Where It Hurts - Reed Farrel Coleman

My review of Reed Farrel Coleman's Where It Hurts first appeared in Shelf Awareness for Readers. I am posting today with their permission. Hope you enjoy...

First line: "Some people swallow their grief."

Reed Farrel Coleman, author of the Moe Prager PI series and Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone series, introduces Gus Murphy, a retired Suffolk County police officer who now drives an airport shuttle for the run-down Paragon Hotel of Bohemia. Murphy, haunted by the unexpected death of his son from a hidden heart defect two years earlier, also lives in the dilapidated old lodging facility.

Tommy Delcamino, a low-level thief Murphy arrested while still on the force, pays him a visit to request help. Tommy's son, TJ, was tortured to death and the police seem to be ignoring the murder, so Delcamino wants Murphy to look into it. Murphy explodes thinking the ex-con is trying to take advantage of Murphy's own personal tragedy. When Murphy goes looking for Delcamino, intending to apologize for his behavior, he encounters two armed men who escape while shooting Murphy in the leg, and finds the remains of the elder Delcamino.

Still reticent about investigating the murders, Murphy decides he needs answers why these men died. He had no answers, no one to blame for his son's death, and he thinks if he finds answers in this case they will help him heal; instead he opens a huge can of worms that just might kill him.

Sharp, clever dialogue, a dynamic cast of characters representing the cross-section of cultures in Long Island and an engaging plot keep Where It Hurts gripping and entertaining. Gus' authenticity, his flaws and his complexity make him a character readers will eagerly anticipate. An excellent beginning to a series with great potential.

Where It Hurts is available in hardcover (ISBN: 9780399173035) from Putnam and as an unabridged audiobook (ISBN: 9781504661140), narrated by Chris Andrew Ciulla from Blackstone Audio.

  

   

Quote of the Week

But just because I couldn't figure Pete's angle didn't mean he didn't have one. Pete had so many angles they could've named a branch of geometry after him.
   –Reed Farrel Coleman in Where It Hurts

Five on Friday - Reed Farrel Coleman

I'm getting a late start on my blogging, so I'm hoping this post doesn't end up riddled with typos. Please forgive me if that's the case, but I didn't want to leave you without a Five on Friday this week!

Before we get to the fun part, just a few links to share.

I knew this was coming, but Larry brought it to my attention how quickly it's coming...absolutely looking forward to Marcus Sakey's upcoming BRILLIANCE (no, that's the title of the book) in July.

There's a new social site for bookies called BookLikes. It's not too likely that you'll catch me over there. I have nothing against the site; I haven't even really checked it out. I just simply don't have the time. I'm doing my best to keep up with Facebook and Twitter in addition to the blog. The thought of something else makes my head hurt.

I guess some publishers are starting this International Crime Month thing. There are several events scheduled for it in June. I read a lot of international crime. However June is also Audiobook Month and I have quite a bit planned for that, so I probably won't be doing anything special here for International Crime Month. But check it out. Maybe there's an event you can attend.

I'm always in awe of people who get tattoos like this. I, personally, have no desire to ink my own skin, but I like some of these. And make sure you check out #43. That's a true Agatha Christie fan there!

And the contest round-up:

FridayReads has quite a haul in their contest this week. Something for every crime fan, I think.
Lesa has a "Northern" theme to her giveaway this week. 
And Criminal Element has a chance for you to win one of three hardcover copies of Steve Ulfelder's new Conway Sax novel, Shotgun Lullaby (great title! I love this series!)

O.k. that's all of my jabbering for today. Now on to our guest of honor. I met Reed Farrel Coleman at my first Bouchercon. I like to tell the story of how I was quite intimidated to go up and introduce myself. I had read Reed's work. He's a gritty writer. From Brooklyn no less. What I found when I finally did introduce myself was a great big teddy bear. But don't tell anyone I told you that. I don't want to ruin Reed's "street cred" or anything.

But in all seriousness, it's that compassion and generosity that mingles with his life experiences and make him an exceptional crime writer. He's also a heck of a poet, and that comes through in his narrative work as well. It's wonderful and if you haven't read it yet, then go forth immediately (or maybe after you read his 5) and pick up WALKING THE PERFECT SQUARE or download it or listen to it (great audio, by the way) or whatever your mode of story choice is. But this is really a series no crime fan should miss. The most recent, ONION STREET, just released.

