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ALTERED CARBON by Richard K. Morgan

2009-07-06T20:02:00.001-07:00

The best noir crime novel I've read this year won't be found in the mystery section of your local bookstore. It's a science fiction novel that came out a few years ago which takes place several hundred years in the future with a setting that feels like Blade Runner and a narrative that is pure Raymond Chandler.

Some of the questions this book raises about what it means to be alive, let alone human, will keep you awake nights long after you finish the book. This was Morgan's first novel and it's extraordinary. I'm now reading everything this guy has written, including the graphic novels. His standalone novel Thirteen is also essential reading.

FIFTY GRAND by Adrian McKinty

2009-05-12T10:13:00.001-07:00

Adrian McKinty has been a favorite since I read Dead I Well May Be, which I consider one of the best crime novels of the past decade. His latest, Fifty Grand, is another gem. Most of the rave reviews give a plot summary that I would surely botch, so suffice it to say McKinty is a poet, and this is one of the best books you'll read this year.

SAFER by Sean Doolittle

2009-05-07T09:27:00.000-07:00

Sean Doolittle is one of the most compelling crime writers alive today. The amazing blurbs on his books reveal what everyone in the writing community knows, which is that Doolittle is redefining the crime novel one book at a time. With Safer he once again sets a new standard. He takes the tranquility of the suburbs and reveals what lies beneath, but not in the manner of a potboiler thriller that stretches credulity, rather with a disarming series of events that seem all too believable and close to home. This book is tense, claustrophobic, and compelling in a way that makes you think twice about what it really means to move to a safe neighborhood. Check it out.

Spook Country by William Gibson

2009-04-14T11:54:00.000-07:00

William Gibson is one of the finest writers around, evocative of early Ray Bradbury with effortless descriptions of our symbiotic relationship with technology, and its profound effect on our relationships with each other. This book takes place in the same present as Pattern Recognition, which was also a beautifully written, haunting book.

Spook Country looks at society with eyes wide open to the new realities of government surveillance, but like all Gibson's novels, it creates a palpable sense of being part of something larger than yourself, while at the same making you feel strangely disconnected, an observer and no longer just a participant. It's hard to describe what it's like reading his books, but the prose is so fluid it almost becomes a dream state, so that you're living in this world he's created rather than just voyeuristically reading about it.

Gibson is a writer that consistently changes the way I look at my world. Check him out to see for yourself.

Volk's Game by Brent Ghelfi

2009-04-06T17:32:00.000-07:00

This book is hands-down one of the best thrillers written in the last decade. An uncompromising look at modern Russian, Volk's Game has the pacing of a Lee Child thriller and the texture of a Martin Cruz Smith novel featuring Arkady Renko.

Brent Ghelfi introduces Volk, my favorite anti-hero and one of the more badass literary creations you're likely to meet. A scarred veteran of the war in Chechnya, he is a ruthless man leading a double life. His story gives readers a street-level, unflinching look at post-Soviet Russia.

The sequel Volk's Shadow is just as terrific, and don't feel obligated to read them in order. In a crowded market of copycat thrillers, these books stand apart. They are wholly original and impossible to put down.

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists by Gideon Defoe

2009-03-26T15:53:00.000-07:00

This book is patently absurd, unapologetically silly, and utterly brilliant. The adventures of The Pirate Captain and his band of cutthroats sit somewhere between the Spanish Inquisition skits of Monty Python and the best of Blackadder, with a flair for anachronism that gives these books a voice all their own. In this particular adventure the pirates cross paths with Charles Darwin, but his research and the controversy it spawns might be slightly different from what you recall from history class. (And somehow the preposterous predicaments the crew find themselves in make you think more deeply about the actual social issues surrounding Darwin than you ever did during that boring lecture.)

There is nothing like a book that makes you laugh out loud to put things in perspective. Worried that creeping socialism has started to gallop because of the global economic crisis? Then read The Pirates! In an Adventure with Communists.

Self-conscious because you never read Moby Dick and find most classical literature a raging bore? Then read The Pirates! In an Adventure with Ahab.

Still mistrusting of the French? Read the forthcoming The Pirates! In an Adventure with Napoleon to learn all you need to know about the cultural undercurrents behind the constant bickering within the EU.

If you want to regain your sanity, stop watching the news and read these books.

The Shanghai Moon by SJ Rozan

2009-02-02T17:16:00.001-08:00

When S.J. Rozan first introduced private investigator Lydia Chin and her partner Bill Smith, in many ways she redefined the P.I. sub-genre. Rozan managed to stay true to the form while redrawing all the boundaries.

In this distinctly American construct, suddenly we had a lead investigator who was Chinese, a character with one foot fully assimilated into contemporary pop culture, while the other foot (clutched tightly by her Mother) was planted in her family, her heritage, and the deep roots running up and down the back alleys of New York's Chinatown.

An added twist on the familiar was the fact that our protagonist was a woman, her sidekick a man. There are precedents in crime fiction, but Rozan fully infused the voice of the characters --- and their genders --- into the narrative. You can feel it when Lydia is our guide, and the shift is visceral and immediate when Bill becomes our eyes and ears. Somehow these characters were more human, more real.

There are no stock characters to be found anywhere in these books, which is one of the reasons S.J. Rozan has garnered so many awards and has such loyal readers. I count myself as one of them, and like those readers, I've been waiting seven years for a new Lydia Chin and Bill Smith adventure. So when I heard The Shanghai Moon was on the horizon, I started counting the days.

Much as this series changed expectations for the genre, The Shanghai Moon redefines what we should expect from a series. In fact it blows the notion of a "series book" out of the water in a very important, fundamental way, just as Robert Crais' novel L.A. Requiem shattered conventional wisdom about point-of-view and narrative structure.

