Les Edgerton's Blog, page 26
June 25, 2014
Dana King freebies!
Hi folks,
Awhile back, I posted a review of Dana King’s novel, GRIND JOINT, which I loved.Recently nominated for a Shamus award, Dana King is making all four of his e-books available for free on Kindle from June 25 – 29. A Small Sacrifice is the nominated book, the story of private detective Nick Forte and what happens when he tries to clear a man’s name and discovers why it had been muddied in the first place. The other freebies include two books from Dana’s Penns River series, set in an economically depressed Western Pennsylvania town: Worst Enemies, and Grind Joint; as well as Wild Bill, the story of how an FBI investigation into Chicago’s organized crime goes awry when a mob war breaks out.
Here’s my review of GRIND JOINT, as originally posted:
I read tons and tons of books. Last count, I’m averaging 3 ½ novels a week. That’s a lot. The truly great ones I try to provide reviews for. At last count, I’m about 15 books behind. Here’s one I read several weeks ago and just re-read it. For the third time. That kind of tells you how I liked it, I think. But, if that wasn’t a bit enough clue, here are some other thoughts I had about it:
GRIND JOINT by Dana King
One of the best novels I’ve read this year. Period. I’d read three of King’s novels previous to this one and waited and waited for it to become available on Kindle and finally I went ahead and bought the paperback copy, simply because I couldn’t wait any longer. (Note: get the other three—they’re as good as this one is.)
I’m glad I did. Not so much because I finally got to read it—that’s a for-sure plus—but because I’ve now got a physical copy. That’s important because there are dozens and dozens of techniques I want to steal for my own writing and to pass on to my writing students and this just makes it easier to bookmark and make the theft and get out before I’m caught.
In some of the reviews I’d read of GRIND JOINT, it was often mentioned that King was bringing back to life the subgenre of mafia crime books. I guess I’m out of touch—I never realized it had died. Well, if it had, this definitely gave the genre new life. And, if it hasn’t, this is pumping steroids into it. Make room at the table, Mario Puzo…
Reviews very often aren’t about the book itself so much as they are about the reviewer. Some see that as a negative. Not this reviewer. Sure, the plot is complex and sound. Sure, the characters are entirely interesting and plausible. Sure, the world it contains is realistic and well-drawn. But, I read differently than someone who’s not a writer and is just looking for a great way to kill some time. GRIND JOINT does that for sure, but what impressed me more than anything is that I consciously looked for weak places—places I could set it down easily and go and do something else. Well, very few books are capable to achieving that kind of effect on me… but this one did. It’s simply Grade A, Top Quality, Sterling Silver. 24-Carat Can’t-Put-It-Down. Trust me on this. Better: Don’t trust me. Grab a copy and see if I’m not right. I couldn’t find a single page anywhere in it that didn’t grab and hold my interest. Not a single page.
If you like an insider’s look at the criminal world and are intrigued at stories that reveal how people “in the life” think and what drives their actions, this is the book for you. If you enjoy stories that draw back the curtain on the seamy side of town as well as on the good side of the tracks, this is the book for you. If you get your adrenaline going when you encounter tales where you see behind the curtain, this is the book for you.
If you prefer novels about vampires and fifty ways to make your eyeballs bleed and your trouser worm get exercise, and characters that are 6’8”, Hollywood-blond, can bench-press Buicks, go 24 hours without sleep, food or water, and can defeat 9,000 ninjas in warehouses (why are these guys always in warehouses?), and only need a toothbrush and a micro chip inside them that draws bad guys to their vicinity like six-year-olds to chicken nuggets to make their lives complete, then this probably isn’t the book for you.
On the other hand, if you’re like one reviewer who said she finished reading this book “on a gurney in an emergency room with crying kids, a car accident victim and a loud drunk” keeping her company, and she “barely noticed them,” then, yeah, this is your kind of book.
It’s exactly like that.
Here’s a short description of the four free books:
A Small Sacrifice . Nominated for a Shamus Award for Best Indie PI Novel, it’s the story of Chicago investigator Nick Forte, who is asked to clear the name of a man who has been publicly vilified as the murderer of his young son. Forte learns, while Doug Mitchell might not be guilty, he’s no innocent, and the circumstances place Forte and his family in jeopardy.
Grind Joint . Named by The LA Review of Books as one of the fifteen best noir reads of 2013, Grind Joint is the story of what happens in a small, economically depressed Pennsylvania town when someone gets the bright idea of solving their financial woes by building a low-roller casino. The local cops find themselves up against more than they bargained for when the Russian mob takes an interest. A Small Sacrifice’s Nick Forte plays a supporting but pivotal role.
Worst Enemies . The first of the Penns River books, the story of what can happen when someone takes the scenario of Strangers on a Train way too seriously. Detectives Ben Dougherty and Willie Grabek have to solve two murders organized by a person who is close to both victims, yet operates at some distance.
Wild Bill . A standalone tale of FBI Special Agent Willard “Wild Bill” Hickox, who’s ready to retire but wants to put the cherry on his career by bringing down Chicago’s Number One crime boss. When a gang war re-arranges all the players, Will must choose between duty, experience, and a combination of the two if he is to ride off into the sunset as planned.
Blue skies,Les
June 14, 2014
June 10, 2014
Just A Guy That Likes To Read: Review: THE BITCH by Les Edgerton
Just A Guy That Likes To Read: Review: THE BITCH by Les Edgerton:
Sunday, June 8, 2014 Review: THE BITCH by Les Edgerton
THE BITCH largely refers to the three strikes rule of incarnation. Doing two bits previously, Jake Bishop wants to avoid a third, the bitch, which would effectively end his existence on the outside and possibly his life.
A safe cracking thief extraordinaire, Jake has long moved on from his criminal ways in favour of family life and the dream of owning his own business; a hair salon. When a former cellmate makes contact, pleading for Jake's help before resorting to blackmail, Jakes' peaceful, wholesome existence is shattered; the shards slicing and ending any resistance to the unlawful activities that precluded his current predicament.
Enter diamonds and the promise of a big pay-off - the kind that triggers a life-changing experience and Jake's life is about to be a whole lot more complicated.
There is so much to like about THE BITCH; the family mentality of the apprehensive protagonist, the unfortunate and innocent victims of the greedy, and the unassuming and almost (emphasis on 'almost) justification of easy murder to sustain a goal and fulfill a promise.
Author Les Edgerton has crafted a beautifully written noir that pulls at the heart strings while satisfying the equally opposite feeling for bloodshed paramount to this sub genre of crime fiction.
THE BITCH was my first foray into the dark and twisted world of fiction created by Les Edgerton and it certainly won’t be the last.