Now, instead of being intimidated, I look forward to every chance I have to see Reed.  He's promised me a Moe Prager tour of New York the next time I'm there. Now I just have to get back there!

Yes, I know...enough already Forbus...please let me turn things over to the one and only, Reed Farrel Coleman!

Did it go in, Reed?

1. My five favorite movies of all time are: The French Connection, Clockwork Orange, The Outlaw Josie Wales, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Little Big Man. There are actually about fifty films tied for fifth like The Conversation, La Dolce Vita, The Day the Earth Stood Still(1951), The Producers(1968), Dr. Strangelove, Diva, Casablanca, LA Confidential, Blade Runner…

2. The one food I absolutely will not eat is: Fish. Any type of fish. I wish I could like it. I want to like it. I hope someday to like it, but I might as well hope to fly like a bird.

3. If I could swap lives with anyone in the world for 24 hours, I would choose Beethoven—the composer, not the St. Bernard. Because he was so brilliant and so tortured. The Ninth Symphony is so f—king genius and it was composed all in his head. I think I’m a good writer, a very good writer, but I’m not a genius writer. I want to experience brilliance in a way that being me doesn’t allow.

4. The most beautiful place I’ve ever visited is Coney Island. I know I grew up there and I write about it all the time, but it holds a certain attraction for me that, no matter how I try to express, I cannot do justice to. It has a kind of moth-eaten splendor, an inglorious decadence that has fascinated me for as long as I can remember. And it has done it in a way that neither Paris nor the Rockies nor Yosemite can touch.

5. The #1 item on my bucket list right now is: I’ve had a book I’ve wanted to write for over a year now, but life and contracts have gotten in the way. I can’t discuss it, but let’s just say it’s not crime fiction. No, I haven’t fallen out of love with the genre. Not at all. This book is just something I feel compelled to write regardless of how it might turn out.

O.k., well that's just not right, Reed. How can you leave me with that hanging out there? Well, never mind, I still have to read Onion Street, so I can wait a little while to find out, I guess!

Happy Friday everyone...happy weekend...and as always, happy reading!

Crime Critters Caught Reading Crime - Molly

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you had a nice weekend.

Today's critter comes to us courtesy of one of my favorite readers who caught her pooch reading one of my favorite writers. Sarah caught her Molly reading Reed Farrel Coleman's Onion Street.

Molly told Sarah, "Mom, this is as good as you said!" And "Mom" told me: "Molly loves a great mystery--Reed Farrel Coleman, my fav!" How can you argue with that?

 

And who knew we had so many technologically advanced critters around? I love it! I wonder if that means mine are using my computer when I'm not looking...would explain all the critter hair anyway. 

O.k. for today's pet tip we'll talk about that hair! Get summer coats in shape: Most cats and dogs "blow coat" at this time of year, with longer-haired breeds prone to tangling and mats as the dry, dead winter hair fights to drop out. Regular brushing helps restore oil to the coat and your vet may recommend an Omega 3 fatty acid supplement to keep coat and skin in good shape. Only bathe after a good brushing and don't go crazy with the clippers thinking shaving your cat or dog will make him more comfortable. Coats protect from both heat and cold, so leave at least an inch or two of coat for insulation from sun, heat and insects.

Top 10 Things I Learned at Murder & Mayhem in Muskego 2012

As you already know, last weekend was Murder and Mayhem in Muskego. I have to admit that this was the best one yet since I've been attending. You know about my interview with Robert Crais. If you had problems viewing it here on the blog (some did), I broke it in two shorter segments and posted those on the Facebook page. So hopefully that will work better for folks who had problems.

And by the way, the Facebook page is an open page, so even if you haven't liked the page...or if you don't have a Facebook account...you should still be able to access the page and see the video if you want.

But believe it or not, other stuff happened at M&M this weekend! So here is my minor recap of a weekend full of wonderfulness.

The Top Ten Things I Learned at Murder & Mayhem in Muskego, 2012

10. Daniel Palmer thinks writing is like a boiling cauldron and his favorite character (that is not of his own creation) is Jaws. His least favorite character--not his own--is also Jaws. This man is hysterical; if you've never met him in person, remedy that at your earliest convenience.

