The End of 2015 - Part 2

If you missed it, yesterday I summed up my reading stats and shared my favorite audiobooks, debuts and non-fiction works. Today I'm going to reveal my favorite crime novels of 2015 and my favorite overall reads of 2015, so let's not waste any time. As with yesterday's lists, these are in no particular order.

My favorite 2015 crime novels:

Hush Hush by Laura Lippman - This return of Tess Monaghan was just spectacular. Laura Lippman knows how to spin a good yarn, pull you into and make the hours just disappear.

Dry Bones by Craig Johnson - "Save Jen!" Walt, Vic and a dinosaur, what's not to love? This series remains in my all time favorite list and Dry Bones epitomizes why. The dialogue is exceptional, the sense of place is rich, the characters are dynamic and the plot is fascinating. Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones is tops this year!

The Gates of Evangeline by Hester Young - If you missed yesterday's post then you won't know that I picked The Gates of Evangeline as one of my favorite debuts. And yes, I think it's good enough to make my overall favorites list as well. This was a book that kept me glued to the pages, and I look forward to what Hester Young does from here.

The Investigation by J.M. Lee - This translation from the original Korean is stunning. The story revolves around a central murder and then just builds in exquisite layer after layer from there. The Investigation is an appreciation of the arts in all forms. It's beautiful, inspirational, heart-wrenching and I very much hope that more of Lee's work makes it way to the U.S.

Woman With a Blue Pencil by Gordon McAlpine - It is quite rare for me to feel like I've happened on a truly unique story concept. And maybe this one has been done before, but I've not experienced it. The creative blending of plot lines made this one fascinating book. Its themes are especially poignant given our own political current events. This is a short one, but boy is it ever powerful.

House of the Rising Sun by James Lee Burke - Sadly it's been a little while since I've had a chance to pick up a James Lee Burke so my return with House of the Rising Sun was that much more delectable. I savored every beautiful word of this unparalleled tale of family, faith, betrayal and redemption.

The Promise by Robert Crais - Elvis Cole, Joe Pike, Maggie and Scott James. That's almost too much wonderfulness for one book. We waited awhile for this one and it was certainly worth it.

The Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney - Berney stepped away from his series character Shake Bouchon and took on a darker tone for this standalone proving he has a wide range of talent when it comes to storytelling. The psychological elements of this novel were intense and effective. Even if Berney's next work is paranormal romance, you can rest assured I'll read it.

The Devil's Game by Sean Chercover - While I mentioned this book several times as I was reading it, I'm ashamed to say I never got my review finished. So if you haven't picked this one up yet, I hope you'll give it a go. The follow-up to The Trinity Game kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat. Daniel Byrne is a fascinating protagonist and I'm anxious to see where Chercover takes him next!

The Lake House by Kate Morton - In my interview with Kate Morton she told me that no one ever considers her a mystery writer. So here she is on my crime fiction list...officially a mystery writer. I guess I'm the late one to the Kate Morton party because this was my first experience reading her, and I was swept off my feet. She managed to surprise me (not easy) and envelope me in her grand fictional world...for almost 600 pages...and I never lost interest. Consider me now a Kate Morton evangelist!

So there you have my favorite crime novels and finally *drum roll* it's time for

My overall favorite reads of 2015:

Trigger Warnings by Neil Gaiman - This collection of short stories felt like the variety pack of chocolate candies. You know the commercial where the mom asks all the kids what they want and they all scream something different and she says, "I've got that!"? That's what Trigger Warnings is in literary form. Want poetry? He's got it. Want a crime story? He's got it. Want a love story? He's got that too. And of course the fantasy. Gaiman's talent is astounding and I'm embarrassed it took me as long as it did to discover it, but now that I have, there's no turning back!

Dry Bones by Craig Johnson - You can see above for my gushing, but I just can't resist repeating, "Save Jen!"

Woman With the Blue Pencil by Gordon McAlpine - Yep, another one you can reference from the first list.

House of the Rising Sun by James Lee Burke - I'm feeling like a broken record here.

The Investigation by J.M. Lee - Another one you can see above for my gushing...I'm a crime junkie through and through, even when I'm reading other stuff.

Mobile Library by David Whitehouse - Stop the presses, this one isn't repeated from the first list. This story was so delightful, packed with quirky and wonderful characters on a magical adventure. It still makes me smile even though I read it a year ago. If you missed it, find this one. So worth the read!

The Bassoon King by Rainn Wilson - This is a repeated title from yesterday's lists where I lauded Wilson in both the non-fiction and audiobook lists. He's written a smart, funny and inspirational memoir that you don't have to be a fan of The Office to completely adore. If you ARE a fan, you'll adore it as well, I'm sure.