** A note on the New Pulp Press cover art - I love it when the art of crime novels are relevant to the story. THE BITCH really nails this one. Relevant and effective. Posted by OzNoir at 3:52 PM
Sunday, June 8, 2014 Review: THE BITCH by Les Edgerton
THE BITCH largely refers to the three strikes rule of incarnation. Doing two bits previously, Jake Bishop wants to avoid a third, the bitch, which would effectively end his existence on the outside and possibly his life.
A safe cracking thief extraordinaire, Jake has long moved on from his criminal ways in favour of family life and the dream of owning his own business; a hair salon. When a former cellmate makes contact, pleading for Jake's help before resorting to blackmail, Jakes' peaceful, wholesome existence is shattered; the shards slicing and ending any resistance to the unlawful activities that precluded his current predicament.
Enter diamonds and the promise of a big pay-off - the kind that triggers a life-changing experience and Jake's life is about to be a whole lot more complicated.
There is so much to like about THE BITCH; the family mentality of the apprehensive protagonist, the unfortunate and innocent victims of the greedy, and the unassuming and almost (emphasis on 'almost) justification of easy murder to sustain a goal and fulfill a promise.
Author Les Edgerton has crafted a beautifully written noir that pulls at the heart strings while satisfying the equally opposite feeling for bloodshed paramount to this sub genre of crime fiction.
THE BITCH was my first foray into the dark and twisted world of fiction created by Les Edgerton and it certainly won’t be the last.
** A note on the New Pulp Press cover art - I love it when the art of crime novels are relevant to the story. THE BITCH really nails this one. Relevant and effective. Posted by OzNoir at 3:52 PM
June 4, 2014
GUEST POST... WITH LEE THOMPSON
Hi folks,
I'm pleased today to have a guest poster, Lee Thompson, a good friend and terrific writer, who has a new book out he'd like to talk about. Lee and I met a few years ago at a Bouchercon and have become great friends. He's a terrific writer and I'm delighted to help give him and his work a bit of additional exposure. He also provides some great tips for writers here. Without further ado, here's Lee...
From Lee Thompson's desk...
(Lee and his son Austin)
A Texas Senator and his wife go missing… On the same day, their son is slaughtered by an enigmatic killer on the lawn of ex-Governor Edward Wood's residence. Sammy, Wood's drug dealing son, suspects his father of the crime. After all, his old man snapped once before and crippled his wife with a lead pipe. But there's something more to these events…something deeper and festering just beneath the surface…
In direct opposition to Homicide Detective Jim Thompson, Sammy begins an investigation of his own, searching for the truth in a labyrinth of lies, deception, depravity and violence that drags him deeper into darkness and mayhem with each step. And in doing so, brings them all into the sights of an elusive and horrifying killer who may not be what he seems.
A brutal killer on a rampage of carnage…a hardened detective on the brink…an antihero from the shadows…a terrifying mystery that could destroy them all… Welcome to Lee Thompson’s A BEAUTIFUL MADNESS blog tour! This blog, and the others participating, will receive a paperback copy to give to a random reader who leaves a comment and shares this post.
Throughout the book tour, I’ll be sharing fun facts about my first Mystery/Thriller, and also offering dubious advice to novice writers because I’ve had writers and editors farther along the path than myself give me tips that have helped me tremendously. If you want to up your game, pay attention and pass what you find useful on to those in your critique groups.
If you’re here as a reader, thanks so much. You’re every author’s life source. You’re the yin to our yang. The stories we set down on paper don’t seem to exist until someone else has read them, and the more the merrier. First/Easy Ideas (Are they worth writing?)
A writer (let’s call him Charles) gets an idea and immediately starts writing his story. The excitement of that idea might help him finish it, and then later, looking back a month or year from now, Charles will probably find that certain elements of his story still interest him (that quick bit of snappy dialogue, or a certain description) but with more experience and distance he’ll probably also find what had seemed amazing during the creative portion now reads and feels only ho-hum.
I think lots of easy ideas are a waste of time. Many a manuscript isn’t sellable because the first idea that strikes Charles’ fancy has occurred to ten thousand other writers, and the same idea will find ten thousand other writers next year. Editors want fresh ideas, ideas only you could write. Yet it’s understandable why Charles loves ideas like this. They’re easy to write. But they’re also incredibly predictable.
If you want to write something more original you have to resist the easy ideas that are more than likely someone else’s vision, and find your own. As a reader, picking up a book where Charles copies a Lee Child, or Stephen King, or Dean Koontz idea, the copy comes off terribly tepid. And it’s sad in a way, because in Charles’ deluded mind—I’m speaking from experience, I’m very deluded—he will believe that his creation is nearly as goodas Child or King or Koontz. I believe experience is the best teacher, and we can get better at judging the value of our ideas nearly instantaneously, which is kind of cool.
Want to read some Crime novels with interesting and fresh ideas? Check out THE RAPIST by Les Edgerton, and FEAST DAY OF FOOLS by James Lee Burke, they’re two of my favorites.
In A BEAUTIFUL MADNESS I wanted to avoid a lot of the Crime tropes I’ve read in a lot of other novels. Luckily my heroes paved the way by writing their own stories instead of taking the easy, boring, predictable route. In their novels, and in my own, the story is about more than just one main character, which is nice because it adds depth to the story and brings out sides of every character that might have otherwise been unattainable.
Buy on Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Madness-Lee-Thompson-ebook/dp/B00K36ITGS/ Buy the Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/A-Beautiful-Madness-Lee-Thompson/dp/1940544297/ Author bio: Lee Thompson is the author of the Suspense novels A BEAUTIFUL MADNESS (August 2014), IT’S ONLY DEATH (January 2015), and WITH FURY IN HAND (May 2015). The dominating threads weaved throughout his work are love, loss, and learning how to live again. A firm believer in the enduring power of the human spirit, Lee believes that stories, no matter their format, set us on the path of transformation. He is represented by the extraordinary Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary. Visit Lee’s website to discover more: www.leethompsonfiction.com A BEAUTIFUL MADNESS main page (http://www.leethompsonfiction.com/?page_id=2423)
Enter to win a paperback copy! There will also be a grand prize at the end of the tour where one winner will receive my novel, and four other DarkFuse novels in Kindle format! Simply leave a comment on this blog and share the link.
Thanks to those who participate.
Happy reading~ Lee Thanks, Lee! Glom onto a copy, folks--you'll become a fan! Blue skies,Les
I'm pleased today to have a guest poster, Lee Thompson, a good friend and terrific writer, who has a new book out he'd like to talk about. Lee and I met a few years ago at a Bouchercon and have become great friends. He's a terrific writer and I'm delighted to help give him and his work a bit of additional exposure. He also provides some great tips for writers here. Without further ado, here's Lee...
