L.A. Noire (2011) (edit title/settings)

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Liked It Rated 4 stars “I was very dubious about this collection, which was released as part of a tie-in to a video game. I'm not a gamer but I do love noir, so I sprung for the e-book when I saw the authors featured (Megan Abbott, Lawrence Block, Joe R. Lansdale, Joyce Carol Oates, Francine Prose, Jonathan Santlofer,...” see full review » see other reviews »

Newest Reviews

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  • Rated 3 stars

  “Inconsistent quality but the overall themes remain so. The variety is good, but at the cost of ease of reading. This is a high quality good video tie-in novel, from a literature perspective.”

  Nancy wrote this review Wednesday, September 12, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
  
  • Rated 3 stars

  “A collection of small stories - none of them any attention grabbers. Especially not the Black Dahlia story. Which was just pure crap from start to end. Other than that, the book was an okay read during a bus ride.”

  Roger Johnsen wrote this review Friday, April 13, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
  
  • Rated 4 stars

  “I was very dubious about this collection, which was released as part of a tie-in to a video game. I'm not a gamer but I do love noir, so I sprung for the e-book when I saw the authors featured (Megan Abbott, Lawrence Block, Joe R. Lansdale, Joyce Carol Oates, Francine Prose, Jonathan Santlofer, Duane Swierczynski and Andrew Vachss). At worst, I figured it would be a gathering of previous published work, some of which might be new to me. Thankfully, happily, entertained-for-three-nights-ly, I was wrong!
  
  The stories are originals, contributed specifically to this collection, which is exciting. Two or three feature characters from the video game, but I didn't find that a hindrance in the slightest (in fact, I didn't notice save for the Introduction telling me which had 'em). I enjoyed most of the stories, but the standout winners for me were Lawrence Block's "See the Woman" and Duane Swierczynski's "Hell of an Affair". "Black Dahlia & White Rose" by Joyce Carol Oates felt done as did Francine Prose's "School for Murder", but I'm also not a huge fan of either writer, so that could be why I wasn't impressed. The rest of the stories were good -- high on ambiance, a hint of violence and sex, enough punch to stick with you for the day.
  
  I don't think hardcore noir fans will love this collection, but there are one or two stories that I think stand out. Certainly, as an introduction to many of today's top crime and mystery writers, this is a good start. From what I understand, playing the video game doesn't spoil any of these stories (nor do they spoil the game's storyline) but it might enhance the gameplay for those who really enjoy the feel of the setting. For everyone else, if you want a little gritty 1940s L.A. in your day (and who doesn't?!), consider this as a quick pick-me-up on a grey evening or smoky morning.”

  Audra wrote this review Monday, September 19, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
  
  • Rated 4 stars

  “The ads for the game, LA Noire, look fun. It’s not available on PC though so I guess it’ll be a while before my guys start playing it. Still, the idea of a fictional LA, noir and as filled with stories as the movies I remember, is certainly intriguing. Even more intriguing was finding a book of tales built to go with the game; getting hold of a free ecopy to review was the icing on the cake.
  
  Reading these tales is like a retreat into old noir movies. The Black Dahlia tells her side of the story, from her side of the grave; an LA cop recounts the pain of secrets that cannot be told; the sound of a neck breaking lifts your head from the page; the trickle of ice down your back… There’s anger, betrayal, cruelty, temptation and vice in this collection, and the whole is encased in bite-sized, noir-flavored pieces, quickly read but slowly remembered, like the taste of a world that’s not quite real.
  
  Each different, each scary in a different way, each intriguing, each filled with character at least as much as events, each powerfully told, LA Noire contains a great collection of tales to read and enjoy in the darkening evening, and to leave your mind filled with thoughts of darkness that lies just beyond the glow of Sunset.
  
  
  
  Disclosure: I was lucky enough to get a free ecopy of this book for review.”

  Sheila Deeth wrote this review Tuesday, July 26, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
  
  • Rated 3 stars

  “It seems I'm one of the rare few that pretty much hated most of this book. In truth I think my actual rating is 2.5 not a 3. Thankfully each story was short so I knew I could finish it but I wish I could have finished it faster so it would have been over. Don't get me wrong I really enjoyed the video game, but these stories were just difficult to follow at times. A few of them were good and I enjoyed them but most had me wondering what the heck the narrator was yapping about. Just glad it's over so I can move on to something else. ”

  In Libris Veritas wrote this review Sunday, June 19, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No