Once a series is established, there is typically a defined scope for the novels. There are close-in, claustrophobic investigations along the lines of Agatha Christie. Sweeping adventures in exotic locales --- you can choose your favorite blockbuster thriller as an example. Spenser novels usually take place in Boston, and even when they don't, the size of the investigation is on par with the rest of the novels. Elvis Cole moves around plenty, but he is ultimately an LA private eye, his stage limited by the types of crimes he is likely to investigate. There are lots of variations, but the scale of these series that we love to read --- the actual scope of the plot and ambition of the investigation --- is fairly consistent from one novel to the next.

Shanghai Moon changes all that. It is two things at once, a fusion of two styles of mystery that rarely occupy the same nightstand, let alone the same book.

On one hand it is a tightly written P.I. novel --- a fast-moving murder mystery triggered by a straightforward investigation that goes suddenly sideways. By our old standards, this alone would have made for a terrific book. Rozan's fans would have cheered and critics would have sung her praises.

But The Shanghai Moon is also an historical novel --- scratch that --- historical romance --- of such epic scope that it boggles the mind how Rozan researched this book, let alone managed to weave the two storylines together so seamlessly, never sacrificing pacing for detail but adding such texture to the characters that by the end you wouldn't be surprised to find them walking down the street right next to you.

The Hollywood pitch for this novel might go something like this:
This is The Maltese Falcon, contemporized, only with the actual backstory of the falcon instead of the shorthand history delivered in by Sydney Greenstreet to an impatient Humphrey Bogart. Both stories began in the past, driven forward by the obsessive desire to possess a precious object. But in The Shanghai Moon, we are there every step of the way, and we get to share in that desire --- actually feel it for ourselves, instead of just voyeuristically watching while others stop at nothing to posses it.

Lydia Chin is brought in on a case by her former mentor Joel Pilarsky, a deceptively simple investigation into some missing jewelry. Their client is a woman who specializes in recovering assets of Holocaust victims that were lost during World War II, returning the found valuables to surviving family members. Some antique jewelry has been discovered buried at a building site in Shanghai, not far from a district that once held thousands of Jewish refugees. When the investigation suddenly becomes much more dangerous and complicated, Lydia and her estranged partner Bill Smith must discover secrets of the jewelry's tragic past in order to solve the mystery they face in the present.

The modern investigation is vintage Lydia Chin, smart and fast, at times funny and always exceedingly human and real. But the glimpses Rozan provides into historic Shanghai are unforgettable. Parts of the story are told by letters written by one of the characters, a young refugee traveling to Shanghai with her brother, leaving her mother behind in Nazi-controlled Europe. As she narrates her own journey the repercussions of the world war suddenly become incredibly poignant and personal, bringing a weight to history that is rarely felt in contemporary fiction.

Given the scope of this project one might suspect it would move at a different clip from Rozan's other Lydia Chin novels, but if anything it moves even faster, if that's possible. The juxtaposition of the two storylines has you turning the pages with double the impatience, and there is plenty of action and more than enough twists for those looking for a well-crafted mystery.

The Shanghai Moon is a book only S.J. Rozan could have written, and it was worth the wait.

This review first appeared in Reflections Of A Private Eye, the official publication of the Private Eye Writers of America.

Fowl Air

2009-02-02T17:13:00.001-08:00

The guy who landed this plane deserves The Congressional Medal of Honor, he shouldn't have to pay taxes the rest of his life, and there should be statues erected on both the New Jersey and New York sides of the Hudson. The pilot, co-pilot, crew, and the passengers who stood on the wings in freezing water are all heroes. (Except for the wanker demanding more money from the airline.)

But who are the villains in this drama? Sure, you can point to the nimrods who ignore the periodic mishaps at LaGuardia Airport caused by short runways, steadfast in their denial that anything can be done to address the problem. And rumor has it one of the engines stalled a couple of days before this accident, which a more conservative or profitable airline might have replaced as a precautionary measure.

But it was a flock of geese sucked into the jet engines that brought the plane down. As a nervous flier I need someone to blame, so that I can reassure myself this wasn't a result of man's inability to fly, but rather the villainous act of a negligent airline or inept FAA --- or someone, somewhere, fouling the system.

I blame the geese.

Now it turns out there is a level of "bird protection" that varies by airport, depending on the runway proximity to wetlands, trees, and so on. And there are a wide variety of deterrents used to keep or scare birds away from planes. But since humans are inherently compassionate and amazingly short-sighted, apparently there are organizations actively trying to protect the birds, not the planes. No doubt these same people get together at Thanksgiving and stuff themselves with turkey while bemoaning the plight of wayward geese. Or perhaps they chow down on a Wendy's chicken sandwich while writing their local Congressman to preserve wetlands near the airport.

A friend of mine suggested the airline mount machine guns on the wings of the jets, just like World War I biplanes. If it works for Snoopy, why not a 737?

But I have a different approach to the problem --- eat the birds. To my vegan friends, listen up, this isn't about you anymore, this is about keeping our skies safe. Geese taste like chicken. So does duck. So does everything if you put the right sauce on it, and that probably holds true for eggplant and soybeans. So you might as well make it a goose-burger next time instead of a veggie burger, since the whole idea of the faux burger is to replicate the taste of cows, which thankfully aren't airborne.

Bon appetit. And while you're at it, have a ham sandwich, too, just in case pigs start to fly.

This post originally appeared on Inkspot.

WATCHMEN by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

2009-01-27T12:23:00.000-08:00

The movie is coming, and it looks cool, but before you even think about buying a ticket, read Watchmen as it was meant to be experienced. TIME Magazine named it one of the 100 best English-language novels written since 1923 --- that's best "novels" in any form, not graphic novels.

Alan Moore is inarguably one of the great creators writing in any medium, having invented V For Vendetta, League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and From Hell, to name a few. None of these graphic novels translated particularly well onto the movie screen, and if you read Watchmen you'll see why. The book is so layered, with so much subtext, at best the movie will only be able to visualize the characters and pivotal moments. This was my problem with The Golden Compass as a film --- it looked beautiful but failed to capture the soul or impact of the novel.

