Cleveland Noir

Cleveland, a city of extremes, is a near-perfect location for these dark tales of deception, violence, and despair. Sections of the city are poor and ravaged by violence; others, fat and comfortable, seem insulated from crime but aren’t. Ruhlman’s “The Ultimate Cure” starts in a tony restaurant on Shaker Square; it ends up with someone dead in an apartment nearby. Three tales—Dana McSwain’s “Bus Stop,” Susan Petrone’s “The Silent Partner,” Mary Grimm’s “Under the Hill”—have supernatural overtones. Readers will also encounter serial killers, revenge stories, and two tricky tales of crooks duped by other crooks; there’s even a poem (Jill Bialosky’s “Mock Heart”). A gem of a story starts it off: Paula McLain’s “Love Always,” an affecting tale of two young losers and a death that didn’t have to happen. All of the stories are tied in well with place, and the range of approaches is admirably wide.