MEXICO CITY NOIR edited by Paco Ignacio Taibo II

Book Quote:

“I’ve said many times that statistics reveal a surprising city; one that has more movie theatres than Paris, more abortions than London, more universities than New York. Where nighttime has become sparse, desolate, the kingdom of only a few. Where violence rules, corners us, silences us into a kind of autism. Shuts us in our bedrooms with the TV on, creates that terrible circle of solitude where no one can depend on anyone but themselves.”

Book Review:

Review by Guy Savage (MAR 11, 2010)

As a fan of author Paco Ignacio Taibo II, the founder of the Mexican neodetective story, I knew I had to read Mexico City Noir released 2/10 by Akashic books. I am addicted to Taibo’s series detective novels which feature the philosophical one-eyed detective Hector Belascoaran Shayne. Hector’s favoured modus operandi is to snoop around and to be a big enough pain that someone somewhere breaks ranks and rattles loose with a clue or two. It’s a method that gets Taibo into a great deal of trouble (hence the one-eye), and keeps him poor, but he never loses his sense of humour. Anyway, add me to the legion of Taibo’s fans who’d read this writer’s shopping list if he bothered to write it on a piece of toilet paper.

So…this brings me back to Mexico City Noir a collection of 12 stories written by some of Mexico’s hottest talent (I should add here that Taibo was born in Spain but has lived in Mexico since 1958). Mexico City Noir is part of Akashic’s Noir Series. Each book in the series is set in either a distinct neighbourhood or location: hence Mexico City Noir. I haven’t read Akashic’s Paris Noir, but when I hear the title, I can’t help but see some elegant, suave noir characters (I’m thinking Jean Gabin or Alain Delon here…), but Mexico City Noir…well…you know it’s going to be hardcore.

The wonderful, insightful introduction written by Taibo sets the scene for what to expect from the rest of the book. Taibo clearly loves Mexico City, and he calls it “the best city on the planet in spite of itself.” Many of Taibo’s introductory, wry observations about the city are affectionate, but others analyze the insurmountable corruption. He recounts how he met a policeman who works a particular corner; it’s “his” corner, and that translates to mean he must pay his supervisor what amounts to a weekly “rent”– a portion of whatever fines he can extract from those who cross his corner. Corruption is everywhere and on every level:

“Survey question: how many citizens do you know who, when assaulted on the street, will call the police? A few, none; maybe one of those boys in blue who patrols the intersections of this newly democratic city? A secret cop? Not on your life. What do you want to be assaulted twice?

How big is the Mexico City police force? They say fifty-two squads. How many are officially sanctioned? How many bodyguards, paramilitary forces, armed groups associated with this or that official unit are there?

You wake up one morning with the uneasy feeling that the law of probabilities is working against you.”

Frankly I expected that Taibo’s story would be my favourite from the collection. Sorry Taibo, no hard feelings, but you come a very close second here. My first pick story is “Violeta Isn’t Here Anymore” written by Myriam Laurini, followed by Taibo’s “The Corner.” Third: (and this is because I am sucker, at least in fiction, for a really rotten dame), Bernardo Fernandez’s “Private Collection.” Yes, there’s money for some in Mexico City and this story goes to show that it’s perhaps bad for your health to question the source of great wealth.

“Violeta Isn’t Here Anymore” is interesting in part due to the fact the story unfolds via cassette tapes of recorded sessions with various witnesses in an investigation of the murder of a well-liked elderly lady. Taibo’s introduction mentions that a “shared element in the stories…is an interest in experimentation, in crossing narrative planes, points of view” and this is apparent in this diverse collection of stories which reflect the harshness and also the brittle brilliance of life in Mexico City.

These Akashic Noir collections are a great way to pick up new authors, and to complement this idea, there are brief bios of the writers at the back of the book. (Translated by Achy Obejas.)

AMAZON READER RATING:	from 2 readers
PUBLISHER:	Akashic Books (February 1, 2010)
REVIEWER:	Guy Savage
AVAILABLE AS A KINDLE BOOK?	YES! Start Reading Now!
AUTHOR WEBSITE:	Paco Ignacio Taibo II
EXTRAS:	Akashic Books website
MORE ON MOSTLYFICTION:	Visit our Paco Ignacio Taibo II page Review our review of: Philadelphia Noir San Francisco Noir 2 New Orleans Noir Boston Noir Moscow Noir

Bibliography:

Books in the Akashic Noir Series (Alphabetical Order):

Baltimore Noir edited by Laura Lippman (May 2006)
Boston Noir edited by Dennis Lehane (Nivember 2009)
Bronx Noir edited by by S.J. Rozan (August 2007)
Brooklyn Noir edited by Tim McLoughlin (June 2004)
Brooklyn Noir 2: The Classics edited by Tim McLoughlin (June 2005)
Chicago Noir edited by Neal Pollack (2005)
D.C. Noir edited by George Pelecanos (February 2006)
D.C. Noir 2: The Classics edited by George Pelecanos (February 2006)
Delhi Noir by Hirsh Sawhney (August 2009)
Detroit Noir edited by E.J. Olsen and John C. Hocking (November 2007)
Dublin Noir : The Celtic Tiger vs. The Ugly American edited by Ken Bruen (March 2006)
Haiti Noir edited by Edwidge Danticat (January 2011)
Havana Noir edited by Achy Obejas (October 2007)
Indian Country Noir edited by Sarah Cortez and Liz Martinez (June 2010)
Istanbul Noir edted by Mustafa Ziyalan and Amy Spangler (November 2008)
Las Vegas Noir edited by Jarret Keene and Todd James Pierce (May 2008)
London Noir edited by Cathi Unsworth (August 2006)
Lone Star Noir edited by Bobby Byrd and Johnny Byrd (October 2010)
Los Angeles Noir edited by Jarret Keene and Todd James Pierce (May 2008)
Los Angeles Noir 2: The Classics edited by Denise Hamilton (April 2010)
Manhattan Noir edited by Lawrence Block (April 2006)
Manhattan Noir 2: The Classics edited by Lawrence Block (September 2008)
Mexico City Noir edited by Paco Ignacio Taibo II (February 2010)
Miami Noir edited by Les Standiford (November 2006)
Moscow Noir edited by Natalia Smirnova & Julia Goumen (June 2010)
New Orleans Noir edited by Julie Smith (April 2007)
Orange County Noir edited by Gary Phillips (April 2010)
Paris Noir edited by Aurélien Masson (November 2008)
Philadelphia edited by Carlin Romano (November 2010)
Phoenix Noir edited by Patrick Milikin (November 2009)
Portland Noir edited by Kevin Sampsell (June 2009)
Richmond Noir edited by Andrew Blossom, Briand Castleberry & Tom De Haven (March 2010)
Rome Noir edited by Chiara Stangalino and Maxim Jakubowski (February 2009)
Queens Noir edited by Robert Knightly (January 2008)
San Francisco Noir (October 2005)
San Francisco Noir 2: The Classics (February 2009)
Seattle Noir edited by Curt Colbert (June 2009)
Toronto Noir edited by Janine Armin and Nathaniel G. Moore (May 2008)
Trinidad Noir edited by by Lisa Allen-Agostini and Jeanne Mason (August 2008)
Twin Cities Noir edited by Julie Schaper and Steven Horwitz (June 2006)
Wall Street Noir edited by Peter Spiegelman (June 2007)