Crime Fiction Dossier

James Crumley, dead at 68

Just learned the sad news (via) that author James Crumley has died. Crumley was best known for writing one of the definitive private eye novels, The Last Good Kiss. That accomplishment alone is worthy of a whole career, but he made many other fine contributions as well.

I spent an evening with Jim five years ago at Bouchercon in Las Vegas. Jim, Bob Ward, Dennis McMillan and I went to a cocktail party in the lovely Riviera hotel and casino, and then spent a few hours in the bar. It was my introduction to keeping company with book folks and initially I was a little intimidated. Jim quickly broke the ice, though, with his friendly attitude and curmudgeonly wit. My liver has never been the same.

I knew Jim had been in failing health for some time, but it's still sad news. He'll be missed.

Robbing the literary grave

BBC News has announced that author Eoin Colfer (the Artemis Fowl series) has been hired to continue the uber-popular Hitchhiker series created by the late Douglas Adams. According to the article, Adams' widow has given approval for the project. And Another Thing will be published next October.

Adams died seven years ago at the much-too-young age of 49. His early death meant that there were many books he couldn't write -- and that's a damn shame. He was one of the most inventive and entertaining writers around. He even wrote two excellent pseudo-mystery novels (Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul). And the idea of someone trying to continue writing in the world he created saddens me.

In the BBC article, Colfer is quoted as saying, "My first reaction was semi-outrage that anyone should be allowed to tamper with this incredible series." And he should have stopped right there. Because his instinct was right. It is an outrage and nobody should tamper with this incredible series.

Authors die, and their books and their series die with them. Sometimes this is a crushing blow -- when Ross Thomas died, I felt like I'd lost a friend, even though I knew him only slightly. But I knew his books intimately, and it hurt to know that there would be no more. But you can't change the past.

Even if another writer comes along, they can't recreate what that original author did. They might play in the same world and with the same characters, but it will never be the same. And it's a mistake to try.

The most egregious example of this type of literary grave robbing in recent years was the offense done to the works of Roger Zelazny. One of the finest fantasy writers ever, Zelazny created the beloved Amber series, a ten-book magnum opus that represented some of the most inventive and engrossing storytelling ever created. (Yes, I really mean those superlatives.)

Zelazny also died at too early an age -- only 58. During his lifetime, Zelazny made it abundantly clear that he wanted no other authors to write in the Amber world. Author Neil Gaiman once approached Zelazny with the idea of publishing a book of Amber stories written by other authors -- and Zelazny put the kibosh on the idea.

Even so, in 2002 John Gregory Betancourt -- with the permission of Zelazny's literary estate, allegedly administered by a family member from whom the author was estranged -- began a series of Amber prequels. Apparently the books were garbage, but that's hearsay, as I refused to read them.

I can understand fans wanting to read just one more book featuring the characters and worlds that they loved so much. But it's not possible. Even if a talented writer creates something worthwhile in that existing universe, it will never be the same. This is especially true when the original creator was someone as uniquely talented and innovative as Adams or Zelazny.

Obviously when there is money to be made, deals like this will happen, and some of the curious will play along. But I'm going to decline. I think the true fan is satisfied with the exiting works, few though they may be. Why read an imitation when you can still go back and read the real thing?

The Palm Beach Post spills ink all over James O. Born

Jim Born, FOTD (Friend of The Dossier), got a nice write-up a couple days ago in the Palm Beach Post. I'm not familiar with that publication, but I assume it's legitimate and not just something Jim's brother-in-law publishes in his garage.

The piece has some interesting stuff in it, including a few details about The Human Disguise, the science fiction novel that Born wrote, which will be published by Tor under the pseudonym James O'Neal.

Born's one of the true good guys in this business -- and a damn fine writer to boot. (He also did a kick-ass weapons and tactics demonstration at the first ThrillerFest in Phoenix, one of the best things of its type I've ever seen.)

So check out the article. It's good.

Three authors you couldn't live without

I saw this question on a message board and thought I'd steal it...

Who are the three authors whose work you would miss the most if they stopped writing?

The choices are inevitably somewhat arbitrary... But after thinking about it for a while, I came up with a solid top 3:

• Lawrence Block
• Michael Connelly
• George Pelecanos

I look forward to books by those three writers more than anyone else. So I'd be the most disappointed if any of them stopped writing.

How about you? Who's in your top 3?

Ask the Critic: Dashiell Hammett

Reshma Thomas writes in to ask:

Have you ever read any works from Dashiell Hammett? If so, what do you think of him as a person and as a writer? Are there any authors that remind you of him?

