Crime Critters Caught Reading Crime - Darla & Bogart

I have a brother-sister team of readers for you today! When crime fiction author Eric Beetner says in his bio that he's the "father of two" I'm pretty certain he's referring to his two-legged children (who happen to be adorable by the way), but who knows, maybe it's Darla and Bogart! ;-)

Eric has obviously instilled the same good habits in the canines that he's shared with his human children.


"Owen stayed at our house for a weekend last time he was in LA. Ever since then Darla has been a fan."

As for Bogart, well...

"Bogart likes his crime fiction hardboiled, so he really ate up Todd Robinson's debut, The Hard Bounce. I mean really ate it up. I need a new one."

You can find out more about Eric and his writing (all kinds of writing) at his website. And you can ask to see more pictures of these two cuties. They may be hardboiled readers but they look like big...er little?...softies!

Today's pet tip: please make sure you're aware of plants that are toxic to your pets. If they're in your home, make sure they aren't located where your critters can get a hold of them. They look like nice munchies to those who don't know any better.

Why I Don't Like the Term "Best"

For years now I've avoided the term "best" in my end of the year lists. I simply felt it was presumptuous of me to use that label given that I can't even read all the books I'm sent, let alone all the books that are published. And if you can't read them all, surely you can't determine a "best," right?

Well, I was viewing a video the other day about an award and I was rubbed the wrong way when one of the people on the video said the books were the "best" because they were determined to be by the authors' peers. And I started thinking more about the use of the term...and I started noticing it more and more: "the best books out this week," "the best books of summer," "such and such award's best book of the year," etc. And I've decided I absolutely dislike the use of the term in something as subjective as the arts.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy for people who earn deserved recognition for their work through awards, but I think we should come up with a better way to present it.

When we think of the best field goal kicker in football there are definitive stats that support the label. Have you ever watched competitive ice skating on television? The commentators will say, "well they can't award him a perfect score because they have to deducted at least x points for that error." There's a standard/a rubric that has to be upheld. The best stocks in an investment portfolio have a monetary gain that supports their label. But those things don't exist with book awards (and don't even get me started on movie awards).

Awards can fall into all kinds of voting categories: peers, fans, bloggers, book sellers, industry professionals, etc. Why is one of those categories any better and worthy of declaring a "best" than the others? Sure your peers can evaluate you in ONE way...but you know, I've been in a jury pool room where there are supposed to be a group of my peers, and quite frankly, I don't know how well they'd all evaluate chewing gum. When I was a teacher, my peers were definitely not all created equal. They were human and susceptible to prejudice and bias as much as the next guy. Which is not to say fans are better or worse. I've seen what some people write on Amazon reviews. I think you get my point.

In book awards there is no rubric to determining a "winner." And sometimes ALL the books can't be considered because they have to first be submitted, add to that sometimes obscure rules prevent legitimate books from being submitted even if they tried to be submitted. And if you took the same group of books and presented them in four consecutive years, you have a distinct possibility of coming up with four different "bests" because each year you'll have a different committee or population of people voting. How can that be the "best" then? Isn't it actually the "favorite"?

Maybe some people will just feel this is semantics, but to me, there's a connotation that goes with "best." To me, best is a definitive, objective term. And book awards are far from definitive and most definitely subjective. Couldn't we just have the Agatha Novel Award, the Edgar First Novel Award, the Anthony YA Award? I like the way the booksellers have the Dilys Award. It's a mystery novel that's voted as the one booksellers most like handselling. There's no "best" attached to it. There doesn't need to be.

In the whole scheme of things this is pretty unimportant, and personally I can view all awards as "favorites" (even if I do refuse to watch the Oscars or music awards because they've just become popularity contests). But my concerns go more to the overall impression the term "best" imposes. I think time is the true determination of "best" in the arts. What lasts. Will the "bests" be the books that do that?

Crime Critters Caught Reading Crime - Wilbur

One of the nicest, funniest, most generous people I know in the crime fiction community is Tom Schreck, author of the Duffy Dombroski series. When it comes to empathy and kindness, he makes me look like Attila the Hun (and no comments from my sisters allowed).

