“I have no plans for a digital version,” Mr. King said. “Maybe at some point, but in the meantime, let people stir their sticks and go to an actual bookstore rather than a digital one.”

Writer Stephen King has been getting a lot of “atta boys” from all over the net (especially in my RSS feed) in announcing that his next book, Joyland, will be print only.  All I can do is sigh and think: here we go again. I’m sure people in important places will watch to see how this plays out. Will there be backlash? Will Stephen King’s fans stir their sticks and go to an actual bookstore? Time will only tell. I wouldn’t be going but then I’m not a fan. And he’s wrong in what he’s doing. The consumer should have the choice, always.

Just posting my counter point as I’m sure I’m in the minority. No author on my auto-buy list will make forgo digital for a print copy if they ever decide to pull this stunt. I’d rather not read it or wait till a digital version is made available. Hopefully the authors I enjoy have some sense. I think books should be made available in every possible format to make it more accessible to everybody and should not be held hostage in the hopes of drumming up business for struggling bookstores (who more or less don’t discount). I don’t think bookstores should go away but one format shouldn’t be preferred over another. It’s survival of the fittest as far as I am concerned. 

Stephen King, Hero of Print, Nixes Digital Version of New Novel – Daily News

“I’d just as soon not have people buy their books while typing a thank-you note,” Ingram said.

What a bizarre statement. I’m done.

Eddie “Fingers” Coyle is a small time gunrunner working for the mob. He got his nickname from getting his hand smashed in a drawer for a mistake he made in providing guns he bought from somebody that got one of his mob buddies arrested.

When we meet the middle-aged Eddie Coyle, he’s distressed about a criminal charge. He was convicted a month ago for trucking 200 cases of Canadian Club that wasn’t his and is looking at jail time. With three kids and a wife, he wants to avoid prison. He asks what he can do to make the charge go away.  Federal agent, Dave Foley wants Eddie to turn informant. Eddie gives Foley a tip on a young up and coming gunrunner selling machine guns and M-sixteens.

“Well,” the stocky man said, “suppose we were to talk about some machine guns.”

“Just to change the subject, ” the driver said.

“Yeah, ” the stocky man said. “Suppose you had a reliable informer that put you onto a colored gentleman that was buying some machine guns. Army machine guns, M-sixteens. Would you want a fellow like that, that was helping you like that, would you want him to go to jail and embarrass his kids and all?

The second thread involves some bank robberies. A slew of them and by the same gang, where their m.o. involves slipping into the homes of bankers, taking them hostage and accompanying them to the bank to empty out the vault. Much of this thread was not very clear especially on who the bank robbers were until you get closer to the end. They rob four banks in total, mostly with some success. Complications arise eventually and I was waiting for it to happen and wasn’t disappointed.

Eddie Coyle has made some mistakes and his time has probably passed. His character was not written without a touch of sympathy for his circumstances. With that said, Eddie’s not interested in going straight or being reformed. He’s only interested in saving himself from serving time. And it isn’t until you read the last two sentences at the end of the book that you understand why the author wrote this story in the first place. It’s the ever revolving door of organized crime where you see the same crimes but with different faces.

“Some of us die, the rest of us get older, new guys come along, old guys disappear. It changes everyday.”

The era of the 1970′s is rendered well between these 192 pages. The FBI’s focus on the Panthers, the militants and to some extent, the mafia. Moving on. On TV there’s mention of the David Frost show. Soundtrack wise, there’s Johnny Cash singing about Folsom Prison and as for sports, there’s the mention of hockey and the Boston Bruins and Bobby Orr who led the team to winning the Stanley Cup in 1972. There’s a decent sense of time and place. While the story contains violence, it is not pervasive or all that graphic. I enjoyed the scenes with the FBI agents, their interactions with Eddie Coyle and one other snitch who goes by Dillon, whose role in the story stayed mostly hidden to the end.

