Jewish Noir II: Tales of Crime and Other Dark Deeds

by Kenneth Wishnia (Editor), Chantelle Aimée Osman (Editor), Lawrence Block (Foreword by)

Overview

Jewish Noir II is unique collection of twenty-three all-new stories (and one reprint) by Jewish and non-Jewish literary and genre writers, including numerous award-winning authors such as Gabriela Alemán, Doug Allyn, Rita Lakin, Rabbi Ilene Schneider, E.J. Wagner, and Kenneth Wishnia, with a foreword by MWA Grand Master Lawrence Block. The stories explore such issues as the perpetual challenge of confronting resurgent anti-Semitism in the US, the enduring legacy of regional warfare in the land of Israel since biblical times, how the “entitled” behavior of certain ultra-Orthodox communities can fuel anti-Semitic attitudes, Jewish support of the civil rights movement, greedy Jewish businessmen who reinforce negative ethnic stereotypes, the excesses of “golden ghetto” American Jews, the appeal of “tough” Israeli-Jewish soldiers and mercenaries, how real estate fortunes are made, and the consequences of political corruption that feed into an exploitive system, how obsession can lead “good” people to do “bad” things. The stories in this collection include many “teachable moments” about the history of prejudice, and the contradictions of ethnic identity and assimilation into American society.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781629638225
Publisher:	PM Press
Publication date:	08/23/2022
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	1,044,441
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.70(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Kenneth Wishnia’s novels include 23 Shades of Black, an Edgar Allan Poe Award and Anthony Award finalist; Soft Money, a Library Journal Best Mystery of the Year; and Red House, a Washington Post “Rave” Book of the Year and The Fifth Servant, an Indie Notable selection, a Jewish Press Best Mystery of the Year, winner of a Premio Letterario ADEI-WIZO, and a finalist for the Sue Feder Memorial Historical Mystery Award. His short stories have appeared in Ellery Queen, Alfred Hitchcock, Queens Noir, Long Island Noir, Send My Love and a Molotov Cocktail, and elsewhere. His latest novel, The Fifth Servant, was an Indie Notable selection, a Best Jewish Book of the Year according to the Association of Jewish Libraries, won a Premio Letterario ADEI-WIZO (the Italian chapter of the Women’s International Zionist Organization), and was a finalist for the Sue Feder Memorial Historical Mystery Award, a category of the Macavity Awards. Most recently, he edited the Anthony Award-nominated anthology Jewish Noir for PM Press. He teaches writing, literature and other deviant forms of thought at Suffolk Community College on Long Island.

Chantelle Aimée Osman is the editor of Agora, an imprint of Polis Books. Agora focuses on crime novels that delve into the most important issues of our time—exploring society, economy, politics, culture, race, and gender in unique and different ways—from a roster of diverse authors from varying backgrounds. The former Editor-in-Chief of RT Book Reviews magazine and a freelance editor for over 10 years, she also is an instructor at the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing, Authors at Large, and LitReactor. Chantelle is the author of the non-fiction series on writing The Quick and Dirty Guides To… and has also published numerous works of short fiction in addition to serving as editor for several anthologies. Find her online at www.chantelleaimee.com and on Twitter @SuspenseSiren.

Lawrence Block has been writing crime, mystery and suspense fiction for more than half a century. He has published in excess of 100 books and no end of short stories. He apprenticed under various pseudonyms in the late 1950s; the first time his name appeared in print was for his short story, “You Can’t Lose,” in Manhunt (Feb. 1958), and the first book published under his own name was Mona (1961), reprinted by Hard Case Crime under the author’s original title, Grifter’s Game (2005). Block is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-PI Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller. Block is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maître du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Société 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.) www.lawrenceblock.com.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Lawrence Block

Introduction by Kenneth Wishnia and Chantelle Aimée Osman

LEGACIES
Taking Names by Steven Wishnia
Sanctuary by Doug Allyn
The Cost of Something Priceless by Elizabeth Zelvin
The Black and White Cookie by Jeff Markowitz

SCATTERED AND DISPERSED
Islands by Gabriela Alemán
Datura by Joy Mahabir
Rhododendrons by Xu Xi
Mosquitoes over Bamako by Yigal Zur

A SHANDEH FAR DI GOYIM (YOU SHAME US IN FRONT OF THE WORLD)
Wishboned by Jill D. Block
The Shabbes Goy by Craig Faustus Buck
To Catch a Ganef by Lizzie Skurnick
Inheritance by Terry Shames

