Time is Running Out

If you haven't submitted your votes for the Crimespree Awards, you are running out of time to do it. Hop over to the Central Crime Zone blog and get the details right now! There are three categories to submit nominations for: Favorite Book, Favorite First Book and Best Book in an On-Going Series. Books published in 2009 are eligible. Go! Go now!

A Trio of Audios

Some audios have been getting away from me and in an effort to acknowledge them, I'm going to do three mini-reviews today.

The first is THE MYSTIC ARTS OF ERASING ALL SIGNS OF DEATH by Charlie Huston. I want to link you back to Craig Johnson's review of this book that he wrote for Detectives Around the World week. My reaction is pretty much "everything Craig said and then some."

FIRST LINE: "I'm not sure where one should expect to find the bereaved daughter of a wealthy Malibu suicide in need of a trauma cleaner long after midnight, but safe to say a trucker motel down the 405 industrial corridor in Carson was not on my list of likely locales."

Huston's tale of a former school teacher recovering from a trauma, taking a job as a crime scene cleaner is unique, funny, moving. I think I experienced every range of emotion possibly while listening to this audiobook. The printed book handles dialogue a little differently, so if you have/had trouble reading this book because of that I'd highly recommend checking out the audiobook. Narrated by Paul Michael Garcia, the genius of Huston's dialogue shines through. And he has some rather challenging areas of dialogue for a narrator since Huston doesn't use much in the way of dialogue tags.

The novel is gritty and Huston isn't afraid to include profanity. So if you're sensitive to that, be forewarned. However, his use of profanity isn't gratuitous. He develops characters and mood and tone. There's a definite reason it's there and it serves its purpose well.

Garcia does an outstanding job as the narrator. He expresses the appropriate level of drama, never going overboard for the given situation. He nails the sarcasm and he's flat when the situation calls for it. The pairing of Garcia with this novel enhanced my experience with the book.

I owe thanks to Michael over at Lazy Thoughts from a Boomer for this audio. It's available from Blackstone Audio (ISBN: 978-1-4332-5753-7) or in print from Ballantine Books: hardcover (ISBN: 978-0-3455-0111-0); trade paper (ISBN: 978-0-3455-0112-7).


Next up I have BLACK ICE by Michael Connelly.

FIRST LINE: "The smoke carried up from the Cahuenga Pass and flattened beneath a layer of cool crossing air."

THE BLACK ICE  is the second book in the Harry Bosch series. Harry's maverick ways have earned him a position in the very undesirable Hollywood Division. When Robbery-Homicide swoops in and takes a case that should have been his call, Harry wheedles his way into the fold and begins investigating on his own. This, of course, does not sit well with the powers that be, so his supervisor dumps a load of unsolved cases in Harry's lap and instructs him to close as many as possible by year-end, a week away. When one of the unsolved cases begins pointing to the case Harry was boxed out of, he uses it as an excuse to head for Mexico and pursue both cases.

The plot is excellent. I commented to a friend while I was listening to the audio that somehow I keep reading a book either simultaneously or right after that somehow echos what Connelly does in his plot I'm reading at that time. I think it's very much a reflection on how he's influenced the genre. I appreciate the way Bosch grows with each book, the way he's affected by the events he experiences. Bosch is no superman; he has to deal physically and emotionally with his exploits.

While I thoroughly enjoyed this Bosch caper, I didn't thorough enjoy the audiobook. The narrator on this one is Dick Hill who also narrates the Jack Reacher series. The only probably is that he read Harry Bosch exactly the same way he read Jack Reacher. That flat tone and mood work for Reacher; Bosch is a far more dimensional character. While I don't think Bosch shows a lot of varying emotion at this point in the series, I think he feels it, experiences it and that didn't come across at all. I read THE BLACK ECHO, the first Harry Bosch, in print and felt my experience was better that way for this series.

THE BLACK ICE is available on audio from Brilliance (ISBN: 978-1-5933-5259-2), in print from Little Brown (ISBN: 978-0-3161-5382-9).

And finally today I have DOUBLE PLAY by Robert B. Parker.

FIRST LINE: "Joseph Burke got it on Guadalcanal, at Bloody Ridge, five .25 caliber slugs from a Jap light machine gun, stitched across him in a neatly punctuated line."

When Joseph Burke returns home wounded physically from the war, his wife inflicts emotional wounds by having left him for another man. Trying to re-enter his life, he attempts to take up boxing. Not really possessing the skill to box professionally, Burke takes a job as a body guard to protect a rich man's daughter. Burke falls for the daughter but is let go after a show of excessive force against a very powerful family. That is when Burke finds his job with the Brooklyn Dodgers protecting Jackie Robinson from the racial violence and threats during his rookie season.

This was a fun audiobook. Burke and Robinson's dialogue exchanges throughout the book are both dryly humerus and moving. The events had a tendency to jar me, and while I tell myself it is because I'm listening to a story set half a century ago, I'd like to hope they would have affected me the same way then. While it's a fictionalized story, the hate still existed and I think Parker did an outstanding job of bringing that through and contrasting it sharply with the loving relationship these two men developed.

DOUBLE PLAY does not deviate from Parker's style of writing. This has a tendency to affect the audiobook versions, however. His dialogue is sharp and intelligent and riddled with dialogue tags. When we read the printed page, we often just gloss over those. Audiobook narrators, however, do not. And so you're constantly reminded of the "he said," "she said," "Burke said," etc. all over the dialogue.

DOUBLE PLAY is narrated by Robert Forster, who I thought did an outstanding job of bringing to life Joseph Burke. He illustrates Burke's emotional scars and subtly lets his emotions peak through the tough-guy image. The narrator is great for this book, the book isn't so great for the audio.

DOUBLE PLAY is available on audio from Phoenix Audio (ISBN: 978-1-5977-7014-9) and in print from Berkley (ISBN: 978-0-4251-9963-3).


Technorati Tags: Audiobook Thursday, Charlie Huston, Michael Connelly, Robert B. Parker

You've the Right to Six Words - Week 11

Oh, I'm giddy about this week. Did I say that last week? Can you believe how many authors there are to be excited about hearing from? Well this week's got it all: a man who made an incredible debut and is ready to turn his sophomore effort loose on the world. A woman who has helped define the genre as it is today and a man who is making waves with his thrillers across continents. Can you believe they were all willing to talk to me about six-word memoirs? I am not worthy, but I'm more than willing to share, so let's see who we've rounded up today:

Charles Cumming graduated with honors in English Literature from the University of Edinburgh before he was approached for recruitment by the Secret Intelligence Service, a.k.a. MI6. His experiences with the MI6 would then become the basis for his first novel, A SPY BY NATURE. As he moved around: Montreal, Madrid, ultimately back to the U.K., he continued writing. In March of 2008 he published the interactive online story THE 21 STEPS as part of Penguin's We Tell Stories project. Now, with four published works, he's working on his next book due to be published in 2011, THE TRINITY SIX. In addition, he's an Assistant Editor of The Week and writes book reviews for The Mail on Sunday.

