“What do you get when you put some of the most well-known authors in Northeast Ohio—a list that includes Dana McSwain, Paula McLain, Michael Ruhlman and Thrity Umrigar—together for a spooky story collection? Cleveland Noir, a series of short fictional works all tied to the city.”
—Cleveland Magazine

“Fifteen new tales of murder and mayhem as diverse as the city that spawned them . . . Ruhlman and Headen draft an outstanding crew of writers to chronicle the misery of folks who can’t get out of their own ways.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Cleveland, a city of extremes, is a near-perfect location for these dark tales of deception, violence, and despair . . . All of the stories are tied in well with place, and the range of approaches is admirably wide. VERDICT One of the best in a very good series, this title should fly off the shelves.”
—Library Journal

“The best entries in the collection shy away from pat scenarios entirely . . . [T]here’s Mary Grimm’s ‘Over the Hill,’ in which an obsessed lover searches high and low for his woman on Halloween night—a woman who may actually be a witch. Gassed up on grungy, gritty storytelling, the tale is both a vivid journey into Cleveland’s Flats, a neighborhood perched on the side of a cliff (and imminent disaster), and a love story where no one dies, but sex feels an awful lot like death. Moments like these remind us why Akashic’s noir series are enjoyable and sometimes surprising; James M. Cain himself would have approved.”
—New York Journal of Books

“Michael Ruhlman and his coeditor Miesha Wilson Headen, who also penned a story for the book, have curated a helluva lineup. Cleveland Noir comprises a variety of styles and moods that push the genre’s potential and add texture to the city’s terrain. One need not be a local to enjoy it. In fact, read it even if you don’t know the city—let it be your dark guide.”
—Fearsome Queer

“The vivid visuals each author brought to Cleveland Noir kept me reading. In many ways, the stories remind me of a combination of fi lm noir and episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. The famous director is quoted as saying, ‘Everyone loves a good murder, provided he is not the victim.’ All in all, this makes for a fascinating read.”
—Insight News