Review: "Murder To Mil-Spec" Edited by Tony Burton

This year's holiday anthology titled Murder to Mil-Spec, while aimed to benefit a different charity from the sale proceeds of the book, provides another good read of strong stories. As in other holiday anthologies published by Wolfmont Press, crime is at center stage. Unlike previous anthologies that restricted events to the holiday season, this time the stories can happen anytime and anywhere. The pursuit of justice is a frequent theme in these stories and can take many forms. Sometimes righting a wrong happens fairly swiftly while in other cases it may take years, even decades, for justice to finally be served.

After a brief forward by editor and publisher, Tony Burton, the anthology begins with “Meet Me by the Priest” by Terrie Farley Moran. The allies are on the outskirts of Berlin, Germany and Corporal Billy is back home in New York for a month leave. The habits of an old friend are going to get Corporal Billy into real trouble if he isn't very careful.

World War Two is also relevant in “Dart Champ” written by Dorothy B. Francis. In a departure from her very good ‘Key West Mystery’ series (“Killer In Control” comes out next June) Agnes Brown is on a mission to recover her very important ring. The ring, made to replicate her hard earned bronze star, is a family heirloom she wants back and Agnes is not about to wait for the local police to solve the case.

Lt. Rongo Layton should have died one way or another during the Korean War for the sins he committed. He didn't. Instead, he came home in one piece and continued to sin. Clooney plans to rectify that in “Tripwire” written by Big Jim Williams.

Elizabeth Zelvin is making quite a name for herself in crime/mystery fiction with her novels “Death Will Get You Sober” and “Death Will Help You Leave Him” along with numerous short story credits in anthologies and magazines. Her story “Choices” is proof that sometimes it is a good thing when the woman walks into your particular gin mill.

The only story to use the current war in Afghanistan as a backdrop is the “The Gift of Life” by Lina Zeldovich. A very moving story that is as much about the clash of cultures as it is about the core of humanity which links us all together.

It is back to World War Two with the next story, “Justice at Sea” by Charles Schaeffer. Aboard the USS Flagstaff there is a killer on board. While many don’t care, Johnny Shepherd intends to find out who murdered the Japanese prisoner of war.

It wasn't a murder but a rape that drives events forward in “Tourada A Corda” written by Howard B. Carron. Set in Terceira, Azores, the story features a case where a local girl has been assaulted. Since she is a friend of the family, the narrator intends to find out who did it and provide some justice.

Brendan Dubois comes next with the tale “One More Mission.” Back in the day, McIntosh Air Force Base was part of the Strategic Air Command and provided security for the nation and its people. Now days, the place is now McIntosh International Tradeport and nearly everything John Regan remembers is long gone. But, there is still a debt and it has to be repaid.

An airport is also part of the next story. When the airport is closed, the murder suspects are few in “Danger From Within” by Janis Patterson. Fans of the “locked room” type of mysteries will surely enjoy this very good tale where the suspects are few and motivated.

Pranks are a part of most annual games between strong rivals. Occasionally they go wrong. Not usually as wrong as it did here before the Army/Navy game in 1972. “An Officer and a Gentleman's Agreement” written by Barb Goffman shows the wait to right a wrong can be very long indeed.

They may be retired sitting on park benches but senior citizens Joe and Benny know something is off in “Warriors Know Their Duty” written by S. M. Harding. Will anyone listen and take them seriously?

Iraq finally makes an appearance at the end of the anthology with “Salome’s Gift” by Dianna Catt. Salome's big brother is fighting in Iraq and, while the news about his status is not good, his package home to her is very special. If only she can find the courage to open it.

The anthology closes with six pages of detailed author bios that include numerous titles of short stories and novels for yet more reading pleasure from these talented authors.

Unlike previous holiday anthologies from Wolfmont Press, these stories are not humorous and there is hardly a humorous line around in any of these very good tales. Instead, the tone of the anthology as a whole is somber. Respect for those who served honorably is present as is disdain for those who did not. Often the point of the story is to serve justice out to those who would be served in an effort to finally address events that happened long before. As such, flashbacks are present in most stories along with brief history lessons.

Murder To Mil-Spec is a good read featuring a lot of strong stories supporting a good cause. Thanks to medical advances military personnel are now surviving catastrophic injuries and come home to discover their homes need major modifications. Proceeds from the sales of this anthology will be donated to “Homes For Our Troops” charity found at http://www.homesforourtroops.org to assist returning military personnel with their needs.

Not only can you enjoy a really good book, but you can also help the men and women who need our help to fully come home.

Murder to Mil-Spec: A Crime Fiction Anthology to Benefit Homes For Our Troops

Tony Burton, Editor

Wolfmont Press

http://www.wolfmont.com

October 2010

ISBN#978-1-60364-028-2

Trade Paperback

224 Pages

$12.00

Material provide by editor/publisher Tony Burton in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2010

Friday's Forgotten Books: "Small Game" by John Blades

This week's post serves double duty in a sense. Barry has a yard sale tomorrow from 9am to 2pm so if you are in the Philadelphia area and want directions, drop him a note at barry_ergang@cavtel.net In case you don't know, Barry is now on Smashwords at http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/cassidy20

Barry has not posted here in awhile so it seemed a good time to repost one of his. So, for Friday's Forgotten Books I am rerunning Barry's informative review on Small Game by John Blades. Enjoy!

********************
SMALL GAME (1992)
By John Blades

Reviewed by Barry Ergang


Scott Ryan is a man besieged. His opponents include coworkers, fellow commuters, neighbors, and—above all—his house. Oh yes, and squirrels. Living in an area the police sometimes treat as if it’s under martial law, having to duck below window level when his commuter train passes through a Red Zone to avoid being shot, his urban dream has become an urban nightmare.

He and his wife Kathy have purchased a fixer-upper in a becoming-gentrified section of their unnamed city. With three small children and the burdens their new home has imposed, and despite Scott’s ascendancy in the market research company he works for, they’re in over their heads. Working on the house consumes the bulk of Scott’s time when he isn’t working. He still manages to fit in some tennis now and then, but reluctantly because the house has become his Circe, luring him inexorably back to it and demanding that he cater to its every need and want.

When he isn’t cheating on Kathy with several different partners, that is.

Scott’s first-person recounting of events seems at first reasonable, if sometimes edged with desperation. But the reader soon realizes that something is wrong, that he’s an utterly unreliable narrator, that he may or may not be seeing things that aren’t there, claiming to do things he really doesn’t.

Some of the neighborhood squirrels have invaded the house and taken up residence in the walls and attic crawl space. They become Scott’s obsession, and his attempts to eradicate them become steadily more frantic—and sometimes dangerous.

John Blades’ short serio-comic novel might well be described as Kafkaesque in its depiction of a man driven to fulfill but overwhelmed by the popular notion of the “American dream.” Crisply written, and peppered with evocative turns of phrase, its episodic structure builds to a memorable finish.


