Heroes Caught Reading

Since my crazy schedule this month has me backed up a little, I'm going to share two special heroes with you today.

First I have Janet Rudolph who promptly informed me that she is NOT a hero, but I beg to differ. She's a hero in the reading community for her incredible support of authors and readers alike. She generously opens her home to bring the two together during her lit salons. She is actively involved in conventions such as Bouchercon and Left Coast Crime, helping them to run smoothly and successfully. Her love of reading and books just shines in everything she does.

Second, she's an advocate for animals. Furry critters are as integral a part of her life as mine and her love for them is an example everyone can benefit from following.

And finally for me, she's my gardening hero. Have you seen her incredible flower gardens. Oh those roses! Amazing.

Many of you know her and I'm sure we'll have someone chirp up to mention her as a chocolate hero, as well. It's my pleasure, my honor and my delight to feature Janet Rudolph!

And my second hero today is a woman who has followed her dreams of writing and they have taken her around the world. I admire her tenacity, her dedication and her strong beliefs. She writes very dark but has a bright, welcoming heart and a radiant smile.

Hilary Davidson is smart (I mean, check out what she's reading!) and generous and kind. She's talented and savvy and oh so creative. I've never witnessed her taking anyone or anything for granted. I try to remind myself of her when I have the tendency to do that.

I've heard Hilary talk about her influences and her own heroes, including her grandmother. I know that Hilary motivates me to be a better person and I think she's a wonderful role model for young women and girls everywhere.

Please help me to recognize Hilary Davidson today!

Blood Always Tells - Hilary Davidson

First line: "It didn't take Dominique Monaghan long to realize she wasn't cut out for the life of a criminal."

In Hilary Davidson's first foray into stand alones she gives a male the protagonist's role. Desmond Edgars drops everything in Chicago to fly to New York when he receives a bizarrely frantic phone call from his sister, Dominique. She's trying to warn her boyfriend's wife because she believes he's set up an intricate plan to have his wife murdered. Try as she may, she can't convince anyone to listen to her, so Desmond is her last resort. She needs his help. But when Desmond arrives in New York, he finds a different story altogether, and he's determined to unravel the pieces to find the truth.

In her fourth novel, Hilary Davidson has stepped away from her travel-writing series protagonist, Lily Moore, to feature a New York City model and her pilot brother. Even though they aren't traveling in exotic lands, setting still plays a vital role in the story. One of Davidson's established strengths, setting shapes the characters, sets the tone and impacts the plot, while simultaneously taking on symbolic roles. From a crumbling secluded cabin to Manhattan penthouses, readers will be transported to Davidson's world as though they're stepping into the pages themselves.

As with her previous novels, there are various layers to the story. On the surface is a classic mystery, and Davidson's intrigue with classic film noir comes through on this level. In another layer, she examines the timeless conflict of the haves versus the have nots--those with power and money pulling the strings on those without. This layer gives us our white hats and black hats. And then there are also several levels of the novel that connect with family. She adds complexity to her characters through this layer, examining family bonds and dysfuction and how those influence, even define a person. In these layers, Davidson turns more internally with her characters. She illustrates how the characters cope, overcome or succumb to the forces of family in all it's shapes, sizes and colors.

While I've presented the layering as though they're easily defined and broken apart, the reality is there's a elaborate blending of these layers. They exist in a symbiotic relationship that allows the whole book to function beautifully.

Readers may not find all the plot twists to be completely surprising, but the engagement with the novel's characters and their conflicts, as well as an underlying odyssey toward redemption, is what truly drives this story. Davidson may appreciate classic noir, but she's blazing new trails in the genre with each new book.

Blood Always Tells is available in hardcover from Forge (ISBN: 9780765333544). There is also an unabridged audio version (ISBN: 9781629234748), narrated by Kirsten Potter, available from Dreamscape Audio.

Happy New Year & A Blog Hop

Happy New Year friends! I hope your 2014 is off to a spectacular start. On my part, I'm going to participate in the "Ringing in the New Year" blog hop hosted by Danielle at Coffee and Characters. This is a first for me. Can you believe it? After almost 6 years of blogging, this is the first time I'm participating in a blog hop.

The idea sounded like a very good one to me, so I jumped on board. The idea of "Ringing in the New Year" is to feature a book you're excited about for 2014. Well, that was a harder choice than I thought it would be. Louis Bayard has this new book coming out. Michael Koryta has this one. And Brad Parks is back with a new Carter Ross. And I'm always excited about the new Craig Johnson and Gregg Hurwitz which will make their appearances later this year. But the book I decided to feature for the blog hop is Hilary Davidson's upcoming BLOOD ALWAYS TELLS, which will come out April 15th.

A little about the book:

Dominique Monaghan just wanted to get even with her two-timing, married boyfriend, a washed-up boxer stuck in a toxic marriage to a dangerously spoiled socialite. However, an elaborate blackmail scheme soon lands her in the middle of an unexpected kidnapping . . . and attempted murder. But who is actually out to kill whom?

Desmond Edgars, Dominique’s big brother, has looked out for his wayward sister ever since their mother was convicted of murder many years ago, so when he receives a frantic phone call from Dominique in the middle of the night, he drops everything to rush to the rescue. But to find out what has really happened to his sister, the stoic ex-military man must navigate a tangled web of murder and deception, involving a family fortune, a couple of shifty lawyers, and a missing child, while wrestling with his own bloody secrets . . . .