Most people who know him, know about his passion for animals, especially basset hounds. Many have met Tom through various basset events, like basset waddles. That name just cracks me up, but it's apt for bassets.

Tom's own basset is Wilbur. Wilbur is a certified therapy dog and today Tom caught him reading...

"I called to Wilbur while he was reading an old school Dennis Lehane...he wasn't pleased I interrupted him...he tends to get lost in a good book.

Here he's enjoying Darkness, Take My Hand (Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro)."

Those look like some strong specs there, Wilbur. Keep reading, pal!

You can enjoy Tom's novels and shorts stories. Find out more at his website or come out for Bouchercon or Murder and Mayhem in Muskego. He's a regular at both.

Thanks to Tom and Wilbur for today's entry in the Crime Critters series.

And today's pet tip: Remain as calm as possible during stressful or emergency situations - your pet is easily influenced by your behavior and will mirror your stress or panic.

The Other Typist - Suzanne Rindell

First line: "They said the typewriter would unsex us."

Rose Baker is a typist at the New York police department in the 1920s. She sits in interrogation rooms with officers and suspects, recording their conversations. Rose, an orphan, leads a fairly quiet life outside the crime she records in her job. She's single, shares a room in a boarding house and doesn't have much of a social life. That is until "the other typist" comes into her life.

Odalie Lazare saunters into the police precinct and Rose's life is never the same. As their friendship grows stronger, Rose sheds more and more of her plainness and becomes a part of the "Roaring Twenties."

Told in a first person narrative, The Other Typist slowly and discretely reveals Rose to be more than what she makes herself out as, creating a strong element of suspense. Also adding to the suspense is the question of Odalie's past. Several theories arise, all plausible and explain her circumstances, but none is confirmed.

Rindell brings the Twenties to life in the speakeasies, clothing, hair and language. She also shows the stark contrast between the two elements of society and how a single person can transform oneself to fit in both elements. One man in the day time could be a completely different person in the night. Everyone is mysterious in The Other Typist.

The timing of The Other Typist is great with the resurgence of The Great Gatsby in a new movie. The Other Typist puts a female twist on the old American classic. Where we see larger-than-life Gatsby through the eyes of his male friend, Nick Carroway, in The Other Typist we see larger-than-life Odalie through the eyes of her female friend Rose. And it takes drastic circumstances in both novels to shake the foundations of the narrators' exciting new lives.

Captivating, romantic and suspenseful, The Other Typist takes readers back to a time of opulence and crime with characters that demand readers sit up and take notice. Early on in her story, Rose describes Odalie as a "right dazzling flash." The Other Typist is a right dazzling flash of a debut.

The Other Typist is available in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0399161469) from Amy Einhorn Books. There is also an unabridged audio version (ISBN: 978-1611761740), narrated by Gretchen Mol, available from Penguin Audio.

Crime Critters Caught Reading Crime - Grover

Wow, we're plowing through May. Hope you all had a great weekend. We have more critters reading crime for you. Today we welcome Grover.

Grover's momma is Clare Toohey who you can find roaming the crime fiction community, especially over at Criminal Element and on Twitter as Clare2e. And did anyone catch a glimpse of Clare on Celebrity Apprentice?

Clare caught Grover reading Donald Westlake's The Ax and says, "In advance of his trip to the groomer, frankly Grover's finding the plot line in this one hits a little too close to home."

He was right to be concerned about The Ax:

That face is just adorable. I've been wanting to cuddle all of our critters from this month. I know, I'm hopeless. I can't help it.

Thanks to Clare and Grover. Hopefully Grover finds some plots a little less prophetic in the future!

Today's pet tip: Check your pet's collar regularly, especially for the young'uns who are still growing. You should be able to easily put two to three fingers between your pet's collar and him/her.

Five on Friday - Reed Farrel Coleman

I'm getting a late start on my blogging, so I'm hoping this post doesn't end up riddled with typos. Please forgive me if that's the case, but I didn't want to leave you without a Five on Friday this week!

