An Evening With Dennis Lehane

This year my friend George (from The Thirty Year Itch) and I got tickets to the Cuyahoga County Library's Writers Center Stage series. We have great seats--the middle of the third row. We're right in front of the speaker and we don't have to crane our necks to see him/her.

The October event featured Dennis Lehane and was this past Thursday. He gave an astounding presentation. If you follow the Criminal Element twitter feed, I live tweeted a lot of it, but want to share the event and some photos with you here.

For long-time blog readers, you may remember that Dennis participated in the Six-Word Memoir series and his memoir was "I owe it all to libraries." That memoir came screaming back as he began his presentation Thursday night. He said he was going to talk about the 20 reasons he is where he is today. "One through ten are...libraries," he proclaimed.

As a first grader, Dennis' teacher called his parents to tell them he liked to read. And with that motivation, his Irish-immigrant mother took him to the local branch of the Boston Public Library and got him a library card. The librarian told a young Dennis that he could borrow any of the books in the library, he just had to bring them back in two weeks. To a six-year-old boy from the wrong side of the tracks, being told that he was just as entitled to the books in his library as was the boy who was dropped off in the Bentley indicated to Dennis that he mattered.

One of the best lines of the night (and there were quite a few) was Dennis' jab at the Tea Party. He said, "By the way, Tea Partiers would consider this socialism, but we called it a library."

So after the huge importance of libraries, Lehane explained that he was not from a literary family. His parents were both Irish immigrants without a high school education. But he was from a storytelling family. His father was one of eighteen children, most of whom immigrated to the United States and all settled in the same geographic location. They were very insular, so before Dennis started school he was surrounded more by 1930s Irish culture than 1970s Boston culture. (Those Boston vowels do still pepper his dialogue, though.)

One of the characteristics of that Irish culture was that the families would all regularly get together and tell stories about Ireland. Dennis says he and his brother quickly learned that their family had a shaky relationship with "facts." The same story would be told at various times with tweaks to the events.

Unbeknownst to his mother, Dennis' father would take him to Vaughn's Tavern on Dot Avenue where everyone would sit around and tell stories as well. Here he learned three rules: #1 - TELL THE STORY! Don't go into long drawn out descriptions and set-up, just tell the story. #2 - Make it funny. Because Rule #3 is the point of the working class story is 'the man got screwed.'

So while Dennis Lehane didn't get a literary education through his youth, he did learn to tell stories. And he also learned to listen, which ultimately strengthened his gift with dialogue. His skills with the oral story tradition were evident as he entertained and awed the crowd.

Lehane also informed the audience that he had to be dedicated at a very young age. "Liking to read in working class Dorchester got you one thing--your ass beat. So if you're going to do it, you need to be dedicated." And dedicated he was. He says that in Dorchester, you didn't become a writer. You became a cop, a plumber, a fireman, but you didn't become a writer. So he knew if he returned to his hometown and wasn't a writer, he'd be tending bar at Vaughn's Tavern on Dot Avenue with customers yelling, "hey Hemingway, give me another Schlitz."

Dennis Lehane says he has No. Other. Talents. None. He tried his hand at a few other things in college and failed miserably. Telling stories is what he knows how to do. And we benefit from that in many realms. He's a novelist, a screenwriter, a play write. When asked what he prefers he said that screenwriting is easier because you're part of a team. The whole project doesn't sit on your shoulders. But, "When you write a book, you're God...it's a pain in the ass being God, but at the end of the day it's the most rewarding."

The whole event was wonderful. Lehane's stories, his enthusiasm, his gift for story-telling, it was a fantastic time. I can't encourage you enough that if you have the chance to see him, take it. You'll feel like you're sitting in the bar listening to the story-telling and mentally watching the worlds form around  you. This event was so great that now the rest of the series has a very high bar to live up to. I'll let you know how everyone does.

Happy Reading!

Crime Critters Caught Reading Crime - Wilbur

One of the nicest, funniest, most generous people I know in the crime fiction community is Tom Schreck, author of the Duffy Dombroski series. When it comes to empathy and kindness, he makes me look like Attila the Hun (and no comments from my sisters allowed).