I have had limited, but enjoyable experience with Hammett's work. He was a very talented and influential writer -- his book The Maltese Falcon in particular had a huge effect on the development of popular fiction in the U.S.

He essentially created the genre of the American detective novel -- a distinct, more realistic and harder-edged form than that of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes -- and helped to garner literary regard for the mystery novel more generally.

All the subsequent American detective writers, from Raymond Chandler to Mickey Spillane and John D. MacDonald, all the way up to Sue Grafton, Dennis Lehane and Michael Connelly, owe him a debt. You can see echoes of what Hammett created in all of their works.

Hammett drew in some ways on his personal life -- where he had been a Pinkerton detective -- in his writings, but I don't know much about his life other than that.

Literary heroes

Screenwriter Paul Guyot has a new feature on his website that intrigued me. It's a photo gallery of his heroes, drawn from film, literature, music, sports, his personal life and everything else.

Some of the choices are a little odd -- for example, he is obsessed with a horse. And, apparently, people who drive really fast while making left turns. But some of the choices are rather inspiring.

This got me thinking about my own heroes, especially those related to writing and literature. I'm too lazy to put together pictures or anything. But I did start making a list:

Ross Thomas...Roger Ebert...Larry Block...Pauline Kael...Anthony Boucher...Ernest Hemingway...George Pelecanos...John D. MacDonald...Dashiell Hammett...Laura Lippman...Robert Ferrigno...David Morrell...Rex Stout

(This is just off the top of my head -- I know I'm leaving off some great people.)

What about you? Who are your literary heroes?

Speaking of promotion: James Patterson

ABC News has a piece on James Patterson that I found interesting. It contains some eye-opening stats -- he's sold 150 million books; an incredible 1 out of every 35 books sold last year was one of his -- along with the usual stuff about co-writers, his marketing background, etc.

Here's a quote from Patterson that I loved:

"There are thousands of people around the country who don't like what I do," he said. "Fortunately, there are millions who like it a lot."

Most of the time when Patterson's name comes up in conversation with other writers, he's referred to with derision.

I always shake my head when I hear people make those kinds of statements, because I think they just don't get it. We should be learning from what Patterson is doing. We should be studying his methods and strategies, and figuring out how we can apply his lessons to our own work.

I don't care if people think the books are lousy -- many of them are not very good, but so what? That's not the point. What matters is that he's selling books. And that's something we all need to learn to do better.

(hat tip)

William F. Buckley Jr. dies at 82

William F. Buckley Jr. died this morning at the age of 82. Although best known as the godfather of the modern conservative movement, Buckley also wrote numerous novels, many of them spy thrillers featuring CIA agent Blackford Oakes.

The books weren't great -- Buckley was a far better essaying and polemicist than novelist -- but some of them were quite entertaining, especially the early ones. (The first, Saving the Queen, includes a scene describing Oakes' recruitment into the CIA that was based on Buckley's own experience with the Company.)

Bill is survived by his son, Christopher Buckley, a wonderful author of satirical novels (and one excellent, underrated thriller: Wet Work). Bill was a true gentleman -- he was the first writer I ever corresponded with -- and he will be missed.

George Pelecanos on Richard Price

George Pelecanos has an excellent essay on Richard Price over at the National Book Critics Circle blog.

Here's a snippet:

[Price's] books are a record of America at a certain time. David [Simon] and I have talked about this many times--we think that Clockers is The Grapes of Wrath of our generation. And I really feel that way. I think it’s as important a book.

Pelecanos also talks about how Price's writing helped open up his own novels to new themes and possibilities.

Definitely read the whole thing. It's not very long.

"The Liar's Diary" Blog Day

Over 300 bloggers from the world of publishing are blogging today in support of the paperback release of Patry Francis' book, The Liar's Diary. Patry was recently diagnosed with cancer and has been frequently hospitalized. Since she's unable to do any promotion in support of her book, a few of her friends decided to help out.

Patry is blogging about her battle with cancer, in case you're interested in learning more.

To learn more about how she came to write The Liar's Diary, read her Backstory.

You can watch a trailer for The Liar's Diary on YouTube:

Here's hoping that Patry's health improves soon!

Recommendations for reading Ross Macdonald

Ross Macdonald has been enjoying something of a renaissance in recent months, as Vintage Crime/Black Lizard has been reprinting many of his books.

I had a conversation recently with Tom Nolan, crime fiction critic for the Wall Street Journal and the acclaimed biographer of Macdonald, in which I asked Tom for his recommendations for a reader who is new to Macdonald's work. This is his reply:

The Underground Man, with its forest-fire motif, is an exciting work, as much of a thriller as a murder-mystery; the fire itself is almost a character, racing towards its own destruction.