Penguin Lessons by Tom Michell - Another repeat from yesterday, this one as a favorite debut and favorite non-fiction. Michell has just won my heart with his tale of Juan Salvador the penguin.

Wanted by Chris Hoke - I think I hit that groove in the record where I'm repeating myself again. Chris Hoke's book was on my lists for favorite non-fiction and favorite debuts as well. Wanted is masterfully written and so incredibly powerful. It's a book that will resonant with me for a very long time.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman - If Backman needs disciples, I'd like to sign up. Last year I shouted from the rooftops about A Man Called Ove, this year I'm equally enamored by Grandmother. I described this book recently as fantasy wrapped in reality and while that sounds a bit ridiculous, I think it sums up the Escher-esque complexity of this wonderful book. It stole my heart and there was no doubt at all that it would be on this list.

So, there you have it! That sums up the great reads of my year. Of course there are a stack of books I really wanted to get to and haven't yet--I'm not giving up yet, but there are also fabulous books for 2016 starting to hit my pile as well. 2015 was great and I have high hopes for 2016 as well. Please, let me know what topped your reading lists this year. I'm excited to know.

Happy reading and happy end to 2015. May your 2016 be full of exceptional reading material.

Hush Hush - Laura Lippman

First line: "Transcript of interview with CAROLYN SANDERS, March 3."

Hush Hush marks Laura Lippman's return to her beloved Baltimore private eye, Tess Monaghan. And boy what a return this is.

Now juggling a rambunctious toddler, a household that includes three dogs, and her investigative career, Tess is pulled somewhat begrudgingly into a security consulting job. Tyner's client, Melisandre Dawes,  stood trial twelve years ago for killing her infant daughter but was found not guilty by reason of temporary insanity. After her release from the medical facility she was sent to for treatment, she left the country, her ex-husband and her two other daughters. Now she's returned in hopes of reuniting with the children she abandoned and making a documentary about herself.

Not everyone is happy about her return--she's been receiving threatening notes--so Tyner wants Tess and her partner Sandy Sanchez to evaluate the security of Melisandre's new apartment. Agreeing partly for the money and partly for her family ties to Tyner--he's married to her aunt--Tess agrees to go over the situation but wants to make it perfectly clear that they are having no part of Melisandre's movie and they are not security consultants by trade.

Tess wants to meet with Tyner and Melisandre then wash her hands of the whole deal, but a series of events leading up to new murder, in which Melisandre is the prime suspect, continue to pull Tess and Sandy back into the thick of a mad woman's life of drama.

While the issues dealing with child murder are often hot buttons for readers, Lippman treats this case with careful reverence. Tess's constant reflection on her own struggles as a mother tie her uncomfortably to this woman she simply cannot understand. She considers her actions but decides it's safer to just not think about it: "Of course it was crazy, but what did crazy mean?" In addition, Lippman has included a personal stalker for Tess. Someone is leaving her notes. Notes that start out relatively harmless but progress to judging her parenting skills, which in turn make Tess question her fitness as a mother. She contrasts her disorganized, exhausted skills to Crow's seemingly effortless approach. While most mother's don't have an anonymous stalker, they can likely empathize with Tess, whether receiving "advice" or flat out criticism in their own experiences. Putting on a strong mask in front of those people is much easier than controlling the self-doubt that permeates thoughts and fears.

While it is only a few sentences, Sandy's reaction to Melisandre's crime is also powerful. A former police detective he says, "it's the kind of thing--Guys who could make jokes about anything, they didn't joke about that. Cases like that, they can really screw you up." Horrendous crimes like the one Melisandre Dawes commits can affect so many people on different levels, and Lippman looks at several of those levels in this novel.

Equally engaging are the two daughters left behind by Melisandre. Alanna and Ruby weren't much more than toddlers when their mother murdered their baby sister.  Now teenagers, each has dealt with their multiple losses in different ways. Additional secrets seep out as the book progresses, but both girls are sympathetic characters and trying to envision their lives is an emotional element of the story.

Lippman is exceptional with complex, gripping characters who illicit a host of strong responses from readers: compassion, revulsion, adoration, empathy. Stimulating internal dialogue for the audience makes a rewarding reading experience. And Lippman delivers more than just stellar characters.

The plot of the novel is authentic and riveting. The twists and suspense make for a thrilling read that's still grounded in reality. It's a bit of a thief, though. Readers are likely to find hours missing unexplainably once they sit down with this books. Tess Monaghan is a Baltimore fixture, but this novel could be set almost anywhere given the storyline. Horror stories about filicide aren't relegated to a geographic area and Lippman does a exemplary job of touching her reader, regardless of age or gender or race or any other categorizing factor--this is a human story.

