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(originally posted on June 4, 2006)
What happens when pulp meets reality, when lies trump the truth and when the written word blurs with the writers responsible? You get the rollicking, oh-so-fun adventure that is Paul Malmont's debut novel, which had me at the murder of H.P. Lovecraft and gets weirder and more wonderfully bizarre thereafter. If you're a diehard fan of the old pulps or brand new to the concept, this is a book to enjoy and adore.
(originally posted on June 4, 2006)
For some reason, it seems to me that Lawson has been overlooked in terms of new and up-and-coming thriller writers. His first effort, THE INSIDE RING, was terrific, but outing 2 may be even better. Snappy dialogue, fantastically off-kilter characters and one extremely pissed off Chinese spy makes for non-stop reading. He's got the goods for bestsellerdom, as long as there's enough time to grow him sufficiently so he can find the audience he so deserves.
(originally posted on June 4, 2006)
Though it takes a bit more time than usual for the story to warm up, Raffel's debut mystery is an entertaining look at the underbelly of Silicon Valley, one with enough twists and turns and likeable characters to hope for more. I especially appreciated the look at the Bay Area's Jewish community, handled with a light touch for color instead of detracting from the story.
(originally posted on June 4, 2006)
Wow. Just wow. This is exactly what historical fiction should be: full of vivid, vibrant characters who make you feel what they feel, hope what they hope and suffer what they suffer. This tale of two very different sisters who make their fortunes in the New World pulled me right in and made me lose all sense of time and place. Sensitively written and beautifully rendered, Sharratt has produced a true keeper.
(originally posted on June 4, 2006)
The blog-as-novel concept is one that's tricky to pull off because, well, they are two different forms. But Blachman - who caused a stir when the anonymous blog he created was outed - succeeds because he uses blog entries to move the story along and build to all sorts of little, then bigger conflicts, and totally won me over. It's almost as good as one of my all time favorite electronic epistolary novels, Matt Beaumont's E, and you'll never view billable hours quite the same way again...
(originally posted on May 23, 2006)
What a short, amazing, furious book, that in less than 200 pages conveys hope, fear, longing and tortured decisionmaking as seen through the eyes of one 18 year old Army soldier during WWII. One wouldn't have thought there was a lot new to say about this particular war but Arvin found it in what already has "classic" stamped upon it.
(originally posted on May 23, 2006)
Is there anyone out there writing the kind of intelligent, thoughtful mysteries that Laurie King does? I think not, and in this, her first Kate Martinelli book in ages, she fuses her contemporary heroine with Sherlock Holmes in unusual and delightful fashion. No worries about having to read earlier Martinelli installments as this stands alone very nicely.
(originally posted on May 23, 2006)
Sex therapist Morgan Snow finds herself immersed in a most unusual case: women on internet porn sites are dying in public, thanks to webcams that stream to millions. What does this have to do with the group of teens she's been counselling on their addiction to such sites? And where will her relationship with detective Noah Jordain go next? The answers, as always, are unexpected, and occasionally even heartbreaking. Look for it in July (unless you snagged a copy of the ARC at BEA.)
(originally posted on June 4, 2006)
What's going on in Kansas? first the state produces one of my all-time favorites, THE LATE MAN by James Preston Girard. Now this, which may well rank up there in due course, as Pickard delivers an outstanding tale of suspense that goes back two decades, involves a wonderfully real love story thwarted and probes the corrosive effects of secrets. I'm ashamed to have overlooked this until now, but glad I caught up soon enough.
(originally posted on May 23, 2006)
Denise Mina is, in a word, awesome. At her best, she infuses her work with a visceral quality that taps into the reader's emotions and makes you feel along with her characters - even if they aren't necessarily likeable or are totally damaged. Paddy Meehan is prickly and conflicted, terse and judgmental but lord, I love this girl. She fights for what she has to and is bound by her upbringing and guilt and is so painfully, believably real. I truly can't wait to see how she grows up, changes and develops over time. (out in July.)
