In the wake of the 2016 "Brexit" vote, the state of the European Union and its de facto capital, Brussels, seems a bit uncertain--as it does in several of the stories in Brussels Noir. Showcasing this generally delightful city, the anthology takes a look at the dark underside of many of its charming old neighborhoods.
Featuring stories originally written in French, English and Spanish, Brussels Noir contains many fictions that have grains of truth--like Paul Colize's "A Fraction of a Second" about the Mad Killers of Brabant and Alfredo Noriega's "Ecuador," homage to a prisoner who was killed by Belgian police. Others don't--like Katia Lanero Zamora's "Daedelus," set in a depressing, futuristic Brussels where electricity is limited and rebellions are on the rise. In spite of many stories' brevity, the collection is filled with fascinating and dynamic characters, including the obsessive mother who ends up driving her son to commit murder, the Korean geneticist who has a chance encounter on a train, and the quiet man who secretly grows cannabis in the king's gardens.
A perfect choice for those who love noir or those who love armchair traveling, this assortment of short stories gives the reader a glimpse into what life in the Belgian capital is like. An excellent entry in Akashic Books' noir series, which began with Brooklyn Noir more than a decade ago, Brussels Noir takes readers through the underbelly of yet another fascinating locale. --Jessica Howard, blogger at Quirky Bookworm