Barry Ergang © 2009

Formerly the Managing Editor of Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine and First Senior Editor of Mysterical-E, winner of the Short Mystery Fiction Society’s 2007 Derringer Award in the Flash Fiction category, Barry Ergang’s written work has appeared in numerous publications, print and electronic. For links to material available online, see Barry’s webpages.

Review: "Lone Star Legend" by Gwendolyn Zepeda

Dominga Saavedra, known to her readers as Sandy Saavedra, had a serious journalism career at “LatinoNow” located in Austin, Texas. She did investigative pieces and was good at it. While it was online journalism and as such frowned upon by some, her work could and did stand right up there with what was produced in the daily papers. Her overbearing mother drives her nuts, as does her absentee father, so she occasionally vents on a private and very personal blog that hardly anyone knows about. She also makes a comment now and then about her ultra-serious boyfriend, Daniel, a grad student that seems to have it all going for him as he is handsome, smart, and a published author.

Despite the hard work of all “LatinoNow” has failed and the new owners, Levy Media, have a far different agenda. The focus is on short blog posts, edgy in content that focus on entertaining readers with zingers instead of educating readers in a thoughtful way. Out are investigative pieces on issues and in is tabloid style reporting featuring snarky commentary. “Macho Papi” is the new face for her work online and her editor is the hard charging Angelica Villanueva O’Sullivan.

Dominga/Sandy could learn a lot about the business from Angelica. Angelica takes her under her wing and begins to remake her in every way possible. Her writing is the first thing to change but not the last as the job takes over her life. At the same time, the site finds an audience and begins to become a part of Levy Media’s reach into other formats. Success has a heavy price and one is not aware how much it will cost until the bills start coming due in Lone Star Legend.

Against the backdrop of the clash between old media and new media (a frequent theme of many novels these days) this very good novel is the tale is of relationships and remaining true to your inner beliefs despite the peer pressure of others and the twin seducers of money and fame. Written by the author of “Houston, We Have A Problema” among others the book features memorable real to life characters, plenty of angst and glitter, and an entertaining tale of survival despite everything. An enjoyable and thought provoking read on many levels, this is one Texas writer to keep an eye on.

Lone Star Legend: A Novel

Gwendolyn Zepeda

http://www.gwendolynzepada.com

Grand Central Publishing

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com

January 2010

978-0-446-53960-9

Paperback

340 Pages (includes reading group guide in English and Spanish and two page author bio)

$13.99

Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2010

Ed Gorman's blog: News about Hard Case Crime

Ed Gorman's blog: News about Hard Case Crime


Fantastic news and I hope this really works.

Award Winners

It is award season again so here are the latest award winners.

*****************


Shamus Award Winners -

Best Hardcover P.I. Novel: *Locked In*, by Marcia Muller
Grand Central)

Best First P.I. Novel: *Faces of the Gone*, by Brad Parks
Minotaur)

Best Paperback Original P.I. Novel: *Sinner’s Ball*, by Ira Berkowitz
Three Rivers Press)

Best P.I. Short Story: “Julius Katz,” by Dave Zeltserman
*Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine,* September/October 2009)

Lifetime Achievement Award: Robert Crais.

Personal note---read “Locked In” and was not impressed though from a writer
standpoint it is an interesting technique. I very much liked “Faces of the Gone”
and would highly recommend it along with the short story “Julius Katz”by Dave
Zelsterman.)


Macavity Award Winners -

Best Mystery Novel: Ken Bruen & Reed Farrel Coleman: *Tower*
(Busted Flush Press)

Best First Mystery Novel: Alan Bradley: *The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie*
(Delacorte)

Best Mystery Nonfiction: P.D. James: *Talking about Detective Fiction*
(Alfred A. Knopf)

Best Mystery Short Story: Hank Phillippi Ryan: "On the House"
(*Quarry: Crime Stories* by New England Writers, Level Best Books)

Sue Feder Historical Mystery: Rebecca Cantrell: *A Trace of Smoke*
(Forge)


(Personal note----I have to confess I have not read any of these so I have no
advice on these books.)


Barry Award Winners-

Best Novel:  John Hart:  *The Last Child* (Minotaur)

Best First Novel: Alan Bradley: *The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie*
(Delacorte)

Best British Novel:  Philip Kerr:  *If the Dead Not Rise*
(Quercus)

Best Paperback Original:  Bryan Gruley:  *Starvation Lake*
(Touchstone)

Best Thriller:  Jamie Freveletti:  *Running From the Devil*
(Morrow)

Best Mystery/Crime Novel of the Decade:  Stieg Larsson: *The Girl with the Dragon
Tattoo* (Knopf)

Best Short Story:  Brendan DuBois, "The High House Writer" (*AHMM*July-August 2009)

(Personal Note---of these I have read “Starvation Lake” and highly recommend
it along with the sequel “The Hanging Tree”.)

So there you have it. Looks like lots of good reading from a lot of talented folks.

Kevin

Friday's Forgotten Books: "Bullets" by Steve Brewer

This has been yet another hard week in my world. Got my termination letter from the local school district (not a surprise since I still hurt, can't walk, and am sleeping by way of pain pills only and they refused to make any doctor accommodation at all), went back to the back doc, and had my sixth MRI in as many months far too early this morning. That is why I am so late with this today. For the segment today, I wanted a good book that was a mystery and funny. Hence, "Bullets" by Steven Brewer. The below review first appeared in July, 2005 and comes back today.

*****************************




Lily Marsden is very good at what she does. She has managed to kill and kill again and her signature style is to leave no clues or trace of her presence. Her clients pay well for her work but she is starting to get tired of the hunt and killing. Her latest target, Max Vernon, gave her no problems and she was happy to leave him dead in his room at the Tropical Bay in Las Vegas.

But Max had two brothers, Hi and Norm. Two brothers with anger and resources who aren’t going to wait for the clueless cops to figure it out. They have a very good idea why Max was taken out and plan to start rolling up Vegas for the name of the shooter. They aren’t waiting and neither is Ken Staley, the owner of the Tropical Bay, who already had enough problems to deal with. He doesn’t think the cops can find the killer either and he knows he can’t have the publicity of a trial if the cops do find her. Lily made a mistake this time and both the brothers and Staley quickly know who she is and begin hunting her.

While the brothers and Ken want her dead, former officer Joe Wiley knows the execution of Max Vernon to be her work and needs her alive. The Vegas cops aren’t interested in his help so his long running solo chase of her continues. She is the key to his clearing his severely damaged reputation in Chicago. He has no intention of backing off and his efforts are constantly interfered with by two crazy gamblers who don’t take losing well and don’t know when to quit in anything.

This novel quickly becomes a fast fun read as the point of view constantly shifts through a large ensemble cast of characters. Many of the characters are off the wall funny, while others manage to get off an occasionally funny line or two to break up the serious sections of the book. There is a certain inevitability to the read as it becomes clear that everything and everyone will collide in such a way at the end to border on the absurd.

