«Nice Girl Does Noir» by Libby Fischer Hellmann

To read Libby Fischer Hellmann is to love Libby Fischer Hellmann. Her writing is tight, fast, and highly entertaining. But I had no idea Libby was so versatile. My first inkling of this came a few years ago, when I asked her to contribute a story to an anthology I was editing. Frankly, I didn't think she'd make the cut. While Libby doesn't shy away from being tough in her writing, her Ellie Foreman books were not what I'd call hard boiled, and my anthology was a collection of hit man stories. Boy, was I wrong. Her story, DETOUR, was pure, adrenalin-fueled noir, and wound up being one of the best of the book. Soon after DETOUR Libby began writing some seriously diverse and seriously good yarns in various genres and sub-genres. She also edited the acclaimed anthology, CHICAGO BLUES. She's still great at the light-hearted suspense she's known for, but the stories in NICE GIRL DOES NOIR – all previously published – offer a wide variety of styles, tones, and topics. Funny. Dark. Poignant. Exciting. Surprising. And all unputdownable.

CONTENTS

Approx 47,000 words
CHICAGO: THEN AND NOW:
YOUR SWEET MAN
THE JADE ELEPHANT
DUMBER THAN DIRT
THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING

OTHER PLACES, OTHER TIMES:
HOUSE RULES
DETOUR
THE RAINFOREST MESSIAH
HIGH YELLOW
A BERLIN STORY
JOSEF’S ANGEL