9. Craig McDonald says the Prologue is the over-used device he likes the least. Down with the prologue!

8. Lisa Lutz once (unknowingly) told a New York Times bestselling author that his mother was a major pain!

7. Chris Holm can not start writing a story without a title. To date he has been fortunate. The titles he's picked for his books have stuck, no publishing changes there.

6. Brad Parks knows a lot about fracking--actually I learned that one at lunch on Friday, but still...

5. Marcus Sakey is making a new television show. It won't be Hidden City, but a similar concept for the Travel Channel. 

4. Lou Berney is ambidextrous....and smart....and funny...and talented...and kind...and...

3. Jeff Lindsey has some very scary fans, and his minister likes to sermonize about Dexter!

2. Most of the panelists with Ayo Onatade didn't want to fess up to a character they didn't like (that wasn't their own) but John Lutz had no problems proclaiming Susan Silverman...with the caveat that he loved the Spenser books.

1. George Pelecanos is even more amazing than I thought he was last week!

I wanted to save this last one to the end of my list because there are several things I want to share with you. You may know them already, but this was my first chance to meet George Pelecanos and I can't even put into words how in awe I was. And he's not the kind of person who makes you feel uncomfortable or like you need to bow down and kiss his ring. He's down to earth, funny, kind, generous...and oh my goodness so smart.

If you followed my tweets during the interview with George, you already know that he will be working as an executive producer (as will Dennis Lehane) for Boardwalk Empire following the end of Treme. He also has the sequel to THE CUT coming out next year and it's called THE DOUBLE.

But I just have to tell you how this man won my heart in his interview. I don't even remember what the actual question was that brought this up, but he told the audience that he was acutely aware of the fact that he would leave a nice job, drive in his nice car to his nice house and live a comfortable life as a result of his writing about people far less privileged than he. So, he felt a need to give back. He's doing that through writing and reading programs in urban schools and prisons. One of the most incredible statements he made was, "If you give a kid in prison a book, that's how he escapes the cell."

Each year this one-day conference reminds me of the power of the story...the inspiration, the friendships, the fulfillment, the fun. The world always looks a little brighter after this conference for me. I highly recommend making an honest effort to attend it at some point. Save your pennies, plan your vacation, and get here. You won't regret it!

I'm going to leave you today with the other video I recorded this weekend. This is the panel I moderated Friday night...really I just pointed to people and said, "you share your story now." The panelists did the hard part--and they did it well. I apologize profusely. I thought I had the camera set up to get all the panelists, but poor Marcus got cut off. He's off to the left of the screen, but you can hear him when he talks. A couple times he leans into the picture. I hope you enjoy the show!

Crime Fiction's Sexiest Authors of 2011

This blog post has been in the works for almost a year now. The seed was planted waaaaaay back in January when my attention was pointed to this post called You Know You're an English Major If...Probably about a third of the way down the list, you'll notice the entry, "You consider authors to be sex symbols."

I reckon I have to admit to being in that camp. I do think it's sexy to be smart and creative and funny, so with People Magazine releasing their Sexiest People issue, and Salon.com weighing in on their Sexiest Men, I thought it was high time I got my post ready for public consumption. And I'm all about gender equality, so come back on Friday for the ladies' turn.

People puts the honorees into categories, and I've done the same. I have 5 honorees and a "Sexiest Man Alive." So here we go:

THE SEXIEST WRITER-ATHLETE 

Those shorts are sexy, Tom!

Tom Schreck runs, boxes, plays basketball...I don't think swimming in the hot tub counts, but that's o.k. He is a black belt in karate even though he gave up "wearing pajamas" to wear robes. Other factors that contribute to Tom being on this list are his sense of humor, his kindness, and his love of animals.

Tom writes the Duffy Dombrowski series, the fourth of which, VEGAS KNOCKOUT, will be out from Thomas and Mercer in May.

SEXIEST TRIPLE-SERIES WRITER

New Reeds, old Reeds, they're all Great Reeds!

At least right now there are three. Since he's a long way from retirement, we don't know how many series Reed Farrel Coleman will ultimately end up with. Reed seems to work in 3s. He's won the Shamus Award three times - as well as three other awards: the Barry, the Macavity and the Anthony; he has three series: Moe Prager, Joe Serpe/Bob Healy, Dylan Klein; and he's published in three formats: novel, short story and poem.

