To wrap up 2010 I decided to put together a little picture show. These are a smattering of pictures from the various events I've attended this year: Felonious February in Muskego, the L.A. Times Festival of Books, Printers Row, Bouchercon, Murder and Mayhem in Muskego, plus all the various book signings.
Hope you enjoy and I hope 2011 brings you much love, happiness and success! Happy New Year!
As you know, this week of special guests has been a joint project with Open Road Media. Well, they are generously providing FIVE readers a free e-book of their choice from the four authors presented this week: Jonathon King, Jack Higgins, Lawrence Block and Stephen Coonts.
To enter, simply complete the quick entry form below. I'll take entries through Wednesday, January 5, 2011! Then Open Road Media will choose five winners from all entries and they will contact the winners to get their choice of e-book.
If you have any questions, simply drop me an email or leave them in the comments section of this post. Good luck!
Today I'm thrilled to welcome New York Times bestselling author, Stephen Coonts. A native of West Virginia, Coonts entered the U.S. Navy following his graduation from West Virginia University and began flight training. He would ultimately fly the aircraft that featured prominently in his first novel, FLIGHT OF THE INTRUDER, and it's sequel, THE INTRUDERS. These days Coonts flies for fun, not battle. He spends more time writing his thriller, suspense and non-fiction books, which to date total 28.
For his post, Stephen Coonts chose to create a recommended reading list. Some of the titles may come as a bit of a surprise.
STEPHEN COONTS RECOMMENDED READING
Six Favorites You Should Know About
THE ODYSSEY by Homer.
This 4,000-year-old-work is widely regarded as the first novel, and perhaps it is the best ever written. Is there a writer anywhere who doesn't envy Homer, being read and admired 4,000 years after he composed his story?
THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN by Mark Twain.
Hemingway noted that this was the first modern American novel, and still ranks right up there with the best.
TIME TO HUNT by Stephen Hunter.
I arbitrarily selected this as one of the best of Stephen Hunter’s tales, all of which are thriller masterpieces. You should also read point of impact.
SIXTY-ONE HOURS by Lee Child.
Child and Stephen Hunter are the best two thriller writers writing today.
ANOTHER RIVER, ANOTHER TOWN by John P. Irwin.
The best soldier combat story I have ever read. As good as the very best World War II novels, and every word is true.
THE TONTO WOMAN AND OTHER STORIES by Elmore Leonard.
Before he became the master of the con, Leonard wrote the best novels and short stories ever written in the western genre. The short story The Tonto Woman is my favorite western story of the thousand or so I have read.
Yesterday Lawrence Block's books became available as e-books through Open Road Media. Block began his writing career in the 1950s and he hasn't stopped since. Over 100 books and a multitude of prestigious awards later, he's still successfully entertaining readers. Today he's here to talk about CHIP HARRISON SCORES AGAIN.
.Chip Harrison Scores Again
This is the second of four books about Chip Harrison. I thought it might prove difficult to write a sequel to No Score, but in several respects it's probably a better book. Some of the characters, especially Geraldine, the South Carolina madam, seem to me more interesting and better realized than those in the first book, and I kind of like the story’s arc. And, if it’s still boyish, it’s also bittersweet. I like bittersweet.
Chip Harrison Scores Again was first published by Gold Medal Books in 1971 and reprinted in a two-in-one volume by The Countryman Press in 1984. The double volume, Introducing Chip Harrison, bears an afterword by one Hilton Crofield, and here’s what that estimable fellow had to say:Some Afterthoughts by Hilton Crofield
I don’t know why they asked me to write this. Somebody’s original brilliant idea was for me to write an introduction to the new edition of No Score and Chip Harrison Scores Again, and I said OK. Don’t ask me why. Then somebody else got the bright idea of calling the double volume Introducing Chip Harrison, which meant that I would be saddled with the job of introducing Introducing Chip Harrison, and I said that, if you really want to know, I’d rather go into the bathroom and squeeze a pimple. So they said OK, we’ll make it an afterword, and I said OK again. Don’t ask me why. It’s not as if I was getting paid for this.
Chip Harrison needs no introduction, and I don’t suppose he needs an afterword either, so you can stop reading right now . . . If you’re still with me, I just want to tell you that these are my kind of books. Chip Harrison is a sort of a lecher on the wry side. More than that, when you finish the book you want to call him up and talk about it.
Listen, I’ve got a tip for you. Don’t do it. Years ago I wrote a book and dais how sometimes I wanted to call the author in the middle of the night, and this guy named Ottinger had his name down as author and so many weird kids called him up in the middle of the night that the poor guy lost it. He went up to Maine or Vermont and quit writing and only leaves his house once a year. He always sees his shadow, and it's always six more weeks of winter.
