Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Great Covers
AbeBooks: Amazing Stories Magazine: Amazing Stories Magazine (also sometimes known as Amazing Science Fiction Magazine) was an American science fiction pulp magazine which ran monthly - if occasionally intermittently - from its inception for almost 80 years. Brought to life in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback, an American (originally from Luxembourg) inventor and writer, Amazing Stories was the first magazine dedicated exclusively to science fiction. Gernsback’s contributions to the genre were so extensive that he was honored by having a literary prize named for him – the Hugo Awards, still selected every year.
Nowadays Amazing Stories is well-known for its colorful, often kitschy covers featuring everything from little green men and alien spacecraft to berserk robots and gargantuan oversized lizards and beyond. And naturally, a healthy dose of voluptuous vixens ranging from villainous to vulnerable.
Nowadays Amazing Stories is well-known for its colorful, often kitschy covers featuring everything from little green men and alien spacecraft to berserk robots and gargantuan oversized lizards and beyond. And naturally, a healthy dose of voluptuous vixens ranging from villainous to vulnerable.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Philip Jose Farmer Update
Win Scott Eckert.com: U.K publisher Titan Books has entered into an agreement with the Estate of Philip Jose Farmer to bring a large selection of Mr. Farmer's backlist titles back into print.
Third in Titan's lineup is Mr. Farmer's Lord Tyger, considered by many to be Mr. Farmer's finest standalone novel. First published in 1970, the novel tells the tale of Ras Tyger, who is kidnapped by an insane millionare bent on recreating the famous Lord of the Jungle. Tyger is raised in a remote African valley by people he believes to be apes; heroic, and beautiful, he is master of his world. And he rules his kingdom with sex, savagery, and sublime innocence. But the laws of nature and those of man are set to collide....
Third in Titan's lineup is Mr. Farmer's Lord Tyger, considered by many to be Mr. Farmer's finest standalone novel. First published in 1970, the novel tells the tale of Ras Tyger, who is kidnapped by an insane millionare bent on recreating the famous Lord of the Jungle. Tyger is raised in a remote African valley by people he believes to be apes; heroic, and beautiful, he is master of his world. And he rules his kingdom with sex, savagery, and sublime innocence. But the laws of nature and those of man are set to collide....
Anne McCaffrey, R. I. P.
Anne McCaffrey Has Died - GalleyCat: Fantasy novelist Anne McCaffrey has passed away. She was 85 years old. GalleyCat confirmed the sad news with Random House this afternoon.
McCaffrey’s career began with Restoree in 1967. She went on to earn a dedicated following for her beloved series, Dragonriders of Pern. At her website, McCaffrey answered letters from dedicated fans through November.
McCaffrey’s career began with Restoree in 1967. She went on to earn a dedicated following for her beloved series, Dragonriders of Pern. At her website, McCaffrey answered letters from dedicated fans through November.
John Neville, R. I. P.
NY Daily News: Celebrated British-born actor and director John Neville died in Toronto Saturday after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. He was 86.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
When Lillian met Dashiell
When Lillian met Dashiell (1930) | | Bill PeschelBill Peschel: She was 25, just a script reader at MGM but moving up in Hollywood’s social circles. She had befriended Lee Gershwin, Ira’s wife, and on this night, they were in Darryl Zanuck’s party. They had attended a premiere, and afterwards were ushered into a limo for the ride to the Roosevelt Hotel to watch Crosby sing. The hotel was across the street from the theater. Lee objected, but Zanuck was firm: “Walking isn’t done here. We drive.”
Dead Man #6 only 99 Cents!
If you're an Amazon Prime member, it's FREE!Amazon.com: Kill Them All (Dead Man #6) eBook: Harry Shannon, Lee Goldberg, William Rabkin: Kindle Store: Matt Cahill was an ordinary man leading a simple life until a shocking accident changed everything. Now he can see a nightmarish netherworld that exists within our own. Now he's on a dangerous quest for the answers to who he is and what he has become...and engaged in an epic battle to save us, and his soul, from the clutches of pure evil.
When Matt wanders into a struggling Nevada tourist trap recreation of an "old west" town, he's unaware that he’s being trailed by a Special Ops team of professional mercenaries hired by a University desperate to unlock the secret behind his resurrection...and that he's put everyone around him in dire jeopardy. The mercenaries have no intention of letting Matt escape...or letting any witnesses survive. Matt finds himself in a deadly bind. Somehow he must rally the peaceful citizens into defending themselves against the sadistic, well-armed mercenaries… or sacrifice himself to save them from certain death.