Whether you're a long time Tess Monaghan fan or you've never read the series before, Hush Hush can be read and enjoyed by any number of kinds of readers and on many different levels. It's books like Hush Hush that remind us all of our commonalities and human connections.

Tess Monaghan is back, and that's a very good thing.

Hush Hush is available in hardcover (ISBN: 9780062369758) from William Morrow. It is also available as an unabridged audiobook (ISBN: 9780062372352), narrated by Jan Maxwell, from Harper Audio.



Check out the Tess is Back microsite where you can listen to excerpts, see Baltimore locales from the series, learn about the characters and best of all, enter to win digital audio or ebook prizes from the series.

Hopefully you already know you can find Laura Lippman on Facebook and Twitter, but if not, connect with her there or her website.

My review today kicks off the TLC book tour for Hush Hush. Check out the schedule of blogs and see what others have to say about the book.

Disclosure: I do some contractual work for one of the owners of TLC Blog Tours. My work with them does not obligate me to a specific kind of review. The reviews are still my own opinions and reflect only my thoughts on the novels. If you care to read more, you can find more information on my Disclosure page.

After I'm Gone - Laura Lippman

First line: "They left at dusk, about an hour before the fireworks were scheduled, and by the time they were at he old toll bridge over the Susquehanna, Felix could see glimmers of light through the one tiny window, little celebrations everywhere."

After I'm Gone opens with Felix Brewer running away. He's in the midst of a trial that will likely put him away for several years, so to avoid prison time he's leaving, without a trace. Abandoning his wife, three daughters and a mistress. But that's the last readers will see of Felix in the present tense, After I'm Gone is the story of the women's lives, including the unsolved murder of Felix's mistress.

Almost ten years to the day of Felix's disappearance, his mistress Julie disappeared. It was commonly believed that she went to meet Felix. However, that belief was crushed when Julie's remains turned up years later. Her disappearance was due to murder, not flight.

Roberto "Sandy" Sanchez is a retired cop who works with the Baltimore police on a contract basis, investigating cold cases. Julie's murder is long cold, and Sandy decides it will be his next project. He works under the belief that the perpetrator's name is in the file. In this case, the file is 800 pages and there are a lot of names in the game.

After I'm Gone jumps around time-wise, giving readers a glimpse of the Brewer family before Felix left, after he left, when Julie's body is discovered and finally the present as Sandy investigates the murder. This is the story of Felix's wife Bambi, his daughters Linda, Rachel and Michelle, and their struggle to define themselves in the shadow of their father's crime.

Laura Lippman delivers a captivating story of cheating, lying and murder, but even more bewitching than the crimes are the lives of the women connected to Felix. Each woman is so distinctly drawn, with their personalities meshing into the situation to create who they become. Bambi is stoic and independent. She wants to maintain appearances and struggles to do so. Linda and Rachel both knew their father well when he left, but Michelle didn't. She spends much of her life searching for men to take care of her, but without attachments. She's also the one who makes the greatest effort to find Felix.

The dynamics between these three woman are enthralling and heart-breaking. Their struggles and their bonds highlight the fortitude of these four women. The physical beauty is visible to the world, but the masked strength of their spirit is grasped through their development at Lippman's hand. Growth and transformations are authentic. Emotion is genuine. And by the end of the book, readers will be convinced they've known the Brewer family their whole lives.

While more of a background element, the mystery of Julie's murder adds a layer of suspense to an already engaging life story. It also allows Lippman to weave in the story of Sandy with his own troubled background. Whether readers anticipate the conclusion to the murder case or are surprised by the outcome, the true draw of the novel comes via the Brewer women.

As a fan of the Tess Monaghan series, her cameo was a nice surprise. Could it be a teaser? Is this the last we've seen of Sandy Sanchez? Only time will tell. If it the last we've seen, he made an outstanding appearance. After I'm Gone is certainly one of my favorite Lippman books to date. 

After I'm Gone is available in hardcover (ISBN: 9780062083395) from William Morrow. It's also available from HarperAudio as an unabridged audiobook (ISBN: 9780062265258) narrated by Linda Emond.

My review of After I'm Gone is part of the TLC Book Tour. You can see what other bloggers are saying about the novel, by visiting the TLC site for the complete tour schedule. In addition, William Morrow has a contest going for reviews of After I'm Gone. You can be entered to win a $100 Visa Gift Card if you post a review--to a blog, Goodreads, a retail site, wherever--and email the link to your post to trish@tlcbooktours.com. Reviews--not just plot summaries--must be posted by March 1st, so make haste if you're interested!