In Watchmen even seemingly minor threads take you to unexpected places. A kid sitting near a newstand is reading a pirate comic, a seemingly random thread that ties back into the main story when you least expect it. The writing in that fictional comic is some of the most powerful prose you'll ever come across and could have stood alone as its own story, but as a subtext to what's happening in the world of forgotten superheroes, it's fantastic.

TIME called this book "a work of ruthless psychological realism." I've read it more than once and no doubt will do so again, and every time it knocks the wind out of me. Check it out.

In The Hand Of Dante by Nick Tosches

2009-01-04T00:40:00.000-08:00

"Louie took off his bra and threw it down upon the casket." This book would deserve your attention if only because it has one of the great opening lines of all time, but there's much more to it than that.

If you are one of the many people who were forced to read The Divine Comedy in school and wondered why, In The Hand Of Dante will put everything in perspective. Publishers Weekly called it "outrageously ambitious" for good reason. Nick Tosches makes himself his own protagonist in a modern crime story with echoes to the past, where we find Dante contemplating the masterwork for which he is remembered. The voices in the two story arcs couldn't be more different but each is powerful in its own right.

The modern story involves the mob and clips along in keeping with any good gangster tale, but the brilliance in the Tosches-as-protagonist approach is the author's ability to deliver full-on rants on subjects ranging from the sad state of the publishing industry to the politically correct-infected healthcare system. His character is vivid, unapologetic and full of righteous bile that both shocks and inspires as it spews forth.

Rumor has it Johnny Depp has optioned this book for film. Read it before the movie comes out, though if any actor can pull this off, he might be the one. Because of the historical chapters and the heavy texture involved, this book isn't what I'd call an easy read, but once you find the rhythm you'll be glad you made the effort. Tosches is hands-down one of the finest writers out there when it comes to pugilistic prose, though known best for his nonfiction, especially the biographies of famous musicians. If you want a quick dose of his writing, pick up The Last Opium Den, a book in miniature that is really a bound copy of a magazine article he wrote. But read this book if you want something that bends your mind as it defies description.

Donald Westlake

2009-01-03T01:10:00.000-08:00

Donald Westlake has died at the age of 75, author of more than 100 novels and one of the most influential American writers of the last century. Wonderful tributes have been written over the past couple of days by his friends and fans, by writers who were influenced by him, by those who had the good fortune to meet him, and also by people who knew his work and had studied it for years. A couple of standouts include the terrific piece Sarah Weinman wrote for the LA Times, which you can read here, and also Duane Swierczynski's remembrance of how he first discovered Westlake's writing and the influence it had on his own (which can be found on his blog).

I never had the opportunity to meet Westlake and suspect I would have been tongue-tied if I had, but he left a lasting impression when I saw him on a panel during Edgars week a couple of years ago. He was sitting alongside several other award-winning authors, all of whom were hugely successful in their own right, and what struck me was how the other writers were so clearly in awe of him but his self-deprecating humor put everyone at ease. He said he never outlined, except in one case, and that was for a book he'd never finish because he already knew how it was going to end.

He described writing as telling a story to himself, and we're all incredibly lucky he decided to share those stories with the rest of us. Best known for his Dortmunder series and the Parker novels (which he wrote under the name Richard Stark), Westlake had so many voices and stories in him that it's hard to believe a single man could have produced so many great novels in one lifetime.

In a century known for some pretty great crime writers, Westlake was in a class by himself, and his books are timeless because of it. Pick up anything by Westlake (or any of his aliases), and see for yourself.

Severance Package by Duane Swierczynski

2008-12-18T19:09:00.000-08:00

This book redefines the high-velocity thriller the way a movie like The French Connection or, years later, the film Ronin redefined the Hollywood car chase. Severance Package makes the action so visceral that other thrillers seem turgid by comparison.

But what's really amazing about this ride is how Duane Swierczynksi builds character, tells a story, and creates empathy in the midst of a novel that is really one continuous action sequence. There are no pauses in this novel, no catching of the breath, no time for reflection or internal monologues to fill in the blanks. The action starts on page one and escalates relentlessly until the breathless finish.

Anything Swierczynski writes is going to throw you back against the headrest, but this one never takes its foot off the accelerator. If you want a thriller that makes no apologies for being wildly entertaining, read this book.

Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse by Victor Gischler

2008-12-10T13:26:00.000-08:00

This book reads like Kurt Vonnegut collaborating with William Gibson, maybe with a touch of Christopher Moore thrown in just to keep things off-balance. Go-Go Girls Of The Apocalypse is wildly entertaining, incredibly prescient, and deeply unsettling, even though you'll be smiling as you turn the pages and civilization crumbles between your fingers.

Victor Gischler is the adrenaline poet behind such crime classics as Gun Monkeys. If you haven't read him before, you are probably haunted by a feeling you've been missing out on something. Now's the time to fill that cultural gap with a book that's hard to categorize and impossible to put down.

Worried about the collapsing economy, ineffectual governments and the venal nature of mankind? This book will put it all in perspective and offer hope amidst the chaos and redemption for those brave enough to dive in headfirst. If you want to know how the world is going to end, and how it might begin anew, then read this book.

THE UNDEAD KAMA SUTRA by Mario Acevedo

2008-11-18T11:42:00.000-08:00

If Philip Marlowe had been a vampire, this would be his story.

The Undead Kama Sutra is the latest from Mario Acevedo, author of X-Rated Bloodsuckers and The Nymphos Of Rocky Flats. With titles like those, he's a writer that's hard to ignore, but his prose is classic hardboiled with an irreverent and cynical take on the world that is both contemporary and a delightful throwback to Raymond Chandler.