Despite all the humor, the core mystery is complicated and rather intense. The book fully engages the reader and keeps one steadily turning the pages. While occasionally bordering on the madcap, the tone overall is relatively serious and a novel well worth reading and enjoying.

Bullets
By Steve Brewer
Speck Press
www.speckpress.com
2005
ISBN # 0-9725776-7-X
Large Trade Paperback
299 Pages
$13.00 US



Kevin R. Tipple © 2005, 2010

Review: "The Case of the Great Train Robbery" by Carl Brookins

Minnesota based private detective Sean NMI (No Middle Initial) Sean returns in The Case of the Great Train Robbery. Featuring far less comedic moments than the earlier books in the series this latest read provides both an interesting mystery and a history lesson on crime in the Minneapolis/ St. Paul area.

It began as a simple home repair project according to Mr. Kent Kava. The garage was a mess and cleaning it out of the accumulated junk took awhile. Getting all the junk out exposed some structural issues with the garage that had to be addressed. Like a home renovation project gone bad, every point Mr. Kava looked at, he uncovered bigger and bigger issues with the garage. Once word spread among the locals in White Bear, Minnesota that he was going to have to tear down the structure, more and more folks took an inordinate interest. Not just because his house and detached garage were located in the local historic district. The interest is intense from neighbors as well as two strangers in the neighborhood who passed themselves off as amateur historians.

Who the mysterious two guys that came poking around Mr. Kava swears he has no idea. He didn't report that visit to the police or the other visit by someone else around two a.m. All of that happened the previous week before Mr. Kava's young son, Alex, and his puppy found the old gun in a box buried in a hole next to the garage. Mr. Kava wants Sean NMI Sean to find out about the gun, what else might be buried nearby, and why so many folks seem to have an interest in his garage project. Why Mr. Kent didn't just go to the police with the gun along with several other questions come to mind for the detective, but the case is interesting so he takes it.

An interesting and difficult case that will feature the occasional act of violence along with plenty of history and family legacy. The past is often a theme of many books and such is the case here where (as noted in the title) an old train robbery plays a major role. Yet, despite the fact that a major segment of the book is given away by the title as well as the Amazon Kindle product description, the many details of the case are what drive this increasingly complex novel forward. While humor once again plays a backseat role as it did in the preceding novel, The Case of the Deceiving Don, this latest cozy style installment is another good book in the series featuring main characters that are old friends, plenty of history and romance, and plenty of bad guys along the way.

Those unfamiliar with earlier novels in the series, while encouraged to read them starting with The Case of the Greedy Lawyers, can safely read his book as a stand alone mystery. Those familiar with the series will enjoy this latest adventure featuring Sean Sean and his red keds.

Currently this novel is only available through Amazon’s Kindle device. The author provided me a print copy of the book for my objective review as I do not have a Kindle, iPad, etc. As such, I am unable to address the format or other aspects of the experience reading on an e-book device.

The Case of the Great Train Robbery: A Sean Sean Detective Story

Carl Brookins

http://www.carlbrookins.com/

Amazon Kindle

http://www.amazon.com/Case-Great-Train-Robbery-ebook/dp/B003MQNCN6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1285985172&sr=1-1

Kevin R. Tipple © 2010

Friday's Forgotten Books: "Closing Time" by Jim Fusilli

This week I have selected Closing Time by Jim Fusilli. I came to this series in the fourth book having been asked to read that one for Jeff Cohen when he was running The Mystery Morgue (a great review site still on hiatus but still online). I enjoyed the book so much, I had to make sure to go back and read them from the beginning. Below is the original review in all its glory written when I was a little thinner and a bit younger.

*******************************

The series opens with Closing Time and it is in this book we meet many of the principal characters. Terry Orr is mourning the violent passing of his wife Marina and their baby boy as well as dealing with thoughts of vengeance and retaliation against the man he believes is responsible. Since the police have been unable to help, Terry has put his successful writing career on the backburner and is aggressively learning how to be a private investigator. He believes by doing so he can achieve his goal of apprehending the man responsible for the virtual destruction of his family. Some would say he also put on the backburner his beautiful 12-year-old daughter, Gabriella (affectionately nicknamed “Bella”), but he would strongly disagree.

He would argue that he is dealing with things as best as he can. That is all he can do, day-to-day, as he adjusts but he sees Marina and the baby symbolically in everything around him. He certainly does when he sees Judith Henley Harper and their chance meeting on a New York City street is another dig into his soul. Harper used to be his wife’s agent as Marina painted beautiful pictures that sold and sold very well. Thanks to her paintings and Terry’s own book sales, money still isn’t an issue in their home. The last thing he wants to do is to go to the old art gallery as he will be forced to confront memories of happier times and the sadness of today. But that is exactly what Harper wants Terry and Bella to do, as there will be a showing of a new artist in a few days. Bella who has been after her father to write again, to get out and live again, thinks it is a wonderful idea. Before long, commitments are made and they go to the showing.

Which almost proves fatal as a bomb explodes during the show seriously injuring Harper who is saved only by Terry’s quick thinking in the aftermath. Harper unknowingly becomes a client for Terry as he launches a personal investigation into who did it and why. He also takes on another client, this time in the form of an elderly dead man, when he launches an investigation into the murder of Cabdriver Aubrey Brown. Like the Harper case, it became personal for entirely different reasons after finding the man dead in his livery cab. As he works two very divergent and difficult cases, he begins to see commonalities in both as well as links to himself while dealing with the challenges of moving on and being a good father.

This first novel lays an extensive foundation of the series with the introduction of so many of the continuing secondary characters. Told exclusively through Terry’s viewpoint, the reader sees his world as he sees it and through judicious use of dialogue how others see him. Unlike so many novels today that shift through various points of view, a reader of this novel is immersed deeply into Terry’s world and never once jarred out of it over the course of the 275-page book.

While the psychological component of the past and those issues as well as his resulting emotions are a major theme of the work, the author does not let that interfere with the twin case storylines. Instead, the thematic elements are balanced with the cases and current day life issues in such away to not only further round out the characters but to move the story forward. Not an easy task but one the author does seamlessly in page after page.

After you have had your fill of the summer beach books, take a look at this one for some mystery meat. I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed.


Closing Time
By Jim Fusilli
G. P. Putnam’s Sons
www.penguinputnam.com
2001
ISBN # 0-399-14793-4
Hardback
275 Pages



Kevin R. Tipple © 2005

Event: A Deadly Dinner

Mignon Ballard
Kathleen Delaney
Mary Anna Evans
Gerrie Ferris Finger
Marion Moore Hill
Randy Rawls
Fran Stewart
Jaden E. Terrell


Are the authors attending A DEADLY DINNER from 6:00 to 9:00 PM on October, 23 at
the Harris Arts Center in Calhoun Georgia. Cost is $25.00 and you get a sit
down dinner, time to talk with the authors and door prizes of autographed books.