Most people who know him, know about his passion for animals, especially basset hounds. Many have met Tom through various basset events, like basset waddles. That name just cracks me up, but it's apt for bassets.

Tom's own basset is Wilbur. Wilbur is a certified therapy dog and today Tom caught him reading...

"I called to Wilbur while he was reading an old school Dennis Lehane...he wasn't pleased I interrupted him...he tends to get lost in a good book.

Here he's enjoying Darkness, Take My Hand (Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro)."

Those look like some strong specs there, Wilbur. Keep reading, pal!

You can enjoy Tom's novels and shorts stories. Find out more at his website or come out for Bouchercon or Murder and Mayhem in Muskego. He's a regular at both.

Thanks to Tom and Wilbur for today's entry in the Crime Critters series.

And today's pet tip: Remain as calm as possible during stressful or emergency situations - your pet is easily influenced by your behavior and will mirror your stress or panic.

My Favorite Reads of 2012!

Here it is, the last day of 2012 and I have for you my list of favorite reads for this year. This was an odd year for me reading-wise. I read some spectacular books, discovered some great new-to-me authors and on the flip side, I think I put down more books than in past years because I just didn't connect with them at all. And while this isn't unusual, I did have distinctly different reactions to a number of books that were quite popular with other readers. I can be weird like that!

To give you an idea of what I started with, out of my 90 reads this year, I first removed the books that are January 2013 publications (I had 6 -- I've never had that many read ahead before), and I then highlighted the books that I felt were contenders this year: 18 books, plus 3 debuts I'll mention at the end. From that I winnowed it down to the list you see below. It was hard as all 18 were fabulous reads, books I've recommended to others and more than worth the time and money invested in them. I'd say I was a pretty lucky reader this year! So I ended up cheating a tad bit. I removed 3 more titles...I'll mention at the end...that weren't classified crime fiction novels. And I combined two titles that were by the same author. Hopefully, you'll forgive me my little cheats. :-)

But enough blather, let's get to the fun part. And don't forget to leave your favorites in the comments.

10.  Astride a Pink Horse - This was the first time I had read Robert Greer, and Astride a Pink Horse is, hopefully, the start to a new series for him. The plot was complex, the characters were dimensional, the themes were strong and thought-provoking. If this is the start to a new series, it's one I'll want to follow.

9. Jack 1939 - Again, this was the first time I had read Francine Mathews, but reading Jack has made me want to pick up all of her back list. This book was so smart and fascinating; it was one of those historical fiction novels that had me running to Google regularly to see what was fact and what was fiction.

8. The Prophet - Michael Koryta returned to a straight crime novel this year and it was a beaut! The rich symbolism throughout the novel elevated it beyond a simple crime story. Throughout his writing career he's continued to improve his character development, which is astounding given that he was exceptional at character development since book one. The Prophet is full of contrasting characters, defying stereotypes and endearing readers.

7.  Gone Girl - This was one time I didn't differ with the masses of readers who loved this book. Gillian Flynn wrote an incredible novel. She defied the likable, empathetic character notion and kept her readers hanging on with a smart, unpredictable plot. Flynn's pushing the boundaries of crime fiction and coming up with an amazing result.

6. Taken - Robert Crais continues to keep the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series fresh with powerful themes and engrossing plots. And unlike a lot of series characters, we continue to learn about Cole and Pike with every book. Taken hits you deep down in the soul.

5. Whiplash River/Gutshot Straight -  Once again I'll apologize for my endless talk about Lou Berney's Shake Bouchon crime capers, but good golly am I glad I found them. They are just fun books. And while Shake is not your pristine hero-type character, you can't help but adore him. I love the constant action of these books; the settings are spectacular; and the dialogue is first class. In my humble opinion, if you want to know how to do a crime caper right, you study these books cover to cover!