Make no mistake, there are vampires in these books, but forget the teen angst and adolescent yearnings that seem to have infected the genre like a blood disease. Acevedo's books are smart, funny and twisted, and they work as both terrific PI novels and as unapologetic entertainment. You'll also learn a ton of useful stuff about vampires and dealing with the undead, which is bound to come in handy at some point.

So pour yourself a tall glass of A-negative, curl up in a nice cozy coffin, and read this book.

THE BIG O by Declan Burke

2008-10-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

Declan Burke writes like Raymond Chandler on crystal meth. This character-driven mystery has the velocity of Lock, Stock, And Two Smoking Barrels or Snatch combined with the stylish prose and effortless dialogue of Elmore Leonard at his best.

The first page is one of the coolest openings I've read in some time, and it only accelerates from there. If you like your novels smart, funny and fast, read this book.

The Future Is Now

2008-09-30T14:35:00.000-07:00

This particular tirade first appeared on Inkspot.

The news is full of portentous events these days. Financial meltdown on a scale not seen since the 1930s. A presidential election with red and blue distinctions not seen since, well, four years ago. Plenty of activity to keep the TV news anchors checking their profiles and forcing their own particular spin on market shenanigans and political hooplah.

But check out the buzz online and the real news isn't the markets or the election, it's over in Europe, where the Large Hadron Collider sits dormant. In case you missed all the hype, the LHC is the world's largest particular accelerator, a circular track 27 kilometers in circumference that straddles the French and Swiss borders. In this underground tunnel, focused beams of protons or heavy ions will collide at velocities approaching the speed of light, which for those of you not familiar with basic quantum theory, is really fucking fast.

Scientists claim this extraordinary device will lead to the discovery of new particles, new forms of energy, and ultimately unlock the secrets of the universe dating back to the Big Bang. It has also effectively shifted the entire heart of the physics community to Europe, moving with it thousands of jobs. This last point is significant considering the project was originally slated for U.S. soil, but after spending a billion dollars to dig a hole in Texas, our elected representatives in Congress decided to spend another billion dollars - that's billion with a b - filling up the hole and letting the project move to CERN, the European organization for nuclear research. Your tax dollars at work.

Luddites around the world have been filing lawsuits, protesting and petitioning to have the project stopped altogether, claiming it will lead to the creation of tiny black holes that will devour the Earth. Or, even worse, reactions within the cylindrical track will create a singularity, an unstoppable contraction of time and space that will pull us all into a tiny pinpoint of creation much like ball of energy and matter that preceded the Big Bang. In other words, we'd all get squeezed out of existence and then reborn in a fiery cataclysm of exploding stars and dark matter...or something like that.

And if that occurs, no one will have to worry about the financial markets or the elections.

Me, I'm looking forward to the singularity. I'd rather be devoured by a black hole than run over by one of the many wayward bus drivers here in San Francisco, who might not be as plentiful as protons or neutrinos but move just as fast and far more unpredictably.

Or perhaps we might get sucked into a wormhole and transported into another dimension, where instead of idolizing pop singers and actors, it's the scientists who are the celebrities. Wonder what Albert Einstein would think of that.

They say the experiments occurring within the LHC might actually enable us to harness antimatter, which as we all know powered the engines of the Starship Enterprise. I'd rather go where no man has gone before than repeat history. I mean, isn't it better to fall victim to a slight miscalculation by scientists aiming for the stars than brought to our knees by the tawdry madness of a holy war?

But the answer to that question will have to wait, because after a successful test, the LHC had to be shut down for repairs. This is understandable when working with a massive cryogenics cooling system and electromagnets larger than the waistline of a congressman. We'll see if a brave new frontier awaits after the holidays, but in the meantime we can go back to throwing rocks at each other and pissing in each other's wells.

And there's something to be said for a handful of men and women working selflessly for decades to build this thing, scientists trying to push the limits of human knowledge into the future instead of defining their existence around philosophical grudges thousands of years old.

So to all the folks in the white lab coats who might be about to destroy the planet, thanks for trying to save us from ourselves.

Gregory Mcdonald

2008-09-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

Gregory Mcdonald, winner of the Edgar and for my money one of the finest writers of crime fiction, has passed away.

Best known as the author of the FLETCH series, Mcdonald was one of the most confident writers in the crime genre, someone who was able to carry entire chapters through pure dialogue --- witty and unforgettable exchanges in which there was never any doubt who was doing the talking. His characters were smart and his plots ingenious.

The film adaptations of the early books which featured Chevy Chase, though enjoyable for what they were, never came close to capturing the effortless cool of Mcdonald's writing. Read any of his books and you'll wonder why you didn't sooner. They are compulsively readable. The Fletch series is a must, but I'd also recommend his books featuring Inspector Flynn.

His passing is a tremendous loss to the world of crime fiction. Remember him, and read his books.

Death On Every Corner

2008-08-25T17:54:00.000-07:00

Politicians in New York and San Francisco have decided to protect us from ourselves by taking away our right to make bad decisions. My rant against our dysfunctional Big Brother can be found over at Inkspot.

Read more about the looming threat of trans fats, sugary sodas, and other real and present dangers here.

Guest Blogging at KILLZONE

2008-08-24T22:50:00.000-07:00

The fine authors over at Killzone invited me to guest blog on the subject of villains. With an offer like that, how could I refuse?

This past week has been dedicated to villains we love:

Con men who seduce us into parting with our life's savings, charismatic academics who persuade us to invite them over for dinner and then eat our livers. Smiling politicians who pretend to be our neighbors and then turn out to be, well, politicians.

Read more about The Killer Inside You at Killzone...

THE RAW SHARK TEXTS by Steven Hall

2008-08-24T15:19:00.000-07:00

This book became a huge sensation last year for good reason. It's a provocative blend of a thriller with a metaphysical tour of human consciousness. It's a mystery that sucks you in with the first chapter and then takes you on a wildly conceptual journey that manages to raise some major philosophical questions without ever compromising the pacing of the story.