I must say I had my heart in my throat as the story came to its conclusion. This is a short story that packs a hell of a punch. Closed the book with a touch of sadness. THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE is dark and chilling. It is the non-romanticized portrayal of the mob and street crime in general. To paraphrase Dennis Lehane from the introduction of the 40th Picador edition, Higgins didn’t glamorize the police or the thugs who inhabit this world. The tone of this story was more in line with being direct and written with some authenticity   I’m glad to have read this excellent crime novel. My grade is an solid A. No surprise here since I love this genre and these types of books. This is a novel of significant importance in the genre and a must read for all mystery readers.

The movie version of THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE, directed by Peter Yates and released in 1973, starred Robert Mitchum as Eddie Coyle. For once, I think I’d like to watch the movie since it’s free on Amazon Prime.

Source: I bought this one + several more

The Friends of Eddie Coyle (Kindle), 192 pages, $8.89, the price of a trade paperback maybe?

Up next: Shirley Kennett’s police procedural, Time of Death, book five in the PJ Gray series.

The story mainly follows Jack Ryan. He’s  a process-server. He has a knack for finding people who don’t want to be found which comes in handy since he serves legal papers for a living. He loves his job because he’s the boss and it keeps him busy.  We  get a quick run down on Ryan. He’s divorced and lives alone. He’s a recovering alcoholic.  Some people scatter when they see him coming especially doctors who all but make a run for it due to the fear of facing a malpractice lawsuit. And Ryan will go to whatever lengths it takes to deliver a summons. He once served a rock group legal papers during their performance which led to a picture of him with the caption “Show Stopper!”  According to Ryan, this wasn’t a stunt.  This was the only way to get close to them *LOL*  Ryan has “rules” and the one worth noting is the one he breaks: do not get personally involved.

The background on Ryan says he’s willing to make some fast cash when the opportunity presents itself and it does. He  gets tapped by an agent  to find a guy name Robert Leary, Jr. His assignment is to find him, that’s it.  With the help of  Detroit Police detective, Dick Speed, Ryan tracks down Leary and learns the guy has a rap sheet with some interesting notes on it: he likes to shoot people.

Okay this part’s my opinion WARNING: there is gushing involved: I loved this book. I loved reading this book. It was the book I couldn’t wait to get back to when I left work. It was the book I read while I was on a short break at work (rare event that). I didn’t want the story to end (but end it did). What made this book so enjoyable? A lot of things. First, the realistic dialogue of how people actually talk. Wow. Second, the humor. I laughed at some of the deadpan humor in here. Third, there’s a romance in here that was quite nice and an added bonus. Leonard didn’t do the usual ending where the relationship was doomed or ill-fated. Thank you for that Mr. Leonard. Fourth, the unpredictable storyline. This story went beyond my expectations.

The novel mainly takes place in the hood where the cops mingle with snitches named “Tunafish” and the suspense is generated from the tough guys shooting each other for revenge and other street level crimes. Ryan gets involved with Lee, who’s a drunk. A good chunk of this book follows their relationship and then it reconnects back to the main plot of the story and that is, what do these guys want with Robert Leary, Jr? Well that’s what the plot turns into since Ryan gets personally involved. He finds himself wanting to know why he was hired to find the guy. As he tries to gather more information, he runs into complications that puts his life in danger from the people he’s supposed to be working for.

To close, the story moves fast, with twists that you don’t  see coming. Well, I didn’t see them coming. The language is colorful and not for those who are easily offended. The main characters are likable and flawed and the bad guys are mean but not exactly cardboard. There’s mention of the styles of the 70′s and in the way the characters talk and dress. Just about all the characters were well drawn and all had their own level of quirkiness.

Dare I say this is a page-turner? It might have been if I cared to finish it all in one sitting. I didn’t. I took my time reading this book as I neared the ending. Highly recommended read. Thanks to Dennis Lehane for recommending this book at the B&N site. He cited this book as an inspiration of what crime fiction could do in that the mystery took a backseat to the characters. Also, my copy of the e-book had like an hour left just for extras. WTF? I didn’t read any of it. My grade, A. This is a must read for mystery fans. I don’t know what took me so long. Too many books? but brilliant read (yes, I said it) and I bet you this isn’t even his best work.