My decision to feature BLOOD ALWAYS TELLS included several factors. First, I love Hilary's work. Those who checked out my favorite reads of 2013 post yesterday know that her third novel, featuring Lily Moore, EVIL IN ALL ITS DISGUISES, was on that list. But BLOOD ALWAYS TELLS is Hilary's first novel outside the series. It takes a lot of courage to veer away from what has already proven successful to try something new. There will be Lily fans who will immediately ask when Lily will return. And while I love the books featuring Lily Moore, I'm excited to see Hilary spread her wings and try a new direction, expand her crime fiction horizon, so to speak, and explore new realms that intrigue her. And finally, for those who haven't read Hilary's work before, you don't have to feel like you need to go back to the beginning before checking out this book. While her series can be read out of order, I know many people NEED to read in order...it's a compulsion, but you don't have to worry about that on this book...it's got no strings.

There's something kind of special about being around when a writer first starts out, and I feel lucky that I've had that opportunity with Hilary.  I see very big things in her future, and I think BLOOD ALWAYS TELLS is another step on her ladder to that future.

So put BLOOD ALWAYS TELLS on your radar. Remember, April 15th. You'll hear more about it here as well. You can check out Hilary's other books on her website. You can also connect with her on Facebook or Twitter. She's a lot of fun on social media so I encourage you to get to know her.

But in the mean time, I'm absolutely thrilled to tell you that Forge has kindly offered up an ARC of BLOOD ALWAYS TELLS for the winner of my blog hop drawing. Just tell me in the comments what book you're looking forward to in 2014 (by January 31st) and you're entered to win. Be sure that you either leave your email in your comment or have it on your account profile so I can contact you if you win. (Open to US and Canadian entries only) If you have any problems leaving a comment or have any questions, just drop me an email!  Then you can visit the other blogs listed below to check out what books they're excited about for this year. Good luck and Happy 2014!

---

1. Danielle @ Coffee and Characters (INT)	2. Addicted 2 Heroines (INT)
3. Wakeworld	4. Just Me, Myself, and I
5. MYTHICAL BOOKS (INT)	6. manda-rae reads a lot (Int)
7. Michelle @ Book Briefs (US)	8. 2 Bibliophiles Guide
9. Behind The White Picket Fence	10. The Sylver Lining
11. Audrey @ Ink and Page	12. Elizabeth @ Stuffed Shelves
13. Mo_Books	14. Jen@ Jen's Book Thoughts
15. Waves of Fiction	16. TZPP Books
17. Buku-Buku Didi (INT)	18. Clever Girls Read (INT)

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2013 Favorite Reads!

My favorites list always get to be challenging posts because there are definite books or audiobooks that MUST be on the list and then there are some that are very good and I'd like to be on the list, only I need to stick to my cut-off point, so I go back and forth about which is actually the best to appear on the list...and so many things can factor into that final choice. If I read it longer ago, do I remember exactly how it made me feel when I finished? Or am I remembering that better for the more recent books? And as I was mentioning with a friend last week, what I read before that book could impact my reaction to it as well. So, the point of my babbling here is just that this is always a challenge for me. I've read many many good books this year, and I'm so thankful for all of them.

But when I put myself to the task, here are my favorite 10 of 2013 (the titles link to my reviews if you want to see what I had to say when I reviewed them):

EVIL IN ALL ITS DISGUISES (Hilary Davidson) -  Davidson has a keen talent for atmosphere. Between the exotic locales of her settings and the eerie, suspense of the plots, readers are enveloped by the story. Evil in All Its Disguises is Davidson's third entry in her Lily Moore series and her strongest to date. She simply continues to exceed expectations in every aspect of the crime novel and the experience of reading her is unforgettable. Forge, March 2013

SPIRIT OF STEAMBOAT (Craig Johnson) - The novella that started out as a short story is a heartwarming holiday tale featuring one of my absolute favorite residents of Absaroka County, Lucian Connolly. Spirit of Steamboat is all of Johnson's great writing qualities packed into a pint-size book: humor, suspense, sense of time and place, amazing characters speaking sharp dialogue, and a sense of connection. Reading Spirit of Steamboat you feel as though these people are your friends,  your neighbors, your family, so you can't help but relate and identify with them. This is a gem to add to the fabulous Walt Longmire canon. Viking, October 2013

SUSPECT (Robert Crais) - I've long held that L.A. Requiem is my favorite Crais book. But this year, Suspect usurped it. LAR is still my favorite Elvis/Joe book, but Suspect is evidence that Crais strives to be a better writer with every book. His portrayal of both man and dog suffering PTSD is intimate and stunning. The relationship he creates between man and dog is beautifully heart-wrenching. This is simply an incredible book.  Putnam, January 2013

IF YOU WERE HERE (Alafair Burke) - I mentioned last week that I thought the cover for this book was the best of all Burke's covers to date. I also think this is her best BOOK to date.  She's stretching her writing chops and it's paying off in spades. The complexity of her plot and the richness of her characters made this a fast-paced, exciting read.  Harper, June 2013

THE TILTED WORLD (Tom Franklin & Beth Ann Fennelly) - Lyrically beautiful and frightful at the same time. Franklin and Fennelly show no obvious signs of two different writers contributing to this incredible story. The dialogue, characters, atmosphere, tone, it's all pitch perfect. To read The Titled World and not get lost in the story is unthinkable to me. It also brings to light a period we've all but forgotten as well as a segment of the population we never remembered to begin with. William Morrow, October 2013