THE GOD OF MERCY
Brother’s Keeper by Eileen Rendahl
If It Doesn’t Kill You, Just Wait by D.M. Evans
The Almost Sisters by Ellen Kirschman
Crossover by Zoe Quinton

THE GOD OF VENGEANCE
Bride of Torches by Kenneth Wishnia
Paying the Ferryman by E.J. Wagner
The Just Men of Bennett Avenue by A.J. Sidrasky
Triangle by Rabbi Ilene Schneider

AMERICAN SPLENDOR
The Nazi in the Basement by Rita Lakin
Winter Chill by L.S. Sharrow
The Hanukkah Killer by Robin Hemley
Hunter by Jen Conley

Contributors

Editorial Reviews

06/06/2022

The 23 entries in Wishnia and Osman’s superior follow-up to 2015’s Jewish Noir showcase a wide range of settings and plots linked by Jewish characters and themes. One highlight is Doug Allyn’s ironically titled “Sanctuary,” which gives new life to the trope of a war veteran returning stateside only to find himself still haunted by demons. Jake Abrams enlisted after Pearl Harbor, only to face unimaginable horror as part of the army liberating Buchenwald. But his efforts to recover some normalcy when he moves near Lake Michigan are challenged almost immediately by antisemitic neighbors. Wishnia himself impresses with “Bride of Torches,” set in “the days of the chieftains, when there was no king over Israel and every man did as he pleased,” and featuring an arguably justifiable murder, recounted much differently than in the Book of Judges. The standout is Jill D. Block’s “Wishboned,” narrated by bar mitzvah boy Solomon Felder, whose rite of passage is turned into a showcase for his family’s wealth and ends in fantastic violence. The judiciously chosen selections will make fans of quality short crime fiction hope for a third volume. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

This superior follow-up to 2015’s Jewish Noir showcase a wide range of settings and plots linked by Jewish characters and themes. The judiciously chosen selections will make fans of quality short crime fiction hope for a third volume.”
—Publishers Weekly

“A set of stories touching on Jewish identity, religion, and history. Standouts include Steven Wishnia, Joy Mahabir, and Rita Lakin.”
—Library Journal

“A brilliantly edited collection that had me reading ‘just one more.’”
—Heidi Slowinski, author of The House on Maple Street

“Some seriously good stuff here… this goy loved it.”
—Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“[Wishnia writes for] a diverse audience of intelligent readers…. I eagerly await his next venture into any period of Jewish history.”
—Jewish Book World

“Jewish Noir will dazzle crime fiction readers of every variety.”
—Jenny Milchman, USA Today bestselling author of As Night Falls

“A little angst, some healthy cynicism, a touch of guilt, a few wisecracks and some very good stories. What else were you expecting?”
—Michael Moorcock, author of Mother London

“A hearty mazel tov to the ingenious team who created and assembled this vivid and wide-ranging collection.”
—Linda Barnes, author of The Perfect Ghost

“The foreword of this book is cleverly written by the famed mystery writer, Lawrence Block, who states it perfectly, ‘Jewish Noir II, is a rich collection of wonderful tales wonderfully told.’”
—Jewish Book Council
“The dark deeds, noir, and crime promised in the title all make delicious appearances for a fun, and entertaining read.”
—Man of a Book: A Bookish Blog

From the Publisher

07/02/2022

This second anthology touching on the trials and tribulations of being Jewish misses the mark. The current divisive political climate, described in Wishnia's introduction, makes survival of Jews and other minorities more challenging. However, the stories, for the most part, do not reflect this. Nor do many of them have that traditional "noir" feel. The authors are less known than those in its predecessor. Many of the stories could apply to any religion or ethnic group, thus rendering them less relevant to Judaism. More than a few have pat endings. Three standout stories include Steven Wishnia's "Taking Names," which points out that the poor working conditions existing for Jews during the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory tragedy exist today for other immigrants in other industries; Joy Mahabir's "Datura," which truly does have a noir tinge as readers get to decide whether the protagonist is sane or insane; and "The Nazi in the Basement" by Rita Lakin, a sometimes poignant story that chronicles an octogenarian's reminiscences of growing up in New York's Irish-Jewish-Italian ghetto during World War II and the heartbreak of losing a child to the war. VERDICT An uneven set of stories touching on Jewish identity, religion, and history.—Ed Goldberg

Library Journal