4. The Trinity Game - Holy Cow. Sorry, no pun intended on this one. We waited patiently for the return of Sean Chercover and boy did he deliver. This is just a powerfully written, complex story with unique characters. It was also a pretty gutsy book to write. The themes are very touchy for many American readers, but I think Chercover handled it all with grace and elegance. I cannot wait for the next book!

3. The Cut - While I didn't end up reviewing this one, I listened to it back in January on audio (it was an August 2011 release); time factors prevented me from reviewing it at a time that would allow me to do the book justice. And it deserved justice. It is a flat out amazing start to a new series character for George Pelecanos. All the elements that make Pelecanos great are present: the gray characters, the dark atmosphere, the suspenseful pace, the beautiful prose. How the man juggles as much as he does--and still does it all at a level of superiority most of us can never begin to fathom--is beyond me. I'm constantly in awe of his work.

2.  Live by Night - Gosh I always look forward to Dennis Lehane's work. It's simply amazing. His writing is poetic, his characters are relateable and larger-than-life at the same time, the plots keep you glued to the book then devastated when you've turned the last page. The atmosphere of Live by Night was the strongest I think Lehane's created. Taking him out of Boston did nothing to shake this man's talent. This is definitely a book I see standing the test of time.

1. The Survivor - When a story haunts me as much as The Survivor did, I know it's an exceptional book. Some characters just seem to take up residence in my soul after I've finished reading. They hang around with me and we have discussions in my mind about the story. Please don't call in the psych doctors, I'd be devastated if anyone ever took this silent pleasure away. Most of us will never have to deal with psychotic bank robbers threatening our families, but symbolically, this is the story of life's true super heroes; it's the story of how people react and adapt to life's sick sense of humor. It made me laugh, it made me cry and it made me tell everyone they need to read it. How Gregg Hurwitz continues to top himself book after book is inspiring. He'll have a hard time topping two stellar books in a row, but I wouldn't put it past him.

So, there is my list that I hemmed an hawed over. But indeed I think it's the most accurate reflection of my favorite reads this year. That being said, I have to give recognition to three books that you won't find in the crime fiction aisle of the bookstore. These three are books that I removed because they were strong contenders with the ten above and I wasn't sure how to integrate them:

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend (Matthew Dicks)
The Round House (Louise Erdrich)
On the Outside Looking Indian (Rupinder Gill) - this one actually a non-fiction

The two fiction books revolve around a crime element, but the powers that be in marketing have labeled them as literary fiction or general fiction, I guess. And On the Outside Looking Indian is probably the most unique for me because it's a memoir. I'm not much of a memoir reader, so I think that says a lot about the book!

And then I wanted to give kudos to three debut novels I read this year that were just outstanding and I see these authors doing amazing things (one already is since I read her debut late):

Bloodman (Robert Pobi)
Playing Dead (Julia Heaberlin)
The Things That Keep Us Here (Carla Buckley)

If you did not read my review of Carla Buckley's sophomore novel, Invisible, in Shelf Awareness this month, you'll have a chance to do so this week on the blog. Her debut was a great indicator of amazing things to come!

So, that's it for me for 2012. Next month I'll celebrate five years blogging here at Jen's Book Thoughts. It doesn't seem possible, but it's been so much fun talking books with all of you over the years.  Thanks for joining in the fun. Here's hoping 2013 is full of more book wonderfulness for us all.

Happy Reading and Happy New Year, all!

Live by Night - Dennis Lehane

It's back to catching up on reviews! Today I have my review for Dennis Lehane's Live By Night that first appeared in Shelf Awareness for Readers on October 5th. It's appearing here with their permission.

First line: "Some years later, on a tugboat in the Gulf of Mexico, Joe Coughlin's feet were placed in a tub of cement."

Picking up after his epic The Given Day, Dennis Lehane takes the second book in his historical trilogy through the Prohibition Era. Joe Coughlin is the troublesome son of a Boston police captain; whenever anyone tries to label Joe a gangster, he insists he’s an outlaw and there’s a difference.

A stint in jail connects the young outlaw with a mob boss and then a position in Ybor, Florida, running rum. Wheeling and dealing, forging relationships and running out the competition, Joe proves his worth to the bosses. However, his determined efforts to remain an outlaw in the world of mobsters may prove to be his Achilles heel.