THE BROKEN PLACES (Ace Atkins) - With each new installment to this series, I love it more and more. Atkins' integration of the storm infused the story with energy and suspense. His depiction of the Southern small town brings out all the splendor of setting and people--both good and bad, but never over-simplified. Quinn's haunted soul is much more than the loner trope of crime novels. He's a dynamic character with layers that Atkins is carefully pealing away with each novel. And the supporting cast of the series is just as distinct and authentic. Putnam, May 2013

TELL NO LIES (Gregg Hurwitz) - I mentioned yesterday that with the discovery of new authors each year, it becomes harder and harder to keep up with them all. Gregg Hurwitz is one I never miss because each book is amazing and each one seems to top the one before it. TELL NO LIES took Hurwitz to new levels of great. His pacing, plot twists, relationships, ethical scenarios and social issues are stronger than ever. Delving into the psychological in this novel, Hurwitz created a one-sitting read. St. Martin's Press, August 2013

THE AMERICAN WAY OF POVERTY (Sasha Abramsky) - O.k. this one isn't crime fiction, but it is one of my favorite reads this year. We all have preconceived notions about poverty and U.S. programs for the poor. Many are faulty notions at best. The American Way of Poverty illuminates the reality through statistics, anecdotes and policy definitions. So many of the ailments of our country are all tied in together: education, health care, poverty, crime...The reality is disheartening but the potential for changes is inspiring. And since education is the first step to change, this book is a definite must-read for any and all Americans. It's motivating and empowering. Challenge yourselves! Nation Books, September 2013

BEAUTIFULLY UNIQUE SPARKLEPONIES (Chris Kluwe) - The other non-crime novel on my list. This book is smart, funny, inspiring and genuine. Kluwe's overall message through the collection of essays, letters, blog posts, etc., is empathy...the Golden Rule. I don't think there's enough emphasis on that mindset these days. It's all "me, me, me." Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies can be blunt and direct, but Kluwe's passion is never questionable. It's refreshing to see a young man in his position in society take an articulate stand in this way. I simply can't stop recommending this one to people. Little, Brown and Co., June 2013

BRILLIANCE (Marcus Sakey) - Can I just do the "OMG, this book is wonderful!" line? It truly is. This was the book that ruined the books I read after it. Nothing could compare. Brilliance is a mix of literary, sci-fiction, crime. The whole concept of the book is fascinating, but in Sakey's able hands, it became extraordinary. I can absolutely see this being The Brave New World of our generation. Ringing in at 500 pages, I couldn't believe how fast the end came...too fast. If you've yet to read this book, GET. IT. NOW. Thomas & Mercer, July 2013

And that my friends is my round-up of my favorite reads of 2013. Now how about you? What made your lists this year? What are the books you've most recommended to others? And what are you most looking forward to in 2014? For me, I'm looking forward to sharing great books with you another year. To, hopefully, trying some new things on the blog and discovering more new authors and celebrating a love of reading and books. Thanks for being along for the ride this year.

Happy New Year and Happy Reading!

Murder & Mayhem in Muskego - Part 2

Saturday is the main part of the Murder & Mayhem conference. This year's line-up of authors was another doozy so the entire day was filled with crime fiction goodness.

There was some kind of accident or something on the highway, so Judy Bobalik and I had to take the back roads route to the library and I was doing a slight panic on the way because this was the first year my duties were in the morning. Holy cow if I was late I'd have been mortified. But  no sweat, we made it in plenty of time for me to see a little bit of Bryan's first gig as panel moderator!

He led Marcus Sakey, Alex Segura, Sean Doolittle and Kieran Shea in a panel called "Flip the Switch." Bryan's last question to everyone was, "what would your last meal be?"

Pie!

And next came my interview with Gregg Hurwitz. What fun and how animated Gregg is. I've said many times, Gregg is simply a natural-born storyteller. He spoke about the beginning of his interest in writing, his research, his work on scriptwriting and of course his new book TELL NO LIES. By the way, I'm absolutely mortified to realize I never posted my review of the book here. I reviewed it for Shelf but wanted to add to the review...so I promise I will get that for you all. In the mean time, I have video of the interview if you care to watch. This year I managed to stay in the chair and Gregg even got me to blush at one point. It's the full interview, so give yourself some time and I hope you enjoy. Also a special shout out to my wonderful friend Larry who handled the activation of the video camera for this one. Thanks Larry!


Following our interview, Kate Malmon took the moderator's reigns to lead Duane Swierczynski, Howard Chaykin, Dana Cameron, Chris Holm and Harry Hunsicker in the "Riff Raff" panel. It started off in riff raff fashion with a phone interruption for Howard.

Sadly, Chris was not telling his bug story here.

Following lunch the noirish-types took the stage for the "Back in Black" panel led by Tim Hennessey and featuring Frank Wheeler, Megan Abbott, Reed Farrel Coleman, Frank Bill, Jedidiah Ayres, and Hilary Davidson. In the picture you'll notice Reed and Frank Bill in their matching hats. I would love to say those are for my Elyria alma mater, but in fact they were a "hat tip" to Rod Wiethop a prominent member of the crime fiction community who has had a stellar year with his sports teams at Effingham High School (hopefully I spelled that correctly).

Frank looks guilty and Megan looks livid - not sure how I managed the timing on this shot.

The rest of the panel is watching to see if a fight breaks out. Noir panels...whatdaya expect?

The rowdy group was up next. Katrina Holm moderated "Sink the Pink." Julie Hyzy dressed accordingly for this panel. Gregg, the Shakespeare "dilettante" and Dan O'Shea who has Shakespeare as his protagonist made for a interesting couple on this panel. Joelle Charbonneau talked about the differences in writing cozies and writing YA. And Tom Schreck, as usual, was the hit of the panel.