Reed is gregarious; he wields his sarcastic wit as effectively as his pen; and he's always up on the latest hair styles! In all seriousness, when I first met Reed in person, I was more than a little intimidated. But it took round about 30 seconds to know he's one of the nicest people you'll have the chance to meet.

This year Reed releases two new books. GUN CHURCH is an audiobook original, and you'll be hearing more about that soon. And HURT MACHINE is the latest Moe Prager novel, due out next month.

SEXIEST AWARD-WINNING WRITER

King of the...Pier?

Self-confidence is sexy, right? Well, Brad Parks has plenty of that! And did you know Brad won the 2010 Shamus award?! The cockiness is part of the facade Brad sports (well, maybe not all facade..) but under that is a supportive, generous, funny individual with a grand imagination and love of life.

Brad writes the Carter Ross mystery series. His third installment, THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, will be out in March from Minotaur Books.

SEXIEST WRITER UNDER 30

"I've got it all up here."

O.k., so most folks grumble when they discover that Michael Koryta is as wildly talented and polished as he is and he hasn't celebrated his 30th birthday yet. But, I just look at it this way, I should be able to enjoy his new books all the way until they spread my ashes. Right? If you ever listen to Michael talk about his craft all you can hear is passion. And I completely love that he works with the Exotic Cat Preserve to rescue the great creatures. He's smart and witty and deserves his place on the list.

Michael's latest novel, THE RIDGE, was released this past summer. He informed us via Twitter that his next book will be a Vampire kitten/PI novel hybrid - I'm just kidding. He did say that but in jest. He's returning to a classic crime novel, but I don't have release date for that.

SEXIEST WRITER ON TV

The hat shadow is covering the five o'clock shadow.

Since the commercial is now showing, I can say the winner of this category is Marcus Sakey. And no, his hair played no role in the decision. When I first met Marcus' wife g.g. she explained that we all have dreams and aspirations in life, Marcus' are just usually higher than most. That was when he was training to climb Mt. Rainier. Marcus is full of life and always ready for the next challenge. This year that challenge was a television series called Hidden City, scheduled to begin airing next month.

One of the "extras" to Marcus' character that boosted him onto this list was his ability to make people feel like SUPERSTARS, no matter how ordinary. Look at me...I went from author groupie to high powered lawyer in less than 300 pages!

Marcus' latest release is THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES. He's hard at work on his new novel, but obviously had to take time out for that television thing! I'll have more about that at a later date.

And drum roll please....

JEN'S SEXIEST MALE WRITER ALIVE

Gregg Hurwitz! My first chance to meet Gregg in person was my first visit to L.A. for the book festival back in 2009. I had already discovered THE CRIME WRITER and was so excited to meet him. He hung out and talked with Michael Alatorre and I for quite a good spell, told us how he met his wife, made us laugh, obviously left a lasting impression. And on top of that, before I got home there was an email in my inbox saying "it was nice to meet you."

Since that I've learned what a great pet parent he is as he often talks about taking Simba to the dog park, having Simba at his feet while he writes, visiting Simba on his trips home during book tour. And of course his daughters! He's such a proud papa and his adoration of his girls simply radiates from him.

Gregg is smart, funny, talented - his skill range goes from Shakespeare to The Penguin to V. He's generous and kind - he tolerates me and there's no restraining order...yet. And I'm pretty certain he could get anyone to do his bidding with that 100 watt smile.

I can't remember the last time I was asked for a book recommendation and one of Gregg's books wasn't on the top of my list. For this book nerd, that's as sexy as it gets. Move over Bradley Cooper, ya ain't got nothin' on Gregg!

As with anyone's choice in a topic like this, there will be much dissension among the ranks. So it's your turn. Who would be on YOUR list? And let's keep the conversations family appropriate, please!

Remember, the ladies will get their turn on Friday! Have a great Thanksgiving and Happy Reading.



**Note: this post is meant to be fun. I sincerely mean what I've written about the authors, but I contacted each author to get his/her permission to use them in this post. I did not want to include anyone who would be uncomfortable or feel awkward about being mentioned. I hope you've enjoyed it.

Middle of the Week Fun!

