Harry Dolan: Bad Things Happen
BAD THINGS HAPPEN is a nifty debut, cleverly told and unfurled from the very first line: "The shovel has to meet certain requirements" on through meeting "the man who calls himself David Loogan." There are reasons for concealment, just as there are reasons the editor of a mystery magazine bearing little resemblance to EQMM or AHMM might bring him into the fold, thus catalyzing a series of murderous events. The twists come quickly and the dialogue is sharp and if it falls apart slightly at the end, no matter - I want to read much more from Dolan from now on.
Ian MacKenzie: City of Strangers: A Novel
MacKenzie's debut novel reminded me a lot of Paul Auster's NEW YORK TRILOGY, whether it was intended or not, in terms of his choice of words, the thrust of the narrative and the existential nature of the main character (whose first name, incidentally, is Paul) caught up in a snowballing sequence of strange and violent events in and around New York City. MacKenzie straddles the line between thriller and internal examination of a man's failings, and his ability to do so establishes him as a young writer of serious talent and future.
Megan Abbott: Bury Me Deep
In a word: amazing. In more words: Megan Abbott, who has never delivered anything less than an excellent novel, exceeds expectations and takes a very bold and very necessary step forward both in the quality of the prose, the development of her characters and especially in portraying how obsession seeps into the very soul of people, transforming them into their worst nightmares all too easily. Just read this book. And then tell many others to do so as well.
Ninni Holmqvist: The Unit
Understandably, echoes of THE HANDMAID'S TALE are hard to ignore in this dystopic examination of a society where fertility is so high a priority that older, single, marginal women are shut away in secret locales to live out the rest of their lives in seemingly perfect harmony - at least, until the "donations" begin. But Holmqvist's marvelous book doesn't browbeat her thesis into the reader and smartly expands her ideas to look at the plight of all marginalized folk, women and men alike, and how the promise of comforts can be the most horrifying of all. Prepare to be disturbed, but prepare further to think about the ramifications.
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.
« Critical Roundtable: THE TRIUMPH OF THE THRILLER (Part III) | Main | Catching Up on Links »
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My thoughts are with you, Sarah.
Posted by: Gerald So | February 25, 2007 at 05:11 AM
Poor Sarah! Hope your hand heals quickly.
Posted by: CAAF | February 25, 2007 at 08:07 AM
Sarah, that's awful. My sympathies.
Also, the template is way beyond my capabilities, but Stasio's crime column is in the Times today. She leads with McDermid, giving THE GRAVE TATTOO the glowing review I think it deserves.
Posted by: Laura | February 25, 2007 at 09:15 AM
Ouch! I hope you heal quickly.
Posted by: KimH | February 25, 2007 at 09:44 AM
Okay, here goes...
The always insightful David J. Montgomery offers up a double dose of reviews.
In the Chicago Sun-Times, a bunch of bestsellers plus some guy named Morris (James Patterson, Lisa Gardner, John Lescroart, Steve Berry and Bob Morris):
http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/books/271831,CST-BOOKS-mysteries25.article
In the Philadelphia Inquirer, more on Steve Berry's latest (in general, a mixed critique):
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/entertainment/books/16767358.htm
Posted by: David J. Montgomery | February 25, 2007 at 10:25 AM
Sarah, i hope that you will make a quick recovery
Posted by: Jason | February 25, 2007 at 10:48 AM
I'm so sorry, Sarah! Hope you heal quickly. And remember--scars are cool.
Posted by: Twist | February 25, 2007 at 10:58 AM
I hope you heal up nicely, Sarah.
Here's a link from the Australian to do with a decades-long serving constable whose written a memoir
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21275035-5001986,00.html
Posted by: David | February 25, 2007 at 11:01 AM
Oh no! Well, rest those typing fingers, enjoy the painkillers, and here's hoping you're hand is back on its feet again very soon. . . .
Posted by: SD | February 25, 2007 at 11:10 AM
Now THAT'S noir!
