"Oates's introduction to Akashic's noir volume dedicated to the Garden State, with its evocative definition of the genre, is alone worth the price of the book . . . Poems by C.K. Williams, Paul Muldoon, and others--plus photos by Gerald Slota--enhance this distinguished entry."
--"Publishers Weekly"
"It was inevitable that this fine noir series would reach New Jersey. It took longer than some readers might have wanted, but, oh boy, was it worth the wait . . . More than most of the entries in the series, this volume is about mood and atmosphere more than it is about plot and character . . . It should go without saying that regular readers of the noir series will seek this one out, but beyond that, the book also serves as a very good introduction to what is a popular but often misunderstood term and style of writing."
--"Booklist, Starred Review"
"A lovingly collected assortment of tales and poems that range from the disturbing to the darkly humorous."
--"Shelf

Joyce Carol Oates is the author of a number of noir works of fiction including "Rape: A Love Story, Beasts, The Female of the Species, The Museum of Dr. Moses, " and, most recently, "Give Me Your Heart." She has edited "The Oxford Book of American Short Stories, The Ecco Anthology of Contemporary American Short Fiction, " and "The Best American Mystery Stories." She has been a resident of Princeton, New Jersey, since 1978.