Mexico City Noir »

Taibo was born in Gijon, Spain and has lived in Mexico since 1958. He is the author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction, which have been published in many languages around the world, including a mystery series starring Mexican Private Investigator Héctor Belascoarán Shayne. He is a professor of history at the Metropolitcan Unviersity of Mexico City.

Mexico City enters the Akashic Noir series arena, edited by one of Mexico's most revered novelists.

Publishers Weekly

Taibo's introduction, evocatively titled “Snow White vs. Dr. Frankenstein,” is more compelling than any of the 12 stories in this slim anthology in Akashic's celebrated noir series. The real-life examples of corruption Taibo cites, including a drug kingpin serving as head of an anti-narcotics police force, are almost beyond belief, but few of the contributors, including Taibo himself, do justice to Mexico City's rampant violence and cynicism. Eduardo Antonio Parra's “I'm Nobody” convincingly presents the perspective of a street person, who may or may not know the truth behind a murder. Óscar de la Borbolla's “Outside the Door,” which depicts how well-meaning neighbors become paralyzed despite suspecting that a rape or murder has been committed in a nearby apartment, comes closest to enabling the reader to understand the insidious effects on the soul of living in a society where those charged with keeping the public safe can't be trusted. (Feb.)

Contents

Introduction....................23
Eduardo Antonio Parra I'm Nobody Narvarte....................36
Bernardo Fernández Private Collection Vallejo....................44
Paco Ignacio Taibo II The Corner Doctores....................54
F.G. Haghenbeck The Unsmiling Comedian Condesa....................73
Juan Hernández Luna BANG! Roma....................82
Eugenio Aguirre Judas Burning Calle Tacuba....................88
Myriam Laurini Violeta Isn't Here Anymore Hipódromo....................113
Óscar De La Borbolla Outside the Door Barrio Unknown....................121
Rolo Diez A Squirrel without a Tree Centro Histórico....................130
Eduardo Monteverde God Is Fanatical, Hija San Fernando....................153
Víctor Luis González Of Cats and Murderers Colonia del Valle....................166
Julia Rodríguez RENO Buenos Aires....................172