Jewish Noir 2: Tales of Crime and Other Dark Deeds

Description

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 Aleman, 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.

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; 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. 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. www.kennethwishnia.com. 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. lawrenceblock.com.

"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