The Chill is maybe RM's masterpiece, combining his particular themes with memorable characters, terrific sequences, and a surprising plot.

The Galton Case is what he called the fulcrum of his oeuvre, upon which the rest of his work would turn; it was the book in which he most explored his own past (fictionally), and when he consciously committed his most serious writing ambitions to the mystery-novel genre.

I think any RM book from the golden period of the 1960s, when he had come into his mature prose style, would be a good Macdonald to start with; The Zebra-Striped Hearse, The Far Side of the Dollar, and Black Money are all excellent.

Then again, those who prefer a more hard-boiled approach might favor a '50s book. The Way Some People Die or The Barbarous Coast are among my own favorites.

I'm woefully unfamiliar with Macdonald's work, having only read (that I can recall) one novel and a couple of short stories. So I've definitely got some catching up to do.

Thoughts and prayers for William Tapply

I've just learned that writer William Tapply (author of the Brady Coyne series, among other works) is battling cancer and will be hospitalized for the next several weeks while he receives chemotherapy. He is reportedly in good spirits and determined to beat the disease.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to him. Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Bill!

Interview with Otto Penzler

My friend John J. Miller conducts an interesting interview with Otto Penzler over at National Review Online. Otto talks about his new book, The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps, and shares some details on the history of the pulps and the hard-boiled tradition.

Two things of note:

Otto's description of hard-boiled: "Hard-boiled fiction is tough, with a certain amount of violence. There’s occasionally a nihilistic overview, as there was in much of Hammett. There’s also a sentimental side, a real romantic [sense of], 'I’m the white knight and I’m going to defend justice and fairness and the pretty lady down the street.'" (quote may not be exact)

He also calls James Crumley’s The Last Good Kiss "the single best private eye novel ever written."

Literature and Lead with James O. Born

Best wishes for Patry Francis

Author Patry Francis, a member of Killer Year 2007 whose debut novel came out earlier this year, was recently diagnosed with an "aggressive form of cancer." (She writes about it on her blog.) The good news is, she's just had surgery and reportedly it went well.

Our best wishes go out to Patry and her family. She's in our prayers.

Joseph Finder in the Harvard Business Review

The much-admired Harvard Business Review has selected their first novelist to write one of the publication's iconic "Case Studies" -- and, not surprisingly, the author is Joseph Finder.

Finder wrote a fictional scenario (based on his current book, the excellent Power Play) in which a company's CEO has to decide if she should investigate her own company for corruption.

In the printed version of the magazine, they have four business experts comment on the scenario, giving their recommendations. But in the online version, anyone can share their thoughts.

Even if you're not interested in the HBR aspects of the Case Study -- and I'm not -- it's cool to be able to read what is in essence a prequel (the unwritten first chapter) to Finder's book.

Donald Hamilton, R.I.P.

A message from Charles Ardai, the editor of Hard Case Crime:

Earlier today I learned that Donald Hamilton has died.

Don was 90 years old.  Though his name may be little remembered today, in the 1960s and 70s he was well known as the best-selling author of the "Matt Helm" novels, a series of well-written and popular stories about a ruthless agent of the U.S. government who fought evil in the Cold War world (and eventually -- briefly -- the post-Cold War world).  Helm starred in 27 novels between 1960's DEATH OF A CITIZEN and 1993's THE DAMAGERS; he was also featured in several movies starring Dean Martin, as well as a short-lived TV series starring Anthony Franciosa that reimagined the character as a private eye.  More recently, Dreamworks optioned the rights to all the Helm novels for feature film development.  A final Matt Helm novel exists but has never been published.

Don also wrote a dozen non-Helm novels, including several popular Westerns (including THE BIG COUNTRY, which became the Gregory Peck movie, and SMOKY VALLEY, which was filmed as "The Violent Men" starring Glenn Ford).  And he wrote several outstanding noir crime novels, including one -- NIGHT WALKER -- which we're proud to have reprinted last year in the Hard Case Crime series.

In the last decade of his life, Don moved back to Sweden, where he'd been born, and lived there with his son, Gordon.  He died peacefully, in his sleep, this past November.  Gordon kept the fact of his death private until today, when he confirmed it in a phone conversation with me.

We've lost a number of giants of the mystery field over the past few years -- Mickey Spillane, Ed McBain, and Richard S. Prather, among others -- and Donald Hamilton is very much of that caliber.  He sold more than 20 million books during his lifetime.  But unlike Spillane, McBain and Prather, all of whom were widely remembered at the time of their death, Don's passing has sadly gone unremarked.

