Karin Slaughter’s first stand-alone novel is a force to be reckoned with. At once a gripping crime novel and astute commentary on American society, it starts off with a bang (literally) and doesn’t let up. The story concerns a spate of cop killings in Atlanta in 1974...
I never know quite what to expect when I open a first novel, and finding a good one, with a lead character I like and want to get to know better, is a real treat. SOMEONE ELSE’S SKIN is such a delight. Detective Inspector Marnie Rome is tough, smart, and haunted. When...
We woke this morning to the sad news that Angry Robot has shuttered the Exhibit A (crime) and Strange Chemistry (sci-fi) imprints. I’m focusing here on Exhibit A because I’m not familiar with Strange Chemistry (don’t read much sci-fi), but everything I’m about to say...
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about reviews in all their various forms… I have favorite newspaper reviewers…or rather, a favorite.Colette Bancroft is the books editor at my local daily paper, the Tampa Bay Times, and as fate would have it, we have “separated at...
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation on Twitter with a new author. He’s pubbed by a small press, and I came across his book when one of his fans sent a, um, bizarre email to a friend who happens to also publish the most influential crime fiction magazine on the...
Yesterday I requested a bunch of advance copies of books, many of which I hadn’t yet heard about. I wanted to share the list, just in case you hadn’t heard about them yet either. The dates below are the release dates, and the copy is the publisher’s...
I am a big fan of Catriona McPherson’s stand-alone novel that was published last year, AS SHE LEFT IT (as well as her Dandy Gilver series). I haven’t gone much more than a week without recommending it to someone since I first read it. So it will come as little...
“Did you send me a friend request?” “No—we’re already friends.” “Well, someone with your name sent me a friend request.” I’ve been seeing this conversation on Facebook a lot lately. Sometimes it’s followed by announcements along the lines of, “I’ve been hacked!” with...
I love infographics. Maybe it’s because I’m more a words/pictures than a numbers person, but something about these little bundles of graphical joy blows my proverbial skirt up. I find this one particularly interesting for anyone who care about marketing...
I rely on the same tools as most authors—pens and notebooks, computers, and mobile devices. I recently upgraded a bunch of hardware, and I wanted to share my experiences in case they’re helpful to anyone. For context, I should tell you that I’m a fan of the “if it...