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Disclosure: I do some contractual work for one of the owners of TLC Blog Tours. My work does not involve this tour or any other tour I would agree to be a part of here at the blog. Nor does my work with them obligate me to a specific kind of review. The reviews are still my own opinions and reflect only my thoughts on the novels. If you care to read more, you can find more information on my Disclosure page. 

Five on Friday: Laura Lippman

Happy Friday everyone! Slowly but surely I'm getting closer to that "caught up" status. I'm not sure that I've ever been ACTUALLY caught up, but some times it seems attainable at least. :-)

Some fun things to share with you before we get to our wonderful guest today. First is this month's Nerdy Special List.  I've been reading more non-fiction lately in my Shelf Awareness role, so my pick for April, like March, is a non-fiction title. For April, though, this title will likely appeal to crime readers because of the nature of the subject. Curious? Click over and check out what all the blogger choices for April are.

This isn't crime fiction related, but you may be interested in checking out this HarperCollins book and contest. You could win a cruise for two! I'm fascinated by the book, though. I'm constantly trying to remind myself to always celebrate the people in my life. It might be a title I want to check out.

Lesa's book giveaway this week is titled "The Child in You." Remember to act fast on this one, entries have to be in by tomorrow morning.

The Friday Reads contest for this week includes: Austin Grossman's You, Kyle Mills' The Utopia Experiment, and Hugh Howey's Wool. I can't really speak to any of these titles, except to say I really liked Kyle Mills' last Ludlum novel, The Ares Decision.

I mentioned this, this week on Facebook, but wanted to reiterate it here, the Murder and Mayhem in Muskego schedule is starting to come together. The complete schedule is not finalized yet, but a number of people have been confirmed including Marcia Clark, Gregg Hurwitz, Dana Cameron, Duane Swierczynski, Megan Abbott, and more (Dan Malmon has informed me he's going to have a name badge that reads "...AND MORE"--like me, he'll be there to moderate the motley crew. I can't wait). Anyway, the reason I mention it is to encourage you to set aside the date: November 9th and get to Muskego (outside of Milwaukee) for this wonderful event. When the website is ready and registration is open, I'll pass on more information.

I know, enough Forbus, let's get to the main event. And I am very happy to do just that. I have admired Laura Lippman for years. Of course I love her writing; she has a gift, but she also works hard at what she does. She has goals and sets standards for herself. I also admire her confidence. I find that to be her most stunningly beautiful trait. She doesn't view herself as perfect, rather she's comfortable with who she is and doesn't need to prove anything to anyone.

Laura Lippman is the kind of woman I hope young (and not so young) girls find to admire. And I don't say that to throw a bunch of unreasonable expectations on her. I simply know that if a generation of young women aspired to have the integrity, strength, confidence and work ethic that Laura Lippman does, the future of our country wouldn't concern me in the least.

For those unaware with her most recent novel, it's called And When She Was Good. I don't know how you can read the jacket and not want to snatch this one up. I am very selective about the books I buy because I receive so many for review--and quite frankly they are taking over the house. But, this one was one I knew I had to have.

I am honored and tickled to welcome Laura Lippman to this week's Five on Friday:

Laura helps Brad Parks celebrate the Lefty Award in Colorado Springs

When I’m reading a book, I absolutely hate it when a writer uses "disinterested" incorrectly. And, yes, I'm sure I make similar errors all the time. But as I have told disgruntled readers, we all put a high premium on what we know.

If I could sit next to anyone (not related to me) on a cross-country flight, it would be the Invisible Man because even if he had gross, disgusting feet in flip-flops and he crossed his legs in such a way that his foot was in my personal space and his toenails were yellow and talon-like -- well, I wouldn't see it. Although I suppose if he was one of those guys who splays his legs, I might feel it, which would be very weird and disturbing. Heck, just make it Jensen Ackles.

The best car I ever owned was a 15-year-old Toyota Corolla that cost $350 and had 167,000 miles on it and ran for two years without incident. I didn't get rid of it until I could see an alarming swath of road through the floorboards, which were beginning to resemble lace. $350!

My favorite vegetable is kale. It's one of the few trends I was ahead of the curve on and I love the version known as kale-crack.

The #1 item on my bucket list right now is to live long enough to experience as many milestones in my daughter's life as possible. That's probably the prayer of every late-starting parent. Or maybe just every parent. 

And that last response is yet another reason I admire this woman. When you listen to her talk about her family, she simply lights up. You can't help but be happy at such a sight. And if you check out my highlight moments from LCC in this weekend's post, I'll give you one more reason why I really, really like and admire Laura Lippman. But until then, my thanks to Laura for her wonderful responses. I'm off to check my uses of "disinterested" and I wish you all Happy Reading!

