PARIS NOIR: CAPITAL CRIME FICTION

While Jakubowski's second crime anthology (after London Noir ) may be confused with Akashic's volume of the same title, the editor's choice of stories suggests that the series' subtitle is more reflective of the contents than the noir label. The volume's longest entry, one of Michael Moorcock's Metatemporal Detective tales, "The Flneur of Les Arcades de l'Opra," is a Sexton Blake pastiche that includes Nazis, supernatural spirits and inter-dimensional travel, not a mix that fans of the traditional bleak and ironic crime subgenre would naturally enjoy. There are, however, some quality stories that fit more comfortably under the noir heading, especially the enigmatic "New Mysteries of Paris" by Wild at Heart author Barry Gifford, and French filmmaker Romain Slocombe's "Guy Georges' Final Crime," with a satisfying if predictable twist in an encounter between a serial killer and his intended next victim. (Feb.)