Richmond Noir

David L. Robbins's “Homework,” a moving account of a brief encounter between a burglar and a teacher, stands head and shoulders above the 14 other tales in Akashic's solid noir anthology devoted to Richmond, Va. Pir Rothenberg's “The Rose Red Vial,” among the better of the many recent Poe-inspired stories, features nicely nasty betrayals and counterbetrayals among those who covet Poe memorabilia on loan to the Virginia Historical Society. Set in 1807, Dean King's concise “The Fall Lines” supplies an intriguing backstory to Aaron Burr's treason trial. In Howard Owen's “The Thirteenth Floor,” a well-done contemporary fair play whodunit, a political reporter reassigned to the night police beat ends up investigating a murder-by-gunshot in his own apartment building. The three editors have done a better job offering variety than some other volumes in this acclaimed series. (Mar.)