Tom's question was "Things that make you go hmmmm."

Even though the panel was "sink the pink" Julie stayed completely dry.

Gregg appears to be very confused. Could it be because of Dan's jacket?

The highlight of my day, second of course to interviewing Gregg, was watching Michael Koryta and Marcia Clark in conversation. They are funny, intelligent and great writers. The stories they shared were captivating. After almost 6 years now, I still haven't lost my interest and fascination in listening to great authors tell stories.

Who looks scary and prosecutorial? "Me. I do." Marcia intimidated Michael before he first met her.

Two wonderfully talented writers. An exceptional session at M&M.

I have to end with an apology because the final session of the day was William Kent Krueger's interview by Libby Fischer Hellmann. I didn't get any snaps of that session, but Kent started off the discussion with a grand praise of libraries and friends of libraries organizations.  A fitting way to cap the day held in a fantastic library.

I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to regularly attend this fabulous event for the last five years now. It's exceptional. If you have the chance to experience it, I encourage you to DO IT!!

Thanks for sticking through to the end of this post; hope you enjoyed it. Happy Reading friends!

Evil in All Its Disguises - HIlary Davidson

First line: "The snake had coiled itself halfway around my ankle by the time I spotted it."

Hilary Davidson's third novel featuring Lily Moore finds the amateur-sleuthing travel writer in Acapulco, Mexico, for a travel junket at the Hotel Cerón. The lavish accommodations aren't as much of a surprise as the fact that the hotel is owned by Pantheon Worldwide, her ex-fiancé's corporation. The surprises keep coming when Lily discovers that the hotel's manager is Gavin Stroud, the former right-hand man of her ex-fiancé Martin Sklar.

Armed with this knowledge, Lily is determined to find new lodgings, but meanwhile her friend and fellow travel-writer Skye McDermott has gone missing. The two were having a drink in the bar when Skye left to make a phone call and never returned. The hotel is practically empty except for the travel writers, and there's no evidence that Skye has left the premises, so where could she have gone and what could have happened to her?

As Davidson builds the suspense of the plot, a dark tone and atmosphere permeate the story. Weaving references to Edgar Allen Poe's work throughout the novel set in a virtually empty hotel creates a gothic feel for the reader. And Davidson's trademark references to classic movies and their actors adds to that vintage, black and white impression, as does the Acapulco setting--a one-time playground to Hollywood's big names.

The pacing of the novel is such that the reader can't stop turning pages, but at the same time Lily's feeling of being stuck in Acapulco for an eternity is projected to the reader. Can it really only be two days? The anxiety and intensity make us certain a lifetime has passed, or at least a week!

Hilary Davidson has indeed delivered again with a haunting crime novel that traps readers in its atmospheric microcosm--an engrossing story line, dramatic characters and exotic locales--coming back to a safe reality has never been so disappointing.

Evil in All Its Disguises is available today from Forge in hardcover (ISBN: 9780765333520) and as an unabridged audio (ISBN: 9781624060854), narrated by Hillary Huber from Dreamscape Audio.

Five on Friday - Hilary Davidson

I am so sorry that it's been quiet here at the blog this week. I'm trying to get some extra reading in before Bouchercon so I'm ready for my panel moderating, but that also means I'm getting backed up on the reviews I need to share with you. So prepare for some to be coming!

I have some fun things to share with you before I get to this week's Five on Friday. So let me take care of that first.

If you're an M.C. Beaton fan, Criminal Element has a pretty spiffy contest going on right now where you could win the whole series - 22 books!

Marcus Sakey is helping out a good cause. During the month of September he's donating all his proceeds from Scar Tissue - his ebook anthology - to the Team Julian Foundation to battle childhood cancer. After September half of all proceeds will go to the foundation. I reviewed the anthology here so if it's up your alley, now's a great time to buy a copy of it. If you're a Kindle user, here's the link for Amazon. Nook readers, I'm working on locating the link for you. I'll update here when I have more info!

And most of you know I'm not a big proponent of selling for Amazon, but I posted about this on Facebook the other day because I thought it was such a steal. Martyn Waites writes in conjunction with his wife Linda as Tania Carver. Their first book, The Surrogate - which I reviewed here - is on sale at Amazon for $7.13 (when I posted to FB it was under $7 - I wonder if there's been a surge in purchases). It's hardcover, so you're basically getting the hardcover for a mass market paperback price - heck, even mass markets are like $10 these days. Anyway, I love this series, so if you're at all fond of dark crime novels and you haven't checked out Tania Carver yet, this is a GREAT chance to do so.

And speaking of Martyn, you can see him in this cool video from Open Road Media (along with Joseph Wambaugh, Ken Bruen and others). I'm going to try to corner Martyn at Bouchercon and get him to tell me more about this prison experience of his:


Which leads me into Bouchercon. There have been a lot of updates on the conference at the website, so be sure to check them out. A couple things I'd like to draw your attention to:

Wednesday, October 3rd at Baldwin College Library, 10 Minotaur authors will be speaking and signing books. This isn't a Bouchercon event, so you don't need to be registered for the conference to go, but you can go if you're registered. This is a great opportunity to check out.

Criminal Element is sponsoring a social hour at 6 on Friday in the Grand Ballroom. If you're attending the conference I hope you'll come out for that. And if you're not dying to be anywhere else, I hope you'll pop into my panels on Friday and Saturday morning at 9. Next week I'll give you locations and whatnot, but you can also find the info in your programs!

