Toulouse joins Paris and Marseille as the Akashic Noir Series continues its adventures through the nether regions of Gaul BRAND-NEW STORIES BY: Al Baylac, Maïté Bernard, Tanella Boni, Manu Causse, Gaspard Chauvelot, Pascal Dessaint, Francis Émourgeon, Sarah Grall, Adeline Grand-Clément, Nicolas Rouillé, Hafid Saïdi, and Benoît Séverac. All stories translated from French by David and Nicole Ball. From the Introduction by Charles-Henri Lavielle: "If these stories are rooted in cities―Toulouse in this case―even reduced to their specificity, they also speak to our common humanity. ‘Nothing human is foreign to me,’ French anthropologist Alban Bensa said repeatedly. And that’s probably enough of a reason to read this collection, even if you’ve never set foot here . . . Bensa also advocated for the necessity of always returning to the terrain to observe and listen. Describing before writing is the only way to give a credible account . . . That ability to observe is what guided my choice of authors for this collection. I tried to bring together a variety of people, of various ages, backgrounds, genders, with different life experiences, who all have a strong connection to Toulouse and to writing―in an attempt to attach the atmosphere of the city to your future steps. And if you never come, to make you feel what you would have found here.” "Hold the eggnog: What you need is a draft of 'edgy fatalism and sexy recklessness,' of flashy crime, gallows humor, and 'desperate deals with a variety of devils,' served up every year since 2004 by the editors of Akashic Books’ brilliant noir anthologies. From Brooklyn to Boston, from Phoenix to pre- and post-Katrina New Orleans, each volume in the series reveals a city’s distinctive inner darkness." ― O, the Oprah Magazine, on the Akashic Noir Series "Over the past few years, some of the best collections of short stories have been the Noir anthologies published by Akashic . . . To me, these collections are total gems, a quality read from some of today’s best authors." ― Oline Cogdill, Sun-Sentinel, on the Akashic Noir Series "Diversity is the hallmark of the series. While ostensibly dark tales of crime and despair, the genius of the series lies in its ability to use such an uncharacteristic point of entry to convey the identity and essence of a place with remarkably poignant accuracy." ― PopMatters, on the Akashic Noir Series CHARLES-HENRI LAVIELLE has been a construction worker, a bad bassist in punk bands, a parachutist, a history teacher, rugby player and coach, union activist, sales representative in publishing, and cofounder of Éditions Anacharsis and L’histoire à venir festival in Toulouse. Lavielle has lived in Toulouse since his twenties, which gave him a few years to roam the city and its neighborhoods day and night, with some variations depending on his age and the seasons.