Charles is the founder and President of the Jose Raul Capablanca Memorial Chess Society. He lives in London with his wife and two children where philosophically he ponders:

Possibly none of it meant anything.

Next up is a man who recently rocked my reading experience with his debut novel STARVATION LAKE. Bryan Gruley decided he wasn't going to enter the crime fiction world quietly, oh no! He was going to do it with hockey sticks smashing, with panache and damn it, awards! This hockey-playing journalist graduated from Notre Dame and worked for various Michigan newspapers before snagging a position at the Wall Street Journal Washington Bureau. There he wrote a front-page story that earned the Pulitzer for Breaking News and another story that was an alternate finalist for the feature writing Pulitzer.

These days in addition to publishing a debut novel that earned an Edgar nomination, an Anthony nomination and a Strand Award for best first novel as well as an Anthony nomination for Best Paperback Original, Bryan is the Chicago Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal and he's an amateur musician. He fits hockey and blogging at The Outfit in there somewhere and oh yeah, next week he's releasing THE HANGING TREE, his follow-up to STARVATION LAKE. I know you're use to my personal commentary in these little bios, so I'm sure you won't mind me saying that I CAN. NOT. WAIT. to meet Bryan in person this October. How does Bryan sum up all that leaves me in such awe?

From fact to fiction to truth.

Our final memoirist today is a woman who has left her Anna Pigeon on the Mystery World. Nevada Barr will release the 16th book in her best-selling, award-winning Anna Pigeon Mystery Series next week. Nevada was born in Yerington, Nevada, but grew up in California. Her parents were both pilots and mechanics. While her sister followed in their footsteps, Nevada took the logical alternative: the dramatic arts. After earning her graduate degree in Acting, she headed east where she would work on stage, commercials, films and radio for almost two decades. Meanwhile Nevada and her husband developed interests in the environmental movement and she started working seasonal jobs in the National Parks. Her first position was boat patrol on Isle Royale National Park. Eventually she would take a permanent Park Ranger job on the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi.

At most of the stages of her various careers, Nevada incorporated writing in what she was doing: teaching storytelling, writing travel publications even working as a restaurant critic. Then in 1983 she added novelist to her resume when BITTERSWEET was published. The Anna Pigeon series would come to life for the first time in 1993 with the publication of TRACK OF THE CAT, which also earned her both an Anthony and an Agatha Award for Best First Mystery. Of course, Anna Pigeon is a park ranger and her character was originally based on Nevada and Nevada's experiences with the National Parks. However, Nevada says that she and Anna evolved in different ways. Regardless, Anna did evolve and now, again almost two decades later, Nevada is publishing BURN, the 16th Anna Pigeon mystery.

Nevada Barr has the arts in her DNA. In addition to her acting and writing, she paints. For the past fifteen years she has put brush to canvas under the name Paxton.

I'd love to sit down and chat with Nevada Barr because she lives with her husband, "four magical cats and two adorable dogs." Hmmm, subtract the husband and the adjectives and that sounds like a familiar living arrangement. But this is not about me. For Nevada, she

Loved books. Loved cats. Got lucky.

Yeah, there was some talent mixed in there, too, but we're sure glad luck was on her side! Luck is also on our side considering these three people write crime fiction for us to enjoy.

Please help me in thanking all three wonderful authors for their contributions this week. I had a blast getting to know each one a little better and I hope you did, too. Best of luck to Bryan and Nevada on their releases next week. And to all of you...Happy Reading!





Technorati Tags: Charles Cumming, Bryan Gruley, Nevada Barr, You've the Right to Six Words

THINK OF A NUMBER - John Verdon

 FIRST LINE: "'Where were you?' said the old woman in the bed. 'I had to pee, and no one came.'"

Homicide investigator Dave Gurney has retired from the NYPD when an old classmate contacts him about some disturbing letters he's been receiving. Mark Mellery owns and operates a spiritual retreat of sorts. People come to clarify their lives and get them back on track. When Mellery starts receiving these taunting letters that insinuate the sender knows him intimately he turns to Gurney. And when Mellery winds up brutally murdered and all the clues lead the investigators in circles, they bring Gurney into the fold to help them solve this bizarre puzzle. The investigators believe someone from Mellery's retreat is responsible, but Gurney has a hard time believing that. His gut tells him that's not the right path to follow. And when a series of other murders follow the same pattern as Mellery's but in completely different geographic locations, Gurney is convinced his gut was right. But there don't appear to be any connections between the victims; who is doing the murdering and why?

THINK OF A NUMBER just stole the spot of my favorite 2010 debut. It's a thought-provoking thriller written with attention to detail. And while it's written in the third person and the readers know more than Gurney, they don't know the answers. So they're working on the puzzle in the same way he is. What I discovered by the end was that I wasn't so interested in who the killer actually turned out to be as I was by the process of unfolding all the clues.

The mind-bending puzzles that form the plot of THINK OF A NUMBER provide a fresh approach to the serial killer concept.

The added dimension of Gurney's dysfunctional relationships to his wife and son add to the depth of Gurney's character. They also enhance a subtle theme that weaves its way through the book in the relationships of almost all the characters. I believe Verdon reveals it to us in a comment from Mark Mellery:

"'We each seem to be wired to believe my situation causes my problems but your personality causes yours. This creates trouble. My desire to have everything my way seems to make sense, while your desire to to have everything your way seems infantile. A better day would be a day during which I felt better and you behaved better. The way I see things is the way they are. The way you see things is warped by your agenda.'"

Like the puzzle of the murders, it makes the reader stop and think about their own interactions with others. Who Gurney is and his own reflection on himself becomes just as pivotal to the plot as the murder investigation.

Verdon also has a talent with imagery. I was especially struck by many images he created throughout the book, including:

"Gurney had the feeling he'd just watched someone stub his toe and turn it into a pirouette."

or

"The door was a reddish brown that reminded Gurney of dried blood. Yellow crime-scene tape, tied to portable stanchions, encircled the shabby little property. All it needed was a bow in the front, thought Gurney, to make it the gift from hell."

The use of contrast in both of these examples of imagery make the mind pictures pop, enhancing their effect on the reader. Verdon creates his own 3-D effect, no glasses needed.