Left Coast Crime - Part 2

Saturday was just an all-around spectacular day at Left Coast Crime. I started out at a panel called "You Say Teepee, I Say Hogan." All the panelists dealt with Native American tribes in one way or another in their books. It was rather fascinating to see the array of tribes that these authors illustrated through their writing.

Margaret Coel's fascination with the Arapahoe started through research she was doing primarily through books, but through the course of her 16-book series featuring Father John and Vicky she came to know the Arapahoe personally and interacts with them regularly. But her own position as an outsider made her want to write her books around someone with a similar situation, thus Father John.

Craig Johnson, of course, has the Cheyenne in his Walt Longmire series. He feels that it's important to reflect the Indian culture honestly in his books. And he emphasized their rich sense of humor. All of the panelists agreed that the Indians have a wonderful sense of humor. Craig says if you don't pick up on it, you will quickly become the butt of it.

Shannon Baker writes about the Hopi and her interest was sparked by a controversy involving piping sewage water to a mountain for the creation of snow to ski.

Following the Indian culture panel, I headed off to an all-woman panel on the forensics behind the books. This panel included J.T. Ellison, Robin Burcell, and L.J. Sellers, moderated by Jan Burke.

Robin, having been in law enforcement herself had some first-hand experience with the real life forensics. J.T. and L.J. have both made great efforts to learn about those aspects of law enforcement. J.T. has observed autopsies and fared far better than she thought she would. L.J. has been at the scene of the crime for evidence gathering.

Robin's advice for how to get the inside scoop on this information if you're writing a book, offer law enforcement free food! Offer to take them to lunch or dinner and pick their brains. While certain practices like ride-alongs aren't as common as they once were, there are other opportunities to learn, such as citizens' academies.

Of course the question came up in this panel about how much is too much when you're writing about the forensics. There's an obvious "ick" factor, but where do you draw the line?

Robin says she's always followed her grandmother's advice on painting, "when you're painting a brick wall, you don't paint ever brick. You paint enough so the viewer knows it's a brick wall and you let their brain fill in the rest." L.J. says anything she puts in the book has to move the plot along. Anything used strictly for reaction is excessive.

This was just a full day of great content. The next on my list was Laura Lippman's interview with Twist Phalen. It was a wonderful interview and I walked away feeling like I knew Laura better than before, so that's a definite plus.

Laura spoke to the fact that she doesn't care about the number of female writers vs male writers, who is being reviewed where, etc., etc. Instead she cares about the number of stories about women vs the number of stories about men. She hopes that her body of work will be a reflection of the "woman" through her time.

Laura believes that crime fiction has no limitations and she hates the phrase "transcends genre." She's always been proud to be a crime novelist and believes people need to stop using euphemisms for what they do. Own it, and be proud of it.

Her next book will be called After I'm Gone and the idea for the story came from her husband. She says it is the first time she's allowed someone to give her an idea for a book.

The final panel I attended for Saturday (I missed a panel I wanted to see because lunch took too long, what can you do) was the panel featuring the Rocky Award nominees: Chuck Greaves, Craig Johnson, Margaret Coel, Beth Groundwater and Darrell James.

The panel started with a question for Craig: are you Walt Longmire. And Craig responded with his wife, Judy's regular response to this question, "Walt is who Craig wants to be in 10 years, but he's getting a slow start." Craig also says that the tv show has not affected how he writes his characters at all.

Chuck Greaves says he chose Pasadena for the setting of his books because LA has been done by many and better. He was looking for something new and different.

The approach to writing varies widely on this panel. Chuck heads into uncharted territory without a map. Craig takes a map but doesn't necessarily always refer to it, and as a former engineer, Beth Groundwater "engineers" her plots with a lot of planning and preparation.

The tidbit I found most fascinating in this panel was learning Craig had done some mountaineering in the past and that the Chapter 12 scene of The Cold Dish is derived from an experience he had while climbing in Russia. It's little things like this that make panels, book events, etc., so fun for me.

O.k. in the interest of not making this post any longer than it already is, I'll save the rest of Saturday for tomorrow's post. There is still plenty to come! As you can see, I thoroughly enjoyed Left Coast Crime and would highly recommend it to any crime fiction fan. I've already signed up to attend Monterey in 2014.

Then tomorrow we'll talk Left Coast Crime awards and an amazing Guest of Honor interview between Craig Johnson and Lou Diamond Phillips.

Left Coast Crime - Part I

Rabbit, rabbit! Right? Kind of funny saying that the day AFTER Easter. I hope you all had a great weekend.