I wouldn't want that to happen to Chip Harrison. I've already read the rest of the books, and I know that Chip went to work for Leo Haig and takes care of tropical fish when he’s not helping Haig solve crimes. If you haven’t read those books, go out and get them right now instead of wasting your time reading this crap I have to write.
Anyway, I like old Chip. I think Phoebe would like him, too. And I hope you liked him, but if you didn’t, well, tough. What do you expect me to do about it, anyway?
Oh, yeah. The business about the name. Lawrence Block is now listed as the author of the Chip Harrison books. They had Chip’s name as author originally, but now they’re supposed to be by this Lawrence Block. Same as my book is supposed to be by old Ottinger.
Well, I don’t have to believe that if I don’t want to. And neither do you. (Hilton Crofield, “Some Afterthoughts,” afterword to Introducing Chip Harrison, The Countryman Press, 1984)
In 1996, Signet reissued all four of the Chip Harrison titles as paperbacks and had the devil of a time packaging them. They wanted to call them mysteries, and the third and fourth books, Make Out with Murder and The Topless Tulip Caper, were certainly private eye puzzle mysteries, although not without the dash of levity and erotica that makes Chip Chip. But No Score and Scores Again aren’t crime novels by any stretch of the imagination. “It is a mystery,” the back cover of No Score shouts not once but three times. But it’s not a mystery, no matter how many times somebody says it is.
Never mind. Chip Harrison Scores Again was a lot of fun to write. I can only hope it’s fun to read, too.
—Lawrence Block
Greenwich Village
Lawrence Block (lawbloc@gmail.com) welcomes your email responses; he reads them all, and replies when he can
Wow, I am so excited to announce that today "The Eagle Has Landed" at Jen's Book Thoughts. I'm honored to welcome New York Times bestselling author Jack Higgins. Higgins, the pen name of Henry Patterson, began writing novels when he was 30. Prior to that, he'd served in the British Army, earned a sociology degree from the London School of Economics, and taught at two English colleges.
Today he's sharing a pivotal point in his writing career with us. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
JACK HIGGINS SHARES SOME EARLY WRITING ADVICE
An old teacher who had taught me at school, met me on his retirement and told me he didn’t read thriller novels but had read mine because I’d been his pupil. I’d written all those early novels and made a certain amount of money but had no more than that. A successful Senior Lecturer, I was in line for what you would call Assistant Professor and was thinking of taking that route and giving up writing. His wisdom saved the day and told me what to do.
He said: “Most thriller writers work to a formula. The story in the fictional life works because the script makes it so and the characters follow the dictates of the script. Real life is an open-ended situation because that’s what life is: so a story line in real life is based on how people behave and react to each other – not the dictates of the script.”
I was amazed at how simple it was to follow his advice. Many writers work out the plot and make the characters act or react as the plot dictates. It sounds simple but for me it was a discovery. I went away, thought it out, and saw it was Hitchcock’s McGuffin*. I took a brief news story of how explorers on the Greenland ice cap had discovered the wreck of a plane, which had been there for years with a frozen corpse at the controls.
That was it. Who was he? Why had he crashed? I didn’t even work out a plot. East of Desolation was created. My agent found a publisher who was interested but said “No More Harry Patterson. New name, now please.” So I gave him Jack Higgins my great uncle - a notorious Protestant activist.
Life was never the same again!
Jonathon King on the occupational hazards of working the crime beat….It’s Fall of 1984 and I’m wor
“Jesus, Jon,” he says with surprise that quickly turns to chagrin and then to humor in the span of seconds.king the overnight crime beat for the Philadelphia Daily News. I come on at 11 and cover all the grit until 7 a.m.
At midnight I get a call at the Philadelphia Police Department roundhouse where the media has a room for reporters to gather. The call is from a detective friend who works narcotics.
“Yo Jon, we’ve got a cocaine trafficking sting going on at the Motel 6 down at the airport. You wanna piece of it, come on down and find me in room 106 and I’ll give you an exclusive.”
Now, exclusives on drug deals aren’t so exclusive in 1984, but I learned to never turn down an offer from a cop source. Who knows what they might come up with?
So I drive down to the Motel 6 but by time I get there, the place looks empty. No cop cars with swirling lights. No milling gawkers. No paddy wagon to load the arrestees. Just quiet.
I ask the front desk guy if the police are still here or if they’ve packed up and left. He shrugs. “I thought they were still back there,” he says with the old hook of the thumb.
Ok, I’m a reporter, I don’t give up easy. I wander back to room 106 where I find the
drapes drawn and only a dim light source inside. Again, there’s no obvious police presence, not a patrol car or uniform in sight. I figure I’m late. Everybody’s gone. But I step up and knock on the door anyway. I’m a reporter, you follow through.
