Update from Hard Case Crime

Friends, The heat of summer is almost upon us, and I'm pleased to say that the heat is on here at Hard Case Crime as well. If you visit our Web site -- www.hardcasecrime.com -- you'll see we've added another title by John Lange to our site: ZERO COOL, whose cover features model and stage actress Meredith Napolitano enjoying some suitably criminous beach reading while an ominous shadow bears down on her. You can also read a sample chapter from ZERO COOL on our site. And while you're there, you can check out a page of photos we've put up from Book Expo America, the big publishing industry trade show that just took place in New York. Meredith was there, signing prints of her cover, along with fellow thespians Victoria Lee and James Huffman, all of them wearing vintage film noir outfits from the 1940s and 50s, supplied by the same collector who dressed the cast of "Miller's Crossing" and many another Hollywood production. If you don't mind heat of a slightly raunchier sort, you might want to pick up a copy of the July issue of Playboy -- they've devoted half of their 'Books' page to Hard Case Crime and have some very nice things to say. And if you're in the mood for some beach reading of your own, you can find George Axelrod's BLACKMAILER now in bookstores near you; and in just a few weeks you'll be able to get your hands on Richard Aleas' SONGS OF INNOCENCE, which I'm pleased to say is already starting to receive some rave reviews. One last book to mention: Mickey Spillane's DEAD STREET. This one won't be published till November, but we have 10 advance copies that we're going to be giving away toward the end of this month. It's the first chance anyone's going to have to read the Mick's final crime novel. To enter our drawing, just e-mail your name and the address to which you'd like the book mailed if you're chosen to drawing@hardcasecrime.com (only one entry per person, please). The winners will be selected at random at noon, New York time, on Saturday, June 23. Good luck! (While we're at it, congratulations are in order for David T. of Texas, Opal S. of Missouri, Alan R. of Rhode Island; Brian F. of California, Hoyt M. of Texas, Julie C. of Michigan, Gerry T. of Illinois, Shirley J. of Pennsylvania, Martha G. of Calfornia, and JoyceLynn K. of New York. They're the winners in last month's drawing for free copies of BLACKMAILER.) Finally, if you're going to be in New York City on Wednesday, June 20th, I'd like to invite you to join Richard Aleas and the brilliant Megan Abbott for a reading and signing event at the Partners And Crime bookstore at 44 Greenwich Avenue (*not* Greenwich Street!) at 7PM. If you'd like a signed copy of SONGS OF INNOCENCE or of Megan's truly outstanding non-Hard Case novel QUEENPIN, this is your chance...