I have a bunch of odds and ends to share with you and the middle of the week is usually when I need a pick-me-up, so maybe some of these goodies will be your mid-week pick-me-up.

Let's start by announcing some winners to the DOMINANCE book giveaway from Simon and Schuster. The following readers are going to receive a copy of Will Lavender's awesome new puzzle thriller:

• Carol R from Massachusettes
• Donna V from Missouri
• Joyce D from New Jersey

Congrats ladies! And thanks to everyone for participating! Joyce, could you please email me your address. It seems the Google monster ate part of my Google doc and your name and address were part of that section. Thanks!!

Those of you who would still like to try your hand at winning, check out The Drowning Machine where Naomi has been playing a fun game to win great book prizes.

If you didn't see me tweet about this yesterday, you can download a Kindle version of Reed Farrel Coleman's INNOCENT MONSTER for free right now. If you haven't read this and you have a Kindle, GO. DOWNLOAD. NOW!!

If you'd like to hear me talking about blogging, the most wonderful Nicole from Linus's Blanket invited me to be her guest on her podcast "That's How I Blog." You can listen here. You can also find  out about the Jamaican sno-cones!

If you haven't heard yet, Declan Burke is set to release a new book, ABSOLUTE ZERO COOL. I read and reviewed his THE BIG O (be gentle, it was a very early review on the blog). Since I enjoyed THE BIG O, I am looking forward to ABSOLUTE ZERO COOL. This is the description for the book:

Who in their right mind would want to blow up a hospital?

            “Close it down, blow it up – what’s the difference?”

            Billy Karlsson needs to get real. Literally. A hospital porter with a sideline in euthanasia, Billy is a character trapped in the purgatory of an abandoned novel. Deranged by logic, driven beyond sanity, Billy makes his final stand: if killing old people won’t cut the mustard, the whole hospital will have to go up in flames.

            Only his creator can stop him now, the author who abandoned Billy to his half-life limbo, in which Billy schemes to do whatever it takes to get himself published, or be damned . . .

Liberties Press is publishing the book and its launch date is August 10th at its official party at the Gutter Bookshop, Temple Bar, Dublin. Anyone out Dublin way who could cover this event for us?? There is no US release set at this time, but I'll keep you updated. In the meantime, US folks can always secure a copy from The Book Depository (free international shipping!).

Just a reminder that Bouchercon is inching closer. Actually it is now less than TWO MONTHS AWAY!! If you haven't registered yet, you better get to it. And if you have registered, make sure you've also paid for the Anthony Awards Brunch on Sunday. You won't want to miss out on that.

I've made a couple updates to the columns over there on the right side of the blog. I added the widget that you can use to sign up for Shelf Awareness for Readers if you have not already done that. Plus you're entered to win book prizes just by signing up.

I also added the xuni logo that you can use to access the xuni Facebook page. I encourage you to "like" us there as we have some fun stuff coming up in connection with the xuni authors. And we're always sharing news items to keep you as up to date on all the authors as possible. One stop shopping on xuni authors!

I think that's all I have to share today. It's all my wee brain can remember we have to share anyway. Now how about if you share with me? Let me know what you're reading right now and how it is. I'm interested to know what everyone is sticking in their beach bags...or in my case, my work tote.

Hope you're having a great week. Happy Reading!

Crime Writers Caught Recommending Crime - Day 24

Brrr...not sure where you are, but we're getting a nasty snow storm now and our world is beginning to look a lot like Christmas...which reminds me that we're going to wrap up "Crime Writers Caught Recommending Crime - for the Holidays" this week.

S.J. Rozan's 10th book in her Lydia Chin/Bill Smith series, ON THE LINE, has been a hot recommendation this year. Earlier in the series, we had a glowing recommendation from author Michael Wiley, and today we have two equally great folks recommending this P.I. novel.

Reed Farrel Coleman, author of the Moe Prager series, is very succinct about his recommendation. Very simply:

"I'd read a grocery list if SJ Rozan's name was on it."

And what better image to represent the joy of holidays than this one with Megan Collings? Megan lent her name to ON THE LINE and is making sure she approves of its use! Brother Jake is also checking out her new notoriety.


At this rate of recommendation ON THE LINE should probably be under everyone's Christmas tree this year.

