Crime Writers Caught Recommending Crime - Day 22

I have two more recommendations for you this week and then some special additions for next week. I hope you've been able to find the perfect gift for the crime fiction readers on your holiday lists and beefed up your own TBR lists.

Today's recommendation comes from David Heinzmann, a Chicago Tribune journalist who broke into the fiction scene with his novel, A WORD TO THE WISE and will release his sophomore novel THROWAWAY GIRL next year. David is recommending a fellow Chicago writer, Libby Fischer Hellmann and her newest novel, SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE. David tells us:

"Set The Night On Fire is an engrossing mystery that illuminates a time when Chicago was home to some of the darker corners of America’s counterculture experience. Libby Hellmann’s characters come alive struggling to survive the terrifying consequences of deeds some would like to forget from that chaotic and politically charged time. I love mysteries with a strong and authentic sense of place, and Libby’s Chicago is the town I know—from the pancake house diners to the chill of looking out on the endless blue-gray of Lake Michigan from some shoreline mansion’s living room."

Perfect for the reader on your list who likes a bit of history with their mystery! Many thanks to David!

Another great choice for an acute sense of the time and place is Megan Abbott's QUEENPIN. Her gritty, tough female protagonist is distinctive and alluring. QUEENPIN earned its Edgar for good reason. If the reader on your list appreciates noir and hardboiled crime, this is a prime choice.