Like all the volumes in the Akashic Noir series (at least the ones I've read), this is an excellent anthology. The stories--some more "noir" than others--are as varied as the stellar lineup of contributors. In "the Pig" John Searles writes about an aging snowbird. Editor/contributor Ann Hood offers a classic noir classic with sex, revenge, and money. The cast of authors includes Luanne Rice, Elizabeth Berg, Amity Gaige, and others. Their characters include fishermen, students, immigrants, teachers: a real cross section of Providence's population. Once again this series provides some excellent short fiction.
I received an advance copy for review consideration. ( )

I recently vacationed in this area of the county, visiting the grand old homes, the farms and countrysides as well as the costal towns. I loved the area and so I was drawn to this book. Elizabeth Strout and Ann Hood are both writers that I enjoy. Although I normally don't select short stories or books with collections of short stories, I found many of the selections very good.

The darkness of the individual stories carried from writer to writer and the Providence location where each of the crimes was committed keeps you wanting to read more about the area. It keep me moving through stories by authors that I hadn’t read before. The writing was well done for the most part with a fairly wide collection of styles. The collection of plots held together very well so it didn't seem like an abrupt move from one writer to the next as it does in many collections of this genre. I was also introduced to new writers that I will read again. That is one of the advantages of reading a collection like this and will definitely read more noir books. I think Boston Noir will be my next installment.

I give the book an overall 4. Some of the selections were a five rating but a couple fell a bit short. I would recommend this book for short story, mystery readers and those who want a glimpse of the fine writing of lesser known authors. ( )

I first discovered the publisher Akashic when I won The Cocaine Chronicles in another giveaway. I went on to read The Heroin Chronicles, The Marijuana Chronicles & The Speed Chronicles. All of which were over the top as far as the quality of the writing and how sucked in you became with every new story. You never wanted the stories to end (or God forbid, the book)!

Working in a library allowed me to pursue other books by Akashic publishing and that is how I came across the Noir series. I checked out Prison Noir and was hooked for life! My goal is to read (& collect) the entire series. When Providence Noir came up for grabs on Early Reviewers I knew it wouldn't matter that I had never been to Providence, nor would it matter that I hadn't heard of some of the authors, I was going to enjoy it & enjoy it I did!

While I often read mysteries I admit I'm not very good at figuring out who done it before the author reveals it. That's what I love about mysteries and there were a lot of surprises for me in this anthology. I also admit to being a slow reader (sorry Akashic), but I confess some of my slowness in reading this book was the ever engaging stories with their twist and turn endings. I did indeed string these stories out as long as I could so the book would never end.

One of the well known authors of this book was Luann Rice and working in a library I know just how popular she is. I have never picked up one of her books before, but if Gold Leaf is any indication of her caliber of work, I will soon be checking her books out. I enjoyed every story in this anthology for different reasons, though some more than others. But I will say all had great plots and even better writing. There was something for everyone. ( )

I was initially drawn to this book because of the setting. I'm from Massachusetts, and spent a lot of time in the Providence, RI area. That, coupled with the fact that I love the noir genre, got me to open the book. What kept me reading was the immense talent of the contributing authors.

While all of these stories share genre and the city setting, they vary widely in content and writing style. We have sorrow, fear, grief, some humor, and, of course, crime.

Several stories were standouts for me, an easy 5-star rating. A few didn't hold the same appeal, though that was more a matter of personal taste than anything to do with the writing. They are all masterfully written, with characters that feel real and suck you right into their world.

Being familiar with Providence, Rhode Island is absolutely not a prerequisite to enjoying this collection of stories. The authors paint their portraits of this place with such beautiful brush strokes that you will easily see it through their eyes. ( )

Providence Noir is a collection of stories by different authors, taking place in the various neighborhoods of Providence Rhode Island. The stories are as varied as the definition of "noir". While some were better than others, each story in the collection leaves you with a "wow". ( )