Indian Country Noir -- Sarah Cortez & Liz Martinez, Editors

This is the second anthology edited by Cortez and Martinez that I've read recently. The other was the excellent Hit List, and I'm happy to report that this new entry in the ever-expanding Akashic Noir series measures up to the earlier one.

The stories are set all over (even in Puerto Rico), and while not all the writers are Native Americans, all do a fine job of sticking with the theme. Editor Martinez presents a harrowing story about Ira Hayes. Reed Ferrel Coleman does a great job with a Hollywood Indian who gets one last role, though not the one he expected. Lawrence Block writes about riding your luck in a casino. R. Narvaez, who had a dandy story in Hit List, has another one here, and Gerard Houarner's "Dead Snake Medicine Woman" will shake you up. That's just scratching the surface. Every story in the book opens up a new perspective on Indian country, and I recommend it highly.