Mark Stevens's Blog, page 5

James Ellroy, “Killer on the Road”

Who has something new to write about serial killers? Where is the plan to see if there’s a way to identify potential serial killers and, well, help them avoid following their urges? If we’re giving up on fixing climate change, … Continue reading →

Pam Houston, “Without Exception”

There’s a war on women. There’s always been a war on women. This country, that country. Well, by many accounts Denmark is doing a pretty good job with pay equality but according to what I read, it’s not perfect. Afghanistan … Continue reading →

Ken Jaworowski, “Small Town Sins”

Small Town Sins gets three characters up and running in brisk, efficient fashion. Twelve-plus pages for Nathan, seven-plus pages for Callie, and five or so for Andy.  All told in first-person. Nathan tells us about his failed effort to get … Continue reading →

Will Hermes, “Love Goes To Buildings On Fire”

Diving into Love Goes to Buildings on Fire: Five Years In New York That Changed Music Forever, I was wary at first that Will Hermes was weaving in the rise of Bruce Springsteen with the onset of punk music in … Continue reading →

Kristi MacKenzie, “Better to Beg”

A writer pal told me about Better to Beg. He messaged me: “It’s quite good. Super voice-y, with characters hair-pullingly frustrating that you can’t help rooting for.” Yep.  That about sums it up. Viv.  And Hux. You won’t soon forget … Continue reading →

Rebecca Makkai, “I Have Some Questions For You”

Clever. Layered. Energetic. A certain spirited ease about the style–glib and unforced. And a nifty combination of elements—podcasters, true crime analysis of a decades-old cold case, and the allure of prep school antics among the privileged. I Have Some Questions … Continue reading →

Meg Gardiner, “Shadowheart”

The best of the four in this ripping series, Meg Gardiner’s Shadowheart has a diabolical set-up and action-packed plot. Sure, go ahead and read the fourth book as a standalone but it will pay even bigger dividends if you start at the … Continue reading →

Elka Ray, “A Friend Indeed”

The premise sounds over the top, but A Friend Indeed will take you for a ride. It’s all right there in the first six pages when Jo Dykstra gets a call from her friend Dana McFarlane asking for help. Jo … Continue reading →

Michael Connelly, “Fair Warning”

Question: How many things does Michael Connelly do well? Answer: All of them. Premise, delivery, execution, dialogue, tension, plots and a grounded, heavy dose of plausibility. Connelly lets us in on the processing of cases. How his investigators think. He’s … Continue reading →

“Erasure,” Percival Everett

Someday, like a lot of things, we’ll figure this all out. No, it’s not the biggest issue out there. Yes, it’s a good thing the publishing business went through this substantive self-reflection. Went? No. It’s still going on. It’s still … Continue reading →