My knuckles are barely off the surface of the door when loud, hard voices behind me start yelling: “POLICE! HANDS IN THE AIR! FREEZE! HANDS IN THE AIR! along with descriptive pronouns not necessarily fitting for a guest blog post.
The voices alone would be a chilling enough but almost as instantly I feel the cold touch of metal, the sensation of a frosted nickel, being pressed to the base of my neck. Now I’ve already written some stories about the Philly cops and their penchant for forgetting proper weapons procedure, so I know, with little imagination, this touch of metal is the muzzle of a gun.
At that same jumbled instant, the door before me flashes open to reveal three armed police officers, one being the detective friend who invited me to room 106 and is now looking in my face.“Man, did I tell you 106? I meant to tell you 107 next door where we’re set up. This is the bust room, man. We figured you were another buyer. Hell, come on in.”
I did get a four paragraph story out of that night. I think we ran it inside, like page 23 or something, the confiscation of several kilos of coke coming out of Miami and a couple of arrests. But years later I still have second thoughts about approaching a darkened house. Come back later. A memory like that sticks with you.
As the cold nickel drops off my neck I follow my detective friend’s grinning sight line down to the front of my trousers. Where I’m happy to say I’m still holding my water, but barely.
In preparation for this post, I was looking back over the one I did from last year. I sure did accomplish some fine things in 2009. And 2010 had it's share of accomplishments too.I just started book number 101, by the 70th unique author, and will likely finish at least 2 more this year. 42 of the authors were new to me; 48 were audiobooks. So this year's total books read is about 10% higher than last year; new authors is about 20% lower. Guess that has a tendency to happen when you're continually adding authors to your must-read list.
2010 brought the first theme week to Jen's Book Thoughts. And we included the first "World's Favorite Detective" tournament. This was successful thanks to the hard work of all the bloggers who participated and everyone who took time to check out their contributions. Thank you all!!
This was also the first year I had young readers guest post on the blog. That was exciting for me. I love to see and hear young people's excitement about books.2010 saw a new season of memoirs from contribution crime fiction authors, as well as photos of authors reading for Crime Writers Caught Reading Crime month and Crime Writers Caught Recommending Crime for the Holidays. So many thanks to all the authors who have taken time to contribute to any of the projects on the blog! Your participating enriches everything.
2010 also lays claim to my first experience moderating a panel at Bouchercon and my first live interviews...in front of...PEOPLE! They were wonderful fun and I'm ready to have another go. Hopefully I'll have a chance in 2011.The blog received a face lift this year and subsequently won an award during Book Blogger Appreciation Week. Many thanks for all the support and encouragement!
The list of authors who have subjected themselves to interviews for the blog has grown considerably. And I'm going to get my act together and extend that list even further.I began committing Thursdays to audiobooks. Given that nearly half of what I've read this year has been on audio, I think that's appropriate and will continue doing so; hopefully including more narrator interviews, memes and other fun activities.
I think that's a pretty accurate overview of 2010 here. So what do I want for 2011? The mission of this blog has always been to promote crime fiction as a whole. To share great books and authors with readers, to make a little dent in dispelling myths about the genre, etc. For me to continue working on that objective, I always hope to increase readers, to increase interaction with readers, to grow myself as a reader by experiencing new authors and works and sharing them. So, my goals for 2011 include:To those who are celebrating tomorrow, I wish you a very merry Christmas. I'll be back here before the new year, but if you aren't then enjoy the New Year festivities and be safe. We have a lot of reading and discussing to do in 2011! Happy New Year! Happy Reading!!
My wonderful friend Lauren pointed me over to The Perpetual Page Turner's blog and she had this fun end-of-the-year survey that I thought I'd take a shot at. It'll be a bit of a challenge for me, but I'll give it a go. I'm only doing the section on reading, but it's open to anyone interested, so if you'd like to challenge yourself to answering these questions, let us know so we can come see your responses.
O.k., here goes:
Announcing my final 2010 giveaway. This year I created a "Men of Mystery" calendar for a handful of close friends who also love crime fiction. I used pictures I have taken of some of my favorite men of mystery, but not ones that include me. The calendars turned out very nice and I held on to two in order to have a drawing for them here.
Each page has two pictures, a large dominant picture and a smaller photo. There is a quote on each page related to writing and several mystery conferences and events are already labeled for you on their respective dates. Here is an example of one of the month pages:
And this is the cover of the calendar.
It is 11 x 17, spiral bound with a hook at the top for easy hanging. I have had this one hanging off of a push pin.
