Berkeley Noir (Akashic Noir)

Berkeley, California is just shy of eighteen square miles, a city within a city. There are countless stories in a city such as Berkeley. Berkeley Noir offers an ample serving of stories. In “Hill House,” Mariana is a graduate student with large aspirations housesitting a Professor’s house when new discoveries threaten to spoil everything. In “The Tangy Brine of Dark Night,” the reader rides shotgun on a fateful road trip with Kaylie and her Alzheimer’s-afflicted grandmother, nostalgia, and love pushing the last wishes of a relative. “Lucky Day” witnesses Mason toil as a librarian living life in an orderly way until admitting a desperate vagabond into the library before opening time. “Eat Your Pheasant, Drink Your Wine” is viewed from the perspective of a rat, yet that’s only the beginning of the outlandishness. These choice few serve as a microcosm of this anthology.

Berkeley Noir incorporates various tales from different outposts of the legendary city, many fascinating, a couple perplexing. The love of the city is conveyed in its imagery and storytelling. Most of the selections draw you in rapidly, while one or two leave you wanting more. Collectively, the book is a fine work from a talented pool of writers.