Richmond, VA, is a city of contrasts. Steeped in history—as the capital of the Confederacy and a center of slave trade—the city has become known for state politics, commerce, culture, and crime as it has become increasingly diverse, while still symbolizing Southern gentility. Although each of these 15 stories reveals a side of Richmond, its contrasts are shown most vividly in Dennis Danvers's "Texas Beach," in which a man finds the body of an immigrant killed accidentally while illegally felling trees so that a prominent white politician would have a better view of the James River from his mansion. Murder, scattered through these entries, is most chilling when it is imminent, as in Tom De Haven's "Playing with DaBlonde," in which a laid-off ad exec who's into porn sees premonitions coming true. VERDICT A lovingly compiled entry in Akashic's strong regional noir series, this could have appeal beyond the Commonwealth and its capital. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 11/1/09.]—Michele Leber, Arlington, VA
Wow, huh? (Need proof? The page is here. Scroll down until you see "Richmond Noir.")
