Tart Noir: An Anthology

this anthology may have been well written but it is not full of 'female sleuths', many of the stories where women plotting how to kill a lover, (usually another women) when they are finnished having great sex.

the only story i actually liked was liz evan's "pussy galore", i read all four grace smith novels in the following week.

if you are looking for copious amounts of unneeded sex this is the book for you. maybe the writers need to reasses their ideas about tart noir, less tart more noir would be a start.

if you are looking for a good crime fiction read stick to the actual books written by the above writers.

if you are looking for a tough female slueth who has a real story and great sex try jean m. redmann, hard to get hold of copies of these books but well worth the effort.


Good Read Required? See below....   October 13, 2002
 6 out of 8 found this review helpful

...This is an anthology which left me reeling. It is filled with exceptionally good stories from exceptionally good writers, a few of whom were totally unexpected. It is rare to find an anthology that delivers on every sotry, but this one does this and so much more. I would be hard pushed to recommend anything else so worth reading to you, and I think congratulations are in order to all concerned, particularly the editors for not only contributing, but organising this tour de force anthology. Buy it, buy it now. If you have any interest in women in crime fiction or women writing some damn good fiction, you won't be sorry you did.


One of the best anthologies in years   October 12, 2002
 2 out of 4 found this review helpful

The Tart Noir anthology was published with much hype--twenty of the best crime and "chicklit" authors around contributing stories that would be edgy, boundary-pushing, and of course, extremely tarty. Well I'm here to say that the anthology not only lives up to expectations but more than surpasses them. There is some flat-out astonishing writing here, and I should make special mention of the non-crime writers who really showed a different side of themselves. Lisa Jewell's story is absolutely hilarious, especially since over in the US, the "Anna Nicole Smith Show" debuted about the same time and the ironies are even more delicious. Jenny Colgan's "The Wrong Train" is a unique take on the London Underground and really shows a suspenseful touch that you'd never have realized, reading her romantic comedies. Karen Moline contributes a very interesting take on the "Mile High Club" concept, with an ending that made me laugh out loud.

Not that the crime fiction bunch were slouches. Hardly. Val McDermid's tale of dark sexual obsession had me gripped from the first sentence. The editrices, Henderson and Duffy, deliver great tales of satire and of unlikely sexual beings, respectively. It comes as no surprise to me that Duffy's story is being recognized by the CWA in the Dagger Short Story competition. I could go on and on rhapsodizing, but I just want to add one more thing: read Karin Slaughter's "Necessary Women". I did, then I had to go and read it again immediately. It is that good.

If you're looking for standout writing, fascinating subject matters, and some seriously kickass women, you have to get this anthology. It's worth all the hype and more.