Rio Noir

As Rio de Janeiro prepares to host the 2016 summer Olympics amid fears of the Zika virus, this anthology of 14 dark and violent short stories set in the Brazilian city might give prospective visitors more reasons to be concerned. Drug dealing and police corruption go hand-in-hand in MV Bill’s “The Return” and in Luiz Eduardo Soares’s “Weekend in São Conrado.” An American woman seeks a new life in Victoria Saramago “Blind Spot,” but she’s betrayed by her limited vocabulary. In Marcelo Ferroni’s “Tangerine Tango,” writer Humberto Mariconda is unable to keep up with hunky Greg Nicholas, the author of a bestselling weight loss book. In one of the best entries, “The Story of Georges Fullar,” an aspiring author falls under the spell of an older, very successful one. Adriana Lisboa spins a clever tale of vengeance in “The Hanged Man,” and in Tony Bellotto’s “Toned Cougars,” a man who preys on vulnerable women meets his match in 70-something Veronique Delamare. This volume is a solid addition to Akashic’s acclaimed noir series. (June)