Live by Night could give an onion a run for its money when it comes to layers. At the heart of the novel, readers will find a love story wrapped in a crime story, infused with a character study, submerged in a social novel and topped off in a period piece. However, where an onion can easily peel away its layers, Live by Night’s layers are not so easily separated. Their complexity and interdependence make the book nearly impossible to put down.

Lehane’s extensive knowledge of both the period and the geography is undeniable. The panoply of culture and social status that composes the Southern Florida setting builds an atmosphere reminiscent of both F. Scott Fitzgerald and Langston Hughes.

But there’s no denying Lehane’s distinct sound. His sharp dialogue, dark humor and stunning prose make gritty gangsters simply gorgeous. Whether you’ve read The Given Day or not, Live by Night is a must.

Live by Night is available from William Morrow in hardcover (ISBN: 9780060004873). It is also available as an unabridged audio (ISBN: 9780062204790) from HarperAudio, narrated by Jim Frangione. 

Caught! - Dennis Lehane

Oh this picture lends itself to so very many captions. I'll let you all throw out suggestions in the comments. But I think it goes without saying that we caught Dennis Lehane here. Actually Ali Karim caught Dennis checking out R.J. Ellory's book. And since it isn't clear which book Dennis is holding, I'll mention that R.J.'s latest book is THE ANNIVERSARY MAN, which appears to be making its debut in the U.S. this June.

And Dennis' last work would be THE GIVEN DAY but this November he is resurrecting Patrick and Angie for MOONLIGHT MILE.

And if I am not mistaken, in the background of this picture is yet another of crime fiction's elite. I believe that's Michael Koryta in the background of the picture, which is a great opportunity for me to remind you of the contest that is going on with the Crime Writers Caught Reading Crime posts. Remember that for each comment in the series (1 comment per post) you receive an entry in the drawing for Michael's new book SO COLD THE RIVER that will be out in June. So, give us a caption suggestion for Dennis and R.J's picture here, let us know what you're reading, let us know where you're getting caught reading. You'll be entered!

Technorati Tags: Dennis Lehane, R.J. Ellory, Michael Koryta, Crime Writers Caught Reading Crime

Monday Mystery Backlist - A DRINK BEFORE THE WAR

There has been a lot of talk about the fact that Dennis Lehane's new book will be a Patrick Kenzie/Angie Gennaro novel. So, since we haven't featured Dennis Lehane in the Monday Mystery Backlist posts yet, I thought this might be a good week to go back and visit the very first book in this series, A DRINK BEFORE THE WAR.

In Lehane's debut novel, detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro take on a case to retrieve stolen documents for some politicians. The documents were stolen by the ex-wife of a gang leader, which winds them right in the middle of the gang's cross hairs. When Patrick and Angie are able to locate the documents, which don't turn out to be "documents" at all, they find themselves not only stuck between the politicians and the gang members, but in possession of evidence of child abuse.

As becomes Lehane's signature, A DRINK BEFORE THE WAR is complex, dark, controversial and thrilling. The Mystery News was quoted as saying (about A DRINK BEFORE THE WAR):

"Lehane does everything well, but what he does best are characters and prose. Kenzie and Gennaro are beautifully crafted protagonists. They have depth, and they come alive on the page."

The Shamus-award winning novel put Lehane on the crime fiction map. If you have not read the books in this series, A DRINK BEFORE THE WAR, is the perfect place to start.

A DRINK BEFORE THE WAR was originally published in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0151000937) by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 1994. Among a slew of versions, HarperTorch published a mass market paperback (ISBN: 978-0380726233) in 1996 and a trade paper publication was also released by Harvest Books in 2003 (ISBN: 978-0156029022).

