"New Jersey Noir introduces an ultracool hometown detective from Paterson, set perfectly in his well-detailed locales. The writing is crisp, sarcastic, wryly funny, steeped in New Jersey lore and anecdotes that add great historical and cultural dimensions to its mystery."

- Robin Farrell Edmunds, Foreword Reviews (Five-star review)

"An accomplished poet, playwright, and short-story writer, William Baer has turned to crime, creating a brilliant debut novel, the hard-boiled whodunit New Jersey Noir. If you’re looking for classic noir elements, you’ll find them here, in spades. And you’ll find fine literary elements here, as well: precise prose, perfect pacing, stunning imagery, complex characterization, grand historical and cultural contexts, and a superb sense of place. More than anything else, New Jersey Noir is a loving tribute to the Garden State by a writer who appreciates its grime as much as its glory. Early on, the narrator of the novel, PI Jack Colt, lists some great New Jersey voices, including Frank Sinatra, Connie Francis and Bruce Springsteen. It’s time to add a couple more great Jersey voices to this list: Jack Colt himself and his creator, William Baer."  

— Hollis Seamon (Jersey girl, born and raised), author of Somebody Up There Hates You