I find that I'm more critical of thrillers than any other book in the crime fiction genre. I don't like the idea of letting go of reality, but I don't even remember if Verdon wanted me to let go of reality because I was so caught up in my fascination with the puzzles and the relationships of the characters that I simply had to know more. Half the fun of the novel was watching the pieces unfold and fit into place both in the investigation of the murder and Gurney's investigation of his own soul. He's a man who has spent his life surrounded by death and while he tries to avoid the one that impacts him the most, he realizes, "No matter how hard one tries to ignore it, death finds a way to be noticed. It seeps into your feelings like water through a basement wall."

THINK OF A NUMBER is one of the most cerebral books I've read in some time. It challenged me as a reader in many ways and I felt enriched by simply having experienced it.

THINK OF A NUMBER is available in hardcover from Crown Publishers (ISBN: 978-0-307-58892-0). And this post is part of the TLC blog tour for THINK OF A NUMBER. You can also play the "Think of a Number" game here.

**Note to book club members: TLC will be holding a "Book Club of the Month" contest for this book in August. Register your book club and you could win up to 10 copies of the book for your members.

Technorati Tags: TLC Book Tour, John Verdon, Crime Fiction, Book Review

My Five

O.k., after giving this a lot of thought and hearing what you all had to say, I've put together my list. I have to admit that between Michael and Jeremy, my list was created. Michael reminded me that this is a fluid idea. In two days...or ten minutes even, it could be different. And Jeremy said, "these are the books that just thinking about them makes me want to run to my library and reread them." That's what this question presents. Why do I read it? What do I think is great about it and will hook others as well.

For me PERSONALLY that isn't the older stuff. In all honesty if all there was was the likes of Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes and Nero Wolfe, I'd lose interest quickly. Even folks like Raymond Chandler and Ross Macdonald and that ilk. Now, before anyone puts a hit out on me. I'm not saying they aren't important to the genre. But they aren't what keep ME reading in the genre. They've all contributed to what crime fiction is today and all have excellent qualities. But those aren't the books I'd give someone else to represent what I think is great. And they AREN'T what I give other people or recommend to other people to share what I think is great.

So, these books are all books that I keep an extra loaner copy of when people ask me for something in the genre to read. These are all books I offer up when someone asks for a recommendation.

1. I already mentioned L.A. REQUIEM. First of all, Crais broke rules. He did what people told him he wasn't allowed to do in his effort to tell the story. He believed that book could end his career, but the story came first. See? Even the writers are criminal in this realm! And on top of that, I so very much appreciate humor in my stories. Granted not everyone is capable of the level of humor of a Crais or a Johnson and they compensate in other ways. But when I look at what separates the good from the great in my eyes, intelligent humor is a determining factor. I also mentioned before that character is huge for me and no one tops Crais for character in my book. Even the minor characters elicit passion in the readers.

2. As I've listened to people respond to this, a number of folks have mentioned Dennis Lehane, and I'm in full agreement, but my title choice is going to be different. SHUTTER ISLAND is the one on my list. And I've always thought the reactions to this book are interesting. Most folks either love it or hate and few fall in the middle. For me, I think it is genius and again, reflects an important part of what is great about this genre. This book challenged me more than most do. It is incredibly cerebral and I think it added another dimension to crime fiction. Not to mention I think it's a great example of Lehane's willingness to push the boundaries.

3. Timothy Hallinan's BREATHING WATER. This is the book that is most likely to change and only because I think the new one THE QUEEN OF PATPONG is going to take its place. When I encourage people to read something in the genre, this is often a go-to book for me. When people read it, they love it. There are a lot of writers who create good dialogue. Hallinan treats it as an art form. The characters are rich and dimensional but what takes them even further are the relationships between them, whether it be a family relationship, an friendship, or a protagonist-antagonist relationship. The other thing I think Tim's books (either of them) does is begin to reflect the far-reach of this genre. This isn't a genre confined to the U.S. and the U.K. It's more far-reaching and universal than that.

O.k., here's where it really started to get hard. I still have gads of elements I want represented in my five choices. What books are best going to encapsulate the largest number of those? Grrrr....

4. James Lee Burke's LAST CAR TO ELYSIAN FIELDS. James Lee Burke could make a 7-11 come to life on the page. His sense of place is unparalleled. He's a master with tone and pacing. He brings to life the simple (and complex) inconsistencies in man. JLB proves that crime fiction is an art. After Crais pulled me into the genre, Burke was one of the first authors I read. And after I finished my first James Lee Burke, which happened to be CIMARRON ROSE, not even a Robicheaux, I just read book after book.

When you get to the last one, it's a bear because you now have to pick from the list that still exists. You have to choose just one and leave off the others you so want to represent. I think that says a lot about the genre. If it was easy to boil down into 5 then there's no real substance. O.k., so I finally decided on

5. Louise Penny's THE BRUTAL TELLING. I love her range of character, definitely her humor. I appreciate that she's a female writing a male protagonist. I appreciate that she pulls in elements of the characters that aren't stereotypical. The males aren't constantly oozing testosterone, the females aren't squeamish about insects or something equally absurd. Human nature is a focal point of every novel. I easily relate to the themes of all the novels, but THE BRUTAL TELLING had the strongest effect on me.

So, what did I bite the bullet and not list above (is this cheating?)? Alafair Burke's 212. As Jeremy said, her novels are ones that make me want to run to the library and reread them. Although I have them all here and wouldn't need to go anywhere. She's a prime example of art imitating life. And people who think pop culture should be left out of novels are ridiculous in my opinion. Art reflects life. That's how we've learned about cultures and people and time periods. Every book that has stood the test of time reflects the time it was written in. That doesn't take away its universal meaning. Also on my list would be Charlie Huston's THE ART OF ERASING ALL SIGNS OF DEATH. Huston is another one who pushes the limits and challenges the rules and comes up with amazing stuff. Don Winslow. I think part of the reason I left him off is because I couldn't decide between POWER OF THE DOG and THE GENTLEMEN'S HOUR or THE DAWN PATROL. How do you pick just one of them? Ken Bruen, like Winslow, hard to pick just one and I definitely haven't read everything from him, yet. But from what I have, it would probably be THE DRAMATIST. Craig Johnson. I still call KINDNESS GOES UNPUNISHED my favorite; he is a big reason I love crime fiction. I have never recommended him to someone else and not had them devour every book in the series. Gar Anthony Haywood's CEMETERY ROAD. Probably the biggest reason I didn't include him was because that's all I've read so far. I want to read a little more, but he made a huge impression on me as reader in his range. He's amazing. And the one that was probably hardest for me to leave off was Craig McDonald's TOROS AND TORSOS. How McDonald weaves all the elements of this novel together is awe-inspiring. If you notice a pattern with my choices, these folks push the envelope of the "rules" of the genre. They aren't afraid to experiment and stick their toes over the line. McDonald is definitely one of those rebels.

