نوآر بلگراد (نوآر آکاشیک)

Belgrade, with all of its historical complexity, joins Zagreb and Prague in representing the Eastern European dimension of the Akashic Noir Series. "Ivanović's contributions are from Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian, and Finnish writers—all admirably noirish." — Kirkus Reviews "History haunts Belgrade...An anthology that has its share of winners." — Publishers Weekly "Intensely magnetic." — Exclusive Magazine "You have thieves, traitors, spies, corrupt doctors, psychiatric patients, former policemen, and mafia clans all represented in these stories." — Journey of a Bookseller Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir . Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city. Brand-new stories by: Oto Oltvanji, Misha Glenny, Kati Hiekkapelto, Vesna Goldsworthy, Mirjana Đurđević, Vladan Matijević, Muharem Bazdulj, Vladimir Arsenijević, Dejan Stojiljković, Miljenko Jergović, Aleksandar Gatalica, Vule Žurić, Verica Vincent Cole, and Goran Skrobonja. From the introduction by Milorad Ivanović: Belgrade, meaning "White City," is located in Southeast Europe at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers...Alfred Hitchcock once said that certain creepy parts of Belgrade unnerved him and would be ideal settings for thrillers. Thieves, traitors, spies, corrupt doctors, psychiatric patients, former policemen, mafia clans—they all appear in the pages of this book. Even in the worst periods of its history, Belgrade was always a multicultural, multireligious, and multinational city. This anthology illustrates that. Alongside our Serbian authors, there are stories written by Croatian, Bosnian, British, and Finnish writers. The same is true for our great team of translators, which includes Americans, Serbians, Bosnians, and an Albanian... Right now, you likely believe there are a number of cities throughout the world that would make better settings for good noir stories. But I am quite certain that after reading this book, you will find yourself seduced by the dark charm of the White City. Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city. Brand-new stories by: Oto Oltvanji, Misha Glenny, Kati Hiekkapelto, Vesna Goldsworthy, Mirjana urdevic, Vladan Matijevic, Muharem Bazdulj, Vladimir Arsenijevic, Dejan Stojiljkovic, Miljenko Jergovic, Aleksandar Gatalica, Vule uric, Verica Vincent Cole, and Goran Skrobonja. From the introduction by Milorad Ivanovic: It was summer 1997, two years after the wars in Bosnia and Croatia, and two years before the war in Kosovo and NATO's bombardment of Belgrade. Serbia was under sanctions and life was difficult. I had been working as a journalist for two short months when my editor sent me to cover the suicide of a famous Serbian painter. The crime scene was terrifying--in front of the elevator lay the body of the artist covered in blood. In one hand, he held a plastic bag containing the bread and milk he had purchased just a few minutes before in a nearby supermarket, and in the other he gripped a pistol that was still pressed against his forehead. Neighbors told us that just a few moments before he had sat in a kafana, drinking sljivovica. As I continued documenting the scene, a brand-new red Mazda pulled up and parked in front of the building. Two neat, clean-shaven, dangerous-looking men in very expensive suits exited the car, approached the policemen conducting the investigation, and showed their Serbian secret service IDs. "Keep doing your job, we're here on other business," they said. The police officers stepped aside, allowing the men to enter the building. A few minutes later the agents reemerged accompanied by one of, at the time, the biggest stars of turbo-folk music. Dressed in a luxurious coat, and caked in makeup, her high heels elegantly stepped through the blood pooled in front of the elevator. She paid no attention to the macabre scene accented by the fresh dead body lying in front of her as she entered the red Mazda. If you read the previous paragraphs, and you fully comprehended them--recognized turbo-folk, reminisced about your favorite kafana, recalled the sort of sanctions Serbia lived under, and remembered why one European capital was bombed in 1999--then you will find it easy to understand the fourteen short noir stories in this anthology. If you did not, this will be a great opportunity to learn about and understand the city that Momo Kapor, one of the most famous Serbian authors, described as "a low-budget New York." Belgrade, with all of its historical complexity, joins Zagreb and Prague in representing the Eastern European dimension of the Akashic Noir Series. "Intensely magnetic." —Exclusive Magazine Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city. Brand-new stories by: Oto Oltvanji, Misha Glenny, Kati Hiekkapelto, Vesna Goldsworthy, Mirjana ?urdevic, Vladan Matijevic, Muharem Bazdulj, Vladimir Arsenijevic, Dejan Stojiljkovic, Miljenko Jergovic, Aleksandar Gatalica, Vule Žuric, Verica Vincent Cole, and Goran Skrobonja.