I have a couple more days of goodies lined up for this project, so I hope you'll check back. I know the hustle and bustle of the season is slowing a lot of us down and cutting into our free time. I truly appreciate your visits each and every day. Happy Reading!

What is a Thriller?

In honor of Jenn's Bookshelves' Fright Fest, I put together a video on "What is a Thriller?" During Bouchercon, I asked a handful of folks from the crime fiction community to share their definitions with me. Here is the result. I hope you enjoy it, and feel free to leave your own definitions in the comments!

INNOCENT MONSTER - Reed Farrel Coleman

FIRST LINE: "Katy's blood was no longer fresh on my hands and after 9/11 people seemed to stop taking notice."

Moe Prager returns in his sixth book of the series. This time around his daughter Sarah breaks her estrangement with Moe to ask him for help finding Sashi Bluntstone, the missing daughter of her childhood friend. Sashi is eleven years old and has been missing almost a month when Sarah approaches Moe. Sashi also happens to be a great art prodigy who has been painting since she was four years old. The time elapsed since her disappearance coupled with the publicity of the case make it less than appealing to Moe, who hasn't worked a case in six years. But his desire to have his daughter back in his life drives his decision to try to find Sashi. As Moe dives head first into the New York art world, he discovers an inordinate amount of ugliness in a realm that is supposed to celebrate beauty.

Every book in the Moe Prager series has left an imprint on my reading soul. INNOCENT MONSTER may very well have left the biggest and strongest of those imprints. Few series have consistently had such a strong effect on me as a reader and as a person. But with Reed Farrel Coleman's award-winning series, that effect isn't a result of the plot ideas themselves but more Coleman's style of writing and his approach to those plot ideas. 

Moe is a series character who is not only searching for lost people but he's searching for his own identity. In INNOCENT MONSTER we're seeing him come more to terms with that identity. And Moe is written in such a way that the reader can't help but look at him/herself as Moe makes his self-discoveries. That's a pretty powerful connection between reader and book. Which in turn pulls the reader into the story more as a participant than as an outsider watching what's going on.

INNOCENT MONSTER is populated with a multitude of wonderfully colorful, rich characters who have been affected and shaped by their environments. All of that dimension comes through whether the character appears once or a hundred times in the novel. Coleman says that each person is the center of his or her own universe. Even though INNOCENT MONSTER is written in first person from Moe's perspective, Coleman still manages to take us to the center of each character's universe. While we may not always agree with a character's motives, we can understand them and thereby better understand the characters. The other task this accomplishes is painting each character as a possible suspect. Then the journey through the plot becomes a house of mirrors.

The plot of INNOCENT MONSTER is daring and powerful. Coleman has shown that he isn't afraid to venture into sensitive subject matter. He also isn't afraid to go against the grain to achieve his goal. Steeped in complex themes and moving symbolism, INNOCENT MONSTER is a timeless tale of humanity.

The Moe Prager books are ones that I know I will re-read many times because there is so much to digest in every part of every book. As with the previous books in the series, at the conclusion of INNOCENT MONSTER I found a plethora of ideas and situations and questions spiraling around in my head. There was much I wanted to process and ponder. Questions I was asking myself. This is simply not a book that will leave you alone once you've finished it. Those are the best kind.

INNOCENT MONSTER is available in hardcover (ISBN: 978-1-935562-20-7) from Tyrus Books.

Technorati Tags: Reed Farrel Coleman, book review, crime fiction

Audiobook Thursday - SOUL PATCH

First Line: "Nothing is so sad as an empty amusement park."

Moe Prager is called into service by his old friend Larry McDonald when Larry gives Moe a cassette tape to listen to. The tape is an interrogation; an interrogation in which the parties were not aware they were being taped. The tape reveals a perp offering up information about a drug dealer who was murdered in the 70s; part of the "Soul Patch" of Brooklyn. Shortly thereafter Larry McDonald commits suicide and Moe Prager finds himself investigating how the events tie together and exactly what his friend was trying to tell him.

While all of the Moe Prager novels delve into Moe, personally, SOUL PATCH does so from the perspective of Moe's relationships with his friends Larry and Rico. The Moe Prager series is one that demands to be read in order. Provider the reader has done so, he/she understands the importance of Moe's friendships with these men and the power they had to hurt him emotionally. Without that background, I don't think SOUL PATCH could be fully realized by the reader.

