Noir 13 - Ed Gorman

By now it’s pretty obvious that Ed Gorman is one of the very best in this business, but if you need more proof, look no further than NOIR 13, his recent collection of short stories from Perfect Crime Books. In these thirteen stories, you get a couple of Ed’s infrequent forays into fantasy and science fiction, plus the sort of dark suspense stories peopled by lost and desperate characters for which he’s best known. A few have been published before (and even though I’d read some of them, I gladly reread them), but most of the stories are new, which gives you even more reason to pick up a copy of this book. It seems to me that despite the occasional moments of black humor, Ed’s stories are mostly about how people hurt each other – and themselves – so there aren’t any light reads here. NOIR 13 lives up to its name, both in its darkness and in the unlucky connotations of the number. Reading these stories is a powerful, rewarding experience. Highly recommended.


(Ed Gorman is a member of the Top Suspense Group.)