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dantastic's review against another edition
4.0
Indian Country Noir is a collection of noir tales focusing on Native Americans.
Helper: As two men are coming for him, Indian Charlie remembers the past deeds that brought them to him. This story starts the collection with some action and dirty deeds. Good stuff.
Osprey Lake: On the run after a hold up, Don and Heather hole up in a secluded cabin built on a sacred hill. I could feel the biting cold while reading this. I felt bad for Heather as the situation unfolded.
Dead Medicine Snake Woman: A former marine sees a woman thrown off a subway platform and tries to help. But does the woman really exist? This was an interesting tale but I'm not precisely sure what happened. Was it a tale of a man fighting a monster or fighting the monsters inside himself?
Indian Time: Fred, an Indian man, gets time with his kids for the first time in two years. He and his girlfriend teach them about their heritage. This was an emotional tale with a great ending.
On Drowning Pond: A homeless woman drowns in a pond under suspicious circumstances. In the years following, numerous men are found dead under similar conditions. This one was pretty spooky and illuminates the plight of Native American alcoholics.
Daddy's Girl: Daniel Carson is hired to track down a missing girl and retrieve some stolen money. Will he bring her back alive?
This one was a fairly standard PI tale with a Native American lead. The ending surprised the shit out of me.
The Raven and the Wolf: Detective John Raven Beau is hunting for the killer of a cop, a man calling himself The Wolf.
This one reminded me of the last one, only the Native American lead is a cop, not a PI. So far, The Raven and the Wolf is neck and neck with Daddy's Girl as the best story in the book.
Juracan: Papo goes to Puerto Rico for a wedding and gets entangled in sinister dealings involving the Taino, the indigenous people of Puerto Rico.
This one was long and convoluted. I'd be lying if I said I enjoyed it. The Taino culture was interesting, though.
JaneJohnDoe.com A deposed drug dealer forces a PI to create a new identity for her in exchange for a list of meth dealers on all Indian reservations.
This one had some twists and turns. The ending was pretty sweet.
Lame Elk: After a beating during a drunken bender, a man offers Lame Elk a chance to turn his life around.
This was a touching, depressing tale about an alcoholic not really being given a chance to make things right.
Another Role: Washed up Indian actor Harry Garson gets tapped to play the role of a lifetime. But is it too good to be true?
Yes, yes it was. Another Role was a tale of double and triple crosses. Pretty good.
Getting Lucky: Lucretia "Lucky" Eagle Feather meets a gambler in an Indian reservation casino in Michigan. Will he get Lucky?
Lawrence Block penned this tale and it's one of the stars of the show. There's some kink and a great twist ending, as befits the master.
Prowling Wolves: Ira Hayes struggles with drink and flashbacks after Iwo Jima.
This was a pretty powerful tale.
Quilt like a Night Sky: Boone Lone Rider finally comes home.
Geez, this was a dark note to end the anthology on. Another story of a Native American laid low by substance abuse.
End Thoughts: I thought this collection was much better than the last Akashic Noir book I read, [b:Prison Noir|20702486|Prison Noir|Joyce Carol Oates|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400955446s/20702486.jpg|40022331]. The best stories of the collection, in my opinion, were Getting Lucky, Daddy's Girl, and The Raven and the Wolf. Four out of five stars.
Helper: As two men are coming for him, Indian Charlie remembers the past deeds that brought them to him. This story starts the collection with some action and dirty deeds. Good stuff.
Osprey Lake: On the run after a hold up, Don and Heather hole up in a secluded cabin built on a sacred hill. I could feel the biting cold while reading this. I felt bad for Heather as the situation unfolded.
Dead Medicine Snake Woman: A former marine sees a woman thrown off a subway platform and tries to help. But does the woman really exist? This was an interesting tale but I'm not precisely sure what happened. Was it a tale of a man fighting a monster or fighting the monsters inside himself?
Indian Time: Fred, an Indian man, gets time with his kids for the first time in two years. He and his girlfriend teach them about their heritage. This was an emotional tale with a great ending.
On Drowning Pond: A homeless woman drowns in a pond under suspicious circumstances. In the years following, numerous men are found dead under similar conditions. This one was pretty spooky and illuminates the plight of Native American alcoholics.
Daddy's Girl: Daniel Carson is hired to track down a missing girl and retrieve some stolen money. Will he bring her back alive?
This one was a fairly standard PI tale with a Native American lead. The ending surprised the shit out of me.
