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Sin City has had both its admirers and its detractors. The former are generally folks who have won big in the casinos; the latter are usually not so lucky. The same can be said for readers of Las Vegas Noir, the latest short story anthology released by Akashic Books. Some of the tales will appeal to hard-boiled fans who can live with the constant repetition of the f-word. Others will attract readers who enjoy good character-driven stories or the challenge of a puzzle. Needless to say, there’s something for everyone in this collection of shorts written by residents and fans of Las Vegas. Divided into three parts, the book includes a chilling story by John O’Brien, The Tik. After a ten-year absence, a man known only as Timmers reunites with an old girlfriend. Melinda and Timmers are capable of great sex thanks to a drug known only as ‛The Tik'. ‛The Tik' appears to negate all natural inhibitions, even the one prohibiting murder. What this means becomes perfectly clear when the couple invites a Las Vegas waitress back to their home. A fake Jewish rabbi takes place of honor in Tod Goldberg’s Mitzvah. Sal Cupertine isn't Jewish, and he certainly knows nothing about rabbinical law. But when he kills three cops in Chicago, the mob gives him a new name and sends him to Las Vegas. Under the tutelage of Bennie Savone, Sal becomes Rabbi David Cohen, the mob’s undertaker in Sin City. Hits from across the country arrive on David's doorstep, and with all the solemnity the occasion merits, Rabbi Cohen presides over their Jewish burials. But David longs for his old hometown, and when the opportunity arises, he takes drastic measures to return to Chicago. Jose Skinner’s All About Balls features a fifth-year graduate student named Ortiz who visits Las Vegas to attend a conference of the American Culture Association. Still undecided on his master's thesis, Ortiz thinks he's died and gone to heaven when he discovers a group of indigenous people called Mictlanos living on the outskirts of the city. Little is known about the Mictlanos of Mexico, which makes them a perfect subject for study. Ortiz knows that Mictlano customs include strange rites involving men and women, but he has no idea how strange they are until hes invited to a Mictlano fiesta. Nora Pierce explores past history in her tale Atomic City. Marcus and his Henderson Junior High class are on a field trip, their mission to visit the Nevada Test Site where A-bomb testing once wiped out an entire fake town. Marcus' students are bored by the bus trip, but they perk up considerably when a body is discovered alongside the desert road. Their interest is heightened even more when the dead man is identified as a fellow member of their tour. Another dozen tales of equal merit accompany the four mentioned here from Las Vegas Noir. The amazing diversity of this grouping is what sets the book apart, making it a worthy addition to any short story lover’s collection.
Reviewed by Mary V. Welk, May 2008
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