A Christmas Miracle!

The first copies are back from the printer's! (Thanks, Santa!)

Richmond Noir officially hits bookstores in early 2010, so check back here for news about readings, the release party, and other Richmond Noir events. We double dog dare you!

Robbins's Broken Jewel Now Available

A note of congratulations to Richmond Noir contributor David L. Robbins, whose ninth novel, Broken Jewel, has just been published and is receiving some stellar reviews.

Publishers Weekly calls it "the best WWII Pacific campaign novel in a long time," and says, "This is a terrific story of the triumph of he human spirit, loaded with suspense, historical accuracy and fast-paced action."

The Library Journal calls Broken Jewel "magnificent" in a starred review.

Kirkus Reviews (also starred) says it's "a remarkable story, brilliantly told."

Then there's James Bradley, author of Flags of Our Fathers, who calls Broken Jewel "a touching love story and a thriller of a read."

And the praise doesn't stop there! Our congratulations to David! As you might recall from the attention he recently garnered Richmond Noir in Publishers Weekly, David is the author of the short story "Homework," set in the city's East End. Our book comes out in March 2010. In the meantime, should you live in Richmond, Broken Jewel can be found at local outlets like Chop Suey Books and Fountain Bookstore. Not in Richmond? Look for Broken Jewel at a bookstore near you, or order it from our commercial overlords at Amazon.

Publishers Weekly Has Its Say

It was bound to happen. The first review of Richmond Noir has been printed in Publishers Weekly. The good news? It's a pretty good review! The bad news? It's not like they're doing back flips or anything. Still. Maybe they're mezzo mezzo on anthologies? PW's anonymous reviewer singles out four Richmond Noir contributors for praise:

- David L. Robbins's "Homework," set in Richmond's East End, offers "a moving account of an encounter between a robber and a teacher."

- Pir Rothenberg's "The Rose Red Vial," set in the Museum District, "features nicely nasty betrayals and counterbetrayals" and is "among the better of the many recent Poe-inspired stories."

- Dean King's "The Fall Lines," set in Shockoe Slip in 1807, "supplies an intriguing backstory to Aaron Burr's treason trial."

- Howard Owen's "The Thirteenth Floor," set in Monroe Park, is a "well-done contemporary fair play whodunit."

And there's even a weird bit of faint praise for the editors of Richmond Noir, who "have done a better job offering variety than some other volumes in this acclaimed series."

Our congratulations to David, Pir, Dean, and Howard! And to all our writers, who have helped put together a stellar collection! We can't wait for readers to see it, and we'll certainly keep you updated as more of these reviews come in.

Final Cover Design!

Guess what -- it's purple! Altogether, not too different than the galley cover, but exciting nonetheless! The next step is the printer's...

(Click the image above to see a larger version.)

Galleys Are a Go!

The limited galley run of Richmond Noir is back from the printer's, and this week Akashic Books will be sending copies to advance industry reviewers like Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly. In other words, this little baby's about to step out in the real world for the first time. It's not quite in its final form -- that will be the finished book, debuting in the spring -- but this advance industry publicity can be important, so keep your fingers crossed!

(Click on the image above to see a larger version of the galley cover.)

Richmond Noir Gets Its Own Blog (Obviously)!

"I would rather die in Richmond, somehow, though God knows Richmond has little enough to offer." -- Henry Miller

Our celebration of crime and malfeasance in the City on the James will arrive in March 2010 as part of Akashic Books' venerable Noir Series. Edited by Andrew Blossom, Brian Castleberry and Tom De Haven, Richmond Noir features a foreword by Tom Robbins and stunning set of all-new stories from X.C. Atkins, Mina Beverly, Laura Browder, Clay McLeod Chapman, Dennis Danvers, Tom De Haven, Dean King, Clint McCown, Howard Owen, Conrad Ashley Persons, Hermine Pinson, David L. Robbins, Pir Rothenberg, Meagan J. Saunders and Anne Thomas Soffee!

Stay tuned to this space for news about the Richmond Noir roll-out, including two preview events that will be taking place this fall. Then: we're putting together an exciting and rather extensive schedule of events and readings to promote the book throughout Spring 2010. We will update you here as these plans are finalized!

And, yes: the book is currently available for pre-order on Amazon!

(Above: cover mock-up of Richmond Noir from the Akashic catalog.)