Before we get to the fun part, just a few links to share.

I knew this was coming, but Larry brought it to my attention how quickly it's coming...absolutely looking forward to Marcus Sakey's upcoming BRILLIANCE (no, that's the title of the book) in July.

There's a new social site for bookies called BookLikes. It's not too likely that you'll catch me over there. I have nothing against the site; I haven't even really checked it out. I just simply don't have the time. I'm doing my best to keep up with Facebook and Twitter in addition to the blog. The thought of something else makes my head hurt.

I guess some publishers are starting this International Crime Month thing. There are several events scheduled for it in June. I read a lot of international crime. However June is also Audiobook Month and I have quite a bit planned for that, so I probably won't be doing anything special here for International Crime Month. But check it out. Maybe there's an event you can attend.

I'm always in awe of people who get tattoos like this. I, personally, have no desire to ink my own skin, but I like some of these. And make sure you check out #43. That's a true Agatha Christie fan there!

And the contest round-up:

FridayReads has quite a haul in their contest this week. Something for every crime fan, I think.
Lesa has a "Northern" theme to her giveaway this week. 
And Criminal Element has a chance for you to win one of three hardcover copies of Steve Ulfelder's new Conway Sax novel, Shotgun Lullaby (great title! I love this series!)

O.k. that's all of my jabbering for today. Now on to our guest of honor. I met Reed Farrel Coleman at my first Bouchercon. I like to tell the story of how I was quite intimidated to go up and introduce myself. I had read Reed's work. He's a gritty writer. From Brooklyn no less. What I found when I finally did introduce myself was a great big teddy bear. But don't tell anyone I told you that. I don't want to ruin Reed's "street cred" or anything.

But in all seriousness, it's that compassion and generosity that mingles with his life experiences and make him an exceptional crime writer. He's also a heck of a poet, and that comes through in his narrative work as well. It's wonderful and if you haven't read it yet, then go forth immediately (or maybe after you read his 5) and pick up WALKING THE PERFECT SQUARE or download it or listen to it (great audio, by the way) or whatever your mode of story choice is. But this is really a series no crime fan should miss. The most recent, ONION STREET, just released.

Now, instead of being intimidated, I look forward to every chance I have to see Reed.  He's promised me a Moe Prager tour of New York the next time I'm there. Now I just have to get back there!

Yes, I know...enough already Forbus...please let me turn things over to the one and only, Reed Farrel Coleman!

Did it go in, Reed?

1. My five favorite movies of all time are: The French Connection, Clockwork Orange, The Outlaw Josie Wales, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Little Big Man. There are actually about fifty films tied for fifth like The Conversation, La Dolce Vita, The Day the Earth Stood Still(1951), The Producers(1968), Dr. Strangelove, Diva, Casablanca, LA Confidential, Blade Runner…

2. The one food I absolutely will not eat is: Fish. Any type of fish. I wish I could like it. I want to like it. I hope someday to like it, but I might as well hope to fly like a bird.

3. If I could swap lives with anyone in the world for 24 hours, I would choose Beethoven—the composer, not the St. Bernard. Because he was so brilliant and so tortured. The Ninth Symphony is so f—king genius and it was composed all in his head. I think I’m a good writer, a very good writer, but I’m not a genius writer. I want to experience brilliance in a way that being me doesn’t allow.

4. The most beautiful place I’ve ever visited is Coney Island. I know I grew up there and I write about it all the time, but it holds a certain attraction for me that, no matter how I try to express, I cannot do justice to. It has a kind of moth-eaten splendor, an inglorious decadence that has fascinated me for as long as I can remember. And it has done it in a way that neither Paris nor the Rockies nor Yosemite can touch.

5. The #1 item on my bucket list right now is: I’ve had a book I’ve wanted to write for over a year now, but life and contracts have gotten in the way. I can’t discuss it, but let’s just say it’s not crime fiction. No, I haven’t fallen out of love with the genre. Not at all. This book is just something I feel compelled to write regardless of how it might turn out.