So if you're interested in filling your 2011 with crime writing goodness enter yourself in this drawing by completing the entry form below. I apologize, but I'm going to have to keep this contest to U.S. only because shipping this holiday season was a bit on the hefty side for me. Contest will close at midnight on December 31, 2010. I'll draw the winners on the 1st and get the calendars in the mail to them on Monday. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments or drop me an e-mail. Good luck! And Happy New Year!
This is always the hardest post of the year for me. And this has been an especially hard year for me. I read A LOT of great crime fiction. Throughout the year I labeled 25 books (out of 102) that I wanted to consider for this honor, plus the two I carried over from last year - I read them last year but they were 2010 publications. I decided to include 12 in my favorites list, and (drum roll) these are my favorite reads of 2010.
much I like Hurwitz's writing. This was one of the books I carried over from last year, and for me to remember how much it affected me over 12 months later is a testament to the caliber Hurwitz works at.
rais can do it. 
conventions. He's paving his own road, and I'm gladly traveling along enjoying the fruits of his labors.
A QUIET BELIEF IN ANGELS by R.J. Ellory - After listening to this book on audio and simultaneously reading CANDLEMOTH, I decided to become an evangelist for Ellory. There is poetic beauty in every book he writes but the power that emanated from A QUIET BELIEF IN ANGELS was truly astonishing. If I wasn't seated while experiencing this book, it would have brought me to my knees. Please, regardless of what kind of crime fiction you read, do not miss this book. You simply will not be the same person when you finish.
212 by Alafair Burke - I have yet to read a writer who creates the strong, yet realistic, female protagonist better than Alafair Burke. Her Ellie Hatcher series grows better with each book, which says quite a lot considering I fell in LOVE with DEAD CONNECTION, the first in the series. I love experiencing Ellie's New York City, Burke's humor and the interaction of all the characters. This is a series I look forward to with each new book and Burke hasn't let me down yet.
Regulars around this joint know I'm a huge advocate for audiobooks. Once upon a time I had the obnoxious notion that listening to audiobooks wasn't as good as reading a book AND I surely could never listen to audiobooks because I wouldn't be able to pay attention.
Then, two things happened. First I got a job where I had to drive 45 minutes each way (in good weather) and I quickly got sick of the radio. I decided to give audiobooks a shot in hopes that I wouldn't feel like I was wasting so much of every day. Not only did I realize I COULD pay attention to them (I'm ADD by the way), I remembered that I fell in love with books by listening to others read them to me. AND I realized that it's not about the print or book covers or feel of the pages or smell of the books. It's about the STORY. The delivery mechanism only matters in so much as it gets the story to us.
Now I take every opportunity I can to listen to audiobooks: in the car, while I'm working out, while I'm crafting or cleaning or doing yard work. And since I'm a slow print reader (ADD remember), it allows me to fit far more books into my year. And this year, that included 47 audiobooks as of December 18th. So, I think it's only appropriate to have a "favorites" list for audiobooks. This list, however, will be solely based on the audio performance: how well I feel the narrator connected with the story, how he/she/they brought the story to life, didn't overdramatize, etc. So, these books could be on my favorites list later this week or they might not. Some of the audiobooks were magnificently created and the story was just o.k. That's about as scientific as I can get in how I decided this list. These are not necessarily new in 2010; they are just the audios I listened to in 2010. And here it is in no particular order, my Top 10 Favorite Audiobooks of 2010:
Trigger City by Sean Chercover; narrated by Joe Barrett (Audible) - Barrett is one of my favorite narrators and I think it's because he "gets" crime fiction. He's also sharp with sarcasm. He never allows that to be overlooked in dialogue. Chercover doesn't use it a lot in his writing, but when he does, it's a zinger and Barrett nails it. Barrett's tone is hardboiled. He doesn't get overly dramatic unless it's truly called for. And then when it is, the effect is stronger because he hasn't been doling it out the entire book. So, the pacing of this audio was exceptional. This book came alive for me.
Power of the Dog by Don Winslow; narrated by Ray Porter (Blackstone) - Porter is just WOW! The Power of the Dog is an epic novel and to juggle the characters and the diversity and the emotion of this book was an exceptional feat. Truly one of Porter's most amazing efforts.
The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton; narrated by MacLeod Andrews (Brilliance) - This is the first audio I've experienced narrated by MacLeod Andrews and he blew me away. This plot is full of emotionally gripping, psychologically challenging content and I think Andrews added dimension to something that was already incredible. He definitely ripped my heart out on this one. His characterization, tone, pacing, all top-notch. He understood the humor and how it accented the plot. Andrews won a new fan in me with this one. Outstanding!
