A Review Copy won on LibraryThing ages ago (Oct 2020). I found I hadn’t reviewed it because it was miss-shelved. It is an ok collection but not one of the best of the Akashic Noir series. It certainly shows the very dark side of Belgrade but most of the stories were thin on plot and characterization. Lots of violent revenging and avenging for things that happened in the past. The stories were informative in a social science kind of way but not so much in a literary way. They lacked the suspense and ironic twists that I like to find in noir fiction. ( )

Very much enjoyed this installment of the Akashic Noir series. Plenty of great storytellers lent their voice to this collection. There was a wide range as well, including some bordering on fantasy and sci-fi. Another one I would definitely recommend from the series. Two of my favorite stories in this book were "Underneath it all runs the river of sadness" and "Alter Ego Inc." Alter Ego is a bit Sci-Fi and has a spooky but satisfying ending. Each story gives you a little something to think about. ( )

Belgrade. So far, of the Akashic Books noir series, Belgrade is the "noirest"! In this collection of short stories about the dark side of a city, the reader catches glimpses of the past, present, and future of this complex, sophisticated yet primal place. Driven by long held, essentially tribal conflict, violence and curiosity about violence appear embedded in the psyche of its residents. Detachment, distrust, and disillusionment permeate these stories, so prepare yourself before diving in. The writing is excellent, if frighteningly dark! ( )

Enjoyable collection of short noir stories. All set in Belgrade. I enjoyed almost all of them. The last one made me chuckle at the end. ( )

Belgrade Noir is an excellent installment in the Akashic Noir series of traveling anthologies. This one takes us to Belgrade with a reporter editor who did an excellent job of choosing stories. Serbia, like the rest of the Balkan nations, has seen more than its share of invasion, occupation, and oppression. After Tito died and Yugoslavia broke up, ethno-nationalists took control and began an imperialist ethnic cleansing of surrounding areas. Add to that its place as the birthplace of vampires and you have fertile ground for storytelling.

From the first story, “Underneath It All Runs the River of Sadness” by Oto Oltvanji, there is the landscape of the city that seems almost a character of its own. “So many were stories that made me shiver, such as “An Ad in Večernje Novosti” by Kati Hiekkapelto and “A Different Person” by Vladan Matijević. There were elements of the supernatural such as in “Phantom of the National Theater” by Aleksandar Gatalica and “The Man Who Wasn’t Mars.” True brilliance, though, was Milorad Ivanovic’s decision to finish the anthology with “The RAT” by Misha Glenny which made me laugh out loud. Even now, thinking of the story, I will laugh.

I loved Belgrade Noir. I love how varied the stories were. I didn’t know what to expect from one story to the next. I didn’t mind the injection of the supernatural as it fit the city. It was interesting to read the perspective of the war from the point of view of Serbians and the continuing complexities of Serb and Croat relations. I also appreciate that the author did not go for the avant-garde but really focused on noir as it is currently understood, not trying to expand its meaning. And really, I loved the placement of the final story. It was wonderful to finish this book with a good laugh.

I received an ARC of Belgrade Noir from the publisher via Edelweiss and LibraryThing.

Belgrade Noir at Akashic Books
Milorad Ivanovic at Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN)

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