I thought you might be interested to know about it, and that perhaps you would have an opportunity to let other people know as well.

Best,
Charles

Charlie Huston rocks

If anyone knows Charlie Huston, tell him, from me, that his books kick ass.

I just finished reading No Dominion, the second book in the Joe Pitt vampire/detective series, and it's another winner. (I read the first, Already Dead, a couple of weeks ago, and it, too, is outstanding.)

I haven't read Huston's Hank Thompson trilogy yet, but I'm planning to. Yesterday I went on Amazon and bought a copy of Caught Stealing, the first book in the series. (You may not know this, but I'm a cheap bastard and I hate paying money for books. So this is saying something!)

Charlie Huston is the real deal. Hard boiled, inventive, witty, with a fresh eye and sharp prose. If you're not reading him, you should be.

More lists of the best detective novels

In response to my own 10 Greatest Detective Novels list, Maxine Clark offers up a list of her 10 Favourite Detective Authors, James Reasoner shares 10 Detective Novels that stand out in his memory, and Sherry Early passes along her Best 10 Detective Novels.

I suppose I wouldn't enjoy this nearly so much if I weren't obsessed with lists, but I am. I find it fascinating to see which novels other people consider great, and how much we all disagree on them.

I'm especially pleased to see how often Rex Stout's name is mentioned. Stout was a wonderful writer who produced many fine books, but it seems that he is little read these days, which is a shame.

10 Greatest Detective Novels -- Dennis Lehane

After much urging from the commenters in the previous discussion on the 10 Greatest Detective Novels, I went back to read Dennis Lehane's A Drink Before the War, the first book in the Kenzie-Gennaro series.

I've read a couple of Lehane's books before (Sacred and Mystic River) without being blown away. Although I liked this one much better -- and can see why he has his legions of fans -- I didn't think this was at the level of the other books included on my list.

Lehane's a fine writer; I don't think there's any doubt about that. And A Drink Before the War is a quality, entertaining detective novel. But it's not a great detective novel.

The plot of Drink is on the simple side. (That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's worth mentioning.) The characters are fine, but not particularly original. The prose quality is generally high, and the setting is used well. In no area, however, does it rise to the level of extraordinary, which is what I'm looking for on this list.

One area of weakness is that much of the writing is heavy-handed and overdone. Whether the topic is race, abuse or politics, Lehane makes his points with a cudgel, when a scalpel is what's really needed. (I contrast this to the work of George Pelecanos, for example, which is much subtler.)

While reading it, I couldn't help but notice that although Lehane is working in similar territory, with similar characters, and exploring similar themes as the best of Robert B. Parker's Spenser series, he doesn't pull it off quite as well as Parker did.

Granted, this was Lehane's first novel. And, considering that, it's a damn fine achievement. Having read this book, I would certainly read him again.

Ultimately, A Drink Before the War is a solid example of a detective novel, well-written and enjoyable. But it's not one of the 10 Greatest.

Virginia Festival of the Book

It's just been announced that Lee Child will be the featured speaker at the Virginia Festival of the Book's Crime Wave program, to be held next March in Charlottesville.

The VA Book Festival is a wonderful five day-long festival devoted to authors, books and publishing. On Saturday, they have a whole day devoted to crime fiction. I went last year for the first time and really enjoyed myself.

You get a chance to meet a lot of great writers, readers, publishing people, librarians and other people who love books -- and, best of all, it's free!

You do have to buy the tickets to the luncheon that Lee is speaking at, but most of the other events, including the panels, have no charge. You just show up.

Last year's line-up included people like Michael Connelly, Jeff Deaver, John Lescroart, Karin Slaughter, Michele Martinez, Bob Morris, Nancy Martin, Susan McBride, and a bunch of other people I can't remember off the top of my head.

I will probably be there again next year, moderating a couple of panels. So if you've always wanted to heckle me, here's your chance.

If you live anywhere near Charlottesville, or are interested in making the trip, I highly recommend it. (And if you plan to go, I suggest buying tickets to the Crime Wave luncheon early -- it's sure to sell out.)

Hope to see some of you there!

2007 will be a Killer Year

Old news here, but I wanted to mention it anyway... A group of debut crime novelists, with books all coming out in 2007, has banded together to form a collective called Killer Year.

They're trying to cross-promote each other's work and hopefully gain some publicity for the group as a whole. Definitely a nice idea. It's incumbent upon authors these days to search for creative ways to gain attention, and this is an innovative one.