Redemption Street by Reed Farrel Coleman; narrated by Andy Caploe (Audible) - Even though I started the Moe Prager series in print, Andy Caploe was able to voice Moe for me. He brings to life the sound of Coleman's sense of place in these novels. And I may start sounding like a broken record, but Caploe understands the humor and knows how to bring it through. This may seem unimportant, but if you've ever listened to a narrator who doesn't get the humor and glosses over it, you know how big a difference that makes. The other element that Caploe brings out in the narration is the internal struggle Moe deals with. This is essential to the plot and Caploe appreciates how much. Incredible performance.
The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death by Charlie Huston; narrated by Paul Michael Garcia (Blackstone) - This was a beautiful work of art in all aspects. The narration is spectacular. Garcia goes from the obnoxious and the absurd to the psychologically challenging to the emotionally overwhelming. Keeping up with Charlie Huston can be no easy feat, but by God, Garcia did it and then some. This is a brilliant, brilliant recording.
Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson; narrated by George Guidall (Recorded Books) - Not long ago, Reed Farrel Coleman said he would read a grocery list if it was written by S.J. Rozan; I think I'd listen to a grocery list if it was read by George Guidall. He's a master and his work on this series reflects that. He's called on to use dialect, sing, crack wise, and melt your heart with emotion. And he does it in spades! This entire series on audiobook has received nothing but my highest recommendation, and Junkyard Dogs is no different.
A Quiet Belief in Angels by R.J. Ellory; narrated by Mark Bramhall (Blackstone) - Mark Bramhall is another narrator who was new to me this year. He's stunning. This audiobook is stunning. The depth and complexity of this book is daunting, but Bramhall handled it with apparent ease. And the beauty of the language? Wow, did Bramhall get it and so will every listener. This is a heart-wrenching story, so humor isn't a large part, but when it does rear its head, Bramhall brings it home. His use of dialect and pacing help to set the stage and the tone of the novel. This recording is a magnificent performance.
Narrows Gate by Jim Fusilli; narrated by Joe Barrett and Joe Pantoliano (Audible) - This audiobook is a first as far as I know. It isn't a book in print. It went straight to audiobook. It's 17 and a half hours and it's a mafia epic. I'll be writing up a full review in the near future, but suffice it say, I thought the audio was extremely well crafted. Barrett read the narration and Pantoliano read the dialogue. Both did an excellent job setting the tone of the book; Pantoliano was in sospeso when it came to dialect and the Italian. Kudos to all those involved in this production.
Hell Hole by Chris Grabenstein; narrated by Jeff Woodman (Audible) - Another of my favorite narrators, Jeff Woodman is extremely versatile in his narration work. Grabenstein never fails to challenge him on that front. Hell Hole is one of the more emotionally charged of the John Ceepak novels and Woodman handles the balancing act of humor and emotion well; just as he balances the differences between Ceepak and Danny. It's all good!
Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley; narrated by Rich Orlow (Recorded Books) - Starvation Lake was my first experience with Rich Orlow as narrator. I would not by any means consider this an easy book to have to narrate. It's complex and dark. And Orlow made me love it! His work on this book embodied the conflict the protagonist battled. When you bring a book to life as a narrator, you know you've done your job well. Orlow did far better than well.
O.k., there you have it. My favorite 10 from 2010. Now it's YOUR turn. Tell me what your favorites were from this year. Next up tomorrow, my favorite 10 overall reads. Happy Reading!
This week I'm going to have a series of posts related to wrapping up 2010. Next week, between the holidays I have some very special guest posts for you, so if you have the time, I hope you'll check in. I'm sure it will be a lot of fun!
I decided to start the wrap-up week with my post about the new-to-me authors I've read. Total books read for 2010 will be between 100-103 books from at least 69 different authors (depends on how much reading I can fit in with the holidays). But for sure I will have read 42 new-to-me authors. What a wonderful year this has been for my discovery of amazing new authors. You'll see quite a few of these mentioned throughout this week as I present my "favorites" list later. But let's take a look at the collective list. I've bold-faced the authors who are debut authors this year.
Today we'll bid adieu to the 2010 Crime Writers Caught Recommending Crime for the Holidays series. To send it off in style, I've put together a video featuring live recommendations from some additional authors as well as a look back at a selection of the photos included in the series. I hope you found some great ideas for gifts or for your own To Be Read stacks.
And if you have any final recommendations, leave them for us in the comments sections! Happy Holidays everyone...and Happy Reading!
Today I'm going to wrap up the photos for Crime Writers Caught Reading Crime - For the Holidays. I have two very special shots to share with you and then tomorrow we'll have a final wrap-up for the whole project.
First we'll start off with one of crime fiction's biggest fans and one of my best friends. Judy Bobalik is a former bookstore owner and a crime fiction aficionado. So her recommendation for CHRISTMAS AT THE MYSTERIOUS BOOKSHOP, edited by Otto Penzler, is not only fitting, it's spot on. Judy says,
"Perfect reading for the busy holiday season. You can savor one of the 17 stories between shopping, decorating and attending holiday parties."