You Have the Right to Six Words - XV

So, I'm totally thrilled that I finally topped the number of Rocky sequels and people still like my series! ;) It's the first post of September! This week I have some real prize fighters to share with you. All four of my memoirists are duking it out each and every day in the ring of publishing, and at the bell they come out winners. Or maybe we come out the winners? O.k., maybe I'm not great with boxing metaphors and the folks over at Criminal Minds have just got me thinking boxing subliminally. Wait, come to think of it, not only are they over there talking about a boxing ring, but I'm also reading Tom Schreck's newest Duffy Dombrowski novel, OUT COLD...no wonder I'm trying to create boxing metaphors. I'm surrounded by boxing. ♪ ♫ It's the eye of the tiger...♪ ♫ Oh, sorry. Let's get started, before you actually hear me singing (yikes!).

My first memoirist today is actually one of those Criminal Minds folks. She's the Tuesday blogger for the 7 Criminal Minds blog. But when Rebecca Cantrell isn't entertaining us there, she's hard at work in Hawaii on her Hannah Vogal series about a newspaper reporter and crime trial sketch artist in 1930s Berlin. A TRACE OF SMOKE, Hannah Vogal's debut, emerged from Rebecca's imagination and significant research after Rebecca saw a faded pink triangle pasted to the wall of Dachau Concentration Camp; see Rebecca's post at 7 Criminal Minds here. She also spent time living in Berlin. Rebecca graduated from John F. Kennedy Schule and went on to college at both the Freie Universität in Berlin and the Georg August Universität in Göttingen. In addition to her mystery series, Rebecca will have a short story, "Coffee," published in February's publication MISSING. She has also dabbled in screenwriting. Next up for Hannah Vogal? A NIGHT OF LONG KNIVES due in May of 2010. And how does Rebecca sum up all this accomplishment?

Created life, books; cleaned up after.

This woman has an obsession with lofty goals, I think! But Lordy, she's sure attaining them.

My next author is a familiar face from his interview here. I held back his memoir from the interview since the series had been started, so I'm excited to have Simon Lewis back with us. Simon has worked as a travel writer in addition to a "barman, a shelf stacker, barrsita, life model, sandwich deliverer and an English teacher." All of this experience resulted in his writing BAD TRAFFIC, which was nominated for the 2009 L.A. Times Book Prize in the mystery/thriller category. His protagonist, Inspector Jian, befalls a similar fate to Simon's own. Simon was sent to China to write a travel book, but he didn't know the language. He had to muddle his way through. Then back in London he began to learn the Chinese language from illegal immigrants in return for teaching them English. Simon turned the experience in reverse and created a Chinese inspector who travels to England not knowing how to speak English. These days Simon splits time between London and Asia as he works on the follow-up to BAD TRAFFIC, which we all hope will make it's way across the pond! When asked what his greatest flaw was, his response was "modesty." Well, you kind of have to chuckle at that response. Simon's a funny fellow, but he is also modest. His memoir?

Just pleased to get this far.

I do believe Simon will be going much further, and we intend to keep track of his accomplishments here!

Theresa Schwegel developed a love affair with all things Hollywood while she was an intern with an independent commercial production company. Following graduation from Loyola University, Theresa left the Chicago she had always known and headed out to Southern California. While working on a film/screenwriting Masters at Chapman University, she co-founded a theater company, as well as wrote, produced and acted. But it was 2002 that brought about the turning point in Theresa's life as a crime fiction novelist. Taking up her thesis screenplay, she began to re-write it as a novel. Three years later, OFFICER DOWN was not only published but was selected as the Edgar-winning Best First Novel. In July of this year, after two more acclaimed, Chicago-based books and additional publications in England, Japan, France, Italy and the Netherlands, Theresa published her fourth crime fiction novel, LAST KNOWN ADDRESS. And for this memoir, all of her fans are eternally grateful:

Always curious, sometimes content, never
convinced.

That truly says it all!