From Lee Thompson's desk...
(Lee and his son Austin)A Texas Senator and his wife go missing… On the same day, their son is slaughtered by an enigmatic killer on the lawn of ex-Governor Edward Wood's residence. Sammy, Wood's drug dealing son, suspects his father of the crime. After all, his old man snapped once before and crippled his wife with a lead pipe. But there's something more to these events…something deeper and festering just beneath the surface…
In direct opposition to Homicide Detective Jim Thompson, Sammy begins an investigation of his own, searching for the truth in a labyrinth of lies, deception, depravity and violence that drags him deeper into darkness and mayhem with each step. And in doing so, brings them all into the sights of an elusive and horrifying killer who may not be what he seems.
A brutal killer on a rampage of carnage…a hardened detective on the brink…an antihero from the shadows…a terrifying mystery that could destroy them all… Welcome to Lee Thompson’s A BEAUTIFUL MADNESS blog tour! This blog, and the others participating, will receive a paperback copy to give to a random reader who leaves a comment and shares this post.
Throughout the book tour, I’ll be sharing fun facts about my first Mystery/Thriller, and also offering dubious advice to novice writers because I’ve had writers and editors farther along the path than myself give me tips that have helped me tremendously. If you want to up your game, pay attention and pass what you find useful on to those in your critique groups.
If you’re here as a reader, thanks so much. You’re every author’s life source. You’re the yin to our yang. The stories we set down on paper don’t seem to exist until someone else has read them, and the more the merrier. First/Easy Ideas (Are they worth writing?)
A writer (let’s call him Charles) gets an idea and immediately starts writing his story. The excitement of that idea might help him finish it, and then later, looking back a month or year from now, Charles will probably find that certain elements of his story still interest him (that quick bit of snappy dialogue, or a certain description) but with more experience and distance he’ll probably also find what had seemed amazing during the creative portion now reads and feels only ho-hum.
I think lots of easy ideas are a waste of time. Many a manuscript isn’t sellable because the first idea that strikes Charles’ fancy has occurred to ten thousand other writers, and the same idea will find ten thousand other writers next year. Editors want fresh ideas, ideas only you could write. Yet it’s understandable why Charles loves ideas like this. They’re easy to write. But they’re also incredibly predictable.
If you want to write something more original you have to resist the easy ideas that are more than likely someone else’s vision, and find your own. As a reader, picking up a book where Charles copies a Lee Child, or Stephen King, or Dean Koontz idea, the copy comes off terribly tepid. And it’s sad in a way, because in Charles’ deluded mind—I’m speaking from experience, I’m very deluded—he will believe that his creation is nearly as goodas Child or King or Koontz. I believe experience is the best teacher, and we can get better at judging the value of our ideas nearly instantaneously, which is kind of cool.
Want to read some Crime novels with interesting and fresh ideas? Check out THE RAPIST by Les Edgerton, and FEAST DAY OF FOOLS by James Lee Burke, they’re two of my favorites.
In A BEAUTIFUL MADNESS I wanted to avoid a lot of the Crime tropes I’ve read in a lot of other novels. Luckily my heroes paved the way by writing their own stories instead of taking the easy, boring, predictable route. In their novels, and in my own, the story is about more than just one main character, which is nice because it adds depth to the story and brings out sides of every character that might have otherwise been unattainable.
Buy on Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Madness-Lee-Thompson-ebook/dp/B00K36ITGS/ Buy the Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/A-Beautiful-Madness-Lee-Thompson/dp/1940544297/ Author bio: Lee Thompson is the author of the Suspense novels A BEAUTIFUL MADNESS (August 2014), IT’S ONLY DEATH (January 2015), and WITH FURY IN HAND (May 2015). The dominating threads weaved throughout his work are love, loss, and learning how to live again. A firm believer in the enduring power of the human spirit, Lee believes that stories, no matter their format, set us on the path of transformation. He is represented by the extraordinary Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary. Visit Lee’s website to discover more: www.leethompsonfiction.com A BEAUTIFUL MADNESS main page (http://www.leethompsonfiction.com/?page_id=2423)
Enter to win a paperback copy! There will also be a grand prize at the end of the tour where one winner will receive my novel, and four other DarkFuse novels in Kindle format! Simply leave a comment on this blog and share the link.
Thanks to those who participate.
Happy reading~ Lee Thanks, Lee! Glom onto a copy, folks--you'll become a fan! Blue skies,Les
May 31, 2014
I'm stoked!
Hi folks,
Just saw this on the Godfather of Noir Paul D. Brazill's blog. Made my day!
Top Tips: Recommended Reads May 31, 2014 by Paul D. Brazill
Galviston by Nic Pizzolatto
Haunting and hard-hitting, Nic Pizzolatto’s Galveston is a fantastic spin on the man-on-the run sub-genre of harboiled crime fiction. Prose as tight as a snare drum. Dashes of lyricism that never overpower the storytelling. Great, realistic characters and situations. Marvellous stuff.
Just Like That by Les Edgerton
Just Like That has it all. Great dialogue, whipcrack scenes and meaty characters haul you along on a hardboiled crime road-trip worthy of the Elmore Leonard and Joe R Lansdale. This then transforms into a terrific look at life behind bars. Most of all, this is a brilliant charter study full of a love of life and you can see why Edgerton has been described as a mixture of Charles Bukowski and Eddie Bunker. A shot to the heart as well as the head, Just Like That is highly recommended.
Phone Call From Hell and Other Tales Of The Damned by Jonathan Woods.
Jonathan Woods’ latest collection is a belter. The quirky and inventive collection starts off with quotes from Anthony Burgess and the Coen Brothers and leads with a story called ‘The Handgun’s Tale’ which is just that – the world from the perspective of a gun.
Other gems include the title story in which an eternal loser gets a phone call from Charles Manson, ‘The Old Man’ is classic and classy, ‘The Other Suitcase’, the story of Kafka’s missing smut and ‘Hearing Voices,’ which has a smart and funny twist on the femme fatale trope. ‘Crash & Burn,’ the final story, is a cinematic, high octane thriller. Rich writing full of strong images. Twisted and funny and brilliant.
White Rabbit by K A Laity
K A Laity’s White Rabbit is a marvelous and potent cocktail of crime fiction, screwball comedy and the supernatural. A cracking yarn choc full of brilliant lines that reminds you of Wodehouse, Preston Sturges and the Coen Brothers and yet is like nothing you’ve ever read before. Fantastic stuff. More please!
