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    Harry Dolan: Bad Things Happen
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    Ian MacKenzie: City of Strangers: A Novel
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    Megan Abbott: Bury Me Deep
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    Ninni Holmqvist: The Unit
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  • Paula Froelich: Mercury in Retrograde

    Paula Froelich: Mercury in Retrograde
    This is possibly the most perfect novel for today's economically challenged times. Why? Because it has plenty of glitz and glamor and blind items, as befitting a narrative by the deputy editor of Page Six, but Froelich isn't arch or snarky or acid-tongued in the slightest. Her trio of protagonists land in all manner of embarrassing situations but they aren't played for mean-spirited laughs. The New York here is something of a fantasy-land, but not so far off the mark that it's completely unbelievable. Most of all it's clear Froelich remains sincere and optimistic about her chosen city, and has retained her sense of fun. So no need to check your brain at the door, but sometimes it just needs to chill out and relax.

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« All about the links | Main | Scouring the Canadian scene »

May 17, 2005

And he probably will, too

I rather question the wisdom of this deal on several levels:

23 year-old British journalism student Richy Smith's YOU CAN GET ARRESTED FOR THAT: An American Crime Spree, the true account of a journey across America this July on a mission to break as many absurd laws as possible during summer vacation (without getting arrested), to Gail Haslam at Transworld, for publication in summer 2006, by Rebecca Winfield at Rebecca Winfield Literary Agency (UK/Commonwealth).

Let's see, by making this public, now he can go on a bunch of watchlists and get arrested and change the focus of his book to what it's like to go to jail for something incredibly stupid.

Posted at 09:30 AM in Stolen from Publisher's Marketplace |

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Comments

I don't think they're going to be breaking "real" laws though. It's more things like, "you can't have a cat on a leash" or "you can't chew gum and walk backwards on Main St." Absurd, not regular laws. Stuff they haven't taken off the books, but should.

I can't imagine they'll get arrested.

Posted by: Josh | May 17, 2005 at 09:44 AM

There is a market for how-to-books on breaking the law?
This does provide new insight on what publishers think about the buying public. And I thought only writers become cynical about the market.

Posted by: Ingrid | May 17, 2005 at 09:50 AM

Well, it's probably not THE dumbest idea for a book I ever heard...

Posted by: David J. Montgomery | May 17, 2005 at 10:01 AM

Sounds potentially good to me. If he's funny, it'll work.

Posted by: Keith | May 17, 2005 at 10:32 AM

He needs to come to Florida. It's against the law here to yell at a horse or a cow from a passing car. Some kinda livestock abuse thing...

Posted by: Bob Morris | May 17, 2005 at 11:00 AM

Hey, it's illegal to set off a nuke within the city limits of Fresno, California. Now there's a law that needs breaking.

Posted by: Stephen | May 17, 2005 at 12:24 PM

Here in Chicago, it's illegal to go fishing if you're wearing pyjamas.

And another ordinance prohibits eating in an establishment that is on fire.

Do keep these in mind if you're attending Bouchercon here in Sept.
;-)

Annie

Posted by: Annie | May 17, 2005 at 05:12 PM

I met this young man on his travels through Chicago. He is quite funny. I am looking foward to reading his book. I wanted to find out how he did with a law about monkeys and a zoo and watermelons in a cemetary. If anyone read the book about the English man who traveled through Irelend with a small fridge, I think you might like this book.

Posted by: Ann | September 22, 2005 at 05:45 PM

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