Muddy Pond by Maureen Tan - New Orleans Noir

Muddy Pond by Maureen Tan:  Set in Village de L'Est just a day or two after the storm we meet Sonny Vien as he emerges from his attic bent on rescuing a statue of the Virgin Mary from his back yard.  He's doing this for his wife, who died six months previously, knowing that she'd want him to do so, if she was still with him.

While moving the statue Sonny takes a good look around his ruined neighborhood; he soon discovers that things are very serious next door.

We've been told many times that most crimes are crimes of opportunity but who could imagine that crimes could still be committed in the wake of a natural disaster.  The crime in progress is so despicable that I stood up and cheered at the fantastic and sudden ending.

Open Mike by James Nolan - New Orleans Noir

The longest story in the book so far, it was also the first straight-up detective story. Set in pre-K French Quarter and back alley dives, our detective searches for answers surrounding the death of a young woman.

The settings were wonderfully seedy, made more interesting by being set in the open mike world of the poetry community.

I thought the author did an excellent job of telling an interesting story with careful touches of humour.

Well worth the read.

The Battling Priests of Corpus Christie by Jervey Tervalon - NewOrleans Noir

Pretty cool story here.

We have two priests; one is a bigot the other a skirt-chasing drunk. Pretty rich territory when you also add a hatred between the two.

The story is told by a young adult girl of mixed race.

I would really like to read this story in a novel-length form. I found the short story less than satisfying because the conflict just resolves itself, in two paragraph0,s away from the narrators' eyes.

Boy, I liked the set up though. I really think the author has a great idea for a cracking read.

Pony Girl by Laura Lippman - New Orleans Noir

Set in pre-Katrina Treme, New Orleans; a young college student joins a second line parade on Mardi Gras day. She is dressed far too provocatively for the neighborhood (if such a thing can be imagined) and attracts the attention of many men including the narrator.

He sees that the girl has attracted the attention of a dangerous man and decides to follow in order to give her some protection.

What follows was a gruesome surprise both to me and the antagonist.

After watching the first season on Treme I could really picture what the parade line is like in the story.

This was very well done. I could have read more. I'll definitely be looking for Lippman's work from now on.

Algiers by David Fulmer - New Orleans Noir

Set in Algiers, New Orleans, 1905.

An enforcer comes into an Algiers tavern to run off a card-cheat who's been making a nuisance of himself.

It read a lot like a western, which, given the year the story is set in, is about right.

It was wonderful. My heart rate went up while reading the final scene.

Schevoski by Olympia Vernon - New Orleans Noir

Set in pre-Katrina New Orleans.

Well, I didn't get this one.

Something about a drunken university student vomiting all over a Magazine Street bar.
Her Russian boyfriend broke up with her.

Was everything real or imagined? I really didn't care.

Part of the problem, for me, is that the author works in the literary side of things and is not a bona fide mystery author. Nothing happens. It's just a navel gazing, self-pitying story about a girl vomiting dramatically.

Thankfully it was short

Scared Rabbit by Tim McLoughlin - New Orleans Noir

Set in pre-Katrina Irish Channel, New Orleans.

We are treated here to a soul-searching story about police corruption.

I loved the quiet desperation of this story.

Two-Story Brick Houses by Patty Friedman - New Orleans Noir

Set in pre-Katrina Uptown, New Orleans this story is about a young girl who tries to be accepted by a group of popular girls.

Her participation in a game of "Secrets" has some very real and unexpected consequences.

Very sad and well told.

What's The Score by Ted O'Brien - New Orleans Noir

A guy walks into his favourite bar in Mid-City New Orleans.

Trouble looks like it's brewing when two sets of soccer fans take over the bar to watch a match on the TVs.

Trouble does come but not quite in the way we expected.