorite places like Sloan's Lake (thanks a lot Peter Heller) but if you know and love Denver, you will enjoy this read.
July 25, 2022
I knew when the first story was by David Heska Wanbli Weiden that this was going to be a good collection. I have read many books in this series, and this one is one of the best. Some cities just have a wealth of talent, but the editor credit for selecting the right authors.
June 24, 2022
Mixed bag. Liked some much more than others. Loved the stories by Heller, Swanson, Stevens, Nickless, and Subramanian. Overall, a great sense of place.
August 26, 2023
A collection of short stories. Mostly depressing. But that’s what “noir”is.?
May 3, 2022
My favorite of the collections to date. There is not a single story I did not enjoy. Cynthia Swanson has curated and edited a stunning series of diverse stories, not only in terms of authors and characters, but also a wide variety of time periods and styles. There’s even a graphic story! The stories are full of interesting characters you have to care about while maintaining that classic noir atmosphere. TWs for nearly everything. I loved it.
November 23, 2022
A great compilation of noir stories set in Denver --fascinating to be set in places that i know of and sad and scary at the same time. There is much about Colfax and environs, of the various seedier parts of the city that once were home to Denver's brown people, but now are overun by white hipsters, the areas gentrified now, but for other richer people, not those who lived and longed and loved there in the midst of pain and poverty and tragedy. Each story unique, some set long ago, some in present day--the common thread being that the stories are hard and biting. They speak of missed opportunities, of entrapment by those at the top of the food chain, of fear and courage and the audacity to escape and dream. A worthy read.
June 29, 2022
A good entry in the series. Certain plot elements came up a lot in this collection, I most enjoyed the bits about local history and the fact that we were already getting some post-pandemic life in the city. Overall it was a well-assembled collection.
June 15, 2022
Denver Noir does not disappoint!
I really enjoyed reading this compilation of short stories about Denver. Many were gritty but the writing (save one) was fantastic, expressive and creative. I love that the stories are all set in and around Denver and that the authors are local. Very well done.
I really enjoyed reading this compilation of short stories about Denver. Many were gritty but the writing (save one) was fantastic, expressive and creative. I love that the stories are all set in and around Denver and that the authors are local. Very well done.
December 16, 2022
I have discovered that many of the Colorado writers I admire have dark streaks wider than our state’s big, blue sky. I enjoyed reading Denver Noir, edited by novelist Cynthia Swanson, the latest in Akashic Books’ long-running series of fiction anthologies set in cities across the globe. (They offer more than 100 anthologies now.)
As I read these stories, my naive brain kept thinking things like, “Well, the narrator can’t die, right? Oh, I guess she did.” Or “Maybe this one will have a happy ending?” Or “Maybe the body count will be lower in this one?” Ha!
It was so fun to read these chilling tales, from Twanna LaTrice Hill’s moving and melancholy “A Life of Little Consequence,” about a woman of a certain age longing for connection and love, to Cynthia Swanson’s fascinating gender-bending historical fiction story “Pieces of Everyone, Everywhere,” about the time when Denver officials decided to dig up and relocate all the buried bodies out of what would become Cheesman Park. Peter Heller and Mathangi Subramanian offer stories of vigilante justice, and Erika T. Wurth gives us a take-no-shit Apache PI with psychic abilities in “Tough Girls.” R. Alan Brooks’ graphic story “A Baker’s Duckling” features a protagonist trying to root out a neighborhood racist, and David Heska Wanbli Weiden presents an endearing down-at-the-heels lawyer who tries to help out a friend, with lethal results.
As I read these stories, my naive brain kept thinking things like, “Well, the narrator can’t die, right? Oh, I guess she did.” Or “Maybe this one will have a happy ending?” Or “Maybe the body count will be lower in this one?” Ha!
It was so fun to read these chilling tales, from Twanna LaTrice Hill’s moving and melancholy “A Life of Little Consequence,” about a woman of a certain age longing for connection and love, to Cynthia Swanson’s fascinating gender-bending historical fiction story “Pieces of Everyone, Everywhere,” about the time when Denver officials decided to dig up and relocate all the buried bodies out of what would become Cheesman Park. Peter Heller and Mathangi Subramanian offer stories of vigilante justice, and Erika T. Wurth gives us a take-no-shit Apache PI with psychic abilities in “Tough Girls.” R. Alan Brooks’ graphic story “A Baker’s Duckling” features a protagonist trying to root out a neighborhood racist, and David Heska Wanbli Weiden presents an endearing down-at-the-heels lawyer who tries to help out a friend, with lethal results.
June 17, 2022
A fun read with stories by talented authors. I loved the books organization by areas of Denver. Will look for more works by some of these authors.
July 3, 2022
A fine collection of dark stories set in Denver.
June 16, 2022
If you've left pieces of yourself in Denver, you might find a few of them in the pages of this anthology.
July 22, 2025
Highly recommend this collection of short stories to people who know Denver or are familiar with Denver’s landscape/history. Its stories center around experiences that are not often people’s first thoughts when they think of the Denver metro. I loved every story.
September 20, 2023
“Sangre” and “Dreaming of Ella” were standouts for me, the rest were disappointing in comparison
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews