If you’re in the mood for some mystery stories set in New York City, Lawrence Block’s Dark City Lights fits the bill. Here are 24 stories set in various parts of NYC with a variety of crimes. I especially liked “Hannibal’s Elephants” by Robert Silverberg and Lawrence Block’s own story about his favorite hit man, “Keller the Dogkiller.” As usual in collections like this, the quality varies but there are enough good stories here to make it worth your while. GRADE: B+
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
A FOREWARD By Lawrence Block
AMSTERDAM IN THE 90s By Ed Park
THE BIG SNIP By Thomas Pluck
BOWERY STATION, 3:15 A.M. By Warren Moore
CHLOE By Jerrold Mundis
THE DEAD CLIENT By Parenell Hall
THE GARMENTO AND THE MOVIE STAR By Jonathan Santlofer
HANNIBAL’S ELEPHANTS By Robert Silverberg
JIMMY TAKES A TRIP By Elaine Kagan
KNOCK-OUT WHIST By David Levien
THE LADY UPSTAIRS By Jill D. Bloch
MIDNIGHT IN THE PARK WITH HARRY By June Dentinger
OLD HANDS By Erin Mitchell
THE SAFEST FORM OF CONVEYANCE By Jim Fusilli
SEE/SAW SOMETHING By Peter Carlaftes
THE SOLDIER, THE DANCER, AND ALL THAT GLITTERS By Tom Callahan
SPIT THE TRUTH By Eve Kagan
THIS POSE IS A PROBLEM By Bill Bernico
THE TOUR GUIDE by Kat Georges
WANG DANG DOODLE By Annette Meyers
WEDNESDAY IS VIKTOR’S By Brian Koppelman
WET DOG ON A RAINY DAY by S. J. Rosan
WHY I TOOK THE JOB By Peter Hochstein
KELLER THE DOGKILLER By Lawrence Block
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS
Sounds good to me. I’m always up for a good book set in my home town. I have read the Block story but don’t know most of the others. I’ll check this out.
Jeff, this collection is published by Three Rooms Press. I’ve never heard of them before.
I have read the Silverberg story too, and maybe the Rozan.
Is this “Silverberg” the famous SF author?
Didn’t know that he also wrote this kind of stuff – his “hard SF” was very impressive on me as a young man.
Wolf, yes this is the Robert Silverberg who wrote all that great science fiction. Silverberg is a multi-talented guy.
Sorry – should have asked first, of course it’s SF:
http://www.majipoor.com/work.php?id=420
Wolf, thanks for the link!
George, I’m thinking, how many such anthologies has Lawrence Block edited. I’m sure I have come across more than one, not counting this book.
Prashant, other than DARK CITY LIGHTS, I own these anthologies edited by Lawrence Block:
Death Cruise (1999)
Master’s Choice (1999)
Master’s Choice 2 (2000)
Opening Shots (2000)
Speaking of Lust (2001)
The Best American Mystery Stories 2001 (2001) – with Otto Penzler)
Speaking of Greed: Stories of Envious Desire (2001)
Opening Shots, Volume 2 (2001)
Blood on Their Hands (2003)
Thanks for the lineup, George. I’m familiar with Master’s Choice, The Best American Mystery Stories, and Blood on Their Hands though I don’t own any of the them.
Oh, I was guessing Otto Penzler.
Patti, Lawrence Block has worked with Otto Penzler on THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES, 2001.