When Matt wanders into a struggling Nevada tourist trap recreation of an "old west" town, he's unaware that he’s being trailed by a Special Ops team of professional mercenaries hired by a University desperate to unlock the secret behind his resurrection...and that he's put everyone around him in dire jeopardy. The mercenaries have no intention of letting Matt escape...or letting any witnesses survive. Matt finds himself in a deadly bind. Somehow he must rally the peaceful citizens into defending themselves against the sadistic, well-armed mercenaries… or sacrifice himself to save them from certain death.
This Week's Experiment
Thanks to everyone who clicked the "Like" button by the title of A Vampire Named Fred last week. I don't know yet if it helped the sales, but it sure can't hurt. So let's try again. If you have a few seconds, take a look at Jack MacLane's Goodnight MooM and click that "Like" button just under the title. I thank you, my wife thanks you, and Jack thanks you.
Uh-Oh
ShortList Magazine: Turning movies into musicals is certainly nothing new.
There's been Billy Elliot, Dirty Dancing, The Wedding Singer, Sister Act and plenty of others we can't even be bothered to mention. Most of them have usually been based on more female-focused films but Sylvester Stallone is hoping to change that.
Sadly, he's not commandeering a Cliffhanger musical but is behind a stage version of Rocky instead. He's teaming up with Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko to create a sing-along take on the Oscar-winning drama. Stallone claims this was always his intention.
There's been Billy Elliot, Dirty Dancing, The Wedding Singer, Sister Act and plenty of others we can't even be bothered to mention. Most of them have usually been based on more female-focused films but Sylvester Stallone is hoping to change that.
Sadly, he's not commandeering a Cliffhanger musical but is behind a stage version of Rocky instead. He's teaming up with Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko to create a sing-along take on the Oscar-winning drama. Stallone claims this was always his intention.
Yet Another List I'm Not On
Stephen King nominated for Bad Sex awards - Telegraph: King is nominated for his new novel 11.22.63, about a teacher who travels back in time and tries to prevent the assassination of John F Kennedy. In the book, he likens sex to "a horizontal version of the Madison" dance.
Others on the shortlist include Haruki Murakami, for his 1Q84 trilogy and James Frey, for the The Final Testament of the Holy Bible, as well as Sebastian Barry and Lee Child.
Others on the shortlist include Haruki Murakami, for his 1Q84 trilogy and James Frey, for the The Final Testament of the Holy Bible, as well as Sebastian Barry and Lee Child.
I Remember When
Those Were the Days - Today in History
Tuesday, November 22, 2011JFK REMEMBERED DAY
 Generations recall watching CBS Television on this day in 1963. The popular soap opera As the World Turnswas interrupted by a flash bulletin from Dallas. No one was available to man the CBS News studio at that instant, but a voice informed the nation that President John F. Kennedy had been gravely wounded during a motorcade through downtown Dallas. |
Overlooked Movies -- A Perfect World
I'd intended to talk about this movie last week, but I overlooked it. So we can say for sure that it's an overlooked movie.A Perfect World was directed by Clint Eastwood, who plays a supporting role. The star is Kevin Costner, and if you don't think he can act, watch this movie. The setting is Texas in the 1960s, and Costner plays Butch Haynes, a killer who escapes from prison. He kidnaps a young boy who goes along with him. Eastwood is the Texas Ranger who's in their trail, along with a criminologist played by Laura Dern.
The main focus of the movie is the relationship that develops between Costner and the boy. Haynes may be a killer, but Costner shows that he's a complex one. His own background gives him a special feeling for kids, and he's quite engaging as he and the boy elude their pursuers.
You know how this one's going to end, maybe, but the road trip is well worth your time.
And so is the soundtrack. I can think of maybe four movies I've seen, after which I went immediately to a store about bought the soundtrack CD. This is one of them.
Monday, November 21, 2011
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
I've already read this one. Highly recommended!Amazon.com: Dark Horse (Rancho Diablo) eBook: Colby Jackson: Kindle Store: When beautiful Lizzie Payton showed up in Shooter's Cross with the magnificent black stallion Satan, Sam Blaylock's friend Duane Beatty fell for her - hard. What Duane didn't know was that Lizzie had trouble dogging her trail, trouble that would put Duane and all his friends on Rancho Diablo in danger and wind up in a blistering shootout in the streets of Shooter's Cross!