And one I left off because I don't feel I would need to give it to anyone. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is still my favorite crime novel of all time. And yes, TKAM is as much a crime novel as anything else on this list.

I don't even pretend that I've read a lot of what this genre has to offer. But based on what I have read and what's affected and changed me most as a reader. This was the result. If I answered the same question next week, it might be completely different.

O.k., you can start throwing things now.

Technorati Tags: Robert Crais, Dennis Lehane, Timothy Hallinan, James Lee Burke, Louise Penny

Fun Surprises in My Mailbox

You know how a surprise in your mailbox always - well as long as it isn't a surprise bill - makes your day? Well, this week has been the week for fun surprises in my mailbox, and they truly got me through an exhausting, stressful week.  So I thought I'd share a few of them with you.

First of all is the new haiku collection from my friend Ginny and her co-author, Diane. I think I shared my last one with you here; it was called RESKU and they included poems about shelter dogs with a collection of the most beautiful pictures. This one is HORSEKU and the poems are so fun. These poetic woman went covered everything from zebras to unicorns in the horse family.

Here's a look inside the book, so you have some idea of how they set these up.

I have several animal-loving people on my Christmas list who will be getting one of these books for Christmas this year. I've also had several people ask me about them since I started showing off my RESKU book, so if you want any further info let me know and I'll get you in touch with Ginny.

My next prize wasn't so much a sur-prise because I knew it was coming. My friend David is a manager at MURDER BY THE BOOK in Houston. While I don't get to "see" him very often, I get to chat with him regularly on Twitter. And this is how I order books: "David, can you send me a copy of [fill in the blank]?" And he says, "sure Jen." Then, usually less than a week later the book(s) is in my mailbox. Well, I needed to get my GLASS RAINBOW (have you gotten yours?), and David had signed copies at his store, so I did my little ordering process and this time David said, "can I sell you another book?" O.k., those of you who know me, know this is a silly question, but I said, "oh, I'm sure you can." This is what he sold me:

All David told me was that it was a mystery set in a bookstore in Ireland. Yeah, I know, I'm a hard sell. Anyway, how in the world can you resist a book whose subtitle is "Murder, Mayhem & Damn Sexy Trousers"? I started reading the first few pages and I can tell this is going to be funny. I don't foresee it being totally awe-inspiring but rather completely entertaining. AND, how about this? The trousers? LEATHER! Let the "hemming leather pants" searches begin again! Ha!

MYSTERY MAN is a great example of the value of the indie bookstore. This is a UK publication and I probably would not have ever known about it without David's recommendation. What a treasure trove we have in our indie stores!

Next on my list of prizes in the mail this week:

This title rocks, this cover rocks and IT'S MOE PRAGER!! This bad boy comes out the beginning of October, and let me tell you how much I would love to be in New York for the book launch. Rest assured you will hear more about INNOCENT MONSTER and Reed Farrel Coleman on the blog as October approaches.

And last, and possibly most dear, is this prize:

This was the BIGGEST surprise of all. I had no idea it was coming until it showed up and the gifter caught me completely off guard, warming my heart immensely. I'm sure it's hard to see on this little picture, but the cover of the CD box is signed by Don Winslow. While this gift is amazingly wonderful, what is even more wonderful to me is the fact that my friend who sent it thought about me for no reason in particular. Aren't those just the greatest gifts ever? It was a reminder, when things seem overwhelming and discouraging, I am still beyond blessed in this lifetime.

I hope you had a week full of fun surprises, no matter how they were packaged. And I hope this week brings you even more!

Happy Reading.

DIAMOND RUBY - Joseph Wallace

FIRST LINE: "Ruby Thomas had never seen anything as beautiful as Ebbets Field, with its brick exterior and half-moon windows that reminded her of slices of jelly candy."

When the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918 wiped out Ruby Thomas' family, the 13-year-old was left to take care of her two nieces. To stay alive she kills squirrels and other small animals for food. She kills them by throwing rocks at them. This skill earns her a side show spot at Coney Island where life is good for awhile. Her nieces have tasks at her side show and she's able to provide for them. She also meets Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsy. But things go downhill when the owner dies and his replacement abuses Ruby and the girls while he is sneaking alcohol into the country during Prohibition. Fate frees Ruby from the evil clutches of her boss only to dump her into equally threatening situations. The corruption of 1920s New York hits Ruby square in the numbers: gangsters, rumrunners and the Ku Klux Klan.  All the while her mother's dying words echo in her soul, "don't waste your life."

Have you ever been on one of those reading roles? The ones where you read fabulous book after fabulous book and with each new one you pick up, you're filled with dread that THIS one will be the one that breaks the role? Well, I'm in the midst of one of those roles. And I picked up DIAMOND RUBY having read some staggeringly great books. This book was in for a challenge to maintain the level of superiority I'd been reading. DIAMOND RUBY didn't even bat an eyelash. This book held it's own and my role continues.

DIAMOND RUBY wasn't marketed as a crime fiction novel, but it's steeped in all the crime that surrounded the 1920s in the United States. To not qualify it as a crime novel would be overlooking a vital element of the plot.

Wallace does an astounding job of bringing his characters to life, which is quite a feat considering he's writing about a female child in a completely different era. Ruby is an outsider for the better part of her childhood and the reader is able to feel her isolation, her pangs of inferiority, her frustration. Wallace reminds us that these are universal feelings: age, gender and time period matter not. Her young nieces are wonderfully colorful. The youngest practically bounds off the page with her energy and the older one almost mirrors Ruby with her contemplative nature and care-giving ways. She's wise beyond her years. Wallace expertly connects the reader with these characters, which helps to augment the evil in his antagonists. How could anyone perpetrate crimes against these beautiful girls who have done nothing but struggle their entire lives?

Wallace's research shines through in his setting. Where he lets the reader feel emotion with Ruby, he touches on the reader's other senses with his setting: hearing the carnies of Coney Island or the smack of the baseball hitting the catcher's mitt, smelling the baseball stadium that breathes life back into Ruby or the stale alcohol that plagues her brother. This is a book that in every way, wraps itself around the reader and pulls him/her in so that there's no choice but to become a part of the story, to be sitting in the bleachers at Coney Island or in the stands at the Polo Grounds for the Dempsey-Firpo fight.

"The language of baseball. Ruby loved it." And Joseph Wallace nailed it! I connected with DIAMOND RUBY on multiple levels and didn't have a choice but to love it. This will be a book I recommend to an awful lot of people. So consider me recommending it to you, too.

DIAMOND RUBY is available in trade paperback from Touchstone Books (ISBN: 978-1-4391-6005-3).

Technorati Tags: Book Review, Joseph Wallace

Audiobook Thursday: STARVATION LAKE

FIRST LINE: The cast-iron railing wobbled in his hand as he climbed the porch steps.