Details at:
http://www.cgarts.org/Programs/LiteraryGuild/tabid/800/Default.aspx  

Sounds like a fun event!

Event: Southern Festival of Books

Just heard about this FREE event this weekend starting Friday. Go to:

http://tn-humanities.org/festival/index.php for more information.

Sounds like a great event and one I wish I could attend.


Kevin

Tangent

has a new appearance. Take a look at the new site design by surfing over to:

http://www.tangentonline.com/

And the link for my review is at:

http://www.tangentonline.com/print--bi-monthly-reviewsmenu-260/realms-of-fantasy-reviewsmenu-63/1397-realms-of-fantasy-october-2010


Kevin

Review: "The Hanging Tree" by Bryan Gruley

Gus Carpenter is not the only one who left Starvation Lake for bigger pastures in Detroit only to return home like a whipped dog. His second cousin, Gracie McBride, did the same thing. Gus never did get along well with Gracie despite the fact she was at his house when they were growing up almost as much as he was. Maybe it was because she was there so much and his own Mom seemed more interested in her at times as she was the daughter she never had. Or, maybe it was something else that had them at odds as kids and had kept them that way as adults. As this novel opens in February 1999, Gus will never know and won't ever be able to fix anything.

Gracie is dead.

“They found her hanging in the shoe tree at the edge of town” (page 7)

Despite the outward appearances of a classic suicide, Gus and a couple of others don't buy the easy answer of suicide. Proving that it wasn't a suicide isn't going to be easy for a variety of reasons beyond the fact that Gracie wasn't the easiest to get to know. Too many people are way too close to the situation which adds a difficulty to the investigation. That is part of the peril of life in a small town such as Starvation Lake where everyone knows everything you ever did and has an opinion on all of it.

Gus has numerous other problems beyond the death of Gracie and the impact it has had on his elderly mother. A media conglomerate has taken over his newspaper, making him and his small paper a microscopic cog in a much larger media machine. Both he and his work are being babysat by the nephew of the chief Executive of the new ownership known as Media North.

Penny pinching, not news gathering, is now the rule of the day as well as not annoying those that matter a bit more than regular folks. Pointing out issues regarding a proposed new hockey ink in town certainly have not endeared Gus to the new ownership crowd or the locals who can't get dollar signs out of their eyes long enough to look at the facts.

Gracie's death has also hit his girlfriend, Darlene pretty hard. Darlene does not believe it was a suicide either but in her position as Pine County Sheriff's Deputy can't do much about it. Her boss, Sheriff Dingus, does not seem interested in really digging into the matter and has no love for Gus. Further complicating matters is the fact that Darlene's estranged husband is back and intends to get her back one way or another.

The result is a worthy sequel to the very good debut novel “Starvation Lake.”

Nominated for an Edgar Award for Best First Novel, it will be no surprise when this novel is also nominated for an Edgar Award. Filled with tension and descriptive nuance, the novel provides complex story lines operating on multiple levels along with a powerfully good mystery.

Those who have a writerly bent will also be interested ion how often and seamlessly the author uses flashbacks to enhance the story going forward. All too often flashbacks serve as story stoppers but not in this case where they are used to provide backstory and considerable depth to the characters as well as advancing current story elements forward.

If you have not read Mr. Bryan Gruley before, now is an excellent time to start.

The Hanging Tree: A Starvation Lake Mystery

Bryan Gruley

http://www.BryanGruley.com

Touchstone (Simon & Schuster)

http://SimonandSchuster.com

August 2010

ISBN# 978-1-4165-6364-8

Large Trade Paperback

$15.00

325 Pages (includes reading group guide and interview)

Material supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2010

Still Here

A couple of folks have privately expressed concern since I didn't have a post the last several days and missed FFB today. FFB was on hiatus today as Patti had plans and was off traveling--lucky lady. I believe FFB will return next Friday.

As to me---nothing at all has changed. I await test results that were supposed to be in the first party of the week and apparently never made it. The fact that the office was closed today certainly did not help matters. What started at around 3am on March 15, 2010 continues unabated with no end in sight.

So, I wait, hurt, and wonder some more as to what the heck is wrong while trying to find ways to distract myself from the pain, leg swelling and all the rest of it. Texas/OU is part of that distraction plan tomorrow. Also rather interested to see the Eagles/Redskins game Sunday afternoon.

I will also try to work on the reading pile, write a review or two, and maybe even work on my own fiction a bit. That is, if I can sit up any time at all in order to do anything meaningful. If not, it will be a lot of floor time with fresh batteries in the remote.

Mind Bleach

Normally I write a review, post the picture of the book, and move on to the new book. But, this is not a normal situation. I don't think I have ever been so thoroughly repulsed by a book as I have with this one.

This afternoon I finished Burn which is the latest from author Nevada Barr. One of the things that always made her books great was the fact that Anna Pigeon was a National Park Service Ranger and the tales were set in the parks. While Nevada Barr frequently paid fast and loose with where things were located in the park of the novel as opposed to real life (the preceding novel in the series set in Big Bend serving as the most recent example), it was always clear that she loved the parks and the outdoors.

This latest effort splits time between Seattle through another storyline featuring a mother searching for her children after a horrific incident, and New Orleans where Anna is hiding out with a friend and trying to get herself back together. Eventually the two storylines merge though it takes far too long to get everything together.

But, what is really horrible about this book is the theme of child abuse that permeates the thing from start to finish. I am not one to read book reviews before I read a book because I don't want those reviews to shape my thinking. In this case, I wish I had read at least one of the many very negative reviews out there on this book that expressed the darkness, the often borderline graphic sexual abuse aspects, and the unmitigated psychological dreck that readers are forced to wade through page after page.

I am not one to swear off an author after one book. In this case, I may make an exception. I need mind bleach to get the crap out of my head.

Do NOT read this book. It is not worth it.

Kevin

Friday's Forgotten Books: "Cruel Cuts" by J. R. Lindermuth

For the segment this week, I have chosen "Cruel Cuts" by J. R. Lindermuth. It just seemed appropriate on so many levels.

Living in a small town means everyone knows your business. It also means that virtually everyone is a suspect when something heinous is going on. That was the case twelve years ago when letters harassing Charles Edward Kline known as "Chick" to one and all surfaced. No one was caught then and no one is a real suspect now in the current letter campaign.

What is being alleged now is a lot more serious. According to the letters Chick, now a successful small town attorney and twenty-six years old, is killing and mutilating animals and livestock in the area during the night hours. While some may believe the letters, others like retired police chief Dan "Sticks" Hetrick don't. Neither does Flora Vastine, an officer new to the force who unluckily found the most recent animal killing/mutilation.

Combining the threads of a disturbing mystery, domestic violence and at least two potential romances, this second novel in the series from author J. R. Lindermuth weaves a complex and very enjoyable cozy read full of murder, deceit and greed. Along the way he provides a revealing glimpse into a small town with characters just as real as your neighbors next door. Take the journey to Swatara Creek, Pennsylvania and you won't be sorry.