So, you know I traveled to Colorado to attend my first Left Coast Crime. And I have to say, it was a great experience. I liked the size of the conference and the resort was absolutely lovely. I personally would have preferred it in the summer, but some left-coasters who don't get to see snow very often enjoyed it. Here's a view of the scenery Friday morning:

This was the same view Saturday morning:

This was also the reason Lou Diamond Phillips had a difficult time getting to Colorado Springs, but more on that later. Despite the weather, we had a grand time.

Thursday was our panel on social media. I video taped the panel, but unfortunately the view wasn't wide enough to get everyone. So, it's only a partial view. When I have that available on YouTube, I'll let you all know. But we touched on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads (too bad we didn't have the Amazon topic to throw in), Pinterest and Google Plus. Time prevented us from addressing blogs, websites and newsletters, though. Our panelists were so wonderful and all had unique perspectives, so the conversation was great and we received many compliments. The greatest thing I heard from people was that they learned something something from the panel. Yay!

The next day started off with a panel about literary influences, followed by a panel on the anti-hero. The discussion on the anti-hero was rather fascinating and revealing. Questions such as "is there a line your anti-hero can't cross" and "should the reader judge the anti-hero" came up. I think readers are going to judge all characters no matter but whether they're justified in doing so is the real question. This brings to mind for me the idea that readers should first and foremost ask themselves if the author is doing what he/she set out to do. John Gilstrap says the problems arise when you have the anti-hero step outside his/her own code.

The panel was all male and I wonder what direction some of the questions would have taken if there had been a female on the panel. It was pointed out later in the panel that Zoe Sharp writes a female anti-hero. That may very well have changed the climate of this panel, but it was insightful nonetheless.

One of my favorite panels of the weekend was the "Lighter Side of Death and Dismemberment" featuring Deb Coonts, Harley Jane Kozak, Rochelle Staab, Brad Parks and Chuck Greaves. These folks know how to avoid taking life too seriously. While I had a hard time believing that Brad Parks is the shy quiet one in his family, the fact that Deb has made it her life's mission to embarrass her son sounded like a parental truth.

The idea of humor in the darker books of crime fiction came up and humor as a defense mechanism was discussed. Most professions that encounter regular horrors like law enforcement, the medical professions, etc. have a way of dealing with what they witness every day. To people on the outside that may come across as sick, but for those in the trenches, it's the only way to remain healthy. So humor is true to life for these people.

I have some video from this panel as well. I need to do some editing with it, but will hopefully have that done soon so I can share. I think you'll enjoy a little tidbit from this panel.

Following this humor panel, I attended another absolutely hilarious event and that was the Truth or Dare panel. The folks subjecting themselves to this were Brad Parks, Toast master David Corbett, Guest of Honor Laura Lippman and Parnell Hall.

The questions and dares were posed by Rhys Bowen. At first everyone was willing to respond to the truths: what non-living writer doesn't deserve their fame? What's your birth name? What's the worst thing anyone's ever said or written about you? But when the question of "What LIVING author doesn't deserve their wealth or fame" no one was willing to answer and the dares started. 

Several of the dares dealt with singing, but when they arrived at Brad, he was given a blind fold and then Jan Burke came to the stage and stood next to him. He had to determine who Jan was without looking. And yes, we were all a little concerned about this! No lives or limbs were lost, however.

To top off this night, Brad Parks and I went to dinner at a dive called The Hatch Cover. Brad had been in the "Concealed Weapons Fashion Show" as James Bond and was decked out in a tuxedo. I fit in much better in my jeans and sweatshirt. As Brad describes it, when we walked in the record scratched and everyone turned to look at the first tuxedo to grace the Hatch Cover. The tuxedo may also have been the reason the waitress carded Brad when he ordered a beer. He was astonished and had to brag to everyone that night about being carded. A success Friday at Left Coast Crime I would say!

I'll have more on Saturday tomorrow, so stay tuned!

I'D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE - Laura Lippman

First sentence: "'Iso, time for - ' Eliza Benedict paused at the foot of the stairs."

Eliza Benedict is living a normal, middle-class life with her husband and two daughters. The Benedicts have returned to the United States after living in England, and out of the blue a letter arrives for Eliza jolting her from her happy, normal life. As a teenager, Eliza - Elizabeth - was kidnapped by a man who raped and murdered numerous other girls. But the rapist didn't kill Eliza and eventually she was rescued. The letter that arrives is from the rapist who is in prison awaiting the death penalty. Through his communications, he weasels his way back into Eliza's life and the memories of that time resurface for Eliza, making her face them all over again.