In an attempt to help out, I've decided that I will read and review all of the books put out in 2007 by Killer Year novelists. I can't guarantee everyone a newspaper review, unfortunately, but at the least, I can write about them here on the blog.

Once the last of them is published, I'll pick my favorite of the bunch and anoint it the Killer Book of the Year. (How's that for a remarkable act of hubris?)

For the record, I've already read two of the books and they're both quite good. So I'm expecting big things for this bunch.

Watch this space for more on the Killer Year books -- and definitely check out what the group is up to. There are some fine writers participating.

(By the way, I've opened up comments on this post, so you can tell me if I'm getting too big of an ego.)

It's Ross Thomas time again

It's that time of the year again; time for my annual Read Ross Thomas plea.

It's no surprise to the people who know me, or who regularly read my work, that I am a great admirer of the late Ross Thomas. Ross was, quite simply, the finest writer this genre has ever produced. I know plenty of people would disagree, and some might even come to blows over it, but I'll go to my grave proclaiming it.

Ross wrote 25 books over the course of his 29-year career, and nearly all of them are outstanding. There are a few that are merely good -- but even his good was better than most of us could hope for. That is why he won two Edgar Awards, was the recipient of the first Gumshoe Award for Lifetime Achievement, and why I have been proselytizing for his work ever since he died in 1995.

The two series Ross wrote are probably the favorites of most fans, and they are dear to my heart as well. One of them features Artie Wu and Quincy Durant, the lovable grifters and world travelers. Those books are Chinaman's Chance, Out on the Rim and Voodoo Ltd. (Chinaman's Chance is probably Ross' best-known work, and it is the one I always recommend to new readers.)

His other series features saloon keepers/spies Mac McCorkle and Mike Padillo, and those books are just as superb. They are The Cold War Swap, Cast a Yellow Shadow, The Backup Men and Twilight at Mac's Place. (I go back and forth as to which series if my favorite. They're both so damn good.)

Now that I think of it, the books he wrote under the pseudonym Oliver Bleeck were also a series, featuring Philip St. Ives. There are five of those. They're still good, but I don't care for them quite as much. They are: The Brass Go-Between, The Procane Chronicle, Protocol for a Kidnapping, The Highbinders and No Questions Asked.

Ross also wrote many fine stand-alone novels. Which of those readers will enjoy best will depend a bit on the subject matter.

For example, he wrote a book about a fictional election campaign in Africa (The Seersucker Whipsaw), a couple about labor union shenanigans (The Porkchoppers and Yellow Dog Contract), a classic "corrupt town" novel (The Fools in Town Are on Our Side), a tender, but biting story about a man investigating his sister's murder (Briarpatch), an exploration of corruption in the commodities market (The Money Harvest), a hilarious political thriller (Ah, Treachery), a story about a town where people to go disappear (The Fourth Durango) and many more.

Really, I think you can pick up any Ross Thomas book and be sure to have a fine story in your hands. Several of them were reprinted in recent years by St. Martin's Press, but several are still out-of-print. That is truly a shame. The fact that a writer so brilliant and gifted is not better known is a crime against literature.

If you've ever enjoyed anything I've written, I hope you'll take the time to find one of Ross Thomas' books and read it. This is one thing you can trust me on.

Book Signing 101

Book signings can be a lot of fun, and my wife and I always try to attend if someone we know is making an appearance. (One of the most important practices that I hope all authors will adopt is to support each other!)

Last night, Barry Eisler did a signing at the Barnes & Noble in Bethesda, Maryland, so we made the trek over the river to see him.

Barry is one the best authors I've observed when it comes to making public appearances. He's smooth, professional and charismatic. That's a hard act for a lot of us to follow. But that doesn't mean we can't do our best to make book signings (and other public appearances) successful.

I've never done a book signing, but I have been to a lot of them. Here is some advice based on things I've observed:

1) Make sure your appearance is professional and appropriate. I won't tell you how to dress -- that will vary a lot depending on who you are and what your image is -- but try to look nice. Speak clearly and confidently. Don't hem or haw, don't "um" and "like," don't swear gratuitously. (Book signings are invariably held next to the kid's books section, so shape your content as necessary.)

2) Meet and chat up the employees. Remember, they're the ones who will be selling your books once you're gone.

3) Introduce yourself to audience members individually before you begin. People love to have a chance to meet the author personally and say hello. I think that making a personal connection with readers is the most powerful tool an author has for selling books. Granted, it's difficult to meet very many fans. But if you're already taking the time to go to the bookstore, make the most of it.