Brrr...not sure where you are, but we're getting a nasty snow storm now and our world is beginning to look a lot like Christmas...which reminds me that we're going to wrap up "Crime Writers Caught Recommending Crime - for the Holidays" this week.
S.J. Rozan's 10th book in her Lydia Chin/Bill Smith series, ON THE LINE, has been a hot recommendation this year. Earlier in the series, we had a glowing recommendation from author Michael Wiley, and today we have two equally great folks recommending this P.I. novel.
Reed Farrel Coleman, author of the Moe Prager series, is very succinct about his recommendation. Very simply:
"I'd read a grocery list if SJ Rozan's name was on it."And what better image to represent the joy of holidays than this one with Megan Collings? Megan lent her name to ON THE LINE and is making sure she approves of its use! Brother Jake is also checking out her new notoriety.
Yesterday I mentioned that I'm going to participate in Beth Fish Read's What' In a Name 4 Reading Challenge.
I've started considering what books I'm going to read to fulfill the requirements of this challenge, based on books I am anticipating reading in 2011. But, I thought it would be fun to see what your suggestions would be for books in this challenge. So here are the requirements:
Read:
The days seem to be flying by and I'm certainly not keeping up with their pace. How about you? If you're celebrating Christmas, are you ready? I'm not even close yet.
I also find myself saying, "doh!" far too often as I'm forgetting things on a regular basis. Too much to remember! So, since I'm forgetting things I thought I'd point out a few things around the Interwebs today in case you forgot about any of them, or didn't even know in the first place.
First off, I wanted to remind you about the Macmillan crime communities and encourage you to come join on Twitter or Facebook...or both. Hilary Davidson just joined the team to cover noir, so that's an added bonus as well. On Twitter you can find the procedurals and P.I.s at:
http://twitter.com/mysteryprecinct
http://twitter.com/agencymysteries
And the noir is:
http://twitter.com/noirmysteries
At Facebook we have:
The Precinct and The Agency and The Alley (if these links don't work, you can do a simple search by the name and we come up right away.)
Join up with us on Facebook and feel free to post to the wall about books you're reading, questions you have, or any crime fiction-related topics. You can also post pictures if you want to share your crime fiction escapades! You can also feel free to start discussion threads on the Discussions tabs. We have a few discussions going now, including a thread about which books you think should be read by every crime fiction fan before they die. I'd love for you to come contribute to that one because I'd like to do something else with it both on the Facebook pages and on blogs. So, come share your thoughts!
If you don't know already, Megan Abbott and Sara Gran have started a blog together. You can find that here.
Kelli Stanley has a snazzy new blog with a forum here. Lots of fun stuff to check out there.
Tantor Audio is holding a 12 Days of Christmas giveaway at the Audiobook Community for a chance to win a copy of THE LINEUP on audio. I have a print copy and have read a couple of the pieces, but not everything yet. I love the ones I've read so far.
I signed up here at FictFact to try to track the series that I read. I've been extremely remiss about keeping up my Goodreads account, but maybe I'll do a bit better with this one. If you're also a member, feel free to link up with me. I love to see what you're reading.
A
nd if you missed it last weekend, I announced my first hosting of a reading challenge. It's called CRIMINAL PLOTS and you can find all the details here. I so hope you'll sign up and join us. I can't wait see what people read for the challenge. Also, if you know other crime fiction fans - or folks who you think should check out the genre, encourage them to check it out as well. You don't have to be a blogger to participate and participants only have to read 6 books to successfully complete it.
I also joined the What's in a Name 4 reading challenge. This is huge for me. Two challenges this year. I usually horrible at completing them, but it's going to be one of my reading/blogging goals for 2011. I will complete them this year! I'll also do periodic blog updates so you can help keep me on track.
Robert Crais announced his tour schedule for THE SENTRY. It's up on his websit
e here. If he isn't coming to a bookstore near you, remember that he's going to be a Guest of Honor at Bouchercon in St. Louis this year. And the discount registrations for BCon are available until Jan. 1st. So, get your registration in before the end of the year and save yourself some bucks. It is THE must attend event of the year!
If you didn't see it, my very good friend and blogging buddy, Pop Culture Nerd did this fabulous video of Robert Crais while he was working on the video for The Sentry. It's a must to see, plus you can enter to win a chance at an ARC of THE SENTRY while you're there.
Wow! I think I need to do these posts more often and then they won't be quite so long, huh? I'd like to end with a hearty congratulations to the very talented Brad Parks who this month received the Nero Award for FACES OF THE GONE. Brad is the first author to ever win the Shamus and the Nero on the same book. And what a most deserving book for that honor.