Cruel Cuts

By J. R. Lindermuth

Whiskey Creek Press

http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com

ISBN# 1-59374-910-4

Large Trade Paperback

243 Pages

Kevin R. Tipple © 2007, 2010

Brazos Writers Workshop: The real CSI Saturday Sept 25, 2010

Brazos Writers in College Station, TX, is pleased to announce its  

upcoming workshop, "The Real CSI: What Officers Wish Writers Knew  

about Law Enforcement." Saturday, September 25, 8:30-11:00 a.m. -- A  

former FBI agent and security expert shares information writers need  

to know to make their crime investigation scenes match reality. Free  

for members, $24 for nonmembers. Preregistration encouraged, but  

registration available on-site. Find out more at meetings, from  

members, or via the BW Facebook page or at http:// 

www.brazoswriters.org.  All writers welcome!

Mark Troy

metroy@suddenlink.net

Reviewing: "Galveston--A Novel" by Nic Pizzolatto

When I was a kid growing up, Glen Campbell was very popular and a favorite of my parents. So, I heard a lot of his stuff either around the house or in the International Harvester Travelall while we towed a trailer from our home in North Texas to various points around the West. “Lineman For The County” was a good one as was”Amarillo By Morning.” We traveled a lot every summer so while I had seen Amarillo from the back seat of the “Travelall” many times it was never in the morning. Usually it was late afternoon with black and green storm clouds and tornado warnings o n the car radio.

We never did go down to the Texas Gulf Coast as my parents had absolute zero interest. I had always meant to take the wife and later the kids down sometime on a trip to see the Alamo, and other sites but we never did get that done. Any traveling I do these days other than to the doctors and testing places is via my mind through reading. As such, when my wife picked up Galveston: A Novel from the library and brought it home for me, all I could think of was another famous song of Glenn Cambell’s titled “Galveston.” I hadn’t thought f that one in years and yet it played in my head as a constant backdrop to Nic Pizzolatto’s strong debut novel of the same name. Fitting his background as a proflic and accomplished short story writer in both literary and mystery venues, the novel is of two parts both of which could easily be read as rather long short stories.

Roy Cady goes by the name of “Big Country” and he is in real trouble – not just because of the junk in his lungs that his doctor just informed him is going to kill him pretty soon. Stopping smoking now isn’t going to save his life. Neither is the fact that the woman he loved, Carmen, is now making time with Stan, a bar owner. A bar owner who does a lot of shady stuff and employs Roy and several other folks as a crew to do various nefarious things for him. He has never fit in with this crew and recent events have not helped Roy.

Stan wants Roy and another guy, Angelo, to go visit a guy by the name of Frank Stenkiewicz and get him to do what needs to be done. His final instruction is for Frank and Angelo to not take their guns. Something Stan has never said before and that instruction as well as the way he is being talked to and Carmen’s behavior and other factors cause Roy to figure it for a set up. It is and before long Roy is on the run from New Orleans to Galveston with passengers that he can’t seem to get rid of for a variety of reasons. 1987 is not the best of time for Roy.

2008 is not much better though Roy is still alive. An old man walking his dog on a Texas beach should not be of interest to anyone. However, it doesn’t take Roy long to notice the ominous skies of the gulf predicting the coming hurricane or the man conducting surveillance on him. Old debts are finally coming due for many including Roy and this time he is not running from man or nature.

While crime is at its core, Galveston: A Novel is more of a literary character study of several characters. As such the focus is primarily on motivations and not so much action oriented as many books in the crime and mystery genre are. Therefore, those looking for lots of action may be disappointed as this novel is more about how one choice led to another choice which led to another ultimately delivering a fate twenty plus years in the making. A good novel that certainly isn’t run of the mill, author Nic Pizzollatto combines mystery and literary elements into a tale that is noirish and enthralling.

Galveston-A Novel

Nic Pizzolatto

http://www.nicpizzolatto.com

Scribner (Simon & Schuster)

http://wwwsimonandschuster.com

June 2010

ISBN# 978-1-4391-6664-2

Hardback

260 Pages

$25.00

Material supplied by the good folks on the Plano, Texas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2010

Friday's Forgotten Books--"Money Shot" by Christa Faust

For this week’s selection for Friday’s Forgotten Books (hosted by Patti Abbott) I have selected Money Shot by Christa Faust. Simply a good, twisted tale told very well and one worthy of your reading time.

*************************************

Gina Moretti wasn’t one of those girls who works in the adult industry and is stupid. She did her years, made lots and lost of money, and when it was time moved from in front of the camera to running her own company that supplied talent to the industry. She had made a name for herself as Angel Dare when she acted and she was a known commodity free of drugs, alcohol and in good shape. She parlayed everything she had into creating Daring Angels, her management company for adult talent. So, it isn’t a surprise when her old friend and producer Sam Hammer calls looking for help.

But, he doesn’t want anyone but Angel Dare. It seems like his new male star Jesse Black has always dreamed of working with Angel Dare. Angel is flattered and intrigued by the idea of working with the hottest male star in the business. The money would be nice and as she approaches forty and feeling a little insecure about her body, the idea of going before the cameras is exciting and is a boost to her ego. And then there is the fact that Sam has always been there for her and his project is on the verge of collapse. She owes him and knows it so she agrees to the job.

Huge mistake.

Left for dead in the trunk of a Honda Civic after being beaten, raped, and shot, Angel Dare was lucky to still be alive. But, despite the odds she did survive and now she wants to find out what is going on and to make her enemies pay one by one while trying to save the few friends she has left.

This February 2008 release from HCC is a scenic and often incredibly violent tour of the underbelly of the adult film industry. Along the way Angel Dare evolves in ways she never thought possible thanks to the carnage in the form of beatings, bullets, fire, and blood. Each violent encounter molds her and shapes her into a character of steel and backbone bent on her own particular brand of justice which has nothing at all to do with the aims of law enforcement.

The result is an intense fast paced rollercoaster read at 250 pages that frequently details heartbreak and anguish as well as an all consuming need for vengeance. The book grabs the reader by the throat and other places and doesn’t let go. Graphic frequently in regards to adult industry terminology, language and brutal violence, this book weaves a twisting tale that is sure to entertain readers willing to take a look.

Money Shot

By Christa Faust

Author website

Hard Case Crime

http://www.hardcasecrime.com

February 2008

ISBN #0-8439-5958-4

Paperback

250 Pages

$6.99

Material arrived courtesy of my membership in the Hard Case Crime Bookclub.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2008, 2010

Fiction Update From Barry Ergang

I have several stories and collections available at the Smashwords website, a site many will be interested in if you don't already know about it.

"The Play of Light and Shadow": http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/24377

"Stuffed Shirt": http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/24380

"PUN-ishing Tales: The Stuff That Groans Are Made On": http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/24380 A collection of all the groaners I've written to date.