DARK HORSE is the rapid-fire fifth installment in the saga of Sam Blaylock and his friends and family as they try to make a home for themselves and carve an empire out of the wilds of frontier Texas.
RANCHO DIABLO is created and written by best-selling, award-winning novelists Mel Odom, Bill Crider, and James Reasoner.
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .
OrlandoSentinel.com: Late Saturday night, Cooper went to Martin's home in the 200 block of Northwest 32nd Street and asked him for $2. When he refused, she asked him for $5. When he didn't hand over the money the second time, Cooper became outraged and attacked Martin with a steak knife, the affidavit said.
An Origin Story! Genius! Why Has No One Ever Thought of This Before?
- G4tv.com: The plan, as King lays it out, is to create an "origin story for Lara Croft that solidifies her place alongside Ellen Ripley and Sarah Connor in the pantheon of great female action heroes."
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .
CBS Washington: A Portsmouth woman faces up to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to beheading her boyfriend’s piglet.
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .
Bus driver in banana attack nightmare - The Local: A woman ran onto the bus, and threw a half-eaten banana into bus driver Zekerija Velagic's eye. The 46-year-old woman from Skane has now been fined for the incident, reported newspaper Aftonbladet.
I'm Sure This Is True of all the Men Reading This Blog
Telegraph: On average men spend 81 minutes a day on personal grooming, including cleansing, toning and moisturising, shaving, styling hair and choosing clothes, the study found.
MWA Awards Update
Mystery Writers of America Announces Martha Grimes as 2012 Grand Master
Plus Ellery Queen and Raven Awards
November 21, 2011 – New York, NY– Martha Grimes has been chosen as this year’s Grand Master by Mystery Writers of America (MWA). MWA's Grand Master Award represents the pinnacle of achievement in mystery writing and was established to acknowledge important contributions to this genre, as well as a body of work that is both significant and of consistent high quality. Ms. Grimes will be presented with her award at The Edgar Awards Banquet, which will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City on Thursday, April 26, 2012. When told of being named Grand Master, Grimes said, “I was, for once, speechless. Thank you very much for making me a Grand Master.”
Martha Grimes is the best-selling author, known for her three outstanding mystery series: the Richard Jury, Andi Olivier, and Emma Graham series. She is also the author of several acclaimed fiction books outside the mystery genre including Foul Matter, Cold Flat Junction,Hotel Paradise, The End of The Pier and The Train Now Departing. She has in fact, published a book (sometimes two) every year for the past 25 years!
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Martha Grimes began as a poet, but then turned to mystery novels. Martha sent her first novel “over the transom” to several publishers. In 1979 an editor at Little, Brown, Inc. found the book in the “slush pile” and offered to publish The Man with a Load of Mischief with a first printing of 3,000 copies. It was published in 1981, and since then Grimes’s legions of fans have devoured 22 books in this series. The most recent, The Black Cat, was published in 2010. Biting the Moon, the first book in the Andi Olivier series was published in 1999. The plot focused on the prevention of animal abuse and featured two teenage heroines. Grimes donated two-thirds of her royalties to animal abuse organizations across the country.
Martha Grimes currently splits her time between Washington, DC and Santa Fe.
Previous Grand Masters include Sara Paretsky, Dorothy Gilman, James Lee Burke, Sue Grafton, Bill Pronzini, Stephen King, Marcia Muller, Dick Francis, Mary Higgins Clark, Lawrence Block, P.D. James, Ellery Queen, Daphne du Maurier, Alfred Hitchcock, Graham Greene, and Agatha Christie.
One mystery bookstore and one outstanding individual supporting the mystery book genre will be honored with the 2012 Raven Award. Established in 1953, the award recognizes outstanding achievement in the mystery field outside the realm of creative writing. M is for Mystery in San Mateo, CA and Molly Weston of Meritorious Mysteries will be honored with the 2012 Raven Awards.
M is for Mystery opened its doors in 1996, and is one of the strongest and most visible mystery bookstores in North America. Owner and founder Ed Kaufman, along with his wife Jeannie, are devoted champions of the mystery genre. With the closing of the San Francisco Mystery Bookstore, M is for Mystery remains the only mystery bookstore between Los Angeles and Portland.