I have so much more to share with you this month. I'm working on my goals for 2011, my favorites list from 2010, the remainder of the recommendation project. And I know it's a very busy time for everyone, but if you have time to stop by this month, I'll be keeping posts fresh. Thanks for every visit you make! Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!
Well, Chanukah is over and there's 15 days to Christmas. Kwanzaa and Boxing Day will follow that. Are you set? No? O.k., well here's another recommendation for you!
Meredith Cole, who released her second Lydia McKenzie novel this year, is offering up today's recommendation. She is rather fond of Laura Lippman's WHAT THE DEAD KNOW. Here's why she thinks WHAT THE DEAD KNOW would make a great holiday gift this year:
"I read Laura Lippman's series and enjoyed it, but her first standalone WHAT THE DEAD KNOW floored me. It's one of those books that you devour quickly, but can't stop thinking about afterwards. The book haunts you. It's a creepy story about two girls who disappeared one day in a shopping mall and were never seen again--until one day a woman shows up and claims to be one of the missing girls. It was inspired by a true story that happened near where my husband grew up. Lately I've found myself recommending the book to both men and women, some of them mystery readers, and everyone has had a similar reaction to my own. This book would make a wonderful gift."
I have two more recommendations for you this week and then some special additions for next week. I hope you've been able to find the perfect gift for the crime fiction readers on your holiday lists and beefed up your own TBR lists.
Today's recommendation comes from David Heinzmann, a Chicago Tribune journalist who broke into the fiction scene with his novel, A WORD TO THE WISE and will release his sophomore novel THROWAWAY GIRL next year. David is recommending a fellow Chicago writer, Libby Fischer Hellmann and her newest novel, SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE. David tells us:
"Set The Night On Fire is an engrossing mystery that illuminates a time when Chicago was home to some of the darker corners of America’s counterculture experience. Libby Hellmann’s characters come alive struggling to survive the terrifying consequences of deeds some would like to forget from that chaotic and politically charged time. I love mysteries with a strong and authentic sense of place, and Libby’s Chicago is the town I know—from the pancake house diners to the chill of looking out on the endless blue-gray of Lake Michigan from some shoreline mansion’s living room."
There are few people that I admire as much as today's author. Sophie Littlefield is not only one of the most talented women I know, she's funny and generous and smart as a whip. Sophie is one of the great cheerleaders of this genre, so it's my honor to have her here recommending for the holidays.
Of course, Sophie writes the Stella Hardesty adult crime fiction series. She is also the author of BANISHED, a young adult novel, and AFTERTIME, a dystopian novel due out in March of 2011. And in between all that she somehow manages to keep two teenagers, a husband and a young beagle in line. Whew! She also read RUT by Scott Phillips:
"RUT by Scott Phillips is the smartest dystopic novel I've read yet. It's part of a fascinating publishing experiment that combines individual giving with grass-roots book sharing - check out http://www.concordfreepress.com. And, I love the cover and I think it will look nice next to my collection of snowman Santa figurines."
Those of you who visit the blog often know I think you should be reading Hilary Davidson's THE DAMAGE DONE. Well, so does the L.A. Times! And goodness what company's she's in. Despite this high honor, it hasn't lifted Hilary above making a recommendation for us.
Hilary is recommending Ken Bruen and his LONDON BOULEVARD for this holiday season. Here's why:
"Nothing against Colin Farrell, Keira Knightly, or Ray Winstone (Mr. Winstone is one of my favorite actors), but as exciting as the new "London Boulevard" movie might be, I think the Ken Bruen novel that inspired it a tough act to follow. His London Boulevard is a retelling of 1950's "Sunset Boulevard," but set in London's underworld and told through the eyes of a man just released from prison. Its ending is even more twisted than the Billy Wilder film — and I have a feeling that the Farrell-Knightly pairing is going to meet with a happier fate. But the black humor of Bruen's book makes it a perfect gift for crime-fiction fans and movie lovers."
Steve Hockensmith's e-book collection of his short stories is called NAUGHTY: NINE TALES OF CHRISTMAS CRIME. I couldn't help but think, these should all be holiday cartoons for adults. You know, our kids have Frosty and Rudolph and whatnot. Hockensmith's stories would be great premises for adult versions. Reading these stories was as enjoyable to me this holiday season as those cartoons were to me years ago as a child.
About these "nine tales." The first of the collection is called "Fruitcake." In several of the stories, Hockensmith makes use of the age old fruitcake, but in this tale the fruitcake is a major player in a retirement community. The ladies out number the men and Ethel Queenan is determined to snatch herself a husband, armed with...yep, a fruitcake. Before anyone goes all huffy, this is NOT a romance story. It's filled with murder and mayhem and laughs. Lots of them.