"A Flash of Fear: Six Very Short Stories": http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/22337

"Slow and Quiet, Drift Away": http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/23417

This is the first story I ever placed outside of a school publication.

Best,

Barry

Event--Writer's Guild of Texas Meeting on Monday, September 20, 2010

Writers Guild of Texas Meeting

Monday, September 20

7:00 -8:30 pm

To Be or Not to Be and Other Editing Quandaries

Presented by Cindy Vallar

At some stage in our careers, we've heard the advice, "Write the best book you can," but in today's competitive market, that isn't enough. As the publishing world contracts, jobs disappear, including editor and copyeditor positions. This is one reason why it's important to submit a well-polished manuscript. No submission is ever perfect, but the better edited it is at the start, the greater your chances of acquiring the representation or contract offer you seek. This workshop provides you with a checklist of what to look for in your manuscript to improve your chances at getting past the initial query. We'll discuss ways to tighten your writing, cause and effect, dangling modifiers, choosing the right word, general punctuation and grammar tips, and more.

A retired librarian, Cindy Vallar is the Associate Editor of Industry of Solander, the magazine of the Historical Novel Society. She writes "The Red Pencil," a column that compares a selection from author's published historical novel with an early draft of that work. She is also a freelance editor, the Editor of Pirates and Privateers, and a content editor for Pyrates Way magazine. Aside from presenting workshops, Cindy writes historical novels and articles on maritime piracy, reviews books, and maintains her award-winning web site, Thistles & Pirates (http://www.cindyvallar.com).

Mark the third Monday of every month for the Writers' Guild of Texas meeting.

Meetings are free and open to the public. Held at:

Richardson Public Library
900 Civic Center Dr.
Richardson TX 75080
Basement Room

Writers’ Guild of Texas website: http://writersguildoftexas.org

WGT Yahoo Discussion Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WritersGuildofTexas/messages

The Writers' Guild of Texas is a nonprofit professional organization whose primary purpose is to provide a forum for information, support, and sharing among writers; to help members improve and market their writing skills; and to promote the interests of writers and the writing community.

Annual 2010 WGT dues of $20.00 may be paid at meetings, by mail to Writers' Guild of Texas, 6009 W. Parker Road, Suite 149-175, Plano TX 75093, or online at www.writersguildoftexas.org

Reviewing: "The Glass Rainbow" by James Lee Burke

The past, the often painful and tragic history of Louisiana, has always been a major theme of the Dave Robicheaux series. It certainly is again in The Glass Rainbow. Detective Dave Robicheaux of New Iberia, LA is a bit outside his jurisdiction as the novel opens. He is over in Mississippi to see a long term convict by the name of Elmore Latiolas.

Elmore has heard that Detective Robecheaux has been asking around about seven girls that have been killed recently in a neighboring parish where local law enforcement is doing absolutely nothing to solve the case. The media says that the young teenage girls were prostitutes. Elmore tells Dave that one of the dead is his sister and that he’s sure that she wasn’t a prostitute or anything like that. He also is convinced that a guy named Herman Stanga is involved but can’t prove that nor provide Detective Ronicheaux any real reason Herman could be responsible other than personal animosity between the two men.

Detective Robicheaux knows Herman and what he is. If the man is not directly involved he might know who is so Dave goes to see the man. And like many of the characters in James Lee Burke’s novels, the man is rotten to the core while hiding beneath a thin veil of civility. He is just the start of yet another large group of characters whose public illusion is far different than their private evil. The case is not in his jurisdiction, at least initially, but that has never stopped Dave before in his pursuit of justice and the removal of evil from the face of the earth.

While the past has always been a theme of this series, recently in the wake of the real life destruction of New Orleans and the surrounding area by Hurricane Katrina, the novels have taken a hard turn toward the melancholy as Detective Robicheaux contemplates that final ending. That is very much the case here with Robicheaux, who has always been susceptible to visions, having a large number of them and other characters also seeing a dark future for Dave and his good friend Clete Purcel. That leads to a rather open ending that gives rise to a concern widely reported on many media outlets and other places about the series going forward that has been recently been laid to rest on the author’s website.

As always, there is a large amount of noir and Greek tragedy mixed together in the read along with plenty of scenic description, occasionally graphic dialogue, and tons of convoluted characters and complex plot points. James Lee Burke does not construct simple minded books. His books are dense, full of nuance and impactful long after the book is finished. The Glass Rainbow is another excellent book that serves not only as cultural history but also as a complex mystery and mighty good reading.

The Glass Rainbow: a Dave Robicheaux novel

James Lee Burke

http://www.jamesleeburke.com

Simon and Schuster

http://www.simonandschuster.com

July 2010

ISBN# 978-4391-2829-9

Hardback

433 pages

Material provided by the good folks of the Plano, Texas public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2010

Barry's Book Sales

can be found at http://barryergangbooksforsale.yolasite.com/

and at

http://jdcarr.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6771


He has cut his prices so go take a look.

Friday's Forgotten Books-- "Pilikia Is My Business" by Mark Troy

For this edition of Friday's Forgotten Books, I have selected "Pilikia Is My Business" written by Mark Troy. I selected this one for this week, not only because it is a very good book written by a very talented author who always tells a good story, but because the book will be coming out soon from a new publisher. Hopefully, by way of a new publisher, the book will do better a second time around.

Written by 2002 Shamus Award Nominee Mark Troy, this fast paced and suspenseful novel revolves around Hawaii based private investigator Val Lyon. An ex cop, ex-con, and former pro basketball player, Val Lyon doesn’t tolerate idiots and has little patience for those who don’t do the right thing. Her latest case brings her to the office of Brian Magruder who used to work in the Honolulu Public Defender’s Office before going out on his own.

Part of the wealthy and politically connected Magruder family, Brian is a bit of a black sheep of the family as he has gone his own way. Among his many clients is Jean Pfeifer whose case has turned into a media firestorm. Jean claims that her ex-husband, Jason “Jock” Pfeifer abused their son, Nathan. Jean has stopped the visitations and has hidden their son in an effort to protect him from further abuse from his father. She faces contempt charges and jail time unless she brings Nathan back out of hiding and lets him see his dad. Something she isn’t going to do.

This strikes a chord with the media and the viewing public causing a media firestorm with Jean and her attorney at the center of things. Numerous groups get involved making Jean and by extension Nathan part of their agendas. That also ratchets up further the media scrutiny. Brian Magruder initially just wants Val to be part of the security team, and to protect Jean at a public rally the next day. With emotions running high on all sides, something is sure to go bade and it does. Soon, a simple body guard job morphs into a case involving death threat, blackmail, extortion and a missing child as well as the beginnings of a romance between Val and Brian Magruder.

