Akashic Noir books in order

Reading order

The Akashic Noir series is one of the largest anthology projects in crime fiction, with over 120 volumes published since 2004. Each book focuses on a single city and gathers original crime stories from writers with connections to that location. The series began with Brooklyn Noir and has since covered cities on every continent, from Lagos to São Paulo to Hong Kong.

The geographic range of the series is remarkable. Alongside major American cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and New Orleans, the collection includes volumes for Delhi, Tehran, Nairobi, Marrakech, and dozens of other international locations. Each anthology is edited by a writer or figure with deep ties to the featured city, giving the collections an insider perspective.

For crime fiction readers, the Akashic Noir books provide a way to sample writers from around the world and discover how different cultures and cities produce their own varieties of noir. The short story format makes each volume accessible, and the consistent editorial approach ties the massive series together despite its global scope.