São Paulo Noir, edited by Tony Bellotto

The Akashic Noir series is a brilliant idea (I have SYDNEY NOIR on the piles at present). The whole thing is a series of Noir styled short story collections from all around the world, launched originally in 2004 with BROOKLYN NOIR.

This collection of stories from Brazil is a fascinating combination of darkest noir stylings, some humorous in delivery, many of which come from an unexpected viewpoint / starting position.

As is always the way, some of the stories here will work for some readers and others not. In particular, the humour is a tricky undertaking with one of the stories, My Name is Nicky Nicola, starting out quite amusing, but rapidly becoming a bit too overdone for this reader's overall amusement. Having said that, it's definitely readable. I was also very taken with Cross Contamination, set in the world of a hotel cleaner, who prides herself on her ability to get into the heads of her guests, by digging about in their rooms, following their in-hotel lives. It also takes pride in your work just a little further than you'd kind of expect. 

Overall I'd say that whilst this is an interesting way of getting a look at another culture, there are some stories that dance a little close to some sensitive edges (misogny, homophobia and transphobia came to mind). A few too many times, these issues were so open to interpretation - was the author highlighting or glorifying - that it could get a bit messy unless readers were open and/or very careful in their analysis. But then that's part of the power of reading across different cultures, getting a handle on approaches, sensibilities, issues that matter, ways of seeing the world.

This volume was a gift from my partner, which I really appreciated receiving. So far down my darkened, twisted, noir alleyway, you'd think he knew me. The rest of the series is on the list, I will get to it:

https://www.akashicbooks.com/subject/noir-series/