O.k., well that's just not right, Reed. How can you leave me with that hanging out there? Well, never mind, I still have to read Onion Street, so I can wait a little while to find out, I guess!

Happy Friday everyone...happy weekend...and as always, happy reading!

Crime Critters Caught Reading Crime - Dark Poodle of the Apocalypse

It's Friday! But goodness, how did it get to be the middle of May already? Yikes. I am however, happy for wonderful spring weather now.

Today we welcome the Dark Poodle of the Apocalypse who was caught reading by Papa Bill Cameron, author of the Skin Kadash series:

"A fan of hijinx, anti-heroes, and generally absurdist humor, the Dark Poodle of the Apocalypse was an instant fan of Johnny Shaw. After devouring Dove Season (both literally and figuratively) she demanded Big Maria the moment it was available. Having learned my lesson with Dove Season, I bought two copies of Big Maria. She gives it Two Tongues Up! Delicious!"

That's quite the recommendation! I also like the rating system.

In addition to Bill's  novels, he's also written a fair number of short stories, which is where I first became familiar with his work. If you like simultaneously dark, humorous and insightful, I think you'll enjoy Bill Cameron. And you can check it out. Bill's a very generous guy with his work and offers some of his short work as free downloads on his site. One of my favorites--sorry it isn't free, but worth tracking down--is "The Last Ship." I read it in the West Coast Crime Wave anthology; I'm not sure if it's appeared anywhere else.

My pet tip for today: while I love this time of year, I always get grumpy around the Fourth of July. If you have pets, don't leave them home alone when you head out to see a fireworks display. Keep your pets away from any fireworks (pretty common sense), but be cognizant of the sounds as well. Because their hearing is so different from ours, the noise of fireworks can be very painful for your pets. I have to close my house and opt for air conditioning and still my dog is affected by the noise. The other thing I have to watch for is debris that is in my yard the following morning. People set off the fireworks but don't retrieve the trash it creates, which can extremely toxic to animals if they get a hold of it.

So, protect your pets from the fireworks. And if you're not a pet owner, please be considerate of the animals around you when you decide you're going to let off fireworks simply for your own amusement. You don't like it much when someone else puts you in pain for their amusement, so you know...

Crime Critters Caught Reading Crime - Double-Bogey Duffer Burke Simpson

While I haven't had a chance to meet this little guy in person yet, I already know that I adore "Double." His mamma shares stories about his ups, downs and sometimes side ways, which are always a treat. Of course you know his mamma is Alafair Burke.

I'm especially fond of Double's reading choice today. I listened to Reconstructing Amelia on audio and you'll get to hear about it later, but Double spends his time reading while Mommy writes. After all, what else is there to do? Mommy hasn't been especially receptive to Double's plot ideas. What's wrong with a race around the park followed by squeaky toy keep away? That's exciting isn't it? Double also says, "Reconstructing Amelia is great, but why doesn't anyone have a dog?"

As for me, I'm thankful that Double occupies his time reading and allows his mommy to write. Alafair has a new book coming out next month and I CAN. NOT. WAIT. If You Were Here will hit bookstores on June 4th! And of course you'll hear about that one from me as well! Alafair has a pretty nifty pre-order contest going on now if you're interested in checking that out.

I'm sad that I won't be able to attend any of Alafair's tour events for this book, but if you can go and say "hi" for me, I'd love it...and you'll love the event, promise!

As a little side note, I just have to mention that Alafair is part of the reason I wanted to start this book blog. I didn't know her at the time, but I was reading her books and I wanted to tell others about them. As long as this blog has existed I've been reading Alafair Burke crime novels; she only gets better and better with each one. 

Thanks to Alafair and Double for playing along this month!

Today's pet tip is about sunscreen: Though all that fur helps protect her, your pet can get sunburned, particularly if she has light skin and hair. Sunburn in animals can cause problems similar to those it can cause in people, including pain, peeling, and skin cancer. So keep your pet out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and when you do go out, rub a bit of sunblock on unprotected areas like the tips of her ears, the skin around her lips, and the tip of her nose.