While occasionally reminiscent of the Stephenie Plum type character because Val is also a woman with a sarcastic wit, Val is a much better character. Not only does she have a deeper and more complex background, she also learns from what happens and takes precautions as opposed to Stephanie who makes the same fundamental mistakes in book after book after book. Val is an evolving character over the course of the novel and one that builds quickly on experience.

That fact, coupled with a steady pace, plenty of twists and turns, and characters that come alive for the reader, it is no wonder this book was a Shamus Nominee. simply put, Pilikia Is My Business is a very good one.

Pilikia is My Business

Mark Troy

http://hawaiian-eye.blogspot.com/

LTD Books

2001

ISBN# 1-55316-533-0

Trade Paperback

245 Pages

Material provided by the author in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2009, 2010

Reviewing: "Joe Posner's Pipe Dreams" by Joe Posner

I never did watch much of classic TV shows like Night Gallery or The Twilight Zone. Part of that was because my folks had pretty strict rules about what we kids could watch. The other part was that I never was into the creepy stuff. That is pretty ironic as a lot of my fiction is either rejected or accepted by editors with the stated reason alluding to the TZ qualities of the story.

Though I never saw very much of The Twilight Zone, the classic lead-in is legendary and one I am familiar with. Unlike me, Joe Posner watched a lot of the show in the late 50’s and 60’s. Not only did he watch a lot of the show but his own father as he notes in the introduction to “Joe Posner’s Pipe Dreams” knew Rod Serling. Through his Dad, Joe got to know Rod Serling a little bit and he even gave him some writing advice which he credits to his own successful and prolific career. Unfortunately, Joe never tells readers what that advice was.

By the 70’s, Joe was at USC and watching Rod Serling’s Night Gallery in his dorm with his buddies. It isn’t surprising then that life at USC in the 70’s plays such a prominent role in a number of stories in this self published collection along with obvious influences from The Twilight Zone series.

“Concrete Love Song” opens the collection with Chad Hunter having a very bad day. A nightmare is followed not even getting to eat his normal breakfast as his wife has left him according to her note. She took the car which means Chad is late for work and that causes yet more problems. The fact that the small portable cement mixer outside the building is talking to him does not help matters.

Communication is also a major part of the next story titled “Ray of Hope” where the communication comes from beyond the grave.

“Pipe Dream” provides part of the title for the collection as well as good tale where Stony Parker decides to smoke a small piece of meteor fragment just to see what happens. After all, if pot is good, just imagine what an outer space rock would be like. A man simply can’t waste his smoking talents or what falls from the sky above.

People often claim credit for things they never created once the famous creator is dead and can’t prove otherwise. Such is the idea of “Sparrow’s Revenge” which has a fitting twist that would make Rod Serling proud considering the number of folks who have claimed their own involvement in his projects over the years.

Guest author Miriam Trimpe comes next with “The Ultimate Field Trip.” UFO’s are making landings and sometimes they pick up passengers though getting folks back home could be a problem.

“Mother Knows Best” follows next where Debbie Carpenter, who works at the San Diego Zoo, is in for a bit of a shock. Suddenly, the animals can talk to her and they aren’t happy.

While “Pipe Dream” has a definite ending, one knows there has to be more to the story. There is in “The Triangle of Time” that serves as a sequel of sorts featuring the continuing exploits of USC stoner, Stony Parker.

Make sure you have batteries, aluminum foil, and a roll of black electrical tape. After all, one never knows when a flying saucer will crash and the alien on board will need your help as the alien does in “Charlie’s Gift.”

The concluding story, “The Steve Machine” tells the tale of how far a famous actor and his doctor will go to keep the actor’s brain alive.

At 112 pages, this collection is a fast, enjoyable read that plays homage to Rod Serling and his work in a variety of ways. The read has a pulpy, campy feel to it indicative of simpler times and greater possibilities. A fun book, not to be taken seriously and an excellent way to spend a couple of hours in sheer escape where nothing is ordinary.

Joe Posner’s Pipe Dreams

Joe Posner

CreateSpace (Amazon)

https://www.createspace.com/

June 16, 2010

ISBN# 1-45361-821-X

Trade Paperback

112 Pages

$14.95

Material supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2010

Friday's Forgotten Books--"The Concrete Maze" by Steven Torres

First, let me apologize for missing FFB last week. Physical limitations prevented me from posting anything and as a result, I missed last Friday. No improvement and still more tests are planned next week. In the meantime and more importantly, this week’s Friday’s Forgotten Books is on The Concrete Maze by Steven Torres. A good mystery that should appeal to crime readers, noir readers, and just about anyone that likes a good complex tale.

Family is often a background element in mystery fiction. Beyond the obvious biological family, detectives often have an extended family of sorts that they rely on for assistance. That isn't the case here where Marc has a very involved biological family, a problem that won't be solved easily, and virtually zero outside assistance.

The year is 1992 and the setting is New York City as this suspenseful novel opens. Luis (Tio) Ramos left Puerto Rico years ago when he was drafted by the Army and sent to Vietnam. He saw combat, much of which he does not talk about, was wounded as well and survived the war to ultimately settle in NYC and raise a family. Now his daughter, Jasmine, who recently turned thirteen and hit that horrible acting out phase all teenagers go through to some degree or another, is missing. Tio has searched a little and now has come to his nephew, Marc, a cynical young man, to help him look.

From the start this isn't something Marc wants to do but he really doesn't have a choice as he can't say no to Tio. They begin a search for Jasmine at the local indoor skating hangout known as "The Skate Key" counting on Marc's age as being a way to get other teens to talk. As they begin to look for her and ask questions they run into a wall of police indifference based on racism, kids that won't talk for a variety of reasons, and drug dealers that rule the streets. Tio Ramos is going to attack the problem the same way that he dealt with the Viet Cong in the jungles of Vietnam. He embarks on a search and destroy mission with one goal—to get his daughter Jasmine back and everyone else, including his nephew Marc is expendable.

While NYC isn't Vietnam, the enemy is just as tenacious and dug in with the concrete streets and alleyways serving as his jungle. The characters make frequent forays out into various areas of the city searching for information, fight skirmishes and battles, before returning to their homes for food and a few hours of sleep. That military aspect of the work where the concrete city is the urban jungle and just as deadly as the jungle in some far off war zone is clichéd and yet it works well as does the pain of a missing child, a parent's worst nightmare as the cliché goes, a universal truth that almost anyone can relate to. That certainly is true here and something that Author Steven Torres uses to full chilling effect.

As he does the cynical world weary young college age student, Marc. Tio's nephew, Marc often sounds far older than his years and routinely expresses a cynical view of life, the world, and his family's place in things. Well aware that nothing can be fixed or reversed, he seeks to get the hunt for Jasmine over as fast as possible. Not because Jasmine could very well be in serious danger, but because he finds it all a bit much as she certainly needs to learn a lesson and besides that he has things to do. That sets up quickly a conflict between Tio, who sees family as everything and a reason for being, and Marc, who sees family as a burden to be tolerated.