A man wakes up with total amnesia, the only clue to his identity a letter from himself. The letter tells him this has happened before and will likely happen again if he doesn't take steps to prevent it. The letter gives him directions to a doctor familiar with his case, but is also instructs him to say nothing about the letter to the doctor.

And what does the doctor say? Under no circumstances should the hapless amnesiac read any letters from himself. His condition is chronic and his past self will only confuse things. But the letters keep coming, and the story they tell is fantastic, a tale that blurs the lines between reality and nightmare.

Steven Hall is a gifted writer. It's a big book but a quick read that will have you thinking differently about your own existence.

PERSON OF INTEREST by Theresa Schwegel

2008-05-20T19:36:00.001-07:00

Nobody handles cops better than Theresa Schwegel. Person Of Interest was deservedly named one of Publishers Weekly's Best Books Of The Year and has garnered rave reviews since it was first released.

There are plenty of cop novels, many of them first-rate and written by undisputed masters of the genre, but Schwegel has a contemporary voice that is utterly unique. Her prose delivers a gut punch weighted with empathy, a visceral kick to the heart that makes you actually care about the characters in a way that is extremely rare. These books stay with you, and as a reader, I sincerely hope Schwegel is writing as fast as she can.

Schwegel won the Edgar for her first novel, Officer Down, which is also superb. If you see her name on the cover of a book, buy it immediately. You won't regret it.

BEOWULF translated by Seamus Heaney

2008-04-30T13:28:00.001-07:00

Let me preface this post by saying I am not someone who reads books that everyone says I should read, as opposed to books I want to read. Most of the so-called classics are given to students at the wrong age, and many of the books selected are turgid and irrelevant, clearly chosen with the malicious intent of steering an enthusiastic child away from reading towards a life of crime, video game addiction and dissolution.

Not that there's anything wrong with video games. I am currently suffering from multiple wrist and shoulder injuries sustained while playing Wii.

Beowulf is different because it is the source material for so many incredible tales that have followed since it was first written hundreds of years ago. The monsters, dragons and sword play of any classic work of fantasy, let alone any video game or movie, can be tied directly back to this epic poem.

I bought this edition after watching the animated movie that was released last year. The movie had an ingenious adaptation and screenplay by Neil Gaiman, but the film itself didn't work for me. I am a big fan of animation, but the Polar Express style of graphics hasn't nailed human beings yet. There are subtle yet critical details of skin and eyes that are lost, an effect which creates an emotional distance from the characters. So while you can get plenty of emotion from a cartoon character like Shrek or even Looney Tunes, when you transform Anthony Hopkins into animation the character somehow becomes wooden and dispassionate despite the great acting.

But watching the film got me interested in revisiting Beowulf. Like the hero who battles Grendel and then slays the dragon, Seamus Heaney has done what others thought impossible. He managed to translate this poem with enough grace and contemporary language that it reads beautifully while still remaining faithful to the cadence of the original poem. The story comes through without any need for footnotes, and some of the passages are amazing, the kind you cut out and paste on your wall.

Ray Bradbury said in his book on writing that writers should read poetry, but rare is the poem that stirs the blood like a thriller or mystery novel. Beowulf is grand adventure in a distant time and place, and it's great fun. Skip the movie or watch it only after picking up this translation and you'll have a new appreciation for a story that ranks with the Odyssey for timelessness.

YELLOW MEDICINE by Anthony Neil Smith

2008-04-16T15:46:00.000-07:00

I've been immersed in edits on my latest book and haven't been reading as much as I normally would, but I made the mistake of picking up a copy of Yellow Medicine and wasn't able to put the damn thing down. Consequently I am running a bit late on turning in my latest manuscript, but it was worth it. This book is phenomenal.

Anthony Neil Smith is the brains behind Plots With Guns, the infamous online crimezine, but he's also a brilliant writer. His characters are perfectly realized and horribly flawed, so real and compelling that you almost feel like you're watching them instead of reading about them. Rarely have I so vividly visualized an author's characters.

Smith tells the story of Deputy Billy Lafitte, a lawman who prefers to bend the rules rather than abide by them, and his entanglement with Drew, a local girl whose no-good boyfriend has gotten in way over his head with something that just might involve terrorists. The story is lightning fast and the writing incredibly visceral.

Yellow Medicine is published by Bleak House Books, one of the finest mystery publishers out there. Buy it now but read it only when you're prepared to drop everything else.

EXPLETIVE DELETED edited by Jen Jordan

2008-03-03T10:49:00.000-08:00

I've written for short story anthologies before, and they tend to have a central theme that ties all the stories together in some way, so that no matter how eclectic the writers, subject matter or style of the individual tales, it all hangs together. Common themes include relationships, a specific geography, or a particular slice of crime fiction like legal thrillers, PI stories, and so on.

Well, fuck all that.

Jen Jordan of Crimespree Magazine and the smart folks at Bleak House Books have published an anthology that taps into the power of the one word that gives us all a common language, everyone's favorite expletive, that four-letter cuss word starting with "F" and ending in "K".

Now, you might be asking yourself, "What the fuck?" And that's exactly the point of these stories, to get you to question the boundaries we impose on ourselves as we move through so-called civilized society. These are tales of sex, violence, betrayal and redemption in a collection that doesn't take itself too seriously but still manages to make a serious point or two along the way.

The story contributors are a who's-who of today's most innovative crime writers, including Laura Lippman, Ken Bruen, Anthony Neil Smith, Jason Starr and Reed Farrel Coleman, to name a few. So if you want to sample several great voices in one sitting, read this. It's fuckin' great.

