Excellent collection. Several standout stories, especially by Walter Kirn and of course Tom McGuane. A few slack stories as to be expected but overall, really enjoyed this book. My reservations are really about how difficult it is to rise above the cliches of the mystery/thriller genre. That said, this collection has plenty of gritty realism for this Grit Lit lover.

Excellent collection of short stories. I loved them all except the first and last which didn’t resonate with me the way the rest of the collection did. Longer review on my blog:http://tailsfromthedogside.blog/2018/...

This was a delicious book.I ordered it because I had read The Paris Library, by Janet Skeslien Charles, and after I wrote the review I looked at other publications and discovered she had a story in this collection.Each story in this collection was so different from the others. Each story had unique characters, who all seemed believable. Their situations seemed possible, even when unlikely. Montana is more complicated than we imagine, and these stories, several darkly humorous, reflect the wide v...

This is a good idea; noir stories set in specific geographic regions. I enjoyed the geographic and regional references. Some of the stories were very enjoyable, others were not. Some of what I disliked was connected to the genre, some was the writing or story.

MONTANA NOIR is one of the latest titles in Akashic Books Noir series. It is edited by James Grady and Keir Graff.My copy was an ‘Advance Reading Copy’ sent to me by Akashic Books for an unbiased and honest review.I have enjoyed all the Noir titles that I have read. The stories are true noir - dark, dreary, raw, cynical and reeking of moral ambiguity. I once read noir described as “whiskey neat” and that phrase has always stayed with me.My favorite part of every Noir (series) title is the introd...

I thoroughly enjoyed being part of this anthology. My favorite story was RED, WHITE, and BUTTE, by David Abrams. I suspect he has a bright (dark?) future in noir.

Every story in this collection takes place in a different town in Montana and while each story was by a different writer, all featured the unique geography and culture of Montana. True to the "noir" tradition the protagonists of the stories live on the edge of their society, none are completely sympathetic though many find themselves in sympathetic situations even if their ultimate response is one of violence or crime. My favorites from the collection."Red, White and Butte" is told by an army ve...

Some of the best writers in Montana contributed short stories to this collection. I discovered I don't really like noir fiction.

Great collection of stories here, many really stood out as excellent.Among my many favorites:"Red, White and Butte" by David Abrams"The Dive" by Jamie Ford"Trailer Trash" by Gwen Florio

I'm very happy I started with the Havre story - it was by far my favorite - because the more of this collection I read the less and less I was enjoying the stories. I'm not sure if that was because noir really isn't my bailiwick or if the authors were doing just that good of a job capturing the essence of Montana (and I can assure you beyond a doubt, they did) and that reminded me why I bailed on the state as soon as I could. I was planning on passing this along to family and friends (and that o...

Some of these stories were good. Others didn’t have much by way of plot or purpose. It was fun to read about and recognize names and locations of my home. I would like to say, though: In spite of what the stories might make you think, not all Montanans are criminals, burned-out druggies, or tree-huggers. Most of us are regular people (stories about whom would likely not be as intriguing as some of these were).

I found the stories interesting, certainly well-written, and of consistently good quality. It turns out I don't relate well to the moral ambiguity inherent in the stories, though. That's my issue, and not this collection's.

I received this through the Early Reviewers Giveaway for July on Library Thing. I have previously read "Oakland Noir"."Montana Noir" is a collection of short stories by authors that may not be on the top reading lists, but really can create a strange and dark look into life. Their abilities to work words into glimpses of life in the worlds of people down on their luck by choice or the whim of life, can leave you thinking of the characters for a good bit after reading.Montana may be the state of

Even though there were a few stories that I didn't love every bit of, and one I just didn't like (Downtown Billings, looking at you, but maybe I'm missing something), I still LOVED this collection. It is such a RELIEF to read a book that really makes an effort to get Montana right. Sure we have cowboys and all that, but we're just as varied here as many other places. It's hard to pick a favorite, but maybe Debra Magpie Earling's Polson-set story is it. The pacing, the details, all of it: perfect...

"Montana Noir" reveals that even Big Sky Country works just fine as a landscape for downbeats and deadbeats, cynics and gamblers, posers and schemers. This is a diverse collection with many hits. I’m going to touch only on a few.David Abrams ("Fobbit," "Brave Deeds") starts things off with a cracking yarn in “Red, White and Butte.” The opening line sets the mood: “Marlowe was a dead and that was fine by me.”Marlowe, it turns out, “lay in pieces in a coffin” waiting for his hero’s welcome parade

My first of the Akashic Noir Series, this one showcasing the dark side of Montana. Interesting stories for sure. I was glad to see two Indigenous (Montana Natives also) authors included in the series.

Montana Noir is the newest anthology joining the outstanding Akashic Noir series. Edited by James Grady and Keir Graff, it includes fourteen stories from all over Montana. It is organized into four sections that are united by their history. Copper Power features stories in Butte, Helena, and Great Falls, the centers of the mining industry. The Hi-Line follows Highway 2 through the rolling prairies and the “Big Sky”, Custer Country ranges from Billings to the southeastern border near the Bakken,

I picked up Montana Noir because I saw Jamie Ford’s name on the cover. I had read and reviewed Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, and realized that there were other well-known authors in Akashic’s noir series of books. Each of the authors of stories in the Montana Noir book has a connection with Montana. Jamie Ford, for example, has lived in Montana for seventeen years.Each story is set in one of the great towns or areas of the state, generally the area where its author is connected. Jami

Most of the stories in this collection focusing on the dark side of life in Montana left me grateful for my sheltered little existence. Having spent some time recently in Big Sky Country, I felt familiar with the various settings. I, however, did not meet any people remotely resembling many of the characters populating these pages. My top three stories are "Constellations" by Caroline Patterson; "The Road You Take" by James Grady; and "Bad Blood" by Carrie La Seur. Tomorrow, I would likely choos...

As my readers know I like setting in fiction and what could be better than the Akashic Books Noir series. I love the Montana scenery and Montana Noir has it all in spades. Mountains, plains, deserts, smelters, mines, oil rigs, small towns with low rent people. It is all there and all wonderful.If Montana intrigues you you will enjoy this book as much as I did. For me the best story in the book was the first one, RED, WHITE AND BUTTE by David Abrams.