Gus Carpenter returned home to Starvation Lake when his plans for a grand career in journalism were snuffed out. Gus made some ethically questionable decisions writing an investigative story for the Detroit Times. He was writing that story about a car manufacturer with deep pockets. The car manufacturer and its lawyers are coming after Gus for the name of his source. The Detroit Times left Gus to fend for himself, so he headed home to Starvation Lake and a job with their local paper. All's quiet in Starvation until Gus receives a call one night to head out to the city's namesake. The sheriff and his deputy are pulling something from the frozen lake. It looks like maybe it's part of a snowmobile, a yellow snowmobile, just like the one Gus's hockey coach was driving when he fell into Walleye Lake and drowned ten years ago. But how could Coach Blackburn's snowmobile surface in an entirely different lake? That's where the questions start; they grow more mysterious when the snowmobile is confirmed to be Blackburn's and there's reason to believe he was murdered, not drowned.

STARVATION LAKE is Bryan Gruley's debut novel and boy did Gruley ever make a splash on the first go round. The small town of Starvation Lake is populated with a cast of characters, all sharing their small-town secrets and struggling for their identities. Gruley reminds us that small town doesn't guarantee safety, and sometimes the close knit community makes the horror that much worse.

Gruley weaves his own love and knowledge of hockey into the plot. Much the way football defines the small towns of Texas, hockey defines the small towns of Northern Michigan. That definition comes alive through Gus and his life-long friends. Gruley does such a fine job of developing the plot and characters that the reader need not have any love or knowledge of the sport to feel its effects on the people of the community, to feel its effects on the team of boys whose identities are directly linked to the game.

STARVATION LAKE is a book that slowly, silently sneaks into your brain and your soul. A book you find yourself thinking about even when you're not reading it. The characters are ones you remind yourself aren't in the directory of your cell phone. Even though I know it's fiction, I can't wait to visit Gus and Soupy and Starvation Lake again.

The audiobook of STARVATION LAKE is narrated beautifully by Rich Orlow. This is a book that full of passion and emotion but it's all very subtle. Most of what happens emotionally is internal to the characters. Orlow does an exquisite job of relating Gruley's passion without making the listener feel as though they are listening to a daytime drama. And the plot is haunting, but the haunting effect sneaks up on you. You realize its effects after you've put the book down when you can't get it out of your head. I think Orlow strengthens that effect. Definitely an outstanding audiobook.

STARVATION LAKE is available from Touchstone in trade paper (ISBN: 978-1-416-56362-4) and from Recorded Books on audio (ISBN: 978-1-4407-0340-9).

Technorati Tags: Audiobook Thursday, Brian Gruley, review, crime fiction

You've the Right to Six Words - Week 10!

I'm very excited about the group of authors we have this week. I know. I always say that, but I really am excited. It always makes me smile to see the diversity each week brings. I think that says a lot about the genre. But these folks all share a link through their worldly travels. I'm always fascinated to learn more about these authors. I hope you are, too.

Our first author sharing a memoir today started out his working life as an electronic engineer. Alan Bradley worked for radio and television stations, then ultimately at the University of Saskatchewan as the Director of Television Engineering. He retired early in 1994 so that he could focus on his writing career. Alan helped found the Saskatchewan Writers Guild, published children's stories and taught Script Writing and Television Production classes. In addition to being a founding member of the Saskatchewan Writers Guild, Alan was also a founding member of The Casebook of Saskatoon, a society devoted to the study of Sherlock Holmes and Sherlockian writings. His involvement in The Casebook of Saskatoon brought him together with Dr. William A.S. Sarjeant and together the two men wrote MS HOLMES OF BAKER STREET. Have you heard of this? They theorized that Holmes was actually a woman.

In 2006, Alan published his memoir THE SHOEBOX BIBLE and 2009 brought his award-winning debut novel, THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE, which introduced the world to eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce. Alan said Flavia walked into a novel he was working on "hijacked the book." He never completed that novel, but Flavia stuck with him and in 2006 he began her story. Good thing! SWEETNESS earned Alan the Debut Dagger, the Agatha, the Arthur Ellis, the Dilys and the Spotted Owl Awards. It also collected nominations for the Anthony and the Macavity Awards. This past March brought the next book in Flavia's series: THE WEED THAT STRINGS THE HANGMAN'S BAG. These days, Alan Bradley, his wife Shirley and their two cats are calling Malta home. Even though Alan published a full-length memoir, he boiled his experiences down to

I always wanted to write mysteries.

My next author came to my attention during the Detectives Around the World theme week. Pop Culture Nerd reviewed Anne Zouroudi's THE MESSENGER OF ATHENS as part of the celebration. And I was immediately intrigued because this book, part of Anne's series "The Mysteries of the Greek Detective," is set in Greece. Folks in the U.K. are already familiar with this series as several of the books have been released there. This week Anne's Greek detective makes his debut in U.S. bookstores.

Anne's early career in the IT industry took her from England to New York to Denver. While she was in the United States she bought a type writer and began looking at her writing ambitions a little more seriously. Ingredient number one. She returned to the U.K. and decided to take holiday in Greece with her sister. With fondness she recalls her feelings at seeing Greece her first morning there as "a love affair which has lasted twenty years." Anne lived in Greece for a number of years, married a Greek and had her son in Greece. But ultimately she returned to the U.K. and continued writing. After a few unsuccessful efforts at publishing novels, she began a book set in her beloved Greece, and the magic that grabbed her on her initial holiday, grabbed her manuscript. Thus, the Greek Detective was born.

I'm absolutely fascinated by the fact that Anne writes her first drafts with a fountain pen, and she chooses the color of the ink to suit her mood. She says her ideas come most often from silence - or while peeling potatoes. Anne volunteers for Victim's Support in her Criminal Justice System and holds a seat on her Parish Council, which she describes as "like a Vicar of Dibley, only more absurd."

Anne illustrates the sweetness of life in her memoir:

Great adventures bring the sweetest homecomings.

Perfect! Let me introduce our final memoirist so I can go off and figure out what MY great adventure shall be.

Rounding out our memoirists this week is the man Clive Cussler calls "the master of the espionage thriller for the 21st century." Christopher Reich was born in Tokyo, Japan to a Swiss travel agent. He was still a wee little one when his family returned to the United States. In high school he ventured off again for a summer on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro for Outward Bound East Africa.

Chris earned his undergrad degree from Georgetown and found a job as a stockbroker. Not quite having the knack for the stocks and bonds, he opted to work on his business sense in graduate school at the University of Texas - are you keeping track of everywhere he's been? After graduating and being turned down by Wall Street, Chris opted for a job with the Union Bank of Switzerland in Geneva. Turns out he made the right move. In a meeting on his second day at work he found the inspiration for what would become his first novel, NUMBERED ACCOUNT.