4) Make sure the people in the back can hear you. The spaces used for author talks are often awkward, so it can be hard for everyone to hear. Learn to speak using a microphone, and learn to speak up when one isn't available.

5) Prepare for the formal portion of your talk, keep it reasonably brief, and make it interesting. Now is not the time to speak extemporaneously. Make sure you know what you want to say. Introduce yourself, talk about your work in general, then talk about the current book. Include a couple of stories or anecdotes (funny or otherwise) in your talk; maybe something about researching the book, or writing the book. People enjoy hearing about the process. Even if the audience seems familiar with you and your work already, give them the 5-minute talk about who you are and what you write anyway. It's necessary for the new people in attendance, and won't bother the veterans.

6) Don't read from your book. This is controversial with some people, but I think that it's good advice. Readings often don't make sense out of context, they usually aren't particularly entertaining, and many authors aren't very good at reading aloud. Most of us would be better off using the time doing something else.

7) Leave sufficient time for Q&A. People love to have the chance to ask questions. Make sure to repeat an abbreviated version of the question before you answer it. A lot of people probably weren't able to hear the question the first time around. Also, don't let one person monopolize the questions.

8) Refer people to your website for more information. Give them the address.

9) Speak confidently about yourself and your work. Don't be arrogant, but don't be a shrinking violet either.

10) When you sign the book, stick a business card or bookmark or something in it. This isn't a necessity, but I think it's a nice touch. It should have your website address on it so that people can look you up once they get home.

11) Be spontaneous when necessary. The above advice is most appropriate for signings with a crowd of at least 20 people or so. Many times you won't get that. If that's the case, improvise. You might want to dispense with the more formal portion of your talk and just speak informally to the audience. Try to get a sense of how they're reacting to you and tailor your approach as necessary.

12) Remember, the audience is there because they want to hear what you have to say. Make sure you're not wasting their time. Make the experience entertaining, rewarding and informative.

Now get out there and sell books!

The Name Game

Authors often publish their books under pseudonyms. This is done for a variety of reasons, both personal and professional. (It's a topic that I've written about before.) Sometimes the writer's real identity is a secret (John Twelve Hawks), sometimes it's not (Richard Hawke).

I don't know if this was supposed to be secret, or if he just didn't make a big deal out of it. But it turns out that one of my favorite writers, and someone I've known for a few years now, is actually someone else!

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal revealed that Lee Child, author of the brilliant new bestselling thriller The Hard Way, is not really Lee Child. He's James Grant. He assumed the name Lee Child when he began his publishing career -- a fresh name for a fresh start.

This brings up an interesting question: Do I keep calling him "Lee"? I would imagine so -- it would be even odder to start referring to him as James.

Publishing, as always, is a very strange business.

Douglas Preston's real life thriller

(I received a chilling story today via email from author Douglas Preston, which I felt compelled to share with all of you. The following are his words. --DJM)

For the past five years, I have been working with an Italian journalist, Mario Spezi, on a book about the case of a serial killer known as the Monster of Florence, who murdered fourteen people in the hills of Florence from 1974 to 1985. The Monster has never been caught and the case is still open. It has become the longest-running and most expensive criminal investigation in modern Italian history. Our book, which will be published in Italian in Italy in April and later in America in English, faults the investigation and specifically criticizes the chief Examining Magistrate of Perugia, Giuliano Mignini, and the chief prosecutor, Michele Giuttari, who are in charge of one branch of the investigation.

I went to Italy on Feb. 14 with my family on vacation and to do some work with Spezi on the book. I was taken into custody by the police on Feb. 22. I was brought before Giuliano Mignini. There I was aggressively interrogated for three hours by him and three police detectives. I was asked about my relationship with Spezi and questioned in great detail about our journalistic activities, our theories, thoughts, and beliefs in the case. When I explained that my activities as an investigative journalist were privileged, Mignini shouted that this wasn't about freedom of the press, but was about a criminal matter of the "utmost seriousness," and that if I didn't answer the questions fully I would be arrested and charged with perjury. I was forced to answer the questions under the threat of arrest -- which I did.

Mignini then proceeded to play back telephone conversations I had had with Spezi, which they had wiretapped. He played the same passages again and again, demanding to know what we were "really" talking about, demanding that I explain the "real meaning" behind every casual word we had exchanged. They had also recorded conversations we had had in Spezi's car, which had been broken into and bugged -- Spezi found the bug yesterday. When I asked if I was being accused of a crime, Mignini said he believed I had committed not one but several serious felonies -- to whit: planting evidence to frame an innocent man, obstruction of justice, and being an accessory to murder -- all utterly false accusations.