My friend and fellow blogger Lesa Holstine will be here for Bouchercon. I can't wait!! She's a native Ohioan, like me but she had the good sense to fly the coop to warmer climes years ago. My good sense obviously flew the coop on me because I'm still here, but anyway, I always peek over at her blog on Thursdays so I can remind you that she's holding a book giveaway. I want to enter this one myself because I didn't get a copy of THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS and I'd really like to read that one. But she's also giving away Mitch Albom's new book as well. So, if those interest you, pop over and enter that contest.

O.k. well, even if I've left something off this week, I think that's enough housekeeping for this week. Let's get to the main event, shall we?

Hilary Davidson is an amazingly talented writer. Before publishing her first novel, THE DAMAGE DONE, she was a travel writer and spent some time reviewing restaurants for magazines. (Maybe I need to find a job like that!) Hilary's restaurant reviewing came before she discovered her special dietary needs and it came in rather handy when she started the very successful Gluten Free Guidebook Blog.

Hilary is a also a great supporter of other writers. She's an integral part of the crime fiction community and I like to consider myself her cheerleader.

My friend and fellow blogger, Elyse Dinh, would consider Hilary someone to "shove down the stairs" because you want to envy her beauty and talent and intellect. But at the same time you can't at all because she's so kind and generous. I am always excited to welcome Hilary to Jen's Book Thoughts and I am honored to have her participate in the Five on Friday:

In San Diego's Santa Fe train station

1. The most bizarre place I ever found inspiration for a story was: When I visited Machu Picchu in 2007, my first reaction was that it would be the perfect place to kill someone. The plot of my second novel, The Next One to Fall, was actually built around that impression. I think it’s normal to find inspiration everywhere you go, but I readily admit that seeing a majestic, beautiful place and thinking about murder is probably not normal.

2. Five songs on my iPod/music player right now are: My secret obsession is creating iPod playlists — I have a lot of them. The latest one has an eclectic group of songs: “Breaking Down” by Florence + the Machine, “Le Blizzard” by a Canadian group called Malajube, “Generals” by the Mynabirds, “Next to Me” by Emeli Sandé, “Dead and Gone” by the Black Keys, and “Miriam” by Norah Jones.

3. My favorite toppings on a pizza are:  Cheese, cheese, and more cheese. I also love pepperoni, bacon, olives, and peppers. But the main thing is that the pizza has to be gluten-free.

4. My favorite t-shirt (that I own) is: One that I kind of made myself. I found an iron-on transfer of a classic Ava Gardner photo, and I put it on a plain white t-shirt from Target. You have to understand, I have no talent at all for craft projects — this is as “crafty” as I get. I brought it with me on my book tour in the spring!

On the Mount of Olives, in sight of Jerusalem

5. The #1 item on my bucket list right now is: My bucket list is all about travel. For a long time, the #1 item was “Visit Israel,” and I was lucky enough to do that earlier this year. Now “Visit Cambodia” is at the top of the list — I especially want to see Angkor Wat.

I don't believe I've ever really talked to Hilary about music beyond her knowing my obsession with Harry Connick, Jr. I learned something about HER interests in music today - I love Norah Jones!

If you have not read Hilary's books or short fiction yet, I encourage you to do so. Her third book will come out in March of 2013, so you have plenty of time to catch up. Hilary will also be at Bouchercon so if you're coming be sure to find her and say "hi." For those who can't meet up with Hilary in person, you can learn more about her at her website. You can also catch her blogging at Criminal Minds every other Tuesday.

My thanks to Hilary. I know she's been under the weather lately, but she still made time for Five on Friday! Such dedication. It makes my heart smile. And happy reading to all. Have a great weekend!

Perfect Place for a Murder

Earlier this week I reviewed Hilary Davidson's second novel, THE NEXT ONE TO FALL, that is due out on Tuesday. And incidentally I also tag-team interviewed Hilary with Ruth Jordan in Issue #45 of CRIMESPREE Magazine. So if you don't subscribe give Murder by the Book a ring and get a copy! Hilary was kind enough to stop by and talk about the exotic locale of her book. And you just have to love a person who travels to Peru and thinks:

"This would be the perfect place to kill someone." - by Hilary Davidson

I’m almost embarrassed to admit that’s what I said just after I arrived at Machu Picchu. When I first got there, the rain and fog were so heavy that a gray shroud hid most of the Inca city from view. It was only when the rain stopped and the sun burned off the fog that I saw Machu Picchu in all its glory. I’m not sure what it says about me that I can visit a place, fall head-over-heels in love with it, and then decide to plot a murder there. A fictional murder, to be precise, but does that make it any better?

Machu Picchu with a llama!

My new novel, THE NEXT ONE TO FALL, is set in Peru, a country I had the good fortune to visit for three weeks in the fall of 2007. It was love at first sight for me. When I travel, there are certain things that I gravitate to. One is ancient or historic sites. Another is beautiful scenery — especially when it includes adorable animals (you may already know of my llama obsession). Good food is a big attraction for me. I also love museums, especially small collections that focus on the work of local artists. Most of all, I love visiting a place where it’s easy to get into conversations with locals and with other travelers; some of the best discoveries I’ve made when I travel have come out of casual discussions like that.