POISON BLONDE by Loren Estleman

2008-02-26T16:59:00.000-08:00

Loren Estleman has been part of the mystery scene for some time (this is his 50th book) yet he remains one of the freshest writers around. His dialogue is remarkable, and the balance of humor, tension and social commentary perfect.

Poison Blonde is the 17th book to feature Amos Walker, easily one of the best PI characters ever written. Like all of Estleman's books, this can be read as a stand-alone, and I came to it long after its initial release. Somehow Estleman strikes a tone that is simulatenously classic hardboiled and very contemporary, with a fedora-wearing shamus hip enough to blend in anywhere.

If you haven't read anything by Loren Estleman you're missing out. He is one of the few authors besides Elmore Leonard to ever attempt yet alone succeed at writing both mysteries and westerns. Grab one of his books, any of them, and start reading.

The New Annotated SHERLOCK HOLMES by Arthur Conan Doyle, edited by Leslie S. Klinger

2008-02-05T13:36:00.000-08:00

You might be thinking, but I've already read Sherlock Holmes stories; tell us about a new book, something I haven't read before. I promise that will occur next week, if not sooner, but this post is dedicated to encouraging anyone interested in crime fiction to read the definitive Sherlock Holmes collection, edited and annotated by Leslie Klinger, one of the foremost Sherlockians of our time.

Others heaped praise upon this collection when it was first released for good reason. Klinger has lovingly brought these stories into a new light, with annotations that conjure the Victorian age beautifully. Illustrations abound, and somehow Klinger manages to weave even the most obscure reference into a seamless parallel narrative that accompanies each story.

Sherlock Holmes is known for good reason as the first private detective, and these stories not only influenced other writers but fundamentally changed how criminal investigations were regarded. It is fair to say we wouldn't have a CSI, let alone the science of forensics, if Arthur Conan Doyle had not altered the way we all view a crime scene.

But the main reason to rediscover these stories is that they are adventure stories. There is good reason why the early collection of stories was called The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes. We might remember the science of observation, the agile mind of the detective, his stalwart companion Watson, but what about the venomous snake, the severed ears, the exotic brown powder that could drive a man mad with fear? These stories are the precursor to the pulp adventures of the thirties and forties, not to mention the modern thriller.

Klinger has done an extraordinary job adding new texture to stories that are as compelling today as when they first appeared. To really appreciate the stories that brought mystery to the forefront of popular imagination for more than a century, curl up in an armchair, grab a pipe, and read these books.

THE LIAR'S DIARY by Patry Francis

2008-01-29T09:11:00.000-08:00

Patry Francis has written a terrific book in The Liar's Diary, a twisted tale of friendship gone awry. What would you do if your best friend was murdered, and your teenage son accused of the crime? This book explores how a close relationship can subtly redirect your moral compass and even twist your sense of reality. This book is loaded with secrets and feints that keep you guessing. By the time you've finished, you just might be looking at the relationships in your own life with a more critical (and paranoid) eye.

I've never met Patry, but I understand she will not be on an extensive book tour because she is battling cancer, so a number of fellow writers banded together to promote her new book for her today. Many thanks to the talented Laura Benedict for making me aware of Patry and her writing. You can read more about the blogging effort here, but most importantly, read this book.

THE FAULT TREE by Louise Ure

2008-01-24T17:34:00.001-08:00

Louise Ure raises the bar with The Fault Tree, a suspenseful, nerve-wracking novel about a witness to a murder whose own life becomes threatened by what she knows. That premise alone has begun many great novels and films, only the witness in Ure's story happens to be blind. Cadence Moran lost her sight to a tragic car accident but still works as an auto mechanic, able to feel and hear the problems in an engine that other mechanics have long since abandoned. This character is terrific. Not a meek, cowering woman with a handicap, Cadence is a smart, resilient woman drawn in three dimensions by Ure's flawless prose.

Does the killer realize the witness is blind? Did Cadence hear something, and can she remember enough to be a threat to the killer? How can you catch a killer, let alone escape one, if you can't see them? This book sticks a knife in your gut in the very first chapter, and you'll feel it twist with every turn of the page.

Ure won the Shamus Award last year for her amazing debut Forcing Amarillyis, a gut-wrenching story of rape and murder in the arid landscape of Arizona. Her sense of place is terrific, the descriptions so evocative you'll start to sweat. Buy 'em both, you won't regret it.

THE CRAZY SCHOOL by Cornelia Read

2008-01-04T11:41:00.000-08:00

The Crazy School by Cornelia Read is smart, funny, provocative, and powerful. (That's four adjectives in a row, and I usually only give books three at most, but this book rocks.)

Read is the author of A Field Of Darkness, a novel that was nominated for virtually every major award including the Edgar. That book introduced protagonist Madeline Dare, a recovering debutante with a penchant for conflict. Madeline returns in this novel, but Read has made The Crazy School its own book, so if you missed her debut you can read this one first.

Read has arguably the most original voice in crime fiction today, with equal parts wry observation and heartfelt characterizations. She also has a knack for seamlessly weaving together all the disparate influences and associations that shape our lives but are so rarely seen together in one work of fiction. From social commentary to history to philosophy to relationships, Read blends everything into a portrait that lingers in your mind's eye long after you stop reading.

And to make it even better, this book flies. I started it before boarding a plane and finished by the time I landed. The dialogue is pitch-perfect, the descriptions tightly drawn. No wasted words and a plot that twists more than a few times before coming to a surprisingly but very satisfying conclusion. This book is not to be missed.

QUEENPIN by Megan Abott

2008-01-02T15:33:00.000-08:00

Queenpin is a novella-length masterpiece by the queenpin of noir, Megan Abbott. No one writes like Abbott, who has an ear for dialogue and eye for detail that make her books as visual and compelling as the finest noir films.

Queenpin is the story of a nice young girl with a taste for sin who becomes understudy to Gloria Denton, a classic moll who keeps company with the movers and shakers of the mob world. The relationship between the two women is so finely drawn that you can feel the growing tension in your gut as you turn the pages.

