Crime Ink: Iconic
An Anthology of Crime Fiction Inspired by Queer Icons
Obsessive sleuths crack criminal cases in the delightful and subversive queer crime anthology Crime Ink: Iconic, a sharp, often satirical collection centered on the intersection of queerness and mystery.
In “The Prophet Daniel,” a thirty-six-year-old gay man becomes fixated on revenge against a Venetian who conned him out of 60 euros. “Transubstantiation” follows a genderfluid New Form Human who travels through time, committing felonies instead of solving them. Other mysteries include parishioners who disappear after their souls are saved, the bludgeoning of an arrogant WNBA star, and the murder of a young gay escort in 1952 Los Angeles.
Each story is inspired by a queer icon, ranging from Oscar Wilde to the Babadook, helping to ground their surreal mysteries. The icons’ inclusions range from prominent, as is the case with “The Fourth Monkey,” which includes lesbian playwright Lorraine Hansberry as a character, to mild, as in “Heartbreak Alley,” where Billy Strayhorn songs begin and end the tale.
Often, the solutions to the crimes are less climactic than the reveals concerning a character’s identity. For example, in one story, the name of the perpetrator is less exciting than discovering that the narrator is trans. In each tale, the narrator’s queerness contributes to their fixation on the central crime, helping to tie the stories together.
Although each story is written by a different author, the prose is consistent in its beauty. Each story features a narrator with a strong, engaging voice, and each one builds compounding suspense at a quick pace. Displaying dual genre mastery, these stories are gripping from beginning to end.
Crime Ink: Iconic is a thrilling, wide-ranging anthology of crime stories about queerness, fame, obsession, and morality.
Reviewed by
Leah Block
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