The bookstore hosts authors and mystery writers from all over the USA and across the globe, with an average of 150-200 book signings a year. Kaufman and his staff are an integral part of the community, and host book events at libraries, at the Noir City film festival and at conferences. They connect readers and authors through personal recommendations, their newsletter (over 4000 subscribers in 30+ states and 15 foreign countries) and special programs (Signed and Selected and Mystorical, which highlight recommended texts in contemporary and historical mystery). They offer hard cover and paperback mysteries published in the UK, books which are not sold at any other bookstore in Northern California.
The Kaufmans said, “We are thrilled to be honored with the MWA Raven Award. It is a distinction that puts us in the company of many wonderful mystery bookstores nationwide that have previously received this award. We wish to acknowledge the support of all our loyal customers over these fifteen years, and the many great authors who have come to the store to speak, sign, and lend their creative spark.“
Molly Weston of Apex, North Carolina, is the blogger behind Meritorious Mysteries. She is a media escort and editor of the Sisters in Crime newsletter. Weston reads 200 mysteries a year and has been reviewing and lecturing about mysteries for over twenty years. She hosts mystery authors (in particular women authors) and books them into stores, libraries, and other venues in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area. In the last six months, she’s hosted the Older Hotter Deadlier tour, the Lethal Ladies Tour, Ladies on the Lam Tour, and the Dangerous Dames tour!
“Helping mystery readers find new authors, and great authors find new readers, has given me incredible pleasure for many years. To be honored as the recipient of this year's MWA Raven Award is indeed a highlight of my life” says Weston.
The 2012 Ellery Queen Award will be given to Joe Meyers of the Connecticut Post/HearstMedia News Group. The Ellery Queen award is given to editors or publishers who have distinguished themselves by their generous and wide-ranging support of the genre,
Joe Meyers writes about mystery/thriller books, reviews them, and blogs about them for theConnecticut Post. He consistently reviews not only bestselling mystery authors, but lesser know authors as well. His reviews are thoughtful and perceptive, and his criticism is constructive. He is a scholar of mystery and crime fiction, attending conferences and moderating panels. Joe was one of the first reviewers on Twitter to write about mystery/thriller books and authors.
When told of the award he said, "To say I was bowled over by the news of this award is an understatement. I feel so lucky to work for a news organization that supports me in reviewing crime fiction and doing profiles of so many of the figures in the mystery field. I know I am part of an endangered species, so I try to relish every day I spend on the job. I am deeply honored that an organization I respect so much would single me out for giving mystery writers and their work the attention they deserve."
Previous Raven winners include Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore in Chicago, Once Upon a Crime Bookstore in Minneapolis, Mystery Lovers Bookstore in Oakmont, PA, Kate’s Mystery Books in Cambridge, MA, and The Poe House in Baltimore, MD.
Previous Ellery Queen winners include Kate Stine and Brian Skupin, co-publishers of Mystery Scene Magazine, Carolyn Marino, Vice President/Executive Editor, Harper Collins, and Ed Gorman.
The Edgar Awards, or "Edgars," as they are commonly known, are named after MWA's patron saint Edgar Allan Poe and are presented to authors of distinguished work in various categories. MWA is the premier organization for mystery writers, professionals allied to the crime-writing field, aspiring crime writers, and those who are devoted to the genre. The organization encompasses more than 3,000 members including authors of fiction and non-fiction books, screen and television writers, as well as publishers, editors, and literary agents. For more information on Mystery Writers of America, please visit the website: www.mysterywriters.org
# # #
The EDGAR (and logo) are Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by the Mystery Writers of America, Inc.
FTL Update
Study rejects ‘faster than light’ particle finding | The Raw Story: An international team of scientists in Italy studying the same neutrino particles colleagues say appear to have travelled faster than light rejected the startling finding this weekend, saying their tests had shown it must be wrong.
The September announcement of the finding, backed up last week after new studies, caused a furor in the scientific world as it seemed to suggest Albert Einstein’s ideas on relativity, and much of modern physics, were based on a mistaken premise.
The September announcement of the finding, backed up last week after new studies, caused a furor in the scientific world as it seemed to suggest Albert Einstein’s ideas on relativity, and much of modern physics, were based on a mistaken premise.
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Wild boars from Texas invading Mexican farmland | The Raw Story: Mexican officials have unveiled plans to slaughter some 50,000 wild boars that have crossed the border from the United States and now threaten agriculture in Mexico.The Ministry of Environment in Chihauha state said some 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) of farmland in the border town of Ojinaga have been affected by the large number of feral pigs that have come from Presidio County, Texas.
