Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind: Dennis Lehane's Next Book Is...

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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.

November 10, 2008

Dennis Lehane's Next Book Is...

....well, I'll just quote Ruth Jordan, who buried the lead in her report on Murder and Mayhem in Muskego over the weekend:

And at the end of the day, in a fabulous interview by Michael Koryta of Dennis Lehane, we heard the news that Patrick and Angie are getting off the island. They have indeed knocked on Dennis's door again. It looks like his next book may not be a sequel to THE GIVEN DAY after all. Are we ready for another Patrick and Angie Book? Yeah , I know.... stupid question..... stupid, stupid question.

Chalk that up to asking a question rhetorically....

Posted at 12:00 AM in World of Mystery | Permalink

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Comments

Didn't he just recently say that he can't write in that voice anymore?

If he finds that he can, that's great. Gone, Baby, Gone is still his best book.

Posted by: Cameron Hughes | November 09, 2008 at 11:40 PM

Very cool!

Posted by: Dave White | November 10, 2008 at 04:17 PM

He did in fact say it and said that the previous reports are now out of date.

Very happy campers here in Milwaukee.

And Darkness Take My Hand is better than Gone Baby Gone

Posted by: Jon Jordan | November 10, 2008 at 04:57 PM

I know there will be an awful lot of happy staffers and happy customers at The Mystery Bookstore in Los Angeles. We are going to be soooooo thrilled to hear from Patrick and Angie again! Gotta agree with Jon Jordan on Darkness, Take My Hand...

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Sarah, for spreading a little sunshine with this news!

Linda

Posted by: Linda Brown | November 13, 2008 at 11:20 AM

Well what did'ja know; next we'll hear that a sequel to another Lehane classic is next up - I'm sure we'll here any given day about the title.........

Ali

sHuUtTeR ISlaNd sHuUtTeR ISlaNd ShUTteR iSlANd ...

Posted by: Ali | November 13, 2008 at 02:54 PM

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