Hard-Boiled Witch: Hocus Pocus, You’re Dead by K A Laity
With her new short story series, Hard-Boiled Witch, K A Laity once again mixes crime fiction, the supernatural and smart writing to come up with a lethal cocktail. Marvellous.
The Killer Among Us by George Beck
The Killer Among Us is classy stuff. A gripping and engrossing study of American small town life with echoes of Jim Thompson and John Steinbeck.
A Man Alone by David Siddall
David Siddall’s brilliantly hard-boiled debut novella A Man Alone is a gripping urban western worthy of a Walter Hill film
All Due Respect Magazine 2
The second issue of All Due Respect magazine is a 100% gem. Owen Laukkanen is the star of this issue with N.F.G, a brilliant take on the fisherman’s yarn, as well as an excellent interview with Chris F. Holm and an insight into the story. This is followed by a sharp slice of Gothic grunge from C S DeWildt. Other cracking stories, including the remarkable The Gulf by Scott Alderberg and Ice Cold Alibi a great piece of old school noir from the ever brilliant Eric Beetner. But every story is a gem and the reviews which finish off this issue are also well worth a read.
Just saw this on the Godfather of Noir Paul D. Brazill's blog. Made my day!
Top Tips: Recommended Reads May 31, 2014 by Paul D. Brazill
Galviston by Nic Pizzolatto
Haunting and hard-hitting, Nic Pizzolatto’s Galveston is a fantastic spin on the man-on-the run sub-genre of harboiled crime fiction. Prose as tight as a snare drum. Dashes of lyricism that never overpower the storytelling. Great, realistic characters and situations. Marvellous stuff.
Just Like That by Les Edgerton
Just Like That has it all. Great dialogue, whipcrack scenes and meaty characters haul you along on a hardboiled crime road-trip worthy of the Elmore Leonard and Joe R Lansdale. This then transforms into a terrific look at life behind bars. Most of all, this is a brilliant charter study full of a love of life and you can see why Edgerton has been described as a mixture of Charles Bukowski and Eddie Bunker. A shot to the heart as well as the head, Just Like That is highly recommended.
Phone Call From Hell and Other Tales Of The Damned by Jonathan Woods.
Jonathan Woods’ latest collection is a belter. The quirky and inventive collection starts off with quotes from Anthony Burgess and the Coen Brothers and leads with a story called ‘The Handgun’s Tale’ which is just that – the world from the perspective of a gun.
Other gems include the title story in which an eternal loser gets a phone call from Charles Manson, ‘The Old Man’ is classic and classy, ‘The Other Suitcase’, the story of Kafka’s missing smut and ‘Hearing Voices,’ which has a smart and funny twist on the femme fatale trope. ‘Crash & Burn,’ the final story, is a cinematic, high octane thriller. Rich writing full of strong images. Twisted and funny and brilliant.
White Rabbit by K A Laity
K A Laity’s White Rabbit is a marvelous and potent cocktail of crime fiction, screwball comedy and the supernatural. A cracking yarn choc full of brilliant lines that reminds you of Wodehouse, Preston Sturges and the Coen Brothers and yet is like nothing you’ve ever read before. Fantastic stuff. More please!
Hard-Boiled Witch: Hocus Pocus, You’re Dead by K A Laity
With her new short story series, Hard-Boiled Witch, K A Laity once again mixes crime fiction, the supernatural and smart writing to come up with a lethal cocktail. Marvellous.
The Killer Among Us by George Beck
The Killer Among Us is classy stuff. A gripping and engrossing study of American small town life with echoes of Jim Thompson and John Steinbeck.
A Man Alone by David Siddall
David Siddall’s brilliantly hard-boiled debut novella A Man Alone is a gripping urban western worthy of a Walter Hill film
All Due Respect Magazine 2
The second issue of All Due Respect magazine is a 100% gem. Owen Laukkanen is the star of this issue with N.F.G, a brilliant take on the fisherman’s yarn, as well as an excellent interview with Chris F. Holm and an insight into the story. This is followed by a sharp slice of Gothic grunge from C S DeWildt. Other cracking stories, including the remarkable The Gulf by Scott Alderberg and Ice Cold Alibi a great piece of old school noir from the ever brilliant Eric Beetner. But every story is a gem and the reviews which finish off this issue are also well worth a read.
May 24, 2014
MATT HILTON - GENIUS AT VILLAINS
Hi folks,
Still working on a post about my adventures in Texas, but in the meantime, I want to shout the praises of the most recent Matt Hilton thriller I just finished. I've read everything Matt has out and just want him to write faster--I'm jonsing for another one!
I was fortunate enough to meet Matt at the Bouchercon in Cleveland--at least I think it was in Cleveland, although with my memory, it could have been in Albany. We kept trying to get together to drown some suds, but alas, never were able to. Next time...
Here's the blurb I recently gave him for NO GOING BACK...
Blurb for NO GOING BACK
I had to read the ending of Matt Hilton’s latest thriller, NO GOING BACK, more than once. Why? To avoid nightmares, that’s why. To become as reasonably sure as I could be that Hilton’s latest villain, Samuel Logan, has been incapacitated. I think he is, but one can never be sure with a Hilton bad guy. The best-named bad guy in literary history—and yes, I’m aware of a guy named Hannibal Lector—is, hands-down, Tubal Cain. That sucker just kept coming back and coming back… Logan is a worthy heir. For one thing, you can shoot him a bunch of times and the guy doesn’t even feel it. Just keeps on coming after you. How are you going to go to sleep knowing he’s out there somewhere? I’ll tell you what—I love reading Lee Childs’ thrillers, but for the life of me I have a hard time remembering who Jack Reacher went up against. With Joe Hunter, I know all of ‘em, up close and personal to where I can describe their breath. Hot and nasty, just like they all are.. Dantalion, Luke Rickard and Tubal Cain—just aren’t folks you forget when you put the book down. Samuel Logan extends Hilton’s legacy once again. This is just a superb thriller It's the poster child for thrillers. I lost a lot of sleep as I couldn’t lay my head down until I finished it. Wondering if Samuel Logan is perhaps still out there will most likely cost me some more uneasy nights.
That's it, but...
I cannot recommend this book enough! Get it and you'll thank me. Then, if you haven't already, pick up his other Joe Hunter books. Check out the villains--they're brilliant.
Blue skies,
Les
Still working on a post about my adventures in Texas, but in the meantime, I want to shout the praises of the most recent Matt Hilton thriller I just finished. I've read everything Matt has out and just want him to write faster--I'm jonsing for another one!
I was fortunate enough to meet Matt at the Bouchercon in Cleveland--at least I think it was in Cleveland, although with my memory, it could have been in Albany. We kept trying to get together to drown some suds, but alas, never were able to. Next time...Here's the blurb I recently gave him for NO GOING BACK...