Stay Classy, Aussies!
Crocodile 'given bikini wax and pedicure' in bad PR stunt by spa
Tasteful photo at the link.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Archaeology Update
Whales in the desert: Fossil bonanza poses mystery: Experts say other groups of prehistoric whales have been found together in Peru and Egypt, but the Chilean fossils stand out for their staggering number and beautifully preserved bones. More than 75 whales have been discovered so far - including more than 20 perfectly intact skeletons.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
The Platinum Loop -- Austin Williams
Austin Williams is the author of Crimson Orgy, which I reviewed a few years ago. The Platinum Loop is his second novel, and it's quite a bit different from his earlier one.It's 1973. Gene Hoffman is a producer of sleazy films. He's broke and needs cash badly. Floyd Manning is a guy who hustles celebrity memorabilia. The two meet cute (or brutal), and Floyd tells Gene about the choicest item in his collection, a porn loop, once the property of J. Edgar Hoover, starring none other than a famous blonde whose initials are MM. Sell the loop, get rich. Simple, right? Well, not exactly. Gene's not telling Floyd the whole truth about himself, and Floyd isn't exactly being square with Gene. Complications, as we like to say, ensue. Lots of them.
The plot moves quickly, the sleazy characters live up to their sleaziness, and there are even some laughs along the way. Besides all that, there are some interesting settings, off-the-Strip Las Vegas in the '70s, with Hollywood and Tijuana thrown into the mix. Off-beat, off-kilter adventure. Check it out.
Incredibly Intricate Historic Libraries
Incredibly Intricate Historic Libraries: This day an age of technology we can’t forget the analog internet cafes with dark wood, detailed workmanship, leaded glass windows and tier after towering tier of books – classic historic libraries are a bibliophile’s dream.
And Keep Off His Lawn!
Mail Online: An elderly grandfather has been hailed a hero after fighting off a knife wielding robber at the petrol station where he worked armed only with a bottle of wine.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Return to Perdition -- Max Allan Collins
Max Allan Collins has teamed up with Terry Beatty, and they've come to the end of the road to Perdition in this dandy conclusion to the long-running saga. Don't worry if you haven't read all the other books and graphic novels in the series. There's enough in the story here to catch you up.It's the '70s. Michael Satriano, Jr., is in a Vietnamese prison camp when he and his fellow prisoners are rescued. After his recovery back in the U. S., he's told by a high-ranking member of the Justice Department that his father and sister have been killed by the mob. He's offered a job as a hit man for the Justice Department. He'll be taking out mob figures who've been killing important witnesses. It's a job he turns out to be very good at. Then, on one assignment, he meets the daughter of a target and falls for her. Things get complicated. They get even more complicated when he's asked to kill a priest.
Collins moves the story along at a ripping pace, with some good surprises along the way, and Beatty's drawings are just right for the '70s setting. If you didn't know better, you might think you were watching an exploitation movie from that era, with plenty of nudity, sex, and violence. The ending works very well as it brings the long road trip to a conclusion, and the last panel is perfect.
The fact that things have come to a definitely conclusion doesn't mean that the story is all over, exactly. Collins says in an afterword that prequels can't be ruled out or that he can't take a side trip. So there are still some stories to be told if the opportunity arises. Bring 'em on.
Gator Update (Sauce Picon Edition)
Thanksgiving Turducken: Chicken, Duck, Turkey, Sausage, and Pig With Alligator Sauce Picon: For Thanksgiving, try this meat-tastic dish. The fowl de cochon is one massive meal made from a small pig stuffed with a turkey that's stuffed with a duck that's stuffed with a chicken! And between each animal layer are tons of sausage. Is that enough meat for ya? We thought it would be.
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
khou.com Houston: Several Cleveland [Texas] ISD students were suspended last week after they allegedly took Jello shots on the way to school.
District officials said seven Cleveland Middle School students appeared to be under the influence when they arrived to school on November 10.
District officials said seven Cleveland Middle School students appeared to be under the influence when they arrived to school on November 10.
Friday, November 18, 2011
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .
The Brooklyn Paper: “This old lady was trashing the place,” said Noreen Monier, who owns Tops Restaurant & Bar Supply on Third Avenue between 80th and 81st streets. “I told her to stop and she threw a watermelon at me. She had superhuman strength. She said, ‘I’ll stop when I’m good and ready.’ ”
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Mark Hall, R. I. P.
