Chicago Blues

This anthology includes 21 stories by Stuart Kaminsky, Max Allan Collins, Sara Paretsky, Libby Fischer Hellmann, Marcus Sakey, Sean Chercover, J.A. Konrath, Barbara D'Amato, and more. Originally published in hardcover and paperback in October, 2007.

Blue is the new Noir, and nobody does Blues like Chicago.

Migrating north from the Mississippi delta, the Blues found itself on the frozen streets of Chicago, struggling to survive in the Windy City's stinking slaughterhouses and sweltering steel mills.  But at night, the Blues found a home in the soul of Chicago’s people, and in their bars, where it was transformed into something gritty and electric; a reflection of the city itself.

This collection of dark stories from some of the best Chicago crime fiction authors captures the depths to which people sink when they have the Blues. The emptiness and pain caused by greed.  The violence of revenge. And, occasionally, the bittersweet redemption that comes from a broken heart.Whether it’s the back alleys of Lower Wacker, the Blues clubs of yesteryear, or even the baseline at Wrigley Field, these stunning edgy tales of desperation, deceit, love gone bad, and revenge will haunt you like the riff of a Muddy Waters tune you can’t get our of your head

Read these stories and see why the heart of Chicago throbs to the beat of the Blues… and why the Blues are made for Chicago.

“A monument in words to this funky, mysterious and eternal American city… a fine collection.”
—Luis Alberto Urrea, author, The Hummingbird’s Daughter

“Extraordinary… Chicago Blues is a splendid bedside book, to be enjoyed for a long time.”
*—Chicago Tribune *

“Classy… This impressive volume has soul, grit and plenty of high notes…”
—Publishers Weekly

“Twenty-one excellent reasons to stay out of the Windy City…”
*—Kirkus Reviews *

“A strong sense of place, layered characters, and evocative prose…”
—Chicago Sun-Times

“Gritty, excellent… has my highest recommendation!”
—Midwest Book Review

“An impressive group of stories… an amazing group of authors…”
—Crimespree Magazine

CHICAGO BLUES was named the “pick of the week” by both Crime Fiction Dossier and January Magazine!

“A solid anthology of crime stories… the batting average of CHICAGO BLUES is definitely higher than most.”
*—Crime Fiction Dossier *

“A collection with big shoulders…”
—January Magazine

“What a gem this collection written entirely by Chicago authors is…”

—Barbara Peters, Poisoned Pen Staff Recommendations