Peru got a perfect score on every front — and, in particular, the city of Cusco and the nearby “Sacred Valley” that leads to Machu Picchu. The combination of Inca and Spanish colonial history and sites caught my imagination. Even though the Inca Empire fell hundreds of years ago, the way that they reshaped the Peruvian landscape has stood the test of time. The Incas carved terraces onto the sides of mountains so they could grow crops there; when you stand in a place like the Sacred Valley or the Colca Canyon, all you see for miles are hundreds of terraces.

Inca terraces

Cusco, the city that was the capital of the Inca Empire, is filled with colonial architecture, much of which is built on Inca foundations. The Cathedral and several churches and convents now double as art galleries, featuring work by the Cusco School (also called the Cuzco School) of the 17th and 18th centuries, which had European painters come to Cusco to teach local artists to paint in the European style. The results were beautiful, beatific, and occasionally bizarre. The indigenous artists converted to Catholicism, but they retained certain Inca ideas. For example, depicting Jesus in a loincloth was profoundly disrespectful in their eyes, so Jesus wears the knee-length linen skirt of the Inca nobility in scenes of the crucifixion.

Jesus in the linen skirt of Inca nobility

It’s incredibly exciting to me to get to share stories about a place I love, and it is doubly so to do it through fiction. I used to write guidebooks, so I know how people’s eyes glaze over when you recite a bunch of dates and descriptions to them. But having the opportunity to show people Peru through the eyes of Lily Moore and Jesse Robb is thrilling. Lily is, in some ways, going through what I did when I first arrived. I experienced altitude sickness, too (it takes a while to acclimatize to the thin Andean air — Cusco is 11,500 feet above sea level!). She’s seeing Peru for the first time, and even though she’s caught up in her own grief, it starts to intrigue her. Jesse has visited Peru again and again, falling in love with the place as I did. Some people who’ve read the book have said it makes them feel as if they’d visited Peru. The woman’s body on the stone steps at Machu Picchu? That’s fiction. But the magical beauty of Peru itself is entirely real.

Jesuit Church from 1668

Hilary has very graciously supplied the beautiful pictures from this post. Aren't they astounding? She has also donated a copy of her new book for me to give away to a lucky reader. She knows how I am -  I'm not going to part with my own copy!


So, if you'd like to have a chance at winning THE NEXT ONE TO FALL, simply tell me in the comments where you think the perfect place for a murder might be. And be sure I have an email I can contact you at if you win! I'll take entries through next Friday. And the contest is open internationally!

In the meantime, you can find out more about Hilary at her website, check out all the locations she'll be visiting on her book tour. You can follow her on Twitter and you can hook up with her on Facebook. She's just omnipresent these days.

And since THE NEXT ONE TO FALL doesn't come out until Tuesday, you can whet your appetite with the first three chapters that are posted over at Criminal Element!

THE NEXT ONE TO FALL - Hilary Davidson

FIRST LINE:  "Standing at the edge of the mountain, I imagined what it would feel like to let go."

Lily Moore and Jesse Robb return in Hilary Davidson’s sophomore novel, THE NEXT ONE TO FALL. While she isn’t traveling for her job, it’s fitting that the travel writer sleuth should find herself outside of New York City for her next adventure. Lily and Jesse are visiting Machu Picchu in Peru when they discover a fatally injured woman who claims she was murdered, pushed down the ancient stone staircase. The woman’s dying words lead the pair away from their mundane tour group into a world of secrets, deception and death.

While Davidson’s victim in this novel fell to her death, Davidson is doing nothing but climbing. THE NEXT ONE TO FALL is an exquisite novel in plotting, setting and characterization. The plot is filled with unsuspecting twists, creating a mental labyrinth in which readers will likely find themselves thinking in the wrong direction. But never fear, as you scurry through the pages, Davidson will lead you safely to the end and you will want to turn around and try it again.

The Peru setting is both beautiful and dangerous. Davidson envelopes the reader in the geography without weighing down the plot with superfluous detail. Her writing manages to create imagery and atmosphere while being succinct and efficacious. Those who have not visited Machu Picchu themselves will feel as though they have after THE NEXT ONE TO FALL.

THE DAMAGE DONE introduced readers to Lily and Jesse, and while those unfamiliar to the first novel will not need to backtrack before THE NEXT ONE TO FALL, those who have read Davidson’s work will appreciate the way Davidson reflects their past experiences in their present characterization. Lily and Jesse suffered hardships and still have open wounds that can be easily re-opened. But their core strengths still guide them day to day. Jesse still exudes wit and charm; Lily is still thoughtful and introspective. And the relationship between the two is still shaping up to be one of the greatest in crime fiction.

THE NEXT ONE TO FALL is a creative blend of intrigue, suspense and mystery that will keep your blood pumping this winter. The hard-boiled ladies of crime fiction most definitely have another card-holding member in Hilary Davidson.

THE NEXT ONE TO FALL is available next Tuesday - Valentine's Day - as a hardcover (ISBN: 9780765326980), and for my audiobook friends, I'm thrilled to announce that Dreamscape Media will be releasing an audio version (ISBN: 9781611206647), narrated by Hilary Huber.

Chatting With Hilary Davidson

Yesterday marked the release of Hilary Davidson's award-winning THE DAMAGE DONE in paperback. Back when she was touring for the hardcover release (yes, I'm sorry, I'm embarrassing late on this), I interviewed Hilary. She shares some insight into THE DAMAGE DONE, her writing life and other fun topics. Unfortunately I didn't pick the greatest locale for the interview, so there are some noisy trains that pass through a couple times, but hopefully you're still able to hear o.k.