Source: I bought this one plus a bunch more

Next UP: The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V. Higgins with introduction written by Dennis Lehane

Okay, here’s what I have lined up: The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V. Higgins, GBH by Ted Lewis, Dead Man Upright by Derek Raymond and Unknown Man #89 by Elmore Leonard (and more titles by Leonard). I still have a couple of titles to read from Jim Thompson like Savage Night, Hell of a Woman and The Grifters then I am done with his books. More Chester Himes! He was one of my biggest discoveries since starting this blog along with Derek Raymond who I discovered this year. More Daniel Woodrell who writes who knows what but I have Woe to Live On to read along with his Bayou Trilogy and I will be reading his newest title, The Maid’s Version that’s coming out in the fall. I also have a bunch of urban noir that I want to read as well by various authors. I am also interested in reading Flannery O’Connor and other notable writers. I also want to read Ken Bruen’s White Trilogy and anything he has coming out this year. I plan to read a lot of crime fiction noir this year.

As for the most recent titles for mystery, I plan to read Criminal by Karin Slaughter (as well as Unseen) and some P.J. Parrish titles like Heart of Ice that recently came out. I like Parrish which is a pen name for two sisters who write the Louis Kincaid mysteries set in Florida. Moving on,  I have Bad Blood by Arne Dahl that’s due out this fall. I pre-ordered A Conspiracy of Faith by Jussi Adler-Olsen (can’t wait!) and of course I will tackle Chelsea Cain’s Never Let Go that’s coming out in the fall. It looks like I am back to reading more American crime fiction along with some European favorites. I hope that doesn’t make you all want to bail but if you do I understand. Even writing this all out doesn’t guarantee that I will stick with this reading trend but I am enjoying the early classics now and will be for awhile. Hopefully this gives readers an overview of what to expect at my blog for the next few months and as always thanks for reading!

The story opens with the armed robbery of the Beacon City bank by Carter “Doc” McCoy, his wife Carol and his partner, Rudy Torrento. Carol is an amateur but no stranger to crime, Rudy is a psychopath with insecurities  and Doc is the criminal mastermind of the group. According to Rudy, Doc didn’t just pick any bank to rob. He picked one that wasn’t a member of the Federal Reserve. Also, Doc owed money to a corrupt politician who pardoned him from prison. The plan was to steal the money to pay his debt with no bloodshed. Well, you know what they say about well-intentioned plans.

To paraphrase from the book, Doc was born for the criminal life, starting a stiff prison sentence at twenty-five. He’s described as being one of the most skillful bank robbers in the country. Son of a widowed sheriff, his father instilled in him a code about friendship in that “a man’s best friend is himself, that a non-friend was anyone who ceased to be useful.”  But there’s a dark side to Doc McCoy but unlike the other Jim Thompson villains, I didn’t think he was a sociopath, just a career criminal. As for his wife Carol, she’s a former librarian with a rap sheet with exploits in attendance with her husband. She spends most of the book questioning Doc’s actions and his feelings for her after a big secret is revealed that threatens to undermine their plans.

Soon after the bank job, three becomes a crowd. There’s backstabbing, betrayal and violence along with other unexpected entanglements as Doc and his wife make a run for it across the country while being pursued by the law and their enemies.

THE GETAWAY was a good read. The story is predictable to a degree in following the culprits as they try to escape with their loot. Along the way they run into complications. Trust flies out the window. Suddenly everyone has ulterior motives.  The action scenes were pretty good with a few convenient plot twists. There is some humor that is Thompson’s trademark style. The story got better as it went along. We watch these characters try to get out of tight spots and close calls. Then in typical Jim Thompson fashion, he got me with that ending. The last two chapters read like another book.  It was  bizarre, fascinating and ironic. The title of the story took on a whole new meaning of “getaway.”

This is my third novel by Jim Thompson and  Pop. 1280  remains my favorite. THE GETAWAY wasn’t a very fast read for its 192 pages. It was slow in spots. Told in third person, I felt like I got to know the characters very well considering the limited point of view and there were scenes in the story that were quite excellent. I’d rate THE GETAWAY a B+ read only because it was a somewhat unevenly paced story especially where there wasn’t any action but good dialogue, well fleshed out characters and some good action scenes makes it a recommended read if asked.