Chris didn't begin writing immediately. Instead he went on to start his own business and get married. While earning six figures as the CEO of Giorgio Beverly Hills Timepieces, he decided he wasn't happy and he wanted to pursue writing. Yep, just like that. And his wife put her seal of approval on the idea and they moved back to Austin, Texas. Having saved enough to pursue his writing for two years, Chris set to work and the fates decided that they agreed with him - he should be a writer. In his first go round at this book-writing ordeal, his manuscript made its way to James Patterson who promptly dropped it into the hands of his agent who ultimately dropped it onto the New York Times Best Seller List.

Last week Chris released book number eight - third in his Jonathan and Emma Ransom series, RULES OF BETRAYAL. Not too shabby for a guy who set out to write a novel with no prior writing experience to speak of. Christopher Reich doesn't show any signs of slowing down, but he's already been

Round the world in 49 years.

I know I say this often when this series is going on, but I am so thankful to the authors who are participating. Alan, Anne, Chris your time and efforts and kindness are so greatly appreciated. These folks take time out of their schedules to just have fun with us. They could come up with a million excuses not to play in our sandbox, but they don't. They roll up their pant legs and jump right in. That says a lot to me. I hope to you as well. And I hope you enjoyed these memoirs this week as much as I did.

Happy Reading!

Five Books

Brian Lindenmuth from Spinetingler posed a question on Twitter a few days ago and I've been mulling it over without much success. So, I thought maybe if we bounced around ideas here I might be able to nail down my answer.

He wanted to know "if you could give someone any five books to represent what you feel is the best about crime fiction, what would they be?" I'm probably paraphrasing there a little, but that's the gist of the question.

I can say without a doubt that L.A. REQUIEM  would have to be on my list because that book is the reason I read crime fiction: rich characters I connect with, dynamic plots that keep me turning pages, intelligent humor, social commentary without reservation. From there, though, I start waffling. There are books I love but if I included them would I be covering all that I feel is the best about crime fiction? Then there are books that I've recommended to non-crime fiction readers that have been sure bets no matter what. But just because these people like them, does that mean they represent what I think is best about the genre? Should my five be from all different sub-genres or should that not really matter?

Maybe I'm over-analyzing this. So I'm going to throw it to you. What are your thoughts? Don't be shy, tell me what you think. Then next Monday I'll put together my final decision and you can share yours too.

Audiobook Thursday: A Pair by Marcus Sakey

I listened to Marcus' first and last - well, most recent is probably a better descriptor - anyway, I listened to them back-to-back. Of course I'm talking about THE BLADE ITSELF and THE AMATEURS. So, I decided to make this week's Audiobook Thursday a big celebration of Marcus Sakey.

THE BLADE ITSELF

FIRST LINE: "The alley wasn't as dark as Danny would've liked, and Evan was driving him crazy, spinning the snub-nose like a cowboy in some Sunday matinee."

Growing up, Danny lived a life of crime. But after a close call robbing a pawn shop, a robbery that sent his best friend Evan away to prison, Danny vows to give up his life of crime. He settles into a quiet middle-class life with his girlfriend Karen and a middle management job in construction. Danny is living the American dream when Evan shows back up on his doorstep, insisting that Danny owes him for taking the pawnshop fall alone. Evan demands that Danny help him with a final "job." Danny's made a life he's proud of, he resists going back to his old ways until Evan starts threatening the ones that he loves. When he turns to the cops for help, his past comes back to haunt him. Danny's forced to make a decision that has no winning outcome.

Marcus Sakey is the master of the common man thriller. His characters are ordinary people caught up in extraordinary, and very believable, situations. In Sakey's debut novel, Danny wants to live a life on the straight and narrow, but sometimes what we want and what we get aren't necessarily the same things. And sometimes the choices aren't as easy as black and white. It's easy to sit in judgment until you're actually in the situation yourself. And we've all faced those decisions where there is no easy answer. Sakey brings the reader into the fictional situation by allowing the reader to easily identify with actual situations. When Danny's "heart bang[s] against his ribs like an animal throwing itself at the bars of its cage," so does the readers'. Through his skilled plotting and character development, Sakey pulls the reader down off the judge's bench and plants him/her firmly in the defendant's chair.

Sakey has a knack for taking what, at first glance, may appear to be the mundane and making it pivotal. Whether it be a heat register cover or a card fluttering to the floor, it has a enormous effect on the tone of the scene.

"Something inside Danny broke into manic laughter, wet-cheeked and fearsome, like a little boy who turned on a light to realize the monster in the corner of his room was only a stack of clothes on the dresser...Thinking that the problem with the relief the little boy in his bedroom felt was that at some point, he had to turn the lights back off.

And when he did, the monsters would be waiting."

THE BLADE ITSELF is told in an alternating third person limited point of view. This perspective allows Sakey to put the reader in the middle of the action and have a 360 degree view of the collision raining down on him/her as the climax of the novel. This builds the intensity of the pace and enhances the explosiveness of the suspense. And the effect starts on page one, and snowballs to the end.

THE BLADE ITSELF is a top-notch thriller, definitely earning Sakey the title bestowed on him by the Chicago Tribune: "new reigning prince of crime fiction." The audiobook didn't quite live up to the printed word for me. The book was read by Grover Gardner who, I think, has a unique sound and it didn't work in this case. Evan didn't come across as a hardened, gruff character, and at times Danny almost sounded a little whiny. That definitely affects the tone of this novel. But to me that says a lot about the writing. If the writing were not as strong, I would have had a hard time determining what wasn't right. But the words themselves created a much different effect for me. To be fully appreciated this book might be a better option for print.


THE AMATEURS

FIRST LINE: "Later Jenn Lacie would spend a lot of time trying to pinpoint the exact moment.

Jenn, Alex, Ian and Mitch are best friends. They meet every Thursday night at the bar where Alex works as a bartender. None of their lives are turning out as they had planned. Alex is divorced and struggling to make child support payments when his ex-wife and her new husband inform him they are moving out of state and taking Alex's daughter, everything he lives for. Ian is spiraling downward after rising in the world of Wall Street; he's compensating through addictive behaviors that are pulling him into dangerous realms. Mitch and Jenn wonder how they ended up in dead-end jobs and mundane life styles. More than anything, they all despise the well-to-do people who look down on each of them, as though they were less important, they didn't count as much. The four friends are tired of being the honest, hard-workers scraping to get by. When Alex discovers his crooked boss is keeping hundreds of thousands of dollars in the bar safe for an illegal transaction, they decide to team up and steal the money. After all, who's it really going to hurt? Criminals? But when Jenn, Alex, Ian and Mitch learn that four average, hard-working Americans don't really know how to commit a crime, it's too late and they are in too deep. There is no "do over" button, no escape clause. In for a penny, in for a pound.