I haven't seen The Wire but I know a lot of people here and elsewhere are big fans, so pointing them to a really interesting piece in today's Telegraph about its creators and the whole vibe behind it -
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/02/25/svwire25.xml
Posted by: Kevin Wignall | February 25, 2007 at 11:25 AM
Take care of that hand!
Posted by: Bill Crider | February 25, 2007 at 11:30 AM
Tetanus shots are the insult to the injury. Feel better.
Posted by: David Thayer | February 25, 2007 at 11:41 AM
BRIAN McCLUSKEY appears quite
fond of a new Pulp Fiction
offering by Paul Malmont
The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril
http://living.scotsman.com/books.cfm?id=297682007
Posted by: Steve Clackson | February 25, 2007 at 11:48 AM
Did you pour whiskey on the hand to clean the wound like they do in the movies?
Seriously, hang in there.
VG
Posted by: Victor Gischler | February 25, 2007 at 11:49 AM
Wait a minute.... painkillers?
Hmmm... where's that window...
Heal soon!
Posted by: David J. Montgomery | February 25, 2007 at 12:05 PM
With wishes for your speedy recovery!
Also in Stasio's Sunday NYT column is a kind review of John Shannon's great new book in the Jack Liffey series, THE DARK STREETS. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/25/books/review/Crime
Posted by: Diane Stewart | February 25, 2007 at 12:08 PM
Oh no! That IS noir, I am so sorry--hope you did not have an awful long wait in the emergency room...
Posted by: Jenny Davidson | February 25, 2007 at 12:14 PM
Happy healing, Sarah. Hopefully you'll have a hard-ass scar to show off.
What, isn't that what people want?
And I don't have any links, because if someone isn't gonna get them for me, I really can't be bothered. Generation Meh.
Posted by: Ray Banks | February 25, 2007 at 01:03 PM
Oh that sounds awful. Yes, please do heal fast - and we linked to your great thriller roundtable at the new ITW
blog. http://tinyurl.com/35c8sg
Posted by: MJ | February 25, 2007 at 03:14 PM
Feel better, Sarah! Stitches suck.
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/reviews/2007-02-19-finn_x.htm
Finn continues to get good buzz this week...
Posted by: JT Ellison | February 25, 2007 at 03:30 PM
Oooh. Ouch. Not fun. Feel better soon.
Posted by: Stephen Blackmoore | February 25, 2007 at 03:33 PM
Hang in there, Sarah!
Stacey
Posted by: Stacey Cochran | February 25, 2007 at 03:48 PM
No link to offer, but I did just read a great story in the May issue of Ellery Queen.
"Boy Inside the Man," by Sarah Weinman.
Fantastic job, Sarah!
Take care of that hand.
Posted by: Paula J. Matter | February 25, 2007 at 03:49 PM
So sorry about your hand, Sarah. Rest now and speedy healing to you. A few contributions to the cause:
CHICAGO TRIBUNE: James Green's mixed take on Michael Lesy's MURDER CITY: THE BLOODY HISTORY OF CHICAGO IN THE 1920'S ..."an impressionistic look at the murder capital of America in the 1920s--Chicago" and "a kind of sequel to "The Devil in the White City." http://tinyurl.com/2dy4b9
THE SCOTSMAN shares an 'exclusive extract' of Alexander McCall Smith's new Mma Ramotswe: THE GOOD HUSBAND OF ZEBRA DRIVE http://living.scotsman.com/books.cfm?id=287322007
SUN-SENTINEL: Oline Cogdill explores watery places with the latest from FL authors Christine Kling, WRECKER'S KEY, and Bob Morris BERMUDA SCHWARTZ. http://tinyurl.com/36w52o
GUARDIAN REVIEW: Ruth Rendell relives the Regent's Park walks that gave birth to THE KEYS TO THE STREET.
http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,2019766,00.html
Also, in the March/April double issue EQMM, check out Keith Snyder's debut as a short story writer with the haunting "Dead Gray."
And more congrats to Sarah on her May issue EQMM story!
Posted by: Annie C | February 25, 2007 at 04:09 PM
May the hand that stirs the soup heal quickly.
Posted by: patti abbott | February 25, 2007 at 04:42 PM