Hard Case Crime Update from Charles Ardai

Friends,

The books Max Allan Collins has written for us about the hitman known as Quarry -- THE LAST QUARRY, THE FIRST QUARRY, QUARRY IN THE MIDDLE -- have been some of our most popular. One of them was even turned into a movie, "The Last Lullaby," starring Tom Sizemore as Collins' enigmatic killer.

When October comes around, we'll be adding a new entry to the list: QUARRY'S EX. This one puts Quarry in particularly hot water when, on a job, he runs into one of the few people in the world who know his true identity: his adulterous ex-wife. If you'd like to read the first chapter, you can find it on our Web site, www.HardCaseCrime.com.

Want more than a chapter? We're giving away a dozen free advance copies of the book. All you have to do is send e-mail to drawing@hardcasecrime.com (including your name and the address you'd like the book mailed to if you're selected). There's just one other thing we're asking this time: if you're chosen, we ask that you post a review somewhere online of one of the OTHER Quarry books -- it can be on your own blog if you have one, it can be a site like Amazon.com or BN.com, it can be anywhere you like. If you've already read the first three Quarry novels, that'll be easy -- just pick your favorite and tell people about it If you haven't read any of them yet, getting one (or all three!) is easy, too: just visit your favorite local or online bookseller, or order them directly from Dorchester Publishing by calling 1-800-481-9191.

All entries must be in by 5PM New York time on July 31; only one entry per person, please. Good luck!

Oh, and while I have you: We've also finally posted the first chapter of CHOKE HOLD, Christa Faust's upcoming sequel to MONEY SHOT, on our Web site, and I think you're really going to like it. Just click on the words "CHOKE HOLD" in the list of book titles on our home page, then on "Read A Sample Chapter." We're not holding a drawing for advance copies of this one yet -- but you can still enjoy a taste of what's coming...

And speaking of what's coming: At the end of this month you'll be able to find Brett Halliday's MURDER IS MY BUSINESS, the first appearance of famous detective Mike Shayne in bookstores in a couple of decades. The cover's a brand new painting by long-time Halliday illustrator (and Hard Case Crime favorite) Robert McGinnis, and the book even features a brief introduction from Hollywood screenwriter Shane Black (creator of "Lethal Weapon" and writer/director of "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," which Shane based on two Mike Shayne novels).

If even the end of the month is too long for you to wait for some great summer reading, I can't urge you strongly enough to pick up a copy of the book we have in stores now, NOBODY'S ANGEL by Jack Clark. This is the book the Washington Post raved about recently, calling it "a gem" and "just about perfect." The Chicago Sun-Times called it "captivating...heartbreaking," saying "each page turn feels like real, authentic Chicago." And those are just two of the many raves the book has gotten. It's an amazing, amazing book, truly one of the finest we've ever published, and if you haven't read it yet, you should. Go get a copy and settle in for a great read.

Time for one more bit of Coming Attractions? This coming Friday -- July 9th -- is the premiere of Hard Case Crime's first ever TV series, "Haven" on SyFy. It airs at 10PM on Fridays in the U.S.; check your local listings for times and dates if you're in another country. The series is based on our bestselling book of all time, Stephen King's THE COLORADO KID, and I've been fortunate to get to work on it as a writer and producer. Yes, being a SyFy show it contains more supernatural elements that you'd normally associate with Hard Case Crime -- but it's also a mystery show at its core (the main characters are an FBI agent, a cop, and a criminal), and I promise we've got some great stories up our sleeves.

I'll be watching, popcorn in hand, when Friday night rolls around. Won't you join me?

Best,
Charles
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Charles Ardai
Editor, Hard Case Crime