Queenpin is so well written that you'll find yourself slowing down just to savor the words. Once you've finished, check out The Song Is You, which is pure genius. Abbott was shortlisted for the Edgar Award last year for her debut Die A Little, and I believe she deserves to bring it home this year.

THE GOLDEN COMPASS by Philip Pullman

2007-12-28T15:01:00.000-08:00

I read The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman a few years ago but wanted to review it now because the movie just came out. The film does a great job visualizing the settings and characters, and the casting is excellent, but like most film adaptations it lacks the depth and backstory which make reading a novel such a rich experience. I would strongly recommend not seeing the film until you've read this book, which is arguably one of the most rewarding works of speculative fiction ever written.

This book is the first in a trilogy known as His Dark Materials, and the sheer originality of the worlds Pullman has created is only matched by the ambition of the story itself, which attempts to answer almost every metaphysical question ever asked. The story is a nonstop adventure that can be enjoyed by young readers and adults alike, but the underlying themes keep you thinking long and hard after you've finished the book. What is the nature of the soul, do we really have free will, what is the role of organized religion in an enlightened world, and what happens when you die? This trilogy is just as ambitious as The Lord Of The Rings or The Chronicles Of Narnia, though it brings a decidedly unique and non-conformist perspective to its narrative that is intoxicating.

Rest assured that despite the literary heft of the subject matter, this novel and the subsequent installments in the trilogy are a delight to read, fast-paced and filled with characters as memorable as they are magical.

ON THE WRONG TRACK by Steve Hockensmith

2007-12-12T13:57:00.000-08:00

Holmes On The Range and On The Wrong Track by Steve Hockensmith are two of the smartest, funniest, and wholly original mysteries to come along in some time. Fans of westerns, Sherlock Holmes, mysteries and anyone who loves great writing will agree these books have something for everyone.

Hockensmith is an award-winning short story writer and regular contributor to Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, and his talents are on full display in these books, which are written in the vernacular of 19th century cowboys.

Gustav "Old Red" Amlingmeyer and his brother Otto ("Big Red") are two cowboys who have discovered the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, whose stories began appearing in the late 1800s. When they find themselves ensnared in some nasty business, Old Red decides to try some "detectifying" like his hero Holmes. The voice is charming and full of colorful expressions and wry observations. You can taste the trail dust as you turn the pages.

Holmes On The Range is the first book in the series and was deservedly nominated for an Edgar Award for best first novel, but you can pick up either one to jump right into the world of Old Red and Big Red. These books take off like a mustang and never slow down, so find a comfortable chair and enjoy the ride.

FADE TO BLONDE by Max Phillips

2007-12-10T10:14:00.001-08:00

Fade To Blonde by Max Phillips is another superb novel from Hard Case Crime, the publishing venture started by Phillips and genre genius Charles Ardai, an Edgar-winning author and expert on all things hardboiled and noir.

Fade To Blonde tells the story of Ray Corson, ex-boxer, ex-actor, ex-screenwriter trying to make ends meet in the heyday of 1940s Hollywood. Max Phillips writes such lean prose you plunge into the story without any hiccups around time or place. This book is written with such style that you're hooked from the first page, and the dialogue is so smart and spare you'll feel like you stepped into a classic noir film.

The story follows a classic gumshoe path but twists more than a few times before the finish. Max Phillips doesn't waste a single word, and the ones he's left on the page are priceless. For writing that will get you inspired to write, pick up this gem.

THE SACRED CUT by David Hewson

2007-12-06T11:11:00.000-08:00

The Sacred Cut by David Hewson is extraordinary, a book that combines the intricate plot and pacing of a thriller with a sense of place and texture normally associated with more intimate, character-driven novels. Fans of Martin Cruz Smith's novels about Russia will love Hewson's books about Rome, where police inspector Nic Costa and his colleagues explore corners of the city never glimpsed by tourists.

The opening of The Sacred Cut is visually stunning, and Hewson's descriptions of Rome are so precise you start to feel like you're walking along behind the characters, looking over their shoulders. Normally that kind of texture can get in the way of pacing, but this book flies. It also brings in aspects of art history and architecture with such restraint that you want to keep reading just to learn more about this remarkable city.

The plot deals with a series of ritualistic murders in Rome, but it hinges on the politics of war. In a manner that is wholly original, Hewson has created a tale that incorporates the most compelling aspects of the best modern thrillers, from political intrigue to forensic investigation to historical mystery. This book has it all and delivers in a nice, neat package.

You can read any of the Nic Costa books by Hewson in any order. I happened to read this one first, but I'd recommend them all. If you feel like taking a trip to Italy this winter without leaving your couch, buy one of these books.

SALTY by Mark Haskell Smith

2007-12-03T21:59:00.000-08:00

SALTY is the latest from Mark Haskell Smith, one of the most inventive writers working today. If you missed MOIST or DELICIOUS, run to the bookstore immediately. These books are smart, fast, and not just funny but hilarious. There are a lot of writers out there trying to be funny, trying so hard that you feel the effort with every forced punchline, but Smith understands the restraint needed for humor and hits all the right notes.

Salty tells the story of Turk Henry, retired heavy-metal bassist and recovering sex addict who unwisely agrees to vacation in Thailand, the illicit sex capital of the world. When his supermodel wife gets kidnapped by a band of pirates, Turk's attempts at rescue get him sideways with homeland security and lead him into a rogue search for his wife. Soon Turk finds himself caught between his duty to his wife and the undeniable undertow of the prospect of being single in Bangkok.

Reviewers have favorably compared Smith's writing to Carl Hiaasen, Elmore Leonard and even Ross Thomas, but he has a manic voice all his own, full of smart social commentary and a genuine affection for his characters that infuses even the most bizarre situations with empathy.

