Shel Silverstein’s Secret, Raucous Recording Sessions
Shel Silverstein's 80th birthday was last Saturday, and since my admiration (okay, uh, general fannishness) is hardly a secret in these quarters, it seemed like as good a time as any to write about the series of recordings he did...
The Sudden Loss of David Thompson
I've spent the better portion of the afternoon racking my brain trying to remember when I first met David Thompson. And I can't. Which says less about the state of memory and more about how deeply woven into the mystery...
Dark Passages: Where American Dreams Go to Die
Over the weekend, my newest Dark Passages column ran online at the LAT, featuring my take on new books by Elizabeth Brundage and Chandra Hoffman. Although the books don't seem connected, I found some larger themes to link them as...
The Criminalist: The Legacy of Charlie Chan
My newest - and final - column for The Barnes & Noble Review focuses on Yunte Huang's new book about the famed fictional Chinese detective, one whose influence has ranged wide and provoked all manner of controversy and uncomfortable discussion...
On Martin Cruz Smith and His New Arkady Renko Novel
My review of Martin Cruz Smith's newest novel featuring his iconic Russian detective, Arkady Renko, appeared in yesterday's Los Angeles Times (but was only put online this afternoon.) Here's how the piece opens: Russia may be nearly 20 years removed...
New and Forthcoming: FOLLOWING THE DETECTIVES, and A New Short Story
So the busy summer (and year) continues but a couple of new and upcoming publications featuring work of mine that I should draw your attention to. First up is FOLLOWING THE DETECTIVES: REAL LOCATIONS IN CRIME FICTION, a collection of...
On Don Winslow’s Hyper-Charged New Novel SAVAGES
I read many books annually, so that means I don't reread all that much. But for Don Winslow's SAVAGES, I couldn't help but make an exception. The book was, at least for me, the literary equivalent of narcotic stimulants* which...
Richard Price Can Now Truly Call Himself a Crime Novelist
So Richard Price will be writing a series of detective novels for Henry Holt under a pen name - Jay Morris - starting in fall 2011. It's the same publisher that John Banville has for his Benjamin Black novels, and...
Dark Passages: Real Estate Noir
My newest column for the Los Angeles Times looks specifically at Justin Peacock's new novel BLIND MAN'S ALLEY and at the seeming dearth of crime fiction centered around real estate. Here's how the piece opens: Though I write for this...
Before Stieg Larsson, There was Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo
With the hype and phenomenal success of the Millenium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson, a lot of news outlets have been asking the natural but obvious question: who's the next big breakout star? Is he or she Scandinavian? Or from some...
The Criminalist: Mysteries for the Teenage Set
At the Barnes & Noble Review, I delve into crime and mystery fiction for young adult readers, discovering that there are some real gems in the mix but even so, there could be so many more. I certainly hope so....
Dark Passages: Writers Lost & Found
My newest column for the Los Angeles Times takes a close look at HAILEY'S WAR by Jodi Compton, her first book in several years. Only a small number of people read her earlier books, but I was one them and...