Blurb for NO GOING BACKI had to read the ending of Matt Hilton’s latest thriller, NO GOING BACK, more than once. Why? To avoid nightmares, that’s why. To become as reasonably sure as I could be that Hilton’s latest villain, Samuel Logan, has been incapacitated. I think he is, but one can never be sure with a Hilton bad guy. The best-named bad guy in literary history—and yes, I’m aware of a guy named Hannibal Lector—is, hands-down, Tubal Cain. That sucker just kept coming back and coming back… Logan is a worthy heir. For one thing, you can shoot him a bunch of times and the guy doesn’t even feel it. Just keeps on coming after you. How are you going to go to sleep knowing he’s out there somewhere? I’ll tell you what—I love reading Lee Childs’ thrillers, but for the life of me I have a hard time remembering who Jack Reacher went up against. With Joe Hunter, I know all of ‘em, up close and personal to where I can describe their breath. Hot and nasty, just like they all are.. Dantalion, Luke Rickard and Tubal Cain—just aren’t folks you forget when you put the book down. Samuel Logan extends Hilton’s legacy once again. This is just a superb thriller It's the poster child for thrillers. I lost a lot of sleep as I couldn’t lay my head down until I finished it. Wondering if Samuel Logan is perhaps still out there will most likely cost me some more uneasy nights.
That's it, but...
I cannot recommend this book enough! Get it and you'll thank me. Then, if you haven't already, pick up his other Joe Hunter books. Check out the villains--they're brilliant.
Blue skies,
Les
May 16, 2014
SPINETINGLER MAGAZINE REVIEW OF THE BITCH
Hi folks,
I returned from a grueling two weeks in Texas yesterday and am thoroughly exhausted. It was one of the most intense periods of my life, both for the quality of the two writing events I was privileged to present at and the unfortunate decline of my health. I have COPD and it really accelerated during my stay there. I'm still exhausted and trying to recuperate so won't post much today and will try to post more about my time at the DFW Writer's Convention in Dallas and the WRW event at the Purple Sage Ranch outside of San Antonio, and my time spent with my buddy Bob Stewart at his house in San Antonio as soon as I get some strength back, but wanted to share something that I got while at WRW a couple of days ago--a wonderful review of The Bitch by the awesome Spinetingler Magazine that really perked my spirits up just when I needed a lift.
Below, is the review that Peter Dragovich, the Nerd of Noir, posted in Spinetingler.
SPINETINGLER MAGAZINE
The Bitch by Les Edgerton – review
May 13, 2014
Les Edgerton’s The Bitch is a straight-up old-school noir novel that will pin your ass to the break table at lunch at make you late for work.
It’s a story told by ex-con, now-hairdresser Jake Bishop, a guy on the verge of living the American Dream. He’s got a beautiful wife, his own house and he’s about to open his own salon in South Bend, Indiana. But then Walker Joy, his old cellmate from Pendleton, comes asking for a favor: help him rip off a jeweler at the request of another jeweler who has some shit over Walker Joy’s head. At first Jake begs off but then Walker ‘fesses up that this jeweler has shit on Jake as well. Now Jake has to risk losing everything in order to get out of this jam alive or worse: catching “the bitch” of the title, the life long prison stretch that inevitably happens following a criminal’s third felony.
Edgerton sets all this up masterfully and then brings the hurt down on Bishop one catastrophe after another. If you’re worried in the early stretches of The Bitch that Edgerton won’t go “full-dark” (as the Nerd admittedly was) let me put your fears to rest: this shit gets truly fucked up in act two and beyond fucked up in act three. So if your idea of a good time with a book involves stomach problems (which we all know is the only type of reader who would look to the opinion of some asshole calling himself the Nerd of Noir), then The Bitch should be the next beast perched atop your TBR pile.
I was really hurting when this appeared on my puter that morning and it helped put a new spring in my step! Thanks, Spinetingler and Peter Dragovitch!
Blue skies,Les
I returned from a grueling two weeks in Texas yesterday and am thoroughly exhausted. It was one of the most intense periods of my life, both for the quality of the two writing events I was privileged to present at and the unfortunate decline of my health. I have COPD and it really accelerated during my stay there. I'm still exhausted and trying to recuperate so won't post much today and will try to post more about my time at the DFW Writer's Convention in Dallas and the WRW event at the Purple Sage Ranch outside of San Antonio, and my time spent with my buddy Bob Stewart at his house in San Antonio as soon as I get some strength back, but wanted to share something that I got while at WRW a couple of days ago--a wonderful review of The Bitch by the awesome Spinetingler Magazine that really perked my spirits up just when I needed a lift.
Below, is the review that Peter Dragovich, the Nerd of Noir, posted in Spinetingler.
SPINETINGLER MAGAZINE
The Bitch by Les Edgerton – review
May 13, 2014Les Edgerton’s The Bitch is a straight-up old-school noir novel that will pin your ass to the break table at lunch at make you late for work.
It’s a story told by ex-con, now-hairdresser Jake Bishop, a guy on the verge of living the American Dream. He’s got a beautiful wife, his own house and he’s about to open his own salon in South Bend, Indiana. But then Walker Joy, his old cellmate from Pendleton, comes asking for a favor: help him rip off a jeweler at the request of another jeweler who has some shit over Walker Joy’s head. At first Jake begs off but then Walker ‘fesses up that this jeweler has shit on Jake as well. Now Jake has to risk losing everything in order to get out of this jam alive or worse: catching “the bitch” of the title, the life long prison stretch that inevitably happens following a criminal’s third felony.
Edgerton sets all this up masterfully and then brings the hurt down on Bishop one catastrophe after another. If you’re worried in the early stretches of The Bitch that Edgerton won’t go “full-dark” (as the Nerd admittedly was) let me put your fears to rest: this shit gets truly fucked up in act two and beyond fucked up in act three. So if your idea of a good time with a book involves stomach problems (which we all know is the only type of reader who would look to the opinion of some asshole calling himself the Nerd of Noir), then The Bitch should be the next beast perched atop your TBR pile.
I was really hurting when this appeared on my puter that morning and it helped put a new spring in my step! Thanks, Spinetingler and Peter Dragovitch!
Blue skies,Les
April 30, 2014
TEXAS HERE I COME! Yeehaw!
Hi folks,
Getting ready to head out in the ayem to Texas for two writer's events that I'll be presenting at. The first is the Dallas-Ft. Worth Writer's Conference where I'll be until Monday, May 5, and then I'll head off to San Antonio to spend some time with my writing buddies Bob Stewart and Carl Brush for some down time at Bob's place and on the Riverwalk. Then, Carl heads home to Oakland, CA, and Bob and I mosey on out to the Purple Sage Ranch north of San Antonio for 8 days at the WRW. I'm consulting a manual right now to find out which is the head and which is the rear end of a horse just in case they want to mosey up some doggies or whatever they do...