This book is part crime novel, part adventure, part travelogue and part romance. As a writer Smith is hard to categorize but impossible to put down. Pick up Salty and see what I mean.

THE DEVIL'S TEETH by Susan Casey

2007-11-28T00:09:00.000-08:00

Possibly the best nonfiction book you'll ever read. The Devil's Teeth has a subtitle that describes the book as "A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America's Great White Sharks", but this book is not a mere travelogue. It is as finely paced and dramatic as any work of suspense. Check out the opening paragraph:

"The killing took place at dawn and as usual it was a decapitation, accomplished by a single vicious swipe. Blood geysered into the air, creating a vivid slick that stood out on the water like the work of a violent abstract painter. Five hundred yards away, outside of a lighthouse on the island's highest peak, a man watched through a telescope. First he noticed the frenzy of gulls, bird gestalt that signaled trouble. And then he saw the blood. Grabbing his radio, he turned and began to run."

I dare you to put down the book after an opening like that. The Devil's Teeth transports the reader to the surreal landscape of the Farallon Islands, less than thirty miles off the coast of San Francisco, where biologists Peter Pyle and Scot Anderson study great white sharks. Savage birds, sea lions, great white sharks and killer whales populate the pages of this book and dominate an environment on the islands that would have given HP Lovecraft nightmares.

The history of the islands is almost as bizarre as its inhabitants, but the truly compelling stories in this book are the tales of the commitment, sacrifice and obsession of the men and women who risk their lives to study the world's most dangerous animal in its natural environment. The descriptions of the great whites are so vivid you find yourself checking your toes and nervously glancing around your bedroom to make sure the tide hasn't come in while you were reading.

Casey's courage in her pursuit of the story, no matter the cost, is an adventure in itself. I wouldn't recommend reading this book in the bathtub, but it's a must-read anywhere else.

CHINAMAN'S CHANCE by Ross Thomas

2007-11-26T14:56:00.000-08:00

Ross Thomas is one of the masters of crime fiction that sometimes gets overlooked when readers are discussing their favorite authors. After his death in 1995 some of his books went out of print, but now they have been republished in trade paperback format. If you haven't read Thomas, pick up Chinaman's Chance, one of the smartest, smoothest reads there is, a book so finely crafted it bears reading twice.

Chinaman's Chance features Artie Wu and his partner Quincy Durant, not quite rogues but definitely con artists. They share a history in the spy game that has given the pair their own moral compass that never seems to waver (even though it confounds everyone around them). You'll wish you were as smart as these characters, and even the supporting cast is fully three-dimensional and perfectly drawn.

Ross Thomas created a space that was classic but contemporary, somewhere between Ross MacDonald and The Sting. Read this book and mark my words: you'll be recommending it to someone else before you've even reached the last page.

SOUTHTOWN by Rick Riordan

2007-11-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

Southtown is the fifth book in Rick Riordan's award-winning series about San Antonio private investigator Tres Navarre, but the books can be read in any order. (In my case I read The Last King Of Texas first, which happened to be his sixth book. Each one is a blast and they all stand alone, but if you're starting from scratch grab Big Red Tequila.) Thanks to Ray Hengst at Remember The Alibi for reminding me about this unread gem in what is arguably the best PI series being written today.

Southtown is notable for several reasons, but what's truly remarkable is Riordan's confidence in changing POV. He switches seamlessly from first person to third as the perspective changes from one chapter to the next, and the effect is extraordinary. By the end of this book you have tremendous empathy for all the characters, even the bad guys, which is all too rare in suspense novels.

What blew me away were the chapters written from the perspective of Sam Barrera, an aging ex-FBI agent suffering from early Alzheimer's. Rather than reduce Barrera's condition to a two-dimensional liability, Riordan infuses his descriptions with humor, attitude, and flashes of self-awareness that let us see the man that once was, trapped inside a mind that he can no longer trust. These chapters make the character incredibly sympathetic and the disease all the more terrifying.

These books are smart, funny, and so deftly plotted that you'll wonder if even the author knew what was going to happen next. No wonder Riordan has won the Edgar, Anthony and Shamus. Tres Navarre is my kind of PI.

DOPE by Sara Gran

2007-11-15T11:16:00.000-08:00

Dope was recommended by the folks at The Mystery Bookstore in LA, a crew that knows the genre inside and out. This is classic noir from a female perspective, as hard-boiled as Chandler or Hammett with a voice that is both seductive and smart.

The novel explores the underground heroin scene in New York around 1950. The sense of time and place is pitch-perfect, from the smell of the seedy back rooms, the clothes, the cars, the hairstyles, and of course the dialogue. The voice of the narrator pulls you in immediately, and you hang on every word.

But the best part of this book is the twist at the end, followed by another twist, followed by yet another. You won't see them coming and when they do, you'll find your knuckles have turned white from gripping the book so hard. This book will stay with you. Check it out.

THE CLEANUP by Sean Doolittle

2007-11-09T17:09:00.001-08:00

The Cleanup is one of the most impressive books I've read in a long, long time. I met Sean at Bouchercon in Alaska. He's a disarmingly nice, thoughtful guy, tall with big hands. The women at the bar described him as hot, though my overriding impression was that Sean could break me in half if he wanted to. A mutual friend and fellow writer, Mark Haskell Smith, had suggested I track Sean down and say hello. Afterwards I bought his book and devoured it on the plane ride home.

The Cleanup is wholly original but has echoes of both Michael Connelly and Elmore Leonard, two disparate voices that blend seamlessly in this novel of lost faith and the terrible price of redemption. I can't think of another crime writer who can create characters so real and textured without compromising the pacing. This book flies and becomes more gut wrenching with every turn of the page, yet the characters seem so real you have an almost visceral reaction to their plight. Crimespree Magazine called it their favorite of last year and I can see why. Doolittle kicks ass. I strongly recommend Dirt and Raindogs as well.