With  Brussels Noir , the Noir Series explores a city that for many is the de facto capital of the European Union, at the crossroads between old and new worlds. “Akashic Books deserves kudos for their fine service to noir . . . If these volumes are designed to give crime writers a nifty forum and also capture the local flair and flavor,  Brussels Noir  is a fine come-hither.” ― New York Journal of Books Akashic Books continues its groundbreaking series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with  Brooklyn Noir . Each story is set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the city of the book. Brand-new stories by: Barbara Abel, Ayerdhal, Paul Colize, Jean-Luc Cornette, Patrick Delperdange, Sara Doke, Kenan Görgu¨n, Edgar Kosma, Katia Lanero Zamora, Nadine Monfils, Alfredo Noriega, Bob Van Laerhoven, and Émilie de Béco. From the introduction by Michel Dufranne: For our grand tour, please be seated, ladies and gentlemen readers, in Tram 33 . . . and no, there’s no rain in the forecast today, just a leaden sky; for that matter, considering the timetables of the STIB, it’s probably better to go on foot than to take public transport. We’ll explore the city center, that pentagonal surface defined by urban highways and a canal, home to the real old Brussels, the historic core. We’ll take a dainty stroll through an edifice that achieves the feat of being more vast and monolithic in style than St. Peter’s Basilica: the Palais de Justice. From there, it’s easy to glide down to the Marolles; then let your feet carry you from kabberdouch to stamcafé, as you wander in an ethereal, even surrealist mode through the heart of the city, and finally come full circle. Having whetted our appetites, we’ll play leapfrog along the boulevards to make our way to the inner ring road and tiptoe across the razor’s edge of the city . . . And if the life of the abattoir hasn’t sated you, you’ll have plenty of room to maneuver as you stray from the center and discover the oh-so-serene neighborhoods of the greater ring, home to our venerable European institutions above all suspicion. "Brussels, Belgium’s cosmopolitan, multilingual capital, has it criminal underside, as shown in the 13 dark―and sometimes darkly humorous―stories in this strong Akashic noir volume." ― Publishers Weekly "A perfect choice for those who love noir or those who love armchair traveling, this assortment of short stories gives the reader a glimpse into what life in the Belgian capital is like. An excellent entry in Akashic Books’ noir series, which began with Brooklyn Noir more than a decade ago, Brussels Noir takes readers through the underbelly of yet another fascinating locale." ― Shelf Awareness for Readers MICHEL DUFRANNE was born in Brussels in 1970. He is a workaholic who is constantly pursuing different career paths including headhunter, university professor, editor of science fiction and comics, and publishing consultant. He is currently a comics writer, and a book reviewer for a Belgian TV and radio show that focuses on thrillers and crime fiction novels. He is the editor of  Brussels Noir. Brussels Noir By Michel Dufranne, Katie Shireen Assef Akashic Books Copyright © 2016 Akashic Books All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-61775-398-5 Contents Introduction by Iman Humaydan, PART I: THE RAZOR'S EDGE, Introduction, The Parakeet By Barbara Abel Saint-Gilles, Daedalus By Katia Lanero Zamora Matongé, Only Muddy Streams flow in Darkness By Patrick Delperdange Rue d'Aerschot, R I T U A L: Diary of Flesh and Faith By Kenan Görgün Anderlecht Abattoirs, PART II: SUR(REALISM), A Fraction of a Second By Paul Colize Palais de Justice, The Other War of the Marolles By Sara Doke The Marolles, The Other Half of a Life By Ayerdhal Gare Centrale, The Killer Wore Slippers By Nadine Monfils Place du Jeu de Balle, The Village Idiot By Edgar Kosma Rue de Flandre, PART III: ROOM TO MANEUVER, In the Shadow of the Tower By Émilie De Béco Reyers, Ecuador By Alfredo Noriega Ixelles, Paint It, Black By Bob Van Laerhoven Parc de Forest, The Beekeeper By Jean-Luc Cornette Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, About the Contributors, Bonus Materials, Excerpt from USA NOIR edited by Johnny Temple, Also in Akashic Noir Series, Akashic Noir Series Awards & Recognition, About Akashic Books, Copyrights & Credits, CHAPTER 1 PART I THE RAZOR'S EDGE THE PARAKEET BY BARBARA ABEL Saint-Gilles If I remember well, it was my husband who had the idea. Jean isn't usually bursting with initiatives, at least as far as family projects are concerned, but that morning, when he spoke to us about renting out the room upstairs, I was immediately intrigued by the proposal. In the twenty years since we bought the house — we've only just finished paying it off — this room has gone by many names: rec room, guest room, workshop, storeroom, and so on, while never quite living up to any of them. Virgile, our son, for whatever reason, never staked claim on t