Another of the strengths of this series is the acknowledgment and depiction of Moe's day-to-day life; the mundane as well as the exciting. Coleman doesn't paint Moe as constantly in action and saving the day. Instead he shows how the drabness of ordinary is beginning to wear and chip away at his marriage to Katy.

Carmella is introduced in SOUL PATCH. Her anger at the world fires her drive to overcome gender barriers, age barriers, race barriers. She's determined to make something of herself and nothing will stand in her way. In a lot of ways, she is Moe's opposite. He bumbles and stumbles through life, pretty much taking what life hands him. Carmella demands life give her what she wants.

SOUL PATCH isn't lacking in Coleman's sarcastic humor or his rich Brooklyn setting. Dialogue is crisp and witty. Another all-around winner in the Moe Prager series.

I listened to SOUL PATCH on audio, narrated again by Andy Caploe. This is the third of the Prager novels that I've listened to on audio and I've now come to associate Caploe's sound with Moe Prager. It was natural from the get-go. Caploe seems to bring the Brooklyn sound out as well as the gruffness of many of the characters that inhabit SOUL PATCH. He seems to exude a positive energy while at the same time conveying the dark tones of the plot. The one voice that tended to be a little odd to me was Carmella's. While Carmella is young for her profession, she's already been hardened by life and I didn't feel that came across as powerfully as the other characters do. But overall, I think Caploe is an excellent fit for this series and I enjoy his narration.

SOUL PATCH was originally published by Bleak House as a hardcover (ISBN: 978-1-932557-35-0) in 2007. It is now available in trade paper from Busted Flush Press (ISBN: 978-1-935415-09-1) or as an Audible exclusive audiobook.

Technorati Tags: Reed Farrel Coleman, audiobook, review, crime fiction

More One-on-one with Reed Farrel Coleman

Welcome back! Today Reed Farrel Coleman and I are talking more about the Moe Prager series and his newest Moe installment, INNOCENT MONSTER. Before we get back to the interview, I just have to say that this is one of the coolest book jackets. Not only is it aesthetically wonderful, but I think it captures the essence of the book. That doesn't happen all the time so I wanted to give some kudos to Kristie Langone of 2Faced Design. Seems as though she really understood what Reed was doing. O.k., so enough for my sidebar. Let's get back to this interview because I want to hear what Reed has to say:

Q. The Moe Prager books have a rather unique story arc that spans the majority of the series. The skeleton of that arc makes up WALKING THE PERFECT SQUARE and then subsequent books fill in that skeleton. Was that your plan when you wrote WALKING THE PERFECT SQUARE or was it originally meant to be a stand-alone novel?

Reed: Who knows what I meant to do? Although my family and friends will tell you I am a good planner, I don’t do any planning in my writing. I see what comes and work with it. It’s what makes writing exciting for me. God, I would be so dreadfully bored by outlining and doing story arcs and timelines. Frankly, I don’t know how people do it. While writing WTPS, it occurred to me to break some rules. I’m from Brooklyn, it comes naturally to me. I decided to let the readers know more about what would happen to Moe than Moe would in subsequent books. For the reader it would be like seeing the train approaching the car stuck on the tracks, but the guy in the car not seeing the train at all. It’s a thing Alfred Hitchcock used to do. He’d show the audience the ticking bomb but not the characters. Of course once I did that I had to figure out how to make a series of the book when the audience knew what was coming. **PARENTAL WARNING: AUTHOR BRAGGING TO FOLLOW** Given that the series has garnered three Shamus Awards, the Barry and Anthony Awards, two Edgar Award nominations, two Macavity nominations, two Barry nominations, and a Gumshoe nomination, I’d say I managed to make it work.

Jen: Uhm, yeah, I'd have to say you did just that.

Q. Moe has, throughout the series, lived his life in the past. The constant reminder of his secret hanging over him for years and years; his desire to have the gold shield he earned but didn’t receive continued to control him. But in INNOCENT MONSTER, Moe seems to be moving more toward the future and living in the here and now. He’s trying to straighten out his relationship with Sarah, and he’s looking toward a new relationship, being open to that idea. Throughout the series Moe has evolved, grown, he’s been affected by the events that have transpired in his life. Do you find this essential in a series? Not all series characters change. So what are your thoughts on that and why did you decide to have Moe grow, age, change?