The plot of I'D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE is absolutely fascinating. The characters are as integral to making this plot work as the events are. Eliza has a submissive personality. Even as an adult she exhibits very submissive behaviors. She tries at times to exert a bit of independence, but that doesn't come naturally for her. Had she been a more dominant personality, the whole chemistry of the "relationship" between captor and captive would have been obliterated. And while there are times you want to scream at her to run away, to tell someone she's a victim, to leave a message, that wouldn't at all fit with her character. Had she fought back even in the slightest, Walter, her kidnapper, would have killed her. It's the chemistry between these two characters that feeds the events of the plot. And that symbiotic relationship between plot and characters makes the overall effect of the novel so much more disturbing.

Walter, as the antagonist in this story, creates an even greater level of complexity. He's desperately searching for love and affection, which is a bit contrary to the typical views of rape. While he is trying to control his environment, his ultimate goal is to convince these kidnapped girls, who he views as "his type," to love him. While there is a definite and obvious sickness to this mentality, there's also a sympathetic element to it. 

Lippman accents the book with section titles corresponding to song titles from the 80s. The titles emphasize not only the time period and the culture, but also the idea of dysfunctional love.

An element of the novel that takes more of a back seat to the main plot is the idea of capital punishment. Walter is awaiting his execution; Barbara is a passionate advocate for Walter, trying to get the death penalty removed from his sentence. On the other side of the coin is Trudy, the mother of one of Walter's victims. Trudy feels that her daughter will not have justice until Walter is executed, and she will do anything she needs to in order to make sure the sentence is carried out, including threaten Eliza's family when she thinks Eliza is plotting to help Walter. Lippman presents this explosive issue in all of its dimension, not as a flat right or wrong situation.

I'D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE is a dark, hauntingly thought-provoking novel. It challenged me as a reader to see through the eyes of characters I wouldn't normally identify with; forcing me to look beyond how I would act and feel. That's an uncomfortable experience, but one I believe helps a reader to grow. I highly recommend Laura Lippman's I'D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE.

My review is part of the TLC Book Blog Tour for I'D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE. You can find a listing of other reviews of the novel at their site here. I'D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE is available from William Morrow in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0-06-170655-4) and also as an unabridged audiobook (ISBN: 978-0-06-198848-6).

Technorati Tags: Laura Lippman; book review; crime fiction

CAUGHT! - A Double Dose!

It's Saturday, so that means a double dose of Crime Writers Caught Reading Crime! It's also the last Saturday of May. We're almost to the end. So remember, if you'd like to get entries in the contest for a copy of Michael Koryta's SO COLD THE RIVER, make your comments on the CAUGHT! posts this month. And since Memorial Day is the unofficial kick off to summer, now's a great time to let us know what you're planning to read for the summer as well as where you'll be reading it.

L.J. Sellers has found a nice spot in her lawn chair. Her husband caught her taking a writing break to read Teresa Burrell's THE ADVOCATE.

L.J.'s third book in her Detective Wade Jackson series, THRILLED TO DEATH, is due out this August.

If you know Laura Lippman from Facebook then this fella looks very familiar. This is Laura's stand-in for her profile. And let me just tell you that this robot gets access to all the great books. And here we've caught it with Alafair Burke's 212. That robot has good taste!

The robot stands in for Laura so that she can be working on her own books. One of which, I'D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE, is headed to bookstores in August.

Technorati Tags: Crime Writers Caught Reading Crime, L.J. Sellers, Laura Lippman, Alafair Burke, Teresa Burrell

Murder and Mayhem in Muskego V

**Warning: photo heavy**

So, Murder and Mayhem in Muskego. This was the first time I attended this event that takes place at Muskego Library up near Milwaukee. It is truly an amazing event, and I am so glad I made the trip.

The event starts out with an optional meet and greet session on Friday night. The authors were ushered via white limo from their hotel to the library where a wine meet and greet was held with about 40 guests.

(M&M Emcee, Tom Schreck)

The emcees for the weekend were Tom Schreck and Libby Hellmann. They kicked off the festivities by introducing the one panel that took place on Friday evening, moderated by Dana Kaye. This panel included Jamie Freveletti, Tasha Alexander, Andrew Grant and C.J. Box. They talked about some general topics related to writing and their respective books.


If you step back and watch what happens on this night of the event, you'll witness a very spectacular element of the crime fiction community - a sense of giving. They share their stories, their advice, their time. They listen to experiences and ideas and sometimes just general small talk. They sign books and take pictures. No one is too "big" or too "famous" or too "busy." It's all about sharing.