We will wrap up this week with a man who could almost be considered a legend in his own time. I know that he ranks up among my all-time favorite writers, period. He doesn't really need to be introduced, and I'm sure I'm not going to tell you anything you don't already know about Dennis Lehane, but that would take all the fun out of the post for ME! So, let's start where Dennis started - at least where he started in crime fiction anyway. Dennis's first novel, A DRINK BEFORE THE WAR, was published in 1994 when his Patrick Kenzie/Angela Gennaro series began. This book also earned Dennis his first award for crime fiction: the Shamus Award for Best First P.I. Novel. From there he went on to write four more Kenzie/Gennaro novels and the fourth GONE BABY GONE was optioned for a movie and was ultimately Ben Afflack's first film as a producer. Following the Kenzie/Gennaro series that earned him great acclaim, Dennis wrote MYSTIC RIVER and collected an Anthony, a Barry, a Dilys and the Massachusettes Book Awards for his efforts. Hollywood thought this book would make a great movie as well and the film version walked away with one (oops, that should be two - see Michael's correction in the comments) Oscars and four other nominations. Also in Dennis' bibliography are the urban Gothic novel SHUTTER ISLAND, a collection of short works titled CORONADO, and most recently his historical epic, THE GIVEN DAY, centered around the Boston Police Strike of 1919.

Outside of the published novel, Dennis has also been involved in screenwriting, having written on several episodes of HBO's THE WIRE.

Dennis has accomplished much in his writing career. An element that may often be overlooked, however, is his generosity in giving back. He has been an active teacher at various colleges, workshops and conferences for aspiring writers.

He says the one job he regrets never having was bartender. He can chat with Simon and Theresa. They're both former bar tenders. But how does Dennis sum it all? With a very humble six words:

I owe it all to libraries.

Well golly, what more can you say? O.k., I'm still a little awe-struck by this week's guests, so let me just wrap this up and go try to get the stars out of my eyes from four amazingly talented crime fiction writers. I can't possibly thank them each enough for their time, for their fabulous memoirs, and more than anything their contributions to the crime fiction genre. I wish you all many more successes in your writing careers.

And thanks everyone for stopping by this week. We've had some pretty mammoth weeks of memoirs in the last three months, but we're not done! I'll see ya back here in seven days!

Happy Reading!

They're Back?

So by now you may have heard that some crime fighting favorites are returning soon. Despite his previous insistence otherwise, Dennis Lehane has revealed that he is writing a new Patrick Kenzie novel. And at the end of March Harlan Coben is releasing his new novel that brings back Myron Bolitar.

I know many people have loved these series (and I count myself among those folks) and they have clamored for their returns; however, I can't help but wonder if there will be some negative fall out. Here's why I wonder this: both Lehane and Coben are different writers now. They are both extremely wonderful writers and I'm sure that whatever they produce will be good, but will it be what people are expecting?

With someone like Robert Crais or Michael Connelly who have written the same character very consistently over the years, you've watched the character change and evolve with the writer. Elvis in CHASING DARKNESS is not the same Elvis from THE MONKEY'S RAINCOAT. If you read those two books back to back, you definitely see that difference. But if you read the series, you see MONKEY'S Elvis become DARKNESS Elvis. And that is part of the beauty of those kinds of characters.

Dennis Lehane, himself, has admitted that he's a different writer now. Anyone who's read one of his early Patrick Kenzie novels and something like MYSTIC RIVER, SHUTTER ISLAND, or THE GIVEN DAY can see that. And when I listen to people who "really want" a new Patrick Kenzie novel, I wonder if they'll actually want the Patrick Kenzie that comes from today's Dennis Lehane or are they actually clamoring for the past?

My Top 10 - Well Sort Of...

O.k., I've finished all the books I'm going to fit into 2008, so I'm at the point where I can establish my Top 10 List, er Top 11 List. It was hard, very hard. 2008 was a GREAT reading year for me. I ended up with fantastic recommendations from visitors here, other bloggers, authors, DorothyL. I managed to read or listen on audio book to 110 books by 78 different authors. I narrowed down 110 to a list of 20 that contended for these spots. I decided to help make my list easier to establish, it would be my top 10 CRIME FICTION books, so that eliminated The Book Thief and The Great Santini since they don't fit in the genre. Now I'm down to 18 and I loved them all. They all deserve accolades. And, truth be told, I couldn't actually get down to 10 books. So, I'm going to cheat a little bit. First, I threw in the towel at 11. I simply refuse to cut any more. And with two authors I read more than one book from the series and LOVED each of them. So, I'm grouping those. I know, I know...but since it's my list I can do it. Let's get to this list then:

11. The Crime Writer - Gregg Hurwitz. I'm wondering if this would have been higher on the list if I'd read it later in the year. However, I still can recall the thrill I got from reading it. I haven't connected as well with the other book I've been working on by him, but Crime Writer was a book that got your heart pumping!