The Raven and the Wolf: Detective John Raven Beau is hunting for the killer of a cop, a man calling himself The Wolf.
This one reminded me of the last one, only the Native American lead is a cop, not a PI. So far, The Raven and the Wolf is neck and neck with Daddy's Girl as the best story in the book.
Juracan: Papo goes to Puerto Rico for a wedding and gets entangled in sinister dealings involving the Taino, the indigenous people of Puerto Rico.
This one was long and convoluted. I'd be lying if I said I enjoyed it. The Taino culture was interesting, though.
JaneJohnDoe.com A deposed drug dealer forces a PI to create a new identity for her in exchange for a list of meth dealers on all Indian reservations.
This one had some twists and turns. The ending was pretty sweet.
Lame Elk: After a beating during a drunken bender, a man offers Lame Elk a chance to turn his life around.
This was a touching, depressing tale about an alcoholic not really being given a chance to make things right.
Another Role: Washed up Indian actor Harry Garson gets tapped to play the role of a lifetime. But is it too good to be true?
Yes, yes it was. Another Role was a tale of double and triple crosses. Pretty good.
Getting Lucky: Lucretia "Lucky" Eagle Feather meets a gambler in an Indian reservation casino in Michigan. Will he get Lucky?
Lawrence Block penned this tale and it's one of the stars of the show. There's some kink and a great twist ending, as befits the master.
Prowling Wolves: Ira Hayes struggles with drink and flashbacks after Iwo Jima.
This was a pretty powerful tale.
Quilt like a Night Sky: Boone Lone Rider finally comes home.
Geez, this was a dark note to end the anthology on. Another story of a Native American laid low by substance abuse.
End Thoughts: I thought this collection was much better than the last Akashic Noir book I read, [b:Prison Noir|20702486|Prison Noir|Joyce Carol Oates|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400955446s/20702486.jpg|40022331]. The best stories of the collection, in my opinion, were Getting Lucky, Daddy's Girl, and The Raven and the Wolf. Four out of five stars.
liberrydude's review against another edition
3.0
Stories about Indians by Indians and non-Indians, that is the commone denominator in this unique non-geographic specific noir volume. We have stories set not just in the US but in Canada and Puerto Rico. I'm really enjoying this series. It should become a collectible.
simlish's review against another edition
3.0
Indian Country Noir is a short story collection around the well advertised theme of noir with Native protagonists. It's organized by geography, with the groups "East," "South," "West," and "North."
Like all short story collections, the quality is uneven. The first story, "Helper," I think is one of the strongest, and carries off the theme better than some. It's a strong opening. My favorite was "JaneJohnDoe.com," with "Another Role" as a close second. I also like "Indian Time" quite a bit, though I think it only just counts as noir.
There were a number of stories I ended up skipping for various reasons, with overuse of epithets as the main one. "Daddy's Girl" and "Prowling Wolves" were the weakest of the stories, in my opinion, and I didn't finish either.
It was different than what I've been reading lately, and was fun in that respect. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the premise, but it's not necessarily so strong that I would recommend it to anyone else.
Like all short story collections, the quality is uneven. The first story, "Helper," I think is one of the strongest, and carries off the theme better than some. It's a strong opening. My favorite was "JaneJohnDoe.com," with "Another Role" as a close second. I also like "Indian Time" quite a bit, though I think it only just counts as noir.
There were a number of stories I ended up skipping for various reasons, with overuse of epithets as the main one. "Daddy's Girl" and "Prowling Wolves" were the weakest of the stories, in my opinion, and I didn't finish either.
It was different than what I've been reading lately, and was fun in that respect. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the premise, but it's not necessarily so strong that I would recommend it to anyone else.
jolynne's review against another edition
2.0
Some stories were okay, I just couldn’t find the authenticity in many of them.
pauldaly's review against another edition
2.0
So so collection of short stories, none of them particularly noir.
elleemgee's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Suicide, Addiction, and Vomit
Minor: Racial slurs
morningstar1993's review against another edition
3.0
The star adverage is 2.535 so, I'm rounding up to 3. The first part is the strongest.