Despite answering their questions fully and truthfully, in the end they charged me with "reticenza" and "false testimonianze" -- two serious crimes of perjury -- but said the charges would be suspended to allow me to leave Italy, to be reinstated later. In other words, it seems their goal was to get me out of Italy -- never to return.

The timing of this is not surprising. Our book will be published on April 19. The police had earlier obtained a draft of the book which they had seized in a search of Spezi's apartment, and so Mignini and Giuttari know well what we have written about him. This was a naked attempt to use the power of the state to intimidate and silence two journalists, and it may be a prelude to a legal action in Italy to block publication of the book.

After the interrogation, the police raided Spezi's apartment (for a third time -- he'd been raided twice before) and took away many documents. They also broke into Spezi's car and planted a microphone, which he later found. Following that, the police apparently leaked details of their investigation to the press, and articles in Corriere della Sera, La Nazione, and Il Giornale, about my interrogation and the search and seizure of Spezi's papers. The police also leaked out the information that Spezi was suspected of involvement in several murders and that he may be connected to the Satanic sect which the police believe was behind the Monster of Florence serial killings.

We desperately need to publicize this attack on journalistic freedom. I'm back in America and safe, but Spezi is at grave risk. His financial health, his career, and his very freedom, are at risk. Yesterday he wrote to me: "Io sono molto depresso, per avere fatto il nostro dovere, mi ritrovo in questa situazione." ("It is very depressing that, for having done my duty as a journalist, I find myself in this situation.")

Please -- something must be done as soon as possible. Anyone wishing more information about the case may contact me at dpreston@tidewater.net.

Some background on myself -- I'm a journalist who writes for the New Yorker magazine, and I've published fourteen books and won numerous awards. I'm on the board of the Author's Guild. I mention these details only to establish my credentials. In my entire journalistic career I have not experienced the kind of abuse of prosecutorial power as I witnessed in Italy.

-Douglas Preston

A literary event at a car dealership?

That's what I attended last night, when Don Beyer Land Rover in Alexandria, Virginia hosted writer Joseph Finder for a talk and book signing. Finder is the author of several thrillers, including Company Man and the upcoming Killer Instinct.

This was the fourth of these literary events that the Don Beyer family of dealerships has hosted over the past year. Other featured authors have included Edward P. Jones and Andre Dubus III.

The evening started with free beer, wine and appetizers, always a plus in my book. The author chatted informally with fans for a while, giving people more of an opportunity to talk one-on-one than you usually get at a bookstore signing.

Once the crowd was assembled, Finder spoke for about an hour and then answered several questions from the audience. He talked about how he became a writer, his writing process, how he does research, and how it's easier to get an interview with people at the CIA than it is to talk to CEOs of major corporations.

Finder is a serious guy, but he lightened things up with a couple of funny stories, including one about meeting with the CEO of NEC while his fly was broken.

The turnout wasn't as large as I had hoped, only about 40 people or so, but the audience was enthusiastic and seemed to have a good time. Most of the people in attendance either brought books to sign or bought one there. (Hardcover copies of Company Man were going for only $12, a good deal.)

Don Beyer, the former Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, co-owns the dealership with his brother Mike, who was the host last evening. It's nice to see people in the community helping to support the arts, and the event seemed to be a great success. I hope they continue this.

More on pseudonyms

Two people emailed me in response to my recent post about the use of pseudonyms and whether or not journalists and reviewers have a responsibility to protect the authors' true identities.

I wrote that, in most cases, I didn't think there is an obligation to keep the secret. When I made that statement, I had in mind the recent trend in publishing where authors use pseudonyms either for marketing purposes or to "trick" the chain store buyers.

In that case, assuming that the author's true identity is somehow relevant to what I'm writing, I would not feel obligated to play along.

However, in the case of authors who use a dedicated pseudonym (i.e., they always write under the same alias) or authors who must cloak their identities for legitimate reasons, there would likely be no reason to discuss the author's real name or identity.

As one of my correspondents wrote, "Before revealing the writer's real name, it's the journalist's obligation to think through the consequences." Good point.

Ultimately, it comes down to relevance. Is the author's use of a pseudonym relevant to the discussion or critique of the book? If not, then mentioning it would not be appropriate.

Michael Connelly's 2006 Books

In a follow-up to yesterday's post, Jane Davis, the manager of Michael Connelly's website, wrote in to confirm what Mike's publishing plans are for 2006.

Connelly will have two books published next year, but only one of them is a novel. So I guess that means I won't have to smite him.

Echo Park, a Harry Bosch story, will be released in September or October. The other book (Crime Beat) is coming in May, but it's not a novel. It's a collection of newspaper stories from Connelly's days as a crime reporter.

