Singapore Noir

Description

Say 'Singapore' to anyone and you'll likely hear one of a few words: Caning. Fines. Chewing gum. For much of the West, the narrative of Singapore has been marked largely by its government's strict laws and unwavering enforcement of them. Yet there are many quirky and dark complexities of Singapore that rarely seem to make it past its borders. Beneath its sparkling veneer is a country teeming with shadows. Rich stories can be found sprinkled throughout the city's many neighbourhoods, hiding in dark corners or abandoned fisheries. They are waiting to be discovered by noir-hungry readers.

Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan is the New York-based author of A Tiger in the Kitchen: A Memoir of Food and Family. A native of Singapore, she is working on her second book, a novel. A former staff writer at the Wall Street Journal, her work has also appeared in the New York Times and the Washington Post, among other publications. She has been an artist in residence at Yaddo and the Djerassi Resident Artists Program.

John Le Carre once wrote that the secret service is the truest expression of a nation. One could say the same for crime stories, and Singapore Noir offers at least a glance at the city's character. --Your Impossible Voice Singapore Noir, like Belfast Noir, once again proves that Akashic Books' noir series is better than any travel guide. --MysteryPeople A Book of the Week pick at Susan Blumber-Kason's blog Do read the book, Singaporeans! --Vicky's Writings Singapore Noir is for the Noir fiction lover. --A Bibliophile's Reverie If you like noir and would like to catch up on the seedy underbelly of one of the Four Asian Tigers (Dragons), give this anthology a read. --Write Lies