Publisher Description

Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city.Brand-new stories by: Jason Y. Ng, Xu Xi, Marshall Moore, Brittani Sonnenberg, Tiffany Hawk, James Tam, Rhiannon Jenkins Tsang, Christina Liang, Feng Chi-shun, Charles Philipp Martin, Shannon Young, Shen Jian, Carmen Suen, and Ysabelle Cheung.From the introduction by Jason Y. Ng & Susan Blumberg-Kason:What will Hong Kong look like in five years, ten years, or thirty years--when the "one country, two systems" promise expires? It's impossible to foresee. Hong Kong's future may not be within our control, but some things are. We can continue to write about our beloved city and work our hardest to preserve it in words. When we asked our contributors to write their noir stories, we didn't give them specific content guidelines other than to make sure their stories end on a dark note. What we received was a brilliant collection of ghost stories, murder mysteries, domestic dramas, cops-and-robbers tales, and historical thrillers that capture Hong Kong in all its dark glory. The result is every bit as eclectic, quirky, and delightful as the city they write about.

Author Biography

Jason Y. Ng is the best-selling author of Hong Kong State of Mind, No City for Slow Men, and Umbrellas in Bloom--the first book in English to chronicle the Umbrella Movement of 2014. His short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies. Ng is also an adjunct associate law professor at the University of Hong Kong and president of PEN Hong Kong.Susan Blumberg-Kason is the author of Good Chinese Wife: A Love Affair With China Gone Wrong. Her writing has also appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books China Blog and China channel, Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, Asian Jewish Life, and several Hong Kong anthologies. She received an MPhil in government and public administration from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Blumberg-Kason lives in Chicago and frequently travels to Hong Kong

Table of Contents

Introduction Part I: Hungry Ghosts & Troubled Spirits "Ghost of Yulan Past" by Jason Y. Ng (Tin Hau) "TST" by Xu Xi (Tsim Sha Tsui) "This Quintessence of Dust" by Marshall More (Cheung Chau) "The Kamikaze Caves" by Brittani Sonnenberg (Lamma Island) Part II: Obedience & Respect "You Deserve More" by Tiffany Hawk (Lan Kwai Fong) "Phoenix Moon" by James Tam (Mong Kok) "One Marriage, Two People" by Rhiannon Jenkins Tsang (Ma On Shan) Part III: Family Matters "Ticket Home" by Charles Philipp Martin (Yau Ma Tei) "A View to Die For" by Christina Liang (Repulse Bay) "Expensive Tissue Paper" by Feng Chi-shun (Diamond Hill) Part IV: Death & Thereafter "Blood on the Steps" by Shannon Young (The Pottinger Steps) "Kam Tin Red" by Shen Jian (Kam Tin) "Fourteen" by Carmen Suen (Wah Fu) "Big Hotel" by Ysabelle Cheung (North Point)

Review

"Hong Kong Noir is a heart-stopping but spellbinding account of the glamorous city's repressed side."
--Hong Kong Review of Books"Now in the 14th year of its Noir series--which has collected original stories from Brooklyn to Istanbul to Lagos--Akashic has assembled a delightfully dark collection of fiction from Hong Kong, a city where talk is cheap and cash is still king."
--Ritz-Carlton Magazine"Ng and Blumberg-Kason defy the fates by presenting a collection of 14 stores--by Chinese tradition, an ominous number--illustrating their city's dark side...Ng and Blumberg-Kason's Hong Kong is a city on the brink, haunted by its past but facing an uncertain future. Readers can feel lucky to have such a collection."
--Kirkus Reviews"Hong Kong is a city of breathtaking highs and earth-shattering lows, luxury and poverty, excess and want, and this new collection of 14 tales from Hong Kong's best crime writers showcases the extremes of one of the world's capitals. From ghost stories, to historical thrills, to underworld brutality, Hong Kong Noir, like the city it captures, is as endlessly fascinating as it is impossible to define."
--CrimeReads"Readers will get a fair picture of Hong Kong's culture and history."
--Publishers WeeklyIncluded in Little Big Crimes' The Best Mystery Story I read This Week: Marshall Moore's "The Quintessence of Dust""This is a terrific short story collection from Akashic Books' ongoing series. These fourteen stories will warm your noir-loving heart and give you a glimpse into one of the world's greatest cities."
--Writer's Bone"Hong Kong Noir offers 14 tales, set in the past and present, that are deeply dark--noir at its most seductive and riveting. The writers you'll discover inside will not be familiar, but they'll mark you like a tattoo."
--Zoom Street"If you like mysteries and short stories and are curious about the world, Akashic Noir is a delight and you will enjoy Hong Kong Noir."
--Tonstant Weader Reviews