(In case that sounds familiar, the latter book came out in a limited edition earlier this year. His publisher liked it so much they decided to release it wide.)

End of the Year Recap

2005 is almost over. There were approximately 1500-2000 mysteries and thrillers published in the United States (not counting the vanity crap) and I saw most of them. I only managed to read 150 or so new books, but even that ought to earn me some kind of medal.

Overall, it was a good year for crime fiction, but not a great one. The last quarter of the year, in particular, was soft. Looking over my reading list, the last 2005 book I read that might qualify for my Top 10 list was published in September.

Speaking of Top 10 lists, I still haven't made mine yet, but there are several solid contenders. Nothing that really stands head-and-shoulders above the rest, though. This was a year of many good books, but few great ones. (I would be hard-pressed to single out a 2005 book and call it great.) We'll have to wait to see if any of them have the staying power to become great ones later on. So far, I have my doubts.

This was a lukewarm year for debuts. There were some good first-time books, but the overall pool was pretty shallow. (So many of them were just downright bad, too, making me wonder how they ever got published in the first place.) I suppose this is probably true most years, but maybe I'm just noticing it more this time since I'm a judge for the ITW's Best First Novel Award. It's been no easy task, believe me.

The best thing happening in the genre right now is that there is a steady and reliable core group of authors who publish a book each year that you can almost guarantee will be good. People like Barry Eisler, David Morrell, Joseph Finder, Laura Lippman, Denise Hamilton, Lawrence Block, George Pelecanos, Julia Spencer-Fleming, Lee Child, Stephen White and Daniel Silva once again put out excellent books that show why they're the dependable professionals they are. All of them should be bestsellers.

A handful of promising, relatively new writers like James O. Born, Harley Jane Kozak, Dylan Schaffer and Duane Swierczynski demonstrated why they're likely to become tomorrow's stars of the genre. I look forward to reading them for years to come.

There were also some authors who've been around for a while whose books took me by surprise (in a good way). Jonnie Jacobs wrote a thriller that I really enjoyed, and I was quite pleased with Reed Farrel Coleman's latest. I read my first book from the Burke family (one by Alafair) and was impressed. David Ellis wrote a thriller that unfolds in a reverse chronology that was both daring and entertaining. Paul Levine made a very welcome return to publishing -- I missed him the first time around, but loved his new book.

Of course, there were disappointments as well, with books by Robert Crais, P.J. Tracy and Elmore Leonard that let me down. There were also several highly hyped books ("The next Lee Child!" "The thriller debut of the year!") that I tried and didn't like, but that always happens.

Michael Connelly managed to have two books out (The Closers and The Lincoln Lawyer) that could qualify for Best of the Year status. Amazing. I've heard a rumor that he'll also have two books released in 2006. If true, I think I'll have to smite him.

Of course, Dean Koontz also had two books released in 2005 that could make my Top 10 list, but he does that every year. He's currently on a streak of 6 books in the last 3 years, all of which have been amazing. I don't know that anyone else could accomplish that.

The one book that really did blow me away this year isn't even out yet, even though I read it back in September. Robert Ferrigno's Prayers for the Assassin was probably the best thing I read all year, and it still won't be published until February. This is one of those books that gets in your head and just won't go away. One of the things that I particularly appreciated about it is that it tries to be something special and ambitious. (And, of course, it succeeds, which always helps.) I really hope people read it.

I finally read The Guards this year and learned why Ken Bruen is the favorite among crime fiction fans and writers that he is. I also finally met Ken after having just seen him across the bar at various functions for the past couple years. He's far too kind and generous a man to write that well.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the incomparable J.K. Rowling, whose latest Harry Potter book was once again one of my favorite reads. I know she has nothing to do with crime fiction, but that woman is amazing and I stand in awe, both of her talent and her success.

I re-read 9 books by Ross Thomas, my favorite thriller writer, over the past year and they were all wonderful. (A few of the early ones don't hold up quite as well, but they're still very enjoyable.) Thomas' body of work is unmatched in this or any other genre. I miss him a lot.

Finally, 2005 was also a year in which we lost some wonderful writers, including Evan Hunter (aka Ed McBain), Trevanian (aka Rodney Whittaker), John Fowles, Edward Bunker, A.J. Quinnell, Charlotte MacLeod and my friend Dennis Lynds. All of them will be missed.

Here's looking forward to a great year in 2006. Happy reading!

p.s. If I forgot an author or a book, please forgive me. The lists above aren't intended to be exhaustive.