Books

NOIRYORICAN (Down and Out Books, Nov. 2020)

NOMINATED FOR AN ANTHONY AWARD

In 13 fast-moving stories, the author of Hipster Death Rattle explores the tragic world of noir fiction with a wide range of Latinx characters. These stories define noir as tales of people who fall not from great heights but from the stoop and the sidewalk.

“An exciting and exhilarating journey through Puerto Rican barrios throughout the nation. It strikes an authentic tone of the streets that rings true to my seasoned ear. The array of characters encompasses the Nuyorican experience devoid of sentiment or artifice. Congratulations, Richie. Score one for the home team.” —Former New York State Supreme Court Judge Edwin Torres, author of Carlito’s Way, Q&A, and After Hours

“With considerable style, poise, and humor, Richie Narvaez’s Noiryorican unpacks a world of grifters, street punks and hangers-on just trying to get by in the big city when the odds are stacked against them. At his street poet best, Narvaez gives Jonathan Lethem and Junot Diaz a run for their money. I loved this collection.”—Adrian McKinty, bestselling author of The Chain

“In this eclectic collection of noir stories, Narvaez takes the reader across the boroughs of New York City, Puerto Rico, LA, and Texas. Open this book and take this ride through the mazes of Narvaez’s imagination.”—Ivelisse Rodriguez, author of Love War Stories

Order it now on Bookshop, Indiebound, or Amazon!

HOLLY HERNANDEZ AND THE DEATH OF DISCO (Piñata Books, May 2020)

WINNER OF AN AGATHA AWARD FOR BEST CHILDREN’S/YOUNG ADULT BOOK
WINNER OF AN ANTHONY AWARD FOR BEST JUVENILE/YOUNG ADULT BOOK

It’s 1979, and a popular teacher is killed in an elite high school in Brooklyn. Holly Hernandez, the teen daughter of a New York detective, tries to solve the crime — but wrongfully accuses a class rival, Xander Herrera. After a turn in Spofford, Xander swears revenge, and now both of them are on the case to find the real killer.

It’s a Puerto Rican Nancy Drew YA mystery, available from Piñata Books/Arte Publico on May 31, 2020.

Praise for HOLLY HERNANDEZ AND THE DEATH OF DISCO
“This fast-paced, skillfully developed murder mystery offers equal billing to both characters, their separate lives, and their individual problems while also examining gender inequality and social injustice and providing an interesting look at the history of disco as a safe place for queer people and people of color. . . . A fun murder mystery with a side of disco fever.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A complex, exciting mystery that will leave readers hoping for a sequel.”—School Library Journal

“This twist on the classic whodunit brings to life the end times of disco as two New York City teenagers attempt to unravel a cryptic murder that has rocked their high school. From glittery discotheques to strange passages between classrooms, mystical mysteries are infused into a fun, historical murder case that takes a fresh approach to teenage angst, anxiety, and the need to belong.”—ALA Booklist

Order it on IndieBound, Amazon, and BooksaMillion now!

HIPSTER DEATH RATTLE (Down & Out, March 2019)

Hipsters are getting slashed to pieces in the hippest neighborhood in New York City: Williamsburg, Brooklyn. As fear and tension rise in the summer heat, police detectives Petrosino and Hadid eye local gangbangers for the crimes. Meanwhile, slacker reporter Tony Moran and his ex-girlfriend Magaly Fernandez pursue a cold case involving an old woman who mysteriously disappeared a year before. But the closer they all get to the truth, the closer they get to losing their heads.

Filled with a broad cast of local characters and told with sardonic wit, this fast-moving, intricately plotted story plays out against a backdrop of rapid gentrification, skyrocketing rents, and class tension, written like only a true native could.

Available from: Indiebound, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, and GooglePlay.

Praise for HIPSTER DEATH RATTLE

“Richie Narvaez has created something that’s been missing from recent fiction: a vivid, loving look at city living from the street view.” — Sara Paretsky, award-winning author of Shell Game

“Narvaez has some brutal points to make about gentrification … that [give] the text a crackling fission you don’t find in a typical mystery.” —Mystery Tribune

Hipster Death Rattle is a smart piece of work featuring the unlikely yet likeable hero Tony ‘Chino’ Moran. Fierce and funny…with a light touch that masks Narvaez’s biting social commentary.” —Reed Farrel Coleman, New York Times bestselling author of What You Break

ROACHKILLER AND OTHER STORIES
(Street Press, Revised Edition, March 2020)

WINNER OF THE 2013 SPINETINGLER AWARD FOR BEST ANTHOLOGY/SHORT STORY COLLECTION

A pregnant single mother becomes a numbers runner in 1970s Brooklyn. An ex-con just wants to live in peace. A slacker detective searches for a missing teen. A serial killer exchanges bodies with a stand-up comic. A poet tries to win his ex back from her android lover. These are just a few of the hard-luck characters you’ll meet in this debut anthology of short stories, all hard-boiled and many with a dash of dark humor, by Richie Narvaez. The short story “Roachkiller,” which appears in this collection, was selected as a Distinguished Mystery Story in Best American Mystery Stories 2008, edited by George Pelecanos.

Praise for ROACHKILLER
Roachkiller is an accomplished debut from an author in full and firm control of his voice.”—Eva Dolan, Crime Factory

“Noir at its best.”—Greg Levin, author of In Wolves’ Clothing

“[A]n excellent collection. . . . I could not shake some of the images . . . . The writing is that intense.”—Manuel Ramos, author of King of the Chicanos

“Highly recommended reading for noir fans. . . . Definitely a writer to watch.”—Craig Terlson, author of Correction Line

“Hardboiled prose, noir sensibility, and all very effective. Check it out.”—Bill Crider, author of the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series

“[T]hese noir stories . . . are fresh and exhilarating and give a wonderful twist on the Puerto Rican/New York experience. Funny, smart, and dark, the characters are lovingly drawn, the plots surprising yet strangely logical.” — Julia Pomeroy, author of No Safe Ground

“A writer of admirable range, altering tone, approach, and structure from story to story.” — Scott Adlerberg, author of Jack Waters

“If there is any justice in the world, [R. Narvaez] should become a giant on the literary noir scene within the next couple of years.”—Anthony Neil Smith, author of Yellow Medicine.

Available from: Amazon