Adored both the concept and execution for this anthology and was delighted to include it in the 2016 Holiday Gift Books package I put together annually for The Globe and Mail newspaper, and on my books Instagram.

"A truly unprecedented literary achievement by author and editor Lawrence Block, a newly-commissioned anthology of seventeen superbly-crafted stories inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper, including Jeffery Deaver, Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen King, Lee Child, and Robert Olen Butler, among many others. "Edward Hopper is surely the greatest American narrative painter. His work bears special resonance for writers and readers, and yet his paintings never tell a story so much as they invite viewers to find for themselves the untold stories within."

So says Lawrence Block, who has invited seventeen outstanding writers to join him in an unprecedented anthology of brand-new stories: In Sunlight or In Shadow. The results are remarkable and range across all genres, wedding literary excellence to storytelling savvy.

Contributors include Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Robert Olen Butler, Michael Connelly, Megan Abbott, Craig Ferguson, Nicholas Christopher, Jill D. Block, Joe R. Lansdale, Justin Scott, Kris Nelscott, Warren Moore, Jonathan Santlofer, Jeffery Deaver, Lee Child, and Lawrence Block himself. Even Gail Levin, Hopper’s biographer and compiler of his catalogue raisonée, appears with her own first work of fiction, providing a true account of art theft on a grand scale and told in the voice of the country preacher who perpetrated the crime.

In a beautifully produced anthology as befits such a collection of acclaimed authors, each story is illustrated with a quality full-color reproduction of the painting that inspired it. Illustrated with 17 full color plates, one for each chapter."

Combining my love or art and literature into one book, YES PLEASE!

This is a brilliant concept - let writers create stories based on paintings by a well-known artist. In this case writers use the works of Edward Hopper for their inspiration.

Editor Lawrence Block has pulled together an impressive list of authors but as with nearly any anthology, there are some stories that really stand out and others that sort of fade into the background. The painting that each story is based on is included in the book.

Although not every story struck a chord, there were some that stood out.

"The Story of Caroline" by Jill D. Block grabbed my attention right off the bat and I was engrossed in the story.

"Soir Bleu" by Robert Olen Butler really impressed me, though I would admit that the painting might have had something to do with that. In some ways, this painting was quite unusual compared to the other Hopper works in the book.

Craig Ferguson's "Taking Care of Business" reminds the reader that Ferguson is not only a talented stand-up comedian and talk show host, but a gifted writer as well.

I really enjoyed "The Projectionist" by Joe R. Lansdale. Lansdale's is a name that I find keeps popping up when I list my favorite stories in a collection.

Warren Moore's "Office at Night" just might be the best story in this collection.

"Still Life 1931" by Kris Nelscott was quite an enjoyable read - but don't be confused...that's not the title of the painting she was writing about.

"Night Windows" by Jonathan Santlofer was a compelling read and perhaps my favorite painting in the collection.

"A Woman in the Sun" by Justin Scott was simple and powerful and I feel perhaps best captured the story in the painting.

I really liked the concept behind this collection, and as with nearly any anthology, there are hits and misses but the hits are plenty and this is well worth reading. Although Edward Hopper's work lends itself so beautifully to the concept story, I would very much like to see this idea continue with other artists' work.

This book contains the following:

Foreword: Before We Begin - Lawrence Block
"Girlie Show" - Megan Abbott
"The Story of Caroline" - Jill D. Block
"Soir Bleu" - Robert Olen Butler
"The Truth About What Happened" - Lee Child
"Rooms By the Sea" - Nicholas Christopher
"Nighthawks" - Michael Connelly
"The Incident of 10 November" - Jeffery Deaver
"Taking Care of Business" - Craig Ferguson
"The Music Room" - Stephen King
"The Projectionist" - Joe R. Lansdale
"The Preacher Collects" - Gail Levine
"Office at Night" - Warren Moore
"The Woman in the Window" - Joyce Carol Oates
"Still Life 1931" - Kris Nelscott
"Night Windows" - Jonathan Santlofer
"A Woman in the Sun" - Justin Scott
"Autumn at the Automat" - Lawrence Block

Looking for a good book? <em>In Sunlight or in Shadow</em> is an anthology of short fiction inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper, edited by Lawrence Block, and is well worth reading.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I tend to buy books for friends that I want myself, so I put Lawrence Block's In Sunlight or In Shadow (Pegasus) at the top of my Dear Santa list. An anthology of stories inspired by the works of Edward Hopper, it showcases writers such as Lee Child, Megan Abbott, Joyce Carol Oates and Stephen King with full-color reproductions of the Hopper works they chose as muses. As both a fan of Hopper -- I have a framed "Sunday Morning'' above a bookcase -- and crime fiction, this book was pure catnip for me.

from On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever 12/2016

A collection of Noir Mystery Stories based of Edward Hopper Paintings. Many but not all of the stories are historical. Like all anthologies I enjoyed some stories more than the others but overall I liked all of them. I even discovered a few new to me authors. It was so good that I read the stories quickly and then went back re-read some of my favorites. If you enjoy historical noir stories that are a little different you will enjoy this collection.