THE AMATEURS is Marcus Sakey's most recent novel, and he hasn't faded with time, instead he's gaining momentum. Which is quite a feat considering the momentum of THE BLADE ITSELF, his debut novel. THE AMATEURS deals with a question that probably every middle class American has ever asked himself, "why not me?" The feeling that those with more shouldn't have the entitlement. Sakey's four protagonists are tired of being pushed around and looked down upon, treated as though they are second class citizens.  Especially in the present economic conditions, who hasn't felt that way? Who hasn't felt that they're working hard just to keep sinking further? Again, as with his previous novels, Sakey immediately makes that connection with his readers by tapping into a common thread.

And Sakey again makes use of the alternating third person limited point of view. The reader braces for the inevitable to happen, for discoveries to be made, for conflicts to occur, for everything to come to an explosive collision. The thing about bracing for that collision is that the result is usually more dramatic than if you don't see it coming. However, don't be afraid that there are no surprises. Sakey doesn't short change the reader on surprises either.

THE AMATEURS doesn't short change in any aspect of the book. The characters are rich, developed and dynamic. Most readers won't have any trouble identifying an Alex, a Mitch, an Ian and a Jenn in their own lives, quite possibly their own selves. While they all have quirks and irritating characteristics, those foibles make the friends even more life-like. And that also works to make that collision more dramatic; the reader becomes invested in those characters and it matters what happens to them.

Sakey doesn't throw easy right or wrong questions into the fold of this plot. The four friends do something they shouldn't and they can't take it back, but then their situation grows more complicated and they're confronted with more ethical and moral situations that Sakey wants the reader to seriously consider as well. The questions will resonate with the reader beyond the last page. For these four friends their wishes become terrifying realities. Reach deep down and answer honestly, "what would YOU do?" Ready? Go!

THE AMATEURS is narrated on audio by Dan John Miller. This was a great pairing of plot and reader. Miller is able to not only bring to life the intensity of the plot and the pace of the plot, but I also think he embodies that "everyman" persona. The characters are nondescript because they could be you or I.  They could be your neighbor or your teacher or your boss. I also think this was probably a challenging book to narrate because of the four protagonists. Sakey's dialogue flows very naturally, so there isn't a lot of call for "he said"/"she said," so the narrator has to keep those dialogue sequences descriptive enough to identify four to five or six characters in one scene. Miller is able to do that proficiently. This was definitely a strong audiobook and one I would highly recommend.

THE BLADE ITSELF is available in print in both hardcover (ISBN: 978-0-312-36031-3) and mass market paperback (ISBN: 978-0-312-37104-3) from St. Martin's Minotaur. The audio was produced by BBC Books (ISBN: 978-0-792-74720-8).

THE AMATEURS is available in hardcover print (ISBN: 978-0-525-95126-1) from Dutton and on unabridged audio from Brilliance (ISBN: 978-1-423-36697-3). 

Technorati Tags: Audiobook Thursday, Marcus Sakey

You've the Right to Six Words: Week 9

So here we are for Week 9 and a new batch of most wanted crime writers. I really didn't fathom making it to Week 9 last year, let alone again this year. But here we are. And let me get right to it.

We're starting off this week with a writer who put his love of Hemingway to work for him. Michael Atkinson is the author of HEMINGWAY DEADLIGHTS, his debut novel, and the upcoming HEMINGWAY CUTTHROAT. These books are part of his series that he claims has "negligible respect for history but a veins-in-the-teeth yen for truth, irony, cocktails and the good graces of a well-turned sentence. Novel-writing is not his first foray into the writing world, however. Michael writes film criticism and book reviews for various publications; he's written non-fiction works, unproduced TV and poetry. Among Michael's other interests: very good beer, shellfish, and Italian opera in the summertime. So with all these interests and writing experiences, Michael says

I've only begun to babble.

Babble on, Mike!

Our next memoirist this week is still celebrating her debut. Attica Locke's BLACK WATER RISING was nominated for an Edgar Award, an NAACP Image Award, an L.A. Times Book Award and a Strand Magazine Critics Award. In addition, it was short-listed for the Orange Prize. Not too shabby for one's first novel. Attica comes to the crime fiction world via screenwriting, having written movie and television scripts for a plethora of production companies. She was a fellow at the Sundance Institute's Feature Filmmakers Lab and a graduate of Northwestern University. This amazing young woman's been all over. She's a native of Houston, Texas but now calls Los Angeles home. Whew. Attica's parents were activists in the Civil Rights movement, naming Attica for the Attica Prison uprising in New York in 1971. She explains that origin and leads up to the origin of BLACK WATER RISING in a haunting personal note on her website. I encourage you to check it out. In the meantime, Attica puts her experiences to these six words:

Could never hold a real job.

And in the anchor position this week we have a fire-fighting crime fiction writer. By day, Earl Emerson is a lieutenant with the Seattle Fire Department - despite an effort to retire a year and a half ago, and by any other time he's an award-winning crime fiction writer. He has two series, Thomas Black and Mac Fontana, in addition to six stand-alone thrillers. His Thomas Black novel, POVERTY BAY earned him a Shamus Award for Best Private Eye novel and an Edgar nomination for Best Paperback Original in 1985. Last year, Earl returned to his Thomas Black series after a short hiatus with CAPE DISAPPOINTMENT. He reports that he has a futuristic novel in the works now. Born and raised in Washington State, Earl and his wife still call it home. So what does he call his memoir?

Like a cat: work, play, nap.

Well, I'm not sure how one has much time for the playing and napping part in between writing and firefighting, but I'll take his word for it! So happy he made time to participate in the project, though. Many, many thanks to these wonderful writers for their contributions to the genre and to "You've the Right to Six Words." See ya next week!

Happy Reading!


Technorati Tags: You've the Right to Six Words, Michael Atkinson, Attica Locke, Earl Emerson

ICE COLD - Tess Gerritsen

FIRST LINE: "She was the chosen one."

In the eighth book of the Rizzoli & Isles series, Maura Isles heads west to Wyoming for a medical conference. Leaving Daniel, her not-so-secret lover, behind in Boston on bad terms, Maura decides to be adventurous when she meets up with her old college pal, Doug. She joins Doug, his two friends and his daughter on a ski trip. However, extreme weather conditions strand them in an isolated area and the group goes looking for help. They find a small community with a sign labeling it "Kingdom Come." The clutch of houses provide some shelter from the elements, but details about the homes make the community scarier and scarier. It appears that everyone just picked up and left: windows are open, pets frozen out in the snow, food left on dinner plates at kitchen tables. The travelers only thought they were having a bad day until they found their way to Kingdom Come. Maura Isles' adventure has only just begun.

