Santa Cruz Noir

The 20 tales in this average entry in Akashic’s noir series cover the area in and around Santa Cruz, Northern California’s surfing capital. A few spotlight surfing, a few more feature psycho killers on the loose, and others offer magical overtones, such as Peggy Townsend’s “First Peak,” which in a surprise move somehow brings the Hawaii volcano deity Pele to town. Longtime local reporter Lee Quarnstrom’s brief “The Shooter” realistically depicts a burst of gunplay in a Watsonville roadhouse decades ago. In Jessica Breheny’s “54028 Love Creek Road,” an aging teacher makes rent by doing classes at multiple institutions—a tough enough situation even if you didn’t have a problem with a gang member who needs a passing grade. A 15-year-old girl detective stars in Elizabeth McKenzie’s “The Big Creep,” while Jill Wolfson in “Death and Taxes” works a quick Tarantino-esque scenario with a 17-year-old boy spinning a sign for tax work on the street corner. Most of the stories feel unfinished, but some are redeemed by a vibrant edge. (June)