Part 1:East
Helperis by Joseph Bruchac Adirondacks, NY ⭐⭐⭐
Osprey Lake by Jean Rae Baxter Eastern Woodlands Canada ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dead Medicine Snake Woman by Gerard Houarner New York, NY ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Indian Time by Melissa Yi Ontario, Canada ⭐⭐⭐
Part 2: South
On Drowing Pond by AA Hedgecoke Charlotte, NC ⭐⭐⭐
Daddy's Girl by Mistina Bates Memphis, TN ⭐⭐
The Raven & the Wolf by O'Neal De Noux New Orleans ⭐
Juracán by R. Narvaez San Juan, PR ⭐⭐⭐.5
Part III
JaneJohnDoe . com by David Cole Yuscon, AZ ⭐⭐
Lame Elk by Leonard Schonberg Ashland, Montana ⭐
Another Role by Reed FARREL Coleman LA, Cali ⭐
Part 4: North
Getting Lucky by Lawrence Block Upper Peninsula, Michigan ⭐⭐
Prowling Wolves by Liz Martinez Chicago ⭐⭐⭐
Quilt like a Night Sky by Kimberly Roppolo Alberta, Canada ⭐
Part 1:East
Helperis by Joseph Bruchac Adirondacks, NY ⭐⭐⭐
Osprey Lake by Jean Rae Baxter Eastern Woodlands Canada ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dead Medicine Snake Woman by Gerard Houarner New York, NY ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Indian Time by Melissa Yi Ontario, Canada ⭐⭐⭐
Part 2: South
On Drowing Pond by AA Hedgecoke Charlotte, NC ⭐⭐⭐
Daddy's Girl by Mistina Bates Memphis, TN ⭐⭐
The Raven & the Wolf by O'Neal De Noux New Orleans ⭐
Juracán by R. Narvaez San Juan, PR ⭐⭐⭐.5
Part III
JaneJohnDoe . com by David Cole Yuscon, AZ ⭐⭐
Lame Elk by Leonard Schonberg Ashland, Montana ⭐
Another Role by Reed FARREL Coleman LA, Cali ⭐
Part 4: North
Getting Lucky by Lawrence Block Upper Peninsula, Michigan ⭐⭐
Prowling Wolves by Liz Martinez Chicago ⭐⭐⭐
Quilt like a Night Sky by Kimberly Roppolo Alberta, Canada ⭐
morningstar916's review against another edition
3.0
The star adverage is 2.535 so, I'm rounding up to 3. The first part is the strongest.
Part 1:East
Helperis by Joseph Bruchac Adirondacks, NY ⭐⭐⭐
Osprey Lake by Jean Rae Baxter Eastern Woodlands Canada ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dead Medicine Snake Woman by Gerard Houarner New York, NY ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Indian Time by Melissa Yi Ontario, Canada ⭐⭐⭐
Part 2: South
On Drowing Pond by AA Hedgecoke Charlotte, NC ⭐⭐⭐
Daddy's Girl by Mistina Bates Memphis, TN ⭐⭐
The Raven & the Wolf by O'Neal De Noux New Orleans ⭐
Juracán by R. Narvaez San Juan, PR ⭐⭐⭐.5
Part III
JaneJohnDoe . com by David Cole Yuscon, AZ ⭐⭐
Lame Elk by Leonard Schonberg Ashland, Montana ⭐
Another Role by Reed FARREL Coleman LA, Cali ⭐
Part 4: North
Getting Lucky by Lawrence Block Upper Peninsula, Michigan ⭐⭐
Prowling Wolves by Liz Martinez Chicago ⭐⭐⭐
Quilt like a Night Sky by Kimberly Roppolo Alberta, Canada ⭐
Part 1:East
Helperis by Joseph Bruchac Adirondacks, NY ⭐⭐⭐
Osprey Lake by Jean Rae Baxter Eastern Woodlands Canada ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dead Medicine Snake Woman by Gerard Houarner New York, NY ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Indian Time by Melissa Yi Ontario, Canada ⭐⭐⭐
Part 2: South
On Drowing Pond by AA Hedgecoke Charlotte, NC ⭐⭐⭐
Daddy's Girl by Mistina Bates Memphis, TN ⭐⭐
The Raven & the Wolf by O'Neal De Noux New Orleans ⭐
Juracán by R. Narvaez San Juan, PR ⭐⭐⭐.5
Part III
JaneJohnDoe . com by David Cole Yuscon, AZ ⭐⭐
Lame Elk by Leonard Schonberg Ashland, Montana ⭐
Another Role by Reed FARREL Coleman LA, Cali ⭐
Part 4: North
Getting Lucky by Lawrence Block Upper Peninsula, Michigan ⭐⭐
Prowling Wolves by Liz Martinez Chicago ⭐⭐⭐
Quilt like a Night Sky by Kimberly Roppolo Alberta, Canada ⭐
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