This is Part 1 of my chat with Hilary:




And if you're a GoodReads user, you can enter to win a copy of THE DAMAGE DONE. But however you get a copy, be sure to read this amazing debut (see my review here) and you'll be up to date next month when Hilary's second novel, THE NEXT ONE TO FALL hits bookshelves.

Stay tuned for more of my interview with Hilary still to come! Happy Reading!

Crime Fiction's Sexiest Authors of 2011 - Part 2

As I mentioned on Wednesday with Part 1 of this project, I started mulling over this idea when I read the post You Know You're an English Major If... and saw the identifier, "You consider authors to be sex symbols." And with People Magazine having their Sexiest Male issue and Salon.com weighing in on their Sexiest choices, I decided now would be a good time to bring my own choices to the blog.

However, I'm going to veer a bit from People and Salon because I'm also choosing the Sexiest Women of Crime Fiction. To make my choices here, I thought about those women I'd love to be. Who have characteristics I admire and yes, even envy...but not in a bad way, I promise.

So, mirroring the categories for the men, here are my choices for Crime Fiction's Sexiest Women. Note, I asked the ladies to send me a very unsexy picture to use with this project, and while I think they all still look quite sexy, many of them had fun with this. So here we go...enjoy!

SEXIEST WRITER-ATHLETE

Curlers are the new sexy, right?

I just can't imagine not choosing Christa Faust for this category. Some might argue the athlete part of the category since she's not running marathons or boxing or whatnot, but gosh darn it she keeps herself in shape and I'd much rather run into a marathon runner in a dark alley than a pissed off Christa Faust! Just kidding. Beyond those model good looks, she's a genuinely wonderful person. I admit to having been completely intimidated until I met her. And now I'm just thrilled to know her. She's wicked smart and self-confident and funny. And she's an amazing mama to Noir Dog, Butch.

Christa has a new book due out in February featuring a lesbian PI called BUTCH FATALE; DYKE DICK IN DOUBLE-D DOUBLE CROSS.  The much anticipated follow-up to her multiple-award nominee MONEY SHOT is CHOKE HOLD and now out from Hard Case Crime.

SEXIEST TRIPLE-SERIES WRITER

Sophie takes beauty tips from Junior

I don't know how Sophie Littlefield has time to do all that she does! She's raising kids and a dog, taking care of a home, mentoring other writers, and actively publishing THREE series - a crime series, a dystopian series and a YA series. Her writing reflects her wit and spirit, and you need only spend two minutes around her to experience the charm.

Sophie's drive and determination resulted in success in an extremely competitive field. Her talent with words and character netted her an Anthony Award. But it's Sophie's kindness and generosity that have won her the respect of her peers. It's also won her a spot on this list!

Sophie's new book in her dystopian series, HORIZON, is due out in January. And next June will bring the fourth book in her Stella Hardesty series, A BAD DAY FOR MERCY.

SEXIEST AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR

Hey! Really? Me? No way!

 I had to do an eenie, meanie, miney, moe for this category because all of these sexy writers are award winners. But Megan Abbott wins out for this one. The Edgar-award-winning author will never fade from my memory because the first time we met in person she said, "You read Bob Crais, right? Can we talk about his books today?" And I've adored her ever since! No, really, Megan is incredibly talented, original and funny. Her books have dark themes but I've never seen Megan when she wasn't bright and energized. I've also never seen Megan speak down to anyone or act as though she doesn't have time for them. Watching her with her fans, she exudes an authentic appreciation of their support and their conversation.

Megan's newest novel, THE END OF EVERYTHING, is garnering a tremendous amount of attention and well deserved accolades. I doubt this one will be overlooked for awards in the coming months.

SEXIEST WRITER UNDER 40

I'd like to thank the Academy for this sexy award....

None of the women on this list even come close to looking their ages and doesn't that just make you grumble? But how can you grumble at someone as charming and endearing and gracious as Hilary Davidson? Some people in the world you say a silent prayer of thanks to God (or whomever) for bequeathing them talent like Hilary's. You say thanks because they so richly deserve that talent and appreciate it and do wonderful things with it. Hilary is one of those people. And human characteristics don't get any sexier than that.

Hilary's debut novel, THE DAMAGE DONE, won the Anthony Award and Crimespree Award for best first novel. Her second novel, THE NEXT ONE TO FALL, is due out on Valentine's Day.

SEXIEST WRITER ON TV

Watch out! Hank will uncover your secrets!

Hank Phillippi Ryan just wins awards where ever she goes. She's won more Emmy's than she can count on fingers AND toes for her hard-hitting investigative reporting for NBC. And those awards all have to share space with the Anthony, the Macavity and the Agatha Awards for her equally amazing writing.

What really made me positive Hank belonged on my list was her astounding compassion and kindness. And if you ever hear her talk about her husband, now there's the fairy tale romance - true love.

I had communicated with Hank before the first time I met her in person...in Indianapolis...at Bouchercon. I showed her the scrapbook page with her memoir she submitted and she teared up. I had no intention of making her cry, but boy what a gift she gave me to appreciate it that much. Hank has a heart of gold, and I just think that's sexy beyond compare.

Hank is branching out from her wildly successful Charlotte McNally series next year to publish the first in a new suspense series, THE OTHER WOMAN.

O.k., the final spot on my list goes to....

JEN'S SEXIEST FEMALE WRITER ALIVE

The reigning queen!