I do plan to read another Jim Thompson book, probably THE GRIFTERS. I find his work to be just as significant as Dashiell Hammett and Derek Raymond. You just have to know which titles to read. I’ve come to expect a certain style from Jim Thompson – his deep philosophical discussions about life along with his usual themes of racism and poverty.  His style changed a little bit with this novel in that the existentialist thought that usually predominates his crime fiction was missing. I loved the ending.  It wasn’t the sanctuary one might have expected it to be. Far from it and there are plenty of spoilers on Amazon so be careful reading through reviews if you have an interest in this title.

Jim Thompson has a style that is all his own though and I enjoy reading him. He’s cited as being a major influence for my favorite writer, Jo Nesbo, who wrote an essay about him.  And yes, THE GETAWAY has been adapted to film twice(!) – one with Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw in 1972 and again in 1994 with Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger which was panned. I don’t think I’ll be seeking out the film versions. Although I am a bit curious about the 1972 film. Source: bought this one at Amazon for $4.99 and that’s the current price. Next up is UNKNOWN MAN #89 by Elmore Leonard.

Frankie Crowe is a small time criminal only he doesn’t know it. He gets out of prison and goes straight back to the criminal life. He robs a pub when we first meet him and then later, he recruits and plans for a major job: to kidnap a banker with easy access to cash. Well, I’m starting to notice a trend here, after only two books in that, there’s always complications with these well thought out plans.  Well, it’s these complications that make up the plot twists. We spend most of the book watching the bad guys unravel these unexpected developments as the plot thickens and moves ploddingly to the end.

This story wasn’t as compelling as The Rage. The booming economy is the backdrop to the story. There’s not a shortage of people who jumped into and grabbed their share of the wealth: property developers and bankers. There’s an underlying tone of cynicism and ridicule for their excesses, too. Just about everyone in here is flawed so expect to see the usual corruption and politics. For example: a judge indirectly bribes the arresting officer for a DUI citation to disappear.

The one thing this author does show you is how these small time criminals got to be what they are. He isn’t telling me something that I already know in that people will do whatever it takes to survive. People don’t always make the best choices/decisions in spite of their circumstances. The one thing I do like is how this author fleshes out his characters. These are not cardboard gangsters. Well, at least he tries to show a human side.

The Rage is still my favorite Gene Kerrigan novel. This story just focused on things that I wasn’t much interested in or that I felt could have been skipped like the downtime with the kidnappers discussing their war stories, etc. I was disappointed to learn that this read more like a “thriller” novel than a police procedural. The police didn’t start to have a heavy presence in the story until about 48% of the novel. Little Criminals isn’t a bad read but certainly not a favorite of mine. I’d rate this a B- for the uneven pacing, great dialogue (as always) but less than compelling storyline. This story didn’t successfully keep my interest all the way through so, B- overall, because it did slightly become a chore to read. I bought Midnight Choir and hope that it’s a better read. Source: I bought this one after enjoying The Rage.

The Kings of Cool: Prequel to Savages by Don Winslow. His ebooks usually hover around the $11.99 range. I bought it for $2.99. I think this sale price is good till the end of the month.

Now You See Me – S.J. Bolton. First book in the Lacey Flint series, is $2.99. Read a customer review that said they “loathed” the hero/heroine romance among other things. Bought this one.

Nemesis - Jo Nesbo. This is the fourth book in the Harry Hole series. It’s $2.49. This is the book that got me started. Just FYI, usually his ebooks are a whopping $9.99 each.

Fun and Games by Duane Swierczynski, is described as a “pulp thriller.” I’ve never read him but at $4.99 and it’s the first book in a series, I might just give him a try.

Julius Katz and Archie (Julius Katz Detective) by Dave Zeltserman. The first in the Julius Katz series is 99 cents. Sounds like a fun mystery. You can also borrow this one for free if you’re a Amazon Prime Member (and I am so I put it on my list) .