(C.J. Box)

Saturday is a much more populated day for the event. Several hundred people attended on Saturday and the parking lot was literally packed when we arrived. The day was actually started with a crime scene panel of two Chicago cops: Michael Black and David Case. This was followed up by the "In and Out of Character" panel featuring Brian Azzarello, Cara Black, Sam Reeves, Marcus Sakey. Their vast background and experiences led to a variety of topics in this panel. Brian was able to talk to differences between writing work he's commissioned to do and work he initiates himself. Marcus spoke to his experiences with having his works optioned for film. Cara spoke on how she ended up writing about a character in France. Sam addressed writing under two different names.

(Cara Black, Marcus Sakey, Sam Reeves, and Tom Schreck)

Following "In and Out of Character" Megan Abbott moderated what started out as "The Thriller Boys." However, since Barry Eisler wasn't able to travel, Jamie Freveletti rescued Megan from the male domination of this panel. In addition to Megan and Jamie, Jim Born, Brent Ghelfi and C.J. Box all discussed elements of thrillers.

A very nice lunch split up the day. The authors spread out throughout the lunch areas and dined with the guests. I spent this time discussing Robert Crais with Megan Abbott. First of all, I could not have asked for better company, but someone who wants to discuss Elvis and Joe and RC with me, too? Yep, pretty much the best lunch ever!



After lunch was finished and cleaned up, the ladies of the "Who Needs Mean Streets" panel took the stage. They were moderator-less, so they asked emcee Tom Schreck to help out. And Tom's humor matched up with the wits of Joanna Slan Campbell, Denise Swanson, Shirley Dammsgard, Julie Hyzy and Deb Baker, literally stole the day. The audience was constantly laughing. It was a hit. I have to say that I especially enjoyed Denise's comment when asked why she chose writing mystery over writing romance. She explained that she had been a school counselor for many years, and after having been in the public school system for so long, there weren't many people she wanted to romance, but there were plenty she wanted to kill!

This wrapped up the traditional panels and the remainder of the afternoon was a more intimate stage show. First Blake Crouch interviewed F. Paul Wilson.



Next Jan Burke and Laura Lippman spoke informally about topics relevant to both of them.



And the day wrapped with an incredible interview of Jeffery Deaver by Sandra Ruttan.



Having the chance to experience this event was fabulous. But I was lucky to experience time with three other extraordinary people. Jon and Ruth Jordan of Crimespree Magazine have "adopted" me into the Crimespree Family. And I have to tell you that this is not only an unbelievable honor but it is the joy of my life. I started my blog because I love talking about great books and talking about the people who write those books. To be able to meet those people and hang out informally with them and feel like a part of that crime fiction family is a gift unlike any other. Jon and Ruth have offered me that gift in addition to their amazing friendship. So believe me when I say I know how fortunate and blessed I am, and that I have plenty to be thankful for during this Thanksgiving season.

(Ruth Jordan, Jon Jordan, Jim Born)

I also had the pleasure of spending time with Judy Bobalik because she was my roommate in Milwaukee. What an angel! Judy and I met online via Facebook, Twitter, etc. We met briefly in person in Indianapolis, but I really had much more of a chance to get to know Judy here in Milwaukee. An additional blessing! I am so honored to call this woman my friend.



This was an incredible weekend, and I'm still floating a bit. I'll leave you all with some additional pictures of this astounding crime fiction family. My thanks to each and every one of these folks. They not only made this a great weekend for everyone attending Murder and Mayhem, but they gave me a dream weekend. Happy Reading everyone!

(F. Paul Wilson and Jon Jordan)

(What a pleasure to spend time with Brent Ghelfi)

(I finally got my picture with Libby Fischer Hellmann, a great writer and wonderful person)

(When Tom wasn't busy with his emcee duties he was checking sports scores? There aren't enough great adjectives for Tom: fantastic writer, funny man, genuine and generous person.)

(What a thrill to spend time with Megan Abbott. When she wasn't moderating her panel she spent a lot of time listening to what the other panels had to say as well as making loads of time for the guests.)

(Jeffery Deaver signed an ornament for one fan who is giving it as a gift. She shared it with me as she lamented not bringing a second one to be signed for her!)

(Everyone hanging out with Jeffery Deaver after Saturday's full day.)

(C.J. Box was another author who spent a good amount of time listening to his peers in their respective panels.)

(I was so thrilled to have the opportunity to talk with Tasha Alexander and Andrew Grant. Two incredibly nice people as well as talented writers.)

(C.J. Box was wearing the birthday hat Saturday night since his birthday was Monday. Happy Belated Birthday, C.J!)

(Brent Ghelfi, C.J. Box, Judy Bobalik, and Jim Born just yuckin' it up.)

(Jeffery Deaver likes salt and vinegar potato chips. Jamie Freveletti couldn't find exactly what he wanted, but she managed to rustle up the parts!)