San Francisco is one of my favorite cities, and Oakland is the fund of creativity for the Bay Area. The streets of Oakland have produced a great range of talent -- everyone from Jack London and Maxine Hong Kingston to W. Kamau Bell. So do this book reflect that level of talent, unfortunately it doesn't. Like most collections, the book is uneven in quality and doesn't really reflect diversity of the city, or maybe those bright stars just don't write in this genre. ( )

The quality of these short stories is variable but there were many that were interesting, gripping, enjoyable and of course very dark. The good ones conjured up different sides of life in Oakland brilliantly and the variety in this collection is perfect, there will be something for everyone. ( )

This is a really good cure for anyone suffering from feelings of well-being. No happiness here, just criminals and victims (sometimes one and the same) suffering indignity. It took me a very long time to plow through these short stories because I don't have any meds for depression. ( )

I love this series. I travel and they are great for reading on the plane. They are great for bedtime stories. ( )

I'm not usually a fan of short stories. As a rule I prefer to get deeper in a tale then the brevity of a short story will allow. Oakland Noir is an exception. This is a collection of haunting tales that will stick with you long after completion. Much like the city there is an underlying theme of darkness but hope always seem to be right around the corner. ( )