Long Description

Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city. Brand-new stories by: Jason Y. Ng, Xu Xi, Marshall Moore, Brittani Sonnenberg, Tiffany Hawk, James Tam, Rhiannon Jenkins Tsang, Christina Liang, Feng Chi-shun, Charles Philipp Martin, Shannon Young, Shen Jian, Carmen Suen, and Ysabelle Cheung. From the introduction by Jason Y. Ng & Susan Blumberg-Kason: What will Hong Kong look like in five years, ten years, or thirty years--when the "one country, two systems" promise expires? It's impossible to foresee. Hong Kong's future may not be within our control, but some things are. We can continue to write about our beloved city and work our hardest to preserve it in words. When we asked our contributors to write their noir stories, we didn't give them specific content guidelines other than to make sure their stories end on a dark note. What we received was a brilliant collection of ghost stories, murder mysteries, domestic dramas, cops-and-robbers tales, and historical thrillers that capture Hong Kong in all its dark glory. The result is every bit as eclectic, quirky, and delightful as the city they write about.

Review Quote

"Now in the 14th year of its Noir series--which has collected original stories from Brooklyn to Istanbul to Lagos--Akashic has assembled a delightfully dark collection of fiction from Hong Kong, a city where talk is cheap and cash is still king." -- Ritz-Carlton Magazine "Ng and Blumberg-Kason defy the fates by presenting a collection of 14 stores--by Chinese tradition, an ominous number--illustrating their city's dark side...Ng and Blumberg-Kason's Hong Kong is a city on the brink, haunted by its past but facing an uncertain future. Readers can feel lucky to have such a collection." -- Kirkus Reviews "Hong Kong is a city of breathtaking highs and earth-shattering lows, luxury and poverty, excess and want, and this new collection of 14 tales from Hong Kong's best crime writers showcases the extremes of one of the world's capitals. From ghost stories, to historical thrills, to underworld brutality, Hong Kong Noir , like the city it captures, is as endlessly fascinating as it is impossible to define." -- CrimeReads "Readers will get a fair picture of Hong Kong's culture and history." -- Publishers Weekly Included in Little Big Crimes ' The Best Mystery Story I read This Week: Marshall Moore's "The Quintessence of Dust" "This is a terrific short story collection from Akashic Books' ongoing series. These fourteen stories will warm your noir-loving heart and give you a glimpse into one of the world's greatest cities." -- Writer's Bone " Hong Kong Noir offers 14 tales, set in the past and present, that are deeply dark--noir at its most seductive and riveting. The writers you'll discover inside will not be familiar, but they'll mark you like a tattoo." -- Zoom Street "If you like mysteries and short stories and are curious about the world, Akashic Noir is a delight and you will enjoy Hong Kong Noir ." -- Tonstant Weader Reviews

Description for Sales People

Hong Kong is a city of rapid change, making it the perfect subject for this anthology. Latest in a long, successful line of Akashic Noir titles. Joins Singapore Noir (2014) and Manila Noir (2013) ' the only other Asian countries in the series so far. Several contributors have written for the Guardian, TimeOut Hong Kong, CNN.com, GQ and Time.

Details