Alafair Burke! It would be far easier for me to say what isn't sexy about Alafair because I couldn't give you anything. I admire her tremendously and consider her one of my heroes. She's smart, clever  and full of life. She's generous, kind and true. Her ability to laugh at herself is endearing and rare. There aren't many people who can do that with ease. And that allows others to be at ease around Alafair. She's human. And DAMN that's just sexy!

I, of course, adore Alafair's love of her French bulldog, Duffer. She takes him to day care, dresses him for Halloween, and collects the home videos of his life.

She doesn't dress her husband for Halloween, but she does treasure him and their life together. 

Years ago now I went to meet Alafair because I was enamored with her writing. I was rewarded with a woman I now admire as so much more than an author. And I don't want to make this sound like I admire her because she's perfect; I don't think that would be real. I do think she's stunning and beautiful inside and out, but I admire Alafair because she's challenged herself throughout her life. She's accomplished so much in a short time and still aspires to accomplish more; I can't wait to see where she is 40 years from now. I aspire to be that happy in my own skin, and I find it quite sexy.

Alafair released her first stand alone novel this year with LONG GONE. She also publishes a series with Assistant Prosecutor Samantha Kincaid and a series with NYC Police Detective Ellie Hatcher.

There you have it! My choices for the Sexiest Women of Crime Fiction in 2011. Now you can weigh in. Who do you think I left off the list? There are many, of course, so I can't wait to hear your choices.


As with Wednesday's group, this post is meant to be fun. I whole-heartedly mean what I've written about the authors, and I received their permission to include them in the post. I hope you've enjoyed it.

The Last....I Promise...Bouchercon Post

I apologize for taking so ridiculously long to get this final Bouchercon post finished. But here we go, my final recap for this wonderfully amazing convention.

Saturday in St. Louis was the big day for me, and I started it off by attending my good friend Erin Mitchell's panel. She was moderating a Bouchercon panel for the first time this year, and actually she moderated two panels. This panel included one of my heroes, Gregg Hurwitz, the exceptionally talented Lisa Unger and a relatively new-to-me author, Linwood Barclay.

Erin was well prepared and did a wonderful job leading the panel. All of the panelists were humorous and generous. And one of the links among the panelists is their tendency to create ordinary characters and put them in extraordinary circumstances.

Gregg emphasized the importance of relationships in the stories. One of his goals as a writer is to encourage his readers to invest in not only the characters but the relationships they have throughout the books. And he's moved away from writing villains. As he's matured as a writer, he's turned more to antagonists than villains. (I just love that statement. I think it's often what makes the difference between a good book and a great book.) In terms of his protagonists, he's also shifted. His early books dealt with characters whose jobs it was to investigate the crimes involved. But as Gregg's shifted more to common people as protagonists, the motives for what draws them into their circumstances becomes wide open.

Linwood believes that his background as a humor columnist paved the way for his career writing fiction - he always had a rather careless regard for facts, he says. Linwood likes to write about people who are ill-equipped to deal with bad people...as opposed to folks who are well-trained (i.e., P.I.s, cops, military, etc.). Part of his reason for this is that he doesn't know what it's like to be "well-equipped" to deal with bad people and he's extremely lazy; he doesn't want to have to research for months to find out what it IS like to be these people. Instead he wants to know what people like him would do if faced with those bad people; for Linwood, it heightens the suspense. He also pointed out that there's more room for transition in the character because they have to overcome a lot more in order to triumph.

For Lisa, it's always a character that she hears speaking to her or one that she's seen that pulls her into writing a novel. But while writing FRAGILE, The Hollows, her setting, started to evolve as a character and have its own personality and a "beating heart." Above all else, Lisa feels it's imperative to have an equal level of compassion for all her characters. That compassion lends itself to authenticity in the creation much more than researching "people."  Lisa also believes that writers are first and foremost observers. They are acutely conscientious to who and what goes on around them.

The panel was a most wonderful way to start the day. My only regret is that more people weren't able to experience it. One other perk of this panel was snagging Will Lavender who was in the audience and getting this picture.

If you haven't already read my raving about his book, DOMINANCE, I encourage you to do so. After having met Will in person now, I know that he's not only talented, but an extremely wonderful person as well.

Another author I caught up with on Saturday was Bill Cameron. He was signing at the Crimespree table and I stopped by so he could sign my copy of COUNTY LINE. I cherish all my pictures with the authors I meet, but I have to say, I really like this picture a lot:

O.k., so I already yapped and yapped quite a bit for this final post, and this isn't even a fraction of what happened on Saturday. Before I give you the grand finale, I have to congratulate one of the most wonderful people in crime fiction...Hilary Davidson, as you know, won the 2011 Anthony Award for Best First Novel. And I have to memorialize that here at the blog. If you've ever been so happy for someone's success that it completely eradicated your own disappointment for yourself, then you know how monumentally excited I was for Hilary to win this distinction. Congratulations, my friend! No one deserved this more:

And one more thing. I promise, this is it. I GOT TO MEET AYO!! This is Ayo Onatade who is part of the Shots Blog crew, and she is just wonderful. She's funny and smart and kind and I have to figure out how she can live closer to me because I started missing her the minute I said good bye. She lurks around here at the blog from time to time, but there's nothing like spending time with her in person. Thank goodness for Bouchercons!

As promised, here is the finale...Please try to overlook my bumbling in the beginning and I apologize profusely for the person who kicked the camera toward the end of the interview and wasn't kind enough to move it back. You can still see both of us, but we're quite off-center... my interview with the spectacular, funny, intelligent, talented, and genuine, Val McDermid - 2011 Bouchercon International Guest of Honor.