10. Brother - James Fredericks. This was Fredericks' debut novel and I think there's going to be more really great stuff coming from him. Another heart-pounding action-packed book with great characters.

9. Angel's Tip - Alafair Burke. I'm slowly discovering more and more female crime fiction novelists that I enjoy, but Alafair is the only one who made the list this year. Ariana Franklin had two in the top 20, but Angel's Tip made the top 10. Ellie Hatcher is definitely one of my favorites and this book is so in tune with current events - "Ripped from the Headlines" dun! dun!


8. The Fourth Watcher - Timothy Hallinan. Since I am such a fan of character, I can't help but have The Fourth Watcher on this list. Tim is one of the masters when it comes to developing character. He makes use of every interaction, every conversation, just every opportunity. The richness of his characters make you want to just step into the book and join them...despite the chase that's going on!


7. One Drop of Blood and K.I.A. - Thomas Holland. I fell in love with Kel McKelvey from the first page of One Drop of Blood. And all the way to the end of the year, K.I.A. still is the book with my favorite ending. I adore Tom Holland's humor and the local color. The authenticity of the forensics mixed with the humanity of the characters is top-notch. I'm definitely ready for more Kel!


6. Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane. I don't know if much more needs to be said! ;) Dennis is just a genius in this genre. This psychological thriller had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, and it did not take me long to get through this book.

5. A Carrion Death - Michael Stanley. What a debut by this writing team! The setting, the characters, the complex plot. It is an all-around unique, gripping, challenging read.


4. Chasing Darkness - Robert Crais. Elvis rules. Enough said!


3. Envy the Night - Michael Koryta. He continues to improve with each publication, even though Tonight, I Said Goodbye was outstanding. I don't know where he's going to go to top himself now, but I'm not making any bets against him. Michael's characters are so real, the plots are multi-layered and his wit just tops it all off.


2. The Cold Dish - Craig Johnson. Of my 11 authors on this list, 7 were new to me this year. Craig was one of the new ones. And boy am I glad I discovered his work. Walt, Vic, Henry, and Lucien light up the book. Their depth and dimension jut out from the pages hung against a magnificent setting. This book is poetry in action.

1. Tilt-A-Whirl, Mad Mouse, Whack-A-Mole, and Mind Scrambler - Chris Grabenstein. Chris's John Ceepak series was the only series this year that had me reading one book right after the other. I simply did not want to leave the world of John Ceepak and Danny Boyle. The only book I didn't read in 2008 is Hell Hole, the one that was published in 2008 - however! I have it and I will be getting to it soon. I discovered so many great authors and books this year, but the John Ceepak series (in a very tight race with Walt Longmire) is my find of the year. I have truly LOVED reading these books. The experience I have while in the land of Sea Haven - or where ever the duo may be - is what reading is all about for me. These characters, much like Elvis and Joe or Lincoln Perry, knock around inside my head for a long time after I finish reading a book - they become a part of me. And for me, that's the sign of a masterpiece!

I hope your 2008 was as good a reading year as mine was. Here is a blog where some authors, including RC are talking about their top 3 books read this year. Three? Oh, no way could I have just picked three!

I'll be back later this week with my reviews for my last two books of '08 and some thoughts for '09. If I don't see ya before, have a very Happy New Year!

Happy Reading!