Next up is "I Killed Santa Claus." That title right there tells you why these couldn't be cartoons for kids. When Hannah's mother lines up a job for her as Santa's elf at the local mall, she has no idea she's sending her daughter into the jaws of "Big Buck." Hannah quickly tires of the sexual harassment she has to endure from "Santa" and rigs up his chair to catch him in the act. Only she ends up with more than she bargained for.
"Secret Santa" takes one of the holiday's work place traditions and turns it into a hilarious caper. Erik Bigelow is a lazy, thieving director at Now! publications. He expects a lot from those who work under him but he takes advantage of his position every opportunity he gets. When his secret santa starts calling him out on his atrocious behavior through the secret gifts he bestows on Erik, Erik decides he's going to figure out his secret santa's identity and pay him back in spades.
"Humbug" may have been my favorite story in the collection, which really says a lot because I loved the whole collection. I just found this particular take on Ebenezer Scrooge's story to be quite brilliant and fun. When Scrooge is run over by a wagon carrying Christmas trees, Inspector Bucket has to determine if it was an accident or murder.
The title of the collection comes from the next story, "Naughty," where Hockensmith brings back Hannah from "I Killed Santa Claus." Hannah seems to be a magnet for the male perverts, but in "Naughty" she decides to pull a "Grinch" on this one and steal his Christmas so he doesn't get away with cheating on his wife and buying back her good graces with pretty gifts. Only the caper doesn't go quite as planned.
"Hidden Gifts" is the most emotionally powerful of the stories. It still has funny elements, but the main idea of the story is a bit of a heart-wrencher. Karen and Ronnie live with their mother and her boyfriend who seems to have no need for the kids. Karen informs Ronnie that there really is no Santa Claus, but she may just discover she's wrong.
Hockensmith tries his hand at a bit of a Christmas spy thriller in "Red Christmas" and it's second only to "Humbug" as my favorite in the collection. This story was so vivid in my mind as I read - and laughed. The KGB is out to kidnap Santa on Christmas Eve. I'll never see my hot cider in the same light after this story. I love Hockensmith's description of Elf blood. And Hockensmith once again makes great use of the fruitcake!
"Naivete" brings back The Reptile and Diesel from "Naughty." This Christmas they don't have enough to keep them busy, and The Reptile decides the best place to make a lot of money fast is at Church. They'll steal the collection plate. Right away you know the good karma is not going to be with these two, but their caper is filled with slapstick humor and a bit of irony.
The collection ends with "Special Delivery" which will tickle the fancy of any person who lived through the Cabbage Patch Doll phenomena. Whether you were a child with a doll or a parent trying to get a doll, you'll appreciate the humor of this one. Bass is truck driver who is hired to run an overnight trip on Christmas Eve to pick up a shipment of Cabbage Patch Dolls for the local toy store. He has to drive from Indiana to Pennsylvania and back with his precious cargo and everyone wants to get their hands on these dolls.
I read about a story a night and it was something I looked forward to each day. They are fun stories and perfect to remind ourselves not to sweat the small stuff in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Hockensmith's signature humor and his wonderfully brilliant approaches to the holiday season make this collection a present in itself. And you should even read the stuff the you usually skip over, like the copyright info and such. There's some hidden gems tucked in there as well. So treat yourself! You can get this ebook in every format you could want here. And it's only $2.99. I promise, you're getting a steal! So leave the collection plate to the Church and snag your copy of NAUGHTY.
Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!
We're in the midst of Chanukah - Happy Chanukah to those celebrating - and we're inching up on Christmas. Kwanzaa and Boxing Day are also around the corner. Do you have everything you need? If not, we have more book recommendations. If you DO have everything you need, could you finish my shopping? No, just kidding. If you have everything you need for others, then it sounds like it's time to shop for YOU. We have more recommendations this week, so stay close.
Today's recommendation comes from Leighton Gage who pens the incredible Chief Inspector Mario Silva series, set in Brazil. Leighton's recommendation is ASSASSINS OF ATHENS by Jeffrey Siger. Here's why:
"Anytime is a good time to gift one of Jeffrey Siger’s books to a crime fiction lover, but I think his work has a special appeal during Northern hemisphere winters. And while you’re at it, pick up an extra copy for yourself. You’ll discover, if you don’t know it already, that Jeff has a very special talent for bearing readers away to the heat and sunshine of a summer in the Aegean. Just a few pages in, and you’re lazing around, smelling the souvlaki, listening to the sound of bouzoukis, and watching Jeff’s Inspector Andreas Kaldis work his tail off. No effort required on your part, just on Kaldis’s. My kind of recreation.
That said, there are better gifts than a Siger book for Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanzaa.
Personally, I can think of at least three: a Ferrari, a villa on Crete and a boxed set of all of his titles."
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