Danger Mouse Co-Creator Mark Hall Dies Aged 74: The co-creater of Danger Mouse, animator Mark Hall, has died of cancer aged 74.
Hall, who co-founded Cosgrove Hall - responsible for hit cartoons such as The Wind in the Willows and Chorlton and the Wheelies - passed away in the early hours of Friday at his home in Manchester.
Hall, who co-founded Cosgrove Hall - responsible for hit cartoons such as The Wind in the Willows and Chorlton and the Wheelies - passed away in the early hours of Friday at his home in Manchester.
Woody Woodpecker Update
Hollywood Reporter: Woody Woodpecker could be heading to the big screen for the first time in decades.
Illumination Entertainment, the Universal-based animation house behind Despicable Me and next year’s Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, is working on a feature project centering on the crimson-coifed cartoon character.
Illumination Entertainment, the Universal-based animation house behind Despicable Me and next year’s Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, is working on a feature project centering on the crimson-coifed cartoon character.
Hat tip to John Hall.
Dulcie Gray, R. I. P.
NYTimes.com: Dulcie Gray, a stalwart of British stage, screen, radio and television who won enthusiastic reviews when she made her Broadway debut at age 80 with her husband and frequent acting partner, Michael Denison, died on Tuesday at Denville Hall, a home for elderly actors in Middlesex, England. She was 95.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Lone Star Adventure: Michael Bohdan spends his mornings slaying cockroaches, but each afternoon he puts away his pest control equipment puts the cockroaches on display. A strip mall in Plano, Texas is home to the Cockroach Hall of Fame. The facility features elaborately costumed insects and one of the oddest museums in the world.
Hard Case Crime Update from Charles Ardai
We just added a new book to the Hard Case Crime Web site (www.hardcasecrime.com), a first novel by a young Baltimore-based writer named Ariel S. Winter that we’ll be publishing next summer. It’s not the sort of book that generally attracts a lot of coverage merely as a result of being announced – obviously no one knows the author’s name yet, since he hasn’t published any books before. The main thing it does have going for it is that it’s an amazing, amazing book – one that really knocked my socks off – but that’s something no one else will appreciate until they actually get to read it, which is months away.
However –
There is another story here, which is the book’s very unusual structure. The book is called THE TWENTY-YEAR DEATH, and it’s the story of a husband and wife whose lives collapse as violence intrudes – not an unusual premise for a noir novel. But the form Winter chose for it is very unusual: he decided to tell the story of these two doomed characters in the form of three separate old-fashioned crime novels, each set in a different decade and written in the style of one of the iconic mystery writers of that time. It feels a little like opening a Christmas package and finding new novels by three of your favorite pulp-era crime writers. The first is set in 1931 and features a French police inspector investigating the death of a convict in a rain gutter 20 miles away from the prison where he was supposed to be serving a 40-year jail sentence. The second is set in 1941 and features a hardboiled private eye in Hollywood who is hired by one of the big movie studios to watch over one of their leading ladies, who either is showing signs of paranoid dementia or is actually being stalked by a mysterious man on the set of her new picture. And the third is set in 1951 and puts us deep inside the dark and troubled mind of a desperate man, a drunken writer who has lost almost everything he had and is about to tip over the edge separating ‘troubled’ from ‘dangerous.’
What’s more, these aren’t just pastiches – what's wonderful is that each book works not only as a tribute to a great mystery writer of the past but also as a standalone novel with substance and emotional heft, and as part of the combined larger whole. It’s fascinating, for instance, to watch a background character in the first book become a more central figure in the second and then the first-person narrator in the third. I don’t know any other book that’s ever done anything like it.
In any event…I fell in love with the book, and bought it even though it’s three times the length of our usual books (by far the longest book we’ve ever published – 180,000 words), and even though you’re always told, as a publisher, that first novels don’t sell. I did it because it’s a stunning performance and just left me grinning the widest grin I’ve had on my face for a long, long time.
I don't know if you'll want to run anything about it this early, but if you do, let me know and I can get you a high-res image of the cover art. (Painted by Chuck Pyle, it features the Hollywood star from the 1941 novel…and actual Hollywood star Rose McGowan posed for the painting!) If not, I'm glad to at least plant a seed in the back of your mind now, which will hopefully ripen into full-blown curiosity when we get closer to the book's publication date...
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