Shutter Island

In Shutter Island, Teddy Daniels, a US Marshall, and his new partner Chuck Aule are headed to Shutter Island to investigate an escape. Shutter Island houses Ashecliffe Hospital, an asylum for the mentally insane who have committed violent crimes, and a female patient/inmate has escaped and is running loose on the island. But Teddy Daniels has an alternate reason for taking the assignment. He has learned through a twist of fate, that the man who set fire to his apartment complex, killing Teddy's wife, is housed in this very same institution. Teddy has managed to convince a senator that unethical research on humans is taking place here, so Teddy is given the recovery assignment so he can come in and covertly find evidence of this practice. Teddy is determined to find his wife's killer and exact his own justice - ethical or otherwise.

Dennis Lehane NEVER ceases to amaze me with the gift he has. He evokes so much emotion from his readers...simply by the way he strings his words together to make sentences and paragraphs. For example, right off the bat in the prologue the reader is painted this incredible picture:

"If time for me really is a series of bookmarks, then I feel as if someone has shaken the book and those yellowed slips of paper, torn matchbook covers and flattened coffee stirrers have fallen to the floor, and the dog-eared flaps have been pressed smooth."

Later in the novel, Rachel says, "...the dreams often stringing together and piggybacking off one another until they come to resemble a novel written by Picasso."

A novel written by Picasso? Who can't imagine that? And every person's image is going to be different, but they are all going to be "abstract."

Both of these quotes epitomize the utter chaos of the insane mind. And in a way, the whole book epitomizes the insane mind. But when you come to the conclusion, it isn't chaos at all; it's a well-formed, intricately layered plot. Every element works significantly and essentially with every other element.

The other looming theme in this book is violence. Is violence truly bad? Or is it an element of us all as the Warden impresses upon Teddy?

God's gift...His violence...God loves violence...Why else would there be so much of it? It's in us. It comes out of us. It is what we do more naturally than we breathe. We wage war. We burn sacrifices. We pillage and tear at the flesh of our brothers. We fill great fields with our stinking dead. And why? To show Him that we've learned from His example...God gives us earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes. He gives us
mountains that spew fire onto our heads. Oceans that swallow ships. He gives us nature, and nature is a smiling killer. He gives us disease so that in our death we believe He gave us orifices only so that we could feel our life bleed out of them. He gave us lust and fury and greed and our filthy hearts. So that we could wage violence in His honor. There is no moral order as pure as this storm we've just seen. There is no moral order at all. There is only this - can my violence conquer yours?

A savage hurricane is the backdrop for the four days of this novel, providing the evidence of Nature's violence. And Teddy comes to the island as a peace-keeper, a law enforcer. But he has a hidden agenda to avenge his wife. Is the warden really that far off base? And in a time when we are in a perpetual state of war ourselves, how can we deny his belief? Aren't we as a people illustrating just that?

If having a phenomenal plot wasn't enough, the character development is outstanding. The range of emotion I felt for Dr. Crawley and Chuck was a range I've rarely experienced with reading. And one I've NEVER experienced with stage or screen performances. Teddy will in all likelihood have to be added to my list of favorite characters. The depth of Teddy's character comes out in his own internal conflict, in his reaction to external conflict and it even comes out through other characters. I cannot detail much more than that without giving spoilers aways, so I'll leave characterization at that.

Despite my raves about the plot and characters, there was one element that was even better...the perspective. Lehane gave this book the perfect voice. It wouldn't have been as suspenseful any other way.

In Shutter Island, I felt big bear arms wrap around me and pull me in; I could not put this book down. Every time I thought I started to grasp what was going on, a new twist evolved. And it wasn't a twist that made you think, "oh pahleeeaze! can he go any more overboard?" It was a twist that made you think, "Holy Cow! I didn't even see that coming, but it was there!" His twists are so convincing and so amazingly weaved into the fabric of the plot, that you start to be on guard. When the conclusion actually started to play out, I was still waiting for another twist. Isn't that what suspense is supposed to be about?

This novel is nothing short of fabulous! A movie version is in the works for 2009. If you haven't already, get out and read this book BEFORE Hollywood butchers it. No movie would be capable of doing Lehane's work justice on this book. It will most definitely make my top 10 for 2008.