Last Rituals by Yrsa Sigurdardottir is the first book in the Thora Gudmundsdottir series and is priced at $4.99. I’ve yet to read her. A friend of mine described the heroine as being unlikable. Unlikable characters are not deal breakers for me.

The Burning by Jane Casey is $2.99. Think that’s a permanent price. I’ve not read this writer yet but someone did mention the mystery has a strong romantic subplot.

Cover of Blood Royal

Besides reading crime fiction, I also enjoy reading historical mysteries and historical fiction. I was just informed today that Diana Norman’s earlier historical novels, THE VIZARD MASK and BLOOD ROYAL are now available in e-format only. Both titles are excellent reads. The paperbacks have long been out of print. When Diana Norman died two years ago, my fear was that her earlier works would be lost and forgotten. Seeing both those titles mentioned above in e-format gives me hope that maybe one day, all of her earlier titles like FITZEMPRESS’ LAW and KING OF THE LAST DAYS will one day be available to all of us. The prices for the two ebooks aren’t high either, selling for $4.99 at Amazon. I’m not sure if there are geo restrictions or if these are available at other vendors. The publisher is Traverse Press.

For those readers unfamiliar, Diana Norman wrote 11 historical fiction novels and a couple of non-fiction titles. She is probably best remembered under her pen name of Ariana Franklin, who wrote the Mistress of the Art of Death series, that follows a female pathologist in 12th Century England. She also had a fondness for Henry II of England and painted him as a hero despite history labeling him a villain implicated in the death of an archbishop. I still haven’t read the last published book in the Mistress in the Art of Death series, A MURDEROUS PROCESSION. Guess part of me just wants to hold onto that last book a bit longer not knowing what will come after that one. There was talk of another book in the series but I’ve heard nothing of late. Since Diana Norman’s death, I’ve not found/or tried to find another author who could fill her shoes and who could sweep me off into another time period like she did so expertly.

Bibliography (Selected)

Fitzempress’ Law (1980)
King of the Last Days (1981)
The Morning Gift (1985)
Daughter of Lir (1988)
Pirate Queen (1991)
The Vizard Mask (1994)
Shores of Darkness (1996)
Blood Royal (1998)
A Catch of Consequence (2002)
Taking Liberties (2003)
The Sparks Fly Upward (2006)

Writing as Ariana Franklin

City of Shadows (2006)
The Mistress of the Art of Death (2007)
The Serpent’s Tale (2008) / The Death Maze UK
Grave Goods (2009) / Relics of the Dead UK
A Murderous Procession (2010) / The Assassin’s Prayer UK

Well, I already told you about PURGATORY, the next Jack Taylor book, coming out in November of this year. Check out the cover art. The synopsis I lifted from Amazon.com and below the break. From what I read of it, I didn’t see anything spoilerish but YMMV.

Recovering from the severe mental and physical wounds inflicted from his recent past, former cop Jack Taylor has finally found a modicum of peace. He has managed to kick the myriad substances that have had a stranglehold over his painful life, however tenuously. Yet this fragile existence is threatened when a vigilante killer begins targeting the scum of Galway, signing mysterious notes with the moniker ‘C 33′. The killer addresses these cryptic letters to Jack, trying to goad him into joining the murderous spree.

While Jack tries to unravel the mystery and motives of this demented killer, he is also brought into the fold of an enigmatic tech billionaire who has been buying up massive amounts of property in Galway, seemingly in the hopes of offering this downtrodden city a better future. Yet if Jack has learned one thing living in Ireland, it’s that people who outwardly claim to be on the side of righteousness are likely harboring far more nefarious motives beneath the surface.

With the help of his friends, former drug dealer-turned-zen master Stewart and dogged police sergeant Ridge, Jack is determined to track down C 33, even if it jeopardizes his livelihood, his friends, and the remaining shreds of his sanity. C 33 is Bruen at his best: lyrical, brutal, and ceaselessly suspenseful.

I just recently ran into this title, MERRICK, due out in October of this year, and it looks to be a standalone title or a new series. Who knows but it sure sounds interesting. Here is the blurb for that one:

A rogue Irish cop manipulates a transfer to work for the NYPD in an exchange program. However, it turns out that the Irish cop is really a serial killer wanted for murder in Ireland and now NYC.