Lately I've been slower than even normal when it comes to reading, but ICE COLD kept me riveted to the pages, one right after the other. Gerritsen has a gift when it comes to developing suspense. ICE COLD is a layered plot, but the reader can't see the layers until the very end when Gerritsen has carefully unfolded them all. It's very much like driving on a constantly curving road. You know a curve is coming up, but you have no ability to see what's on the other side until you're right in the midst of it. And that is a large element of what keeps the reader glued to this book. Another component that makes this novel so rich is depth of conflict. Gerritsen doesn't overlook any opportunity for conflict, but on top of that the conflicts start conflicting with themselves. Doug's conflict with himself runs smack into his conflict with nature AND with other man. And all of those conflicts have to interact for the end result to be possible.  That complexity works to heighten the suspense.

Another component of Gerritsen's glue are her characters. Of course her series characters Jane and Maura are consistent and have secured their places in the hearts of series fans, but someone coming to the series fresh, could start with ICE COLD and not be lost at all.  I can say this with confidence because, while I have read Gerritsen's work before, it has all been her medical thriller stand alones; this is the first Rizzoli & Isles book I have read. And I have now ordered all of the previous ones because I enjoyed ICE COLD so much.

Gerritsen does an outstanding job of bringing out the supporting cast and making them as essential to the plot as Jane and Maura. The reader connects with them as much if not more so than Jane and Maura because they aren't flat images in the story. They have depth and dimension; they are vital to the plot and aren't interchangeable. I'm actually curious if some of the supporting cast will show up in future novels.

ICE COLD goes beyond the title; it functions as a theme throughout and has meaning on many different levels of the book. Gerritsen weaves it into the plot as well as characterization and even into the relationships among characters. The one place ICE COLD didn't manage to reach, however, was to me the reader. This book was HOT, and I could not put it down. It comes with my highest recommendation.

ICE COLD is available now from Ballantine Books in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0-345-51548-3). It is also available as an audiobook in both CD and MP3 format from Brilliance Audio (978-1-423-39207-1).

Guest Blogger - Tess Gerritsen

I am beyond thrilled to be welcoming one of crime fiction's great writers today as my guest blogger. She's here to talk about one of my favorite elements of fiction, character. Tess Gerritsen came to crime fiction via medicine. She began writing while on a maternity leave and hasn't looked back. For that, we are extremely grateful. She has contributed an incredible amount to the genre and has given millions of devoted fans hours of thrilling entertainment. Her newest Isles and Rizzoli book, ICE COLD, is now available, and I will be reviewing it for you tomorrow. Today is also special for Tess because the television show RIZZOLI & ISLES premieres tonight on TNT. Please help me welcome, international bestselling author, Tess Gerritsen!

I'm often asked: "Where did you get the idea for this book?" But I'm seldom asked where my characters come from. Some authors write up extensive biographical pages for their characters. Before they write a single line of dialogue, they know every detail about that character, from where he went to school to what he had for breakfast. I've tried that method, and it's never worked for me. Instead, I've learned that the most vivid characters are the ones who walk on the page and just start talking.

Ten years ago, while I was writing THE SURGEON, that's exactly what happened. The story was about a female surgeon named Catherine Cordell who had survived an attack by a serial killer two years earlier; now a copycat killer is stalking her, and he knows shocking details that were never revealed to the public. While I was focused on telling Catherine's story, another character sneaked in ... and took over. Her name was Jane Rizzoli.

Jane was only a secondary character, a brash and bitchy homicide detective who was so unpleasant that I had every intention of killing her off by the story's end. I scarcely paid attention to Jane's development yet somehow, she emerged on the pages fully formed. It's as if I was channeling her spirit, without having to think about it. When I was writing her dialogue, the words effortlessly popped out of her mouth. She swaggered, she glowered, she caused headaches for her colleagues, and she seemed to do it all on her own. I was just taking dictation.

A cruel and bloody end was coming for her. I had planned it, hadn't I? An attack in a dark cellar, a slash to the throat. But when I finally reached that scene in the book where Jane was supposed to die, I found that I couldn't do it. I had come to know Jane as a real person. She wasn't just a troublesome cop; she was a woman who'd struggled all her life to be heard. Despite her flaws, she'd proven herself both brilliant and courageous. She had the heart of a lion, and she deserved to live.

So she survived her creator's intentions and lived to star in the next book, THE APPRENTICE.

Now, eight books later, Jane's still alive and kicking -- and about to become a TV personality! "Rizzoli & Isles" is a new TV series based on my characters, and it stars Angie Harmon as Jane and Sasha Alexander as medical examiner Maura Isles. I've seen the pilot episode, and Jane's spirit is perfectly captured in the series, even if Angie Harmon is far more gorgeous than the Jane I'd imagined. An able team of writers will be coming up with the weekly episodes while I, like every other TV viewer, will just have to sit back and watch what happens to her next.

Jane's now out in the world and on her own, the gal who walked onto my pages one day ... and refused to die.

Technorati Tags: Tess Gerritsen

This, That and the Pictures!

Just a few odds and ends to share on this warm Sunday.

First, a very happy 50th to TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Not only is it still my favorite book, but it was also the book I most loved teaching. I know, probably a direct relationship. The movie also happens to be one of the few book-based movies I actually think made a nice representation of the book. So, here's to at least 50 more in the spotlight, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. And many thanks to Harper Lee who never gave up on it and changed lives through her words.

Next, some congratulations go out to the winners of "Love and Whispers." Sheila K. in Florida and Lethea B. in Alabama were the winners of the John Connolly book soundtracks. I have contacted them and their CDs will be going out tomorrow. Congratulations!

And finally, because June just got away from me, I haven't had a chance to share some pictures from various events. PLUS, I have pictures to share from Gregg Hurwitz's launch party, courtesy of the wonderful Michael from Lazy Thoughts from a Boomer. So, here are a few from Printer's Row:

(I think there may be rules against having as much fun as these folks did on this panel, but I'm not saying anything. I had fun, too!)

(yes, that would be me with the AWARD-WINNING Jamie Freveletti!)


(And one of my heroes of crime fiction writing, Craig McDonald!)

Here are a few pictures from the other two events I attended for Michael Koryta:

And last but, Lord, certainly not least, Gregg Hurwitz celebrated the launch of THEY'RE WATCHING in Southern California on Thursday at a bookstore called Diesel Books. Michael attended for us and brought back these wonderful pictures:

(Yes, that would indeed be Tim Hallinan at Gregg's book launch party! Celebrities galore!)

Have a great week and HAPPY READING!