The director of WRW, Jason Sitzes, just told me they have a couple of openings left for the WRW retreat so I told him I'd post the info here in case somebody's looking for a place to hook up and do some serious writing and mingling with other writer folks. I've done two of these in the past when they were held in Kentucky and they're easily one of the single best writing experiences I've ever had and I highly recommend them. They're incredibly intense, trust me!
If you're interested in more info, just email Jason at the link provided below. Hope to see you there! We'll be eating beans by the campfire and I'll be trying to find a plug for Bob Stewart for his flatulence...
27th Anniversary of Writers Retreat Workshop
42nd WRW
WRW 2014 May 8 - 15
Purple Sage Ranch Bandera, TX (just outside San Antonio)
writersretreatworkshop.com
Greetings Writers!
The full roster of WRW 2014 is below. In just under a month writers will come from all over the nation to study intimately with a fabulous staff assembled in one of the finest venues WRW has ever visited.
Will you be one of those writers part of an unforgettable eight days working 1-1 with a stellar staff of WRW visiting guests and our core staff?Literary Agent Mary C Moore (not accepting unsolicited manuscripts) started her career in publishing as a writer. She began an internship with Kimberley Cameron & Associates in the fall of 2012. During the internship she discovered a passion for assisting others to develop their stories and helping books reach readers. She especially loves developmental editing. Now she balances three jobs: author, editor, and agent, and finds that the experience in each helps and supports the other. She appreciates literary fiction in the style of Herman Hesse, Jane Austen, or John Steinbeck. She also loves a good commercial book. Commercially she is looking for unusual fantasy, grounded science-fiction, and atypical romance. Strong female characters and unique cultures especially catch her eye. Although she will not consider most non-fiction, stories about any kind of dance or native and pagan cultures may interest her.NYT Bestselling Novelist Grant Blackwood The New York Times bestselling author of the Briggs Tanner series, (The End of Enemies, The Wall of Night, and An Echo of War) Grant Blackwood is also the co-author of the Fargo Adventure Series (Spartan Gold, Lost Empire, and The Kingdom) with Clive Cussler, as well as the co-author of the #1 NYT bestseller, Dead or Alive, with Tom Clancy, and the upcoming thriller, The Kill Switch, with James Rollins. A U. S. Navy veteran, Grant spent three years aboard a guided missile frigate as an Operations Specialist and a Pilot Rescue Swimmer. Grant lives in Colorado, where he is working his own standalone series starring a new hero.Author/Instructor Les Edgerton is author of 18 books and teaches creative writing on the Univ level, through private coaching, and on various on-line venues. He’s a graduate of IU and has an MFA in Writing from Vermont College. He’s a writer of novels, short stories, nonfiction sports, literary fiction, thrillers and craft books including Hooked published by Writer’s Digest.
Author Emily McKay Emily McKay has been reading romance novels since she was eleven years old. Her first Harlequin Romance came free in a box of Hefty garbage bags. She immediately fell in love with the genre and has been devouring them ever since. She has a degree in English from Texas A&M University. After college, she taught middle school for four years. Eager for a job where she wouldn't have to dodge spitwads, she fled the teaching profession to write full-time. In 1993, she followed the advice, “write what you love to read,” and began writing her first romance novel. Her first published book, Baby, Be Mine was released in 2002 and was a nominated for RWA’s prestigious Rita award for Best First Book and for Best Short Contemporary. Since then she'd sold ten additional books to Harlequin, Temptation, Mills & Boon and Silhouette Desire. Her latest two novels, The Farm and The Lair, have been YA successes. Her books have been translated into eleven languages and there are over half a million copies of her books in print.
From 7am Early Bird sessions (led by the fabulous Bob Stewart) to 9:30pm Night Owl sessions, morning classes and afternoon meeting/writing time, WRW will fill your hours with intimate individualized instruction, critiques, in-depth 1-1 discussions about your work, and ample time to disappear to your private room to write. It is an unforgettable experience… one that could change your writing life (maybe even your life).
If you have questions, email us at info@writersretreatworkshop.com.
See you in Texas in May!And keep in touch,Jason“[A] group of adventurers who understood commitment gathered at a retreat center on the verdant banks of a big, calm pond in northern Kentucky…For ten glorious, hard, demanding days, they laid down their money and their time on the table where their wants were.” --From Seven Steps On The Writer’s Path, Nancy Pickard writing about Writers Retreat Workshop“WRW is a boot-camp for writers.” –Matt Bialer (agent Sanford J Greenburger)
Getting ready to head out in the ayem to Texas for two writer's events that I'll be presenting at. The first is the Dallas-Ft. Worth Writer's Conference where I'll be until Monday, May 5, and then I'll head off to San Antonio to spend some time with my writing buddies Bob Stewart and Carl Brush for some down time at Bob's place and on the Riverwalk. Then, Carl heads home to Oakland, CA, and Bob and I mosey on out to the Purple Sage Ranch north of San Antonio for 8 days at the WRW. I'm consulting a manual right now to find out which is the head and which is the rear end of a horse just in case they want to mosey up some doggies or whatever they do...
The director of WRW, Jason Sitzes, just told me they have a couple of openings left for the WRW retreat so I told him I'd post the info here in case somebody's looking for a place to hook up and do some serious writing and mingling with other writer folks. I've done two of these in the past when they were held in Kentucky and they're easily one of the single best writing experiences I've ever had and I highly recommend them. They're incredibly intense, trust me!
If you're interested in more info, just email Jason at the link provided below. Hope to see you there! We'll be eating beans by the campfire and I'll be trying to find a plug for Bob Stewart for his flatulence...
27th Anniversary of Writers Retreat Workshop
42nd WRW
WRW 2014 May 8 - 15
Purple Sage Ranch Bandera, TX (just outside San Antonio)
writersretreatworkshop.com
Greetings Writers!
The full roster of WRW 2014 is below. In just under a month writers will come from all over the nation to study intimately with a fabulous staff assembled in one of the finest venues WRW has ever visited.