I like to pimp good writers from time to time and Ken Bruen is one of the best. However, I can love his Jack Taylor series but the standalones might be a different thing altogether. I have hopes that he will not stray far afield. Chalk that up to a book quirk of mine. For readers who don’t know him or his work yet, I say start with the first Jack Taylor book, THE GUARDS. I’ve read the entire Jack Taylor series and while some titles are better than others, the series is excellent. Some readers found that they could start with THE DRAMATIST with no problem so if that one sounds better to you, I say go for it. However, I will say reading in order is best. How is that for confusion? You can read a review from Bernadette on THE DRAMATIST.  It’s one of my favorite Jack Taylor novels and I loved her review of it. Also, Petrona did a review of THE GUARDS as well. Thanks for reading. Oh and found this interview with the author from November of last year by MaryAnne Kolton.

Filed under: Author Spotlight, Ireland Tagged: Galway, Jack Taylor series, Ken Bruen ]]> http://avidmysteryreader.com/2013/04/24/more-bruen-on-the-way/feed/ 13 elise38 purgatory Merrick http://avidmysteryreader.com/2013/04/23/slow-horses-mick-herron/ http://avidmysteryreader.com/2013/04/23/slow-horses-mick-herron/#comments Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:48:14 +0000 Keishon http://avidmysteryreader.com/?p=16511 ]]> I decided to leave Derek Raymond’s last book in the Factory series, Dead Man Upright for another time. After all, those are the only books accessible. What other titles he published, they are out of print and difficult to find.

So with that said, I decided to pick up SLOW HORSES by Mick Herron. It was published by Soho Press in 2010 and is the first in a series featuring spies or MI5 agents, the UK’s security agency. This novel is described as a “thriller” but in the most unconventional way where the action seems to take a backseat to the characters. I picked this book up after reading Glenn’s review of it. The premise sounded promising centering around a group of exiled agents, forced to work in shabby conditions and under a burned out supervisor. These agents are  referred to as “slow horses” because of the spectacular ways they screwed up. Placing them in the Slough House is supposed to encourage them to quit but none of them do. In fact, almost all of them want to get back to the action but have to work at the Slough House and earn their way back which is slow in coming.

Some of the mistakes they made were bad like leaving a top secret file on a train or losing a mark. The main character, River Cartwright, has been counting the months and days since he’s been at Slough House. He’s been there 8 months and is impatient to get out. His mistake was one of the worst. The only reason he was able to keep his job has to do with his grandfather, so nepotism. I didn’t read far enough into the story to figure out what role his grandfather played in the story. One can only assume he was somebody important.

Well, after reading about 48% of this book, I decided to stop. The story suffered from something that I can’t put my finger on exactly. I just know SLOW HORSES went from interesting read to being a chore to read. I’ll try to explain it like this: the story stalled. The beginning wasn’t all that great either because there wasn’t anything there to hook you. It was mostly all set up and that’s okay because  it did eventually gain my interest with the introduction of the characters and the explanation behind their being exiled to Slough House. Then the main aim of the plot is presented in the form of a Pakistani boy being kidnapped by an unknown group of terrorists. On the BBC website, there’s a link that shows a looping footage of the hostage with a threat.

In some way, this becomes an opportunity for exiled agent, River Cartwright to redeem himself. Only I didn’t stick around to find out how well he succeeds. Since there’s a sequel, guess it’s safe to say he did alright. I closed the book when the story seemed to be going in circles and there was nothing left to keep my interest in it. The only thing I really liked was the dialogue and the character’s backstories.  I will admit to being a bit impatient and like my stories to move at a faster pace than this and have a decent plot to keep the characters busy. I don’t even mind if the developments are slow in coming but this was ridiculous. It was just too much exposition. This book’s fault as I see it was that it took too bloody long to unfold. This story had such great potential but I grew so frustrated with the story that I closed the book and moved onto something else. DNF. I’m sure there’s an audience for these types of books. I’m just not one of them.