Of course that results in conflict about strategies to employ in the search for Jasmine as well as how to deal with the other characters inside and outside of the family. While that conflict, that attention to detail could overwhelm the main theme of the work which is the hunt for Jasmine, it doesn't. Instead, it adds a depth and richness to a read full of intriguing characters, plenty of action and a twisting case which ultimately results in an intense and suspenseful novel.

The Concrete Maze

By Steven Torres

http://www.steventorres.com

Leisure Books

http://www.dorchesterpub.com

August 2007

ISBN # 978-0-8439-5969-7

Mass Market Paperback

284 Pages

Material supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2007, 2010

Guest Blog--E-Books and The Future by Dave Zeltserman

Please join me in welcome Dave to Kevin's Corner with his thoughts on E-books and the future of publishing.


There’s a lot of fear and loathing right now among authors and publishers regarding eBooks. Is this the beginning of the end for print books? The death of publishers? Will eBooks be a boon or the final stake in the heart for the midlist author? Nobody out there has a clue how all this is going to shake out. I certainly don’t, but I’m going to throw out some random thoughts on the subject and see where that leads. I’ll also be tossing out a few predictions. If I toss out enough, I’ll get lucky with one and will later proclaim myself the next Nostradamus!

First, eBooks are conceptually brilliant. Have one device replace 1000s of physical books, being able to buy books at the touch of a button, easily magnifying the text so those of us with declining eyesight can read without magnifying glasses. All this is great, but there are problems lurking in this. Right now the cost of eBook readers (Kindles, nooks, iPads, etc.) is between $139 and $829. This gets worse when you think that each reading member of the family will need a device. So the old paradigm was you buy a book and share it among family and friends; new paradigm, each family member has to buy an expensive eBook reader before they can share their books. This becomes even more problematic as eBook readers break, are lost or become obsolete. Think of it, you lose your eBook reader, you lose your library, at least until you replace it. You drop your eBook reader while on vacation, you lose your library and all the books you wanted to read. You might not even have to lose or break your eBook reader to lose your library. A glitch in their software might lose your library for you. Can’t happen? Hah! Happened to me and the tunes I bought for my iPod from Apple. And there’s little doubt that technology and the marketplace will march on and your eBook reader will at some point (probably a lot sooner than you ever imagined) become obsolete (think 8-track tapes, cassettes, etc.) and you will need to replace both your reader and library. Not going to happen? Ebook formats will always be supported by the next generation of eBook readers? If you believe that I’ve got some swamp land to sell you. Now some people are predicting that eBook reader prices are going to come down dramatically, which leads to my first two predictions.


(Prediction 1) Dedicated eBook readers, like Kindle and Nook, will try to lower their prices to gain marketshare, but they will go the way of the 8-track as consumers gravitate towards multifunction devices like iPads, which will not be lowering their prices substantially.

(Prediction 2) You think ADD is bad now, just wait until we have a generation of readers constantly interrupting their reading to check Facebook and email.


I can’t see the Kindle and Nook surviving, not when consumers can buy devices like an iPad which gives them also movies, games, and thousands of other applications, especially websurfing. Plus the iPad solves the biggest problem dedicated eReaders like the Kindle and Nook have now, mainly graphics, which children's picture books and textbooks need.

How are eBooks going to affect bookstores? I’ve read predictions that the tipping point is 25 percent, and bookstores can’t survive, and that this will happen by the end of 2011. Namely, once 25% of the book buyers have moved to eBooks, that will be the death of bookstores, and enough iPads will be given out as Christmas presents by 2011 that we’ll hit that 25% number. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but there’s no doubt that eBooks are putting pressure on bookstores. Amazon announced earlier that they’re selling more eBooks than hardcovers. For anyone who thought Amazon was stretching the truth, Harper just announced that for the first week of Laura Lippman’s latest book, they sold roughly 4800 ebooks compared to 4000 hardcovers. We’re in the midst of a recession, and this is not making it any easier for bookstores to survive. It would be a very sad cultural loss for bookstores to disappear, and as an author, it would be devastating. This leads to my next two predictions:


(Prediction 3) Large publishing is starting to diverge where they’ll be publishing in print only books for the large box stores, everything else will be digital only.

(Prediction 4) Small independent bookstores that can integrate themselves into their neighborhoods will survive and flourish, and will sell mostly books from small independent presses.


Over the last year I saw a statistic that the large box stores (Walmart, Target, Costco, etc.) sell 60% of all books. I don’t know if this is still true, but it sure seems as if the large publishers are rapidly increasing their blockbuster only mentality. With the chain stores struggling and the increasing pressure caused by eBooks, I see them only printing the so-called blockbusters that they can continue to sell to these box stores, and all other books will be put out only as digital with maybe small POD runs. On the other hand, the independent publishers will increasingly publish the books that these large houses ignore, and these are the books that will excite readers sick of the same old formulaic blockbusters being constantly recycled by the large houses. These more exciting independent press books will help allow smart independent bookstores to flourish during these uncertain times. But what about publishers in general? On the one hand they must love the distribution costs associated with eBooks ($0) as opposed to the high distribution costs associated with print books. But here’s the thing, if readers get sick of these large blockbusters, or stop buying them from box stores and instead buy them as eBooks, then these large publishers are dead. There’s no reason in that scenario for bestselling authors to cut them in. They’ll do it themselves. Which leads me to my next predictions.


(Prediction 5) The large publishers who continue to follow their current blockbuster only mentality will die.

(Prediction 6) The smaller, independent publishes who keep publishing the books they love instead of chasing after blockbusters like the big six, will flourish as they form a symbiotic relationship with like-minded small independent bookstores.


So this begs the question why wouldn’t the authors being published by the smaller houses do it themselves like the big boys will? Simple, the support by these publishers and small bookstores are critical to us smaller known authors. You look at the bestselling crime authors today, and few of them would’ve made it without small bookstores handselling them for years and developing them a readership. That’s what has been happening to me over the last few years as booksellerS who discover my books recommend them to their customers. This is going to be needed more than ever for writers in the eBook free-for-all that’s coming.


So these are some of my thoughts and predictions. While I think it’s clear things are going to be changing rapidly, I do see a glimmer of hope. Is #6 wishful thinking or an honest prediction? We’ll see.



Dave Zeltserman lives in the Boston area with his wife, Judy, and his short crime fiction has been published in many venues. His third novel, Small Crimes, was named by NPR as one of the 5 best crime and mystery novels of 2008. His novel, Pariah, was named by the Washington Post as one of the best books of 2009. Killer, the 3rd book in his 'man out of prison' noir trilogy was published in the US this May. His most recent book, The Caretaker of Lorne Field, is out now, which Publisher's Weekly in a starred review calls "a superb mix of humor and horror" and Newsdays calls "a delicisious horror-ish novel". His upcoming novel, Outsourced, is currently in development by Impact Pictures and Constantin Film.