Will you be one of those writers part of an unforgettable eight days working 1-1 with a stellar staff of WRW visiting guests and our core staff?Literary Agent Mary C Moore (not accepting unsolicited manuscripts) started her career in publishing as a writer. She began an internship with Kimberley Cameron & Associates in the fall of 2012. During the internship she discovered a passion for assisting others to develop their stories and helping books reach readers. She especially loves developmental editing. Now she balances three jobs: author, editor, and agent, and finds that the experience in each helps and supports the other. She appreciates literary fiction in the style of Herman Hesse, Jane Austen, or John Steinbeck. She also loves a good commercial book. Commercially she is looking for unusual fantasy, grounded science-fiction, and atypical romance. Strong female characters and unique cultures especially catch her eye. Although she will not consider most non-fiction, stories about any kind of dance or native and pagan cultures may interest her.NYT Bestselling Novelist Grant Blackwood The New York Times bestselling author of the Briggs Tanner series, (The End of Enemies, The Wall of Night, and An Echo of War) Grant Blackwood is also the co-author of the Fargo Adventure Series (Spartan Gold, Lost Empire, and The Kingdom) with Clive Cussler, as well as the co-author of the #1 NYT bestseller, Dead or Alive, with Tom Clancy, and the upcoming thriller, The Kill Switch, with James Rollins. A U. S. Navy veteran, Grant spent three years aboard a guided missile frigate as an Operations Specialist and a Pilot Rescue Swimmer. Grant lives in Colorado, where he is working his own standalone series starring a new hero.Author/Instructor Les Edgerton is author of 18 books and teaches creative writing on the Univ level, through private coaching, and on various on-line venues. He’s a graduate of IU and has an MFA in Writing from Vermont College. He’s a writer of novels, short stories, nonfiction sports, literary fiction, thrillers and craft books including Hooked published by Writer’s Digest.
Author Emily McKay Emily McKay has been reading romance novels since she was eleven years old. Her first Harlequin Romance came free in a box of Hefty garbage bags. She immediately fell in love with the genre and has been devouring them ever since. She has a degree in English from Texas A&M University. After college, she taught middle school for four years. Eager for a job where she wouldn't have to dodge spitwads, she fled the teaching profession to write full-time. In 1993, she followed the advice, “write what you love to read,” and began writing her first romance novel. Her first published book, Baby, Be Mine was released in 2002 and was a nominated for RWA’s prestigious Rita award for Best First Book and for Best Short Contemporary. Since then she'd sold ten additional books to Harlequin, Temptation, Mills & Boon and Silhouette Desire. Her latest two novels, The Farm and The Lair, have been YA successes. Her books have been translated into eleven languages and there are over half a million copies of her books in print.
From 7am Early Bird sessions (led by the fabulous Bob Stewart) to 9:30pm Night Owl sessions, morning classes and afternoon meeting/writing time, WRW will fill your hours with intimate individualized instruction, critiques, in-depth 1-1 discussions about your work, and ample time to disappear to your private room to write. It is an unforgettable experience… one that could change your writing life (maybe even your life).
If you have questions, email us at info@writersretreatworkshop.com.
See you in Texas in May!And keep in touch,Jason“[A] group of adventurers who understood commitment gathered at a retreat center on the verdant banks of a big, calm pond in northern Kentucky…For ten glorious, hard, demanding days, they laid down their money and their time on the table where their wants were.” --From Seven Steps On The Writer’s Path, Nancy Pickard writing about Writers Retreat Workshop“WRW is a boot-camp for writers.” –Matt Bialer (agent Sanford J Greenburger)
April 19, 2014
Tom Pitts' new novel HUSTLE is superb! Snubnose Press does it again!
Hi folks,
I'm extremely proud to let you know that my friend Tom Pitts asked me to write the foreward to his newest novel, HUSTLE, and I can't begin to tell you how proud that made me. This book is groundbreaking in its content and approach and to use a term that is overused but apt in this case--absolutely brilliant.
Here's the foreword as it appears in the book:
FOREWORD FOR TOM PITTS’ “HUSTLER”
Tom Pitts’ Hustleris, quite simply, one of the very best novels I’ve read in a long, long time. There’s just no other way to describe it. Years from now, I’m convinced it will be viewed in the same light as the early work of Charles Bukowski—as a ground-breaking classic. To be honest, there is no one to compare Pitts to with this book. It will be the novel that will be considered as the first—and best—of, for want of a better term—“hustler” noir.
Perhaps the best comparison—not in the writing, but in the revealing of an underworld lifestyle—would be to Robert Beck’s seminal classic, Iceberg Slim. The difference is, Pitts doesn’t attempt to portray his protagonist as heroic as Beck does, but more along the lines of Jean Genet’s character Divine in his brilliant Our Lady of the Flowers. But, while both of these writers and both of these books use the settings of the underworld of sex-for-pay and/or aberrant sex-for-pleasure, there is a significant difference in Hustler, in that Pitts’ protagonist, Donny, isn’t portrayed as a man who sees himself as a maverick or a rebel, raging against the system and defiantly proud of his rebellion, but simply as a human being to whom drugs have reduced to an intolerable lifestyle which he is unable to escape, although the entire book is about his struggle to do so. Both Iceberg Slim and Divine embrace their lifestyles, but Donny does not. That is the difference and why, even though there are similarities in settings and lifestyles, Donny is more akin to Bukowski’s Martin Blanchard than Divine or Slim. And yet, he isn’t like Blanchard either. The thing is, he’s an entirely different character than just about anyone in literature. Donny shares similarities with other literary creations, but in the end, he is a whole new creation. And, because of that, Hustleris a whole new category of noir.
And, while Donny doesn’t see himself as heroic, of course he is. He’s a survivor and that is the best proof of heroism that exists. He’s proactive on his own behalf to escape the hell that he’s in and against more terrible odds than Hercules or Atlas ever faced and what makes him extremely likeable is that he doesn’t see himself as heroic in the least.
Hustler is going to be seen by its critics as both remarkable and abhorrent. Often both by the same critic. It’s going to offend some crime writers I suspect, because compared to their own work, which of course they will in their own minds, they’re going to realize that their efforts—compared to Pitts’—are more along the lines of The Hardy Boys Have Adventures in Sugar Creek. In other words, there are many pretenders and posers writing crime and noir novels, who have little or no experience with the element they are writing about. Pitts knows his milieu and better than anyone I’ve ever read. His novel rings loud and clear with hard, honest truth. He knows these guys and he doesn’t judge. Readers looking for the comfort of stereotypes are bound to be disappointed. Like Bukowski’s Martin Blanchard, he allows his characters to have souls and, indeed, insists on it.
Pitts told me that there was some pressure on him to edit some of the rougher parts to make it more palatable for readers. In his words, “They're trying to have me soften it a little, I'm trying to hold fast.” Please do, Tom! If any of this gets “softened” it will only prove that as a culture, we have, indeed, become so PC’d we’ve lost our souls. To “soften” this book would mean literature has lost to moronic politics. And we’ll all be the poorer for that.
END OF FOREWORD
The novel is available in an ebook format as well as in paperback. It's just one cool-looking book and my preference is the paperback version.
Tom and I had become friends online a couple of years ago and then I got to meet him at Bouchercon in Albany this last year and we knocked back a few brews together and instantly bonded. He told me a bit about this book then and I knew right away I had to read it. It's based on his own true life experiences and those are always the best books. You just get the kind of verisimilitude other writers just can't come close to in cases like this.
It's also by the Snubnose Press folks and these people know their crime and noir fiction. Brian Lindenmuth is simply a class act and his books all rock. I'm a bit prejudiced I suppose--they chose to publish a small collection of my short stories a couple of years ago--Gumbo Ya-Ya.
Anyway, I hope you glom onto a copy. You'll see that I haven't steered you wrong at all. It's a book that's going to make a bunch of those "Best of" lists and it deserves to.
Blue skies,Les
I'm extremely proud to let you know that my friend Tom Pitts asked me to write the foreward to his newest novel, HUSTLE, and I can't begin to tell you how proud that made me. This book is groundbreaking in its content and approach and to use a term that is overused but apt in this case--absolutely brilliant.
Here's the foreword as it appears in the book:
FOREWORD FOR TOM PITTS’ “HUSTLER”
Tom Pitts’ Hustleris, quite simply, one of the very best novels I’ve read in a long, long time. There’s just no other way to describe it. Years from now, I’m convinced it will be viewed in the same light as the early work of Charles Bukowski—as a ground-breaking classic. To be honest, there is no one to compare Pitts to with this book. It will be the novel that will be considered as the first—and best—of, for want of a better term—“hustler” noir.
Perhaps the best comparison—not in the writing, but in the revealing of an underworld lifestyle—would be to Robert Beck’s seminal classic, Iceberg Slim. The difference is, Pitts doesn’t attempt to portray his protagonist as heroic as Beck does, but more along the lines of Jean Genet’s character Divine in his brilliant Our Lady of the Flowers. But, while both of these writers and both of these books use the settings of the underworld of sex-for-pay and/or aberrant sex-for-pleasure, there is a significant difference in Hustler, in that Pitts’ protagonist, Donny, isn’t portrayed as a man who sees himself as a maverick or a rebel, raging against the system and defiantly proud of his rebellion, but simply as a human being to whom drugs have reduced to an intolerable lifestyle which he is unable to escape, although the entire book is about his struggle to do so. Both Iceberg Slim and Divine embrace their lifestyles, but Donny does not. That is the difference and why, even though there are similarities in settings and lifestyles, Donny is more akin to Bukowski’s Martin Blanchard than Divine or Slim. And yet, he isn’t like Blanchard either. The thing is, he’s an entirely different character than just about anyone in literature. Donny shares similarities with other literary creations, but in the end, he is a whole new creation. And, because of that, Hustleris a whole new category of noir.
And, while Donny doesn’t see himself as heroic, of course he is. He’s a survivor and that is the best proof of heroism that exists. He’s proactive on his own behalf to escape the hell that he’s in and against more terrible odds than Hercules or Atlas ever faced and what makes him extremely likeable is that he doesn’t see himself as heroic in the least.
Hustler is going to be seen by its critics as both remarkable and abhorrent. Often both by the same critic. It’s going to offend some crime writers I suspect, because compared to their own work, which of course they will in their own minds, they’re going to realize that their efforts—compared to Pitts’—are more along the lines of The Hardy Boys Have Adventures in Sugar Creek. In other words, there are many pretenders and posers writing crime and noir novels, who have little or no experience with the element they are writing about. Pitts knows his milieu and better than anyone I’ve ever read. His novel rings loud and clear with hard, honest truth. He knows these guys and he doesn’t judge. Readers looking for the comfort of stereotypes are bound to be disappointed. Like Bukowski’s Martin Blanchard, he allows his characters to have souls and, indeed, insists on it.
Pitts told me that there was some pressure on him to edit some of the rougher parts to make it more palatable for readers. In his words, “They're trying to have me soften it a little, I'm trying to hold fast.” Please do, Tom! If any of this gets “softened” it will only prove that as a culture, we have, indeed, become so PC’d we’ve lost our souls. To “soften” this book would mean literature has lost to moronic politics. And we’ll all be the poorer for that.
END OF FOREWORD
The novel is available in an ebook format as well as in paperback. It's just one cool-looking book and my preference is the paperback version.
Tom and I had become friends online a couple of years ago and then I got to meet him at Bouchercon in Albany this last year and we knocked back a few brews together and instantly bonded. He told me a bit about this book then and I knew right away I had to read it. It's based on his own true life experiences and those are always the best books. You just get the kind of verisimilitude other writers just can't come close to in cases like this.
It's also by the Snubnose Press folks and these people know their crime and noir fiction. Brian Lindenmuth is simply a class act and his books all rock. I'm a bit prejudiced I suppose--they chose to publish a small collection of my short stories a couple of years ago--Gumbo Ya-Ya.
Anyway, I hope you glom onto a copy. You'll see that I haven't steered you wrong at all. It's a book that's going to make a bunch of those "Best of" lists and it deserves to.
Blue skies,Les
April 14, 2014
YOU GOTTA READ THIS...
Hi folks,
I'd like to introduce you to a book and a writer I'm very excited about. Matthew Louis is the founding editor of Gutter Books and the anarchic pulp fiction zine, Out of the Gutter. He lives in Portland, Oregon.
And is one helluva writer!
Here's my review of his novel, THE WRONG MAN:
It’s kind of rare to come across a novel as perfectly structured as THE WRONG MAN is. It starts out exactly as it should—a guy trying to live a righteous life and befriend an old pal is suddenly involved by that friend in a race to stay alive and protect himself and his family and before he knows it or can do anything about it, he’s got his back to the wall, in the middle of a shooting war, with the bullets whizzing closer and closer, the bodies falling, and the scent of death everywhere. I read as a writer and believe me, an entire class could be profitably taught using just this novel. The fictive dream is established immediately and there’s no departure point where the reader can leave. Matthew Louis has crafted one of the most interesting, best-paced and plotted novels I’ve read in a long, long time, and I just hope he keeps cranking ‘em out as fast as he can.
If you like your novels to be as dark as the far side of the moon, move like a runaway train with the engineer out from a heart attack, while the hapless passenger left aboard the only one who can keep it from plunging down the mountainside, and who begins to grow into the heroic figure he will become, this is your kind of book. This one’s a winner in every way. Gonna be in my top five of the year for sure. I’ll be saying to everyone I talk to: “You gotta read this.”
You gotta read this.
Check it out.
Blue skies,
Les