Reed: Moe changes because people change. One of the traditions of detective fiction that I have always loathed is what I think of as the Next! conceit. That’s where one client, having received the news about the resolution of a case, leaves the office as the next client comes in. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it. I’m not interested in super heroes, archetypes, or cardboard cutouts. For me to be interested in writing a character, the character has to be a human like the humans I know. They don’t become vampires or werewolves or zombies or have unlimited ammo or possess super powers or ridiculous powers of observation. The humans I know age and change. Their lives are full of joy and grief, of highs and lows. They face a slog every day just to get out of bed, raise their kids, and earn a few pennies. As Moe ages, he can see the end in sight. That’s a powerful thing, let me tell you. As my wife said to me last night, “I remember when I read about characters in mid-life, I used to think they were like a different species.” Well, having reached the ripe old age of 54, I can tell you you begin to see the end in sight. It probably won’t make Moe find religion, but it has a profound effect on him. I want readers to know this Moe too. Yet even as we change, we are essentially the same. It is the pull between these two things I find fascinating about life and characters.

Q. One of my favorite characters in INNOCENT MONSTER is Declan Carney. He’s incredibly symbolic, and of course, he’s pivotal to the plot. Is Declan a creation of your imagination or was he inspired by someone?

Reed: Well, his first name is sort of an homage to my Irish buddies Declan Burke and Declan Hughes, but he isn’t inspired by anyone at all. He’s symbolic of the kinds of damage and punishments humans inflict upon each other, but especially upon themselves. Carney is meant to sound like carnage. He is also meant to represent the tragedy of how we ignore the damage done to returning veterans. Whether you agree with our military policies or not, you have to feel for these people whose lives have been changed forever.

Q. Declan is also an example of how every character is rich and fully developed, no matter if they show up once a book or once a page. Obviously that’s important to you as a writer, so why is that? If they’re a minor character, why do they need to have such dimension?

Reed: There is no such thing as a minor character, because there are no minor human beings. Whether we want to admit it or not, we see ourselves at the center of the world. So Declan Carney is the center of the world. Every character is at the center of his or her world. I treat them that way.

Q. There are a number of themes that recur throughout the series. Of course we know Moe is on a bit of a journey. Throughout the series he’s trying to find his identity. There’s a lot of focus on relationships. And one of my favorite themes: the haves versus the have-nots. Can you talk a little about this last theme in relation to INNOCENT MONSTER because it really exists in many different forms in this book?

Reed: I didn’t exactly grow up poor, but my upbringing was definitely lower middle class. We were renters, five of us in a four and a half room apartment. We only ever had one car and it was almost always a used car. My dad, in spite of having bone cancer, worked six days a week, 10-12 hours a day for years. My mom had to work as a secretary. Even so, I loved my old neighborhood because we were all have-nots. We were unified in that. Moe and, to an even greater extent, I see ourselves as poor schmucks from Brooklyn, so Moe has a very jaundiced eye when it comes to the wealthy and powerful. Moe doesn’t resent people for having, but for wasting or squandering what they have. He also despises how the haves laud their power and treat have-nots. But Moe also disrespects have-nots for their ambitions and their willingness to sell their souls for a taste of honey. I don’t want to give away too much about the book, so maybe the next time we do a Q &A we can discuss how this pertains in particular to Innocent Monster. As far as relationships in general, when you’re a have-not and you don’t possess things or the means to get things, what’s left to you but your friends and family?

Q. Setting is a very important element of the Moe Prager series. You really couldn’t pick Moe up and set him anywhere else and have this series create the same experience. Why did you choose to make Brooklyn such an integral part of the series? Does having a strong setting present any challenges for you?

Reed: Not having a strong setting would be trouble. Having one is a joy. Let me tell you, writing a lot of 300-page books is no easy task. Having Coney Island to fall back on is like having another favorite character to turn to when the book is dragging or you don’t know where to take it. Brooklyn, Coney Island in particular, is so meaningful in my own life that it just seemed like the perfect fit for Moe. Coney Island and Brooklyn, until recently, are places that are all about their pasts. I was born the year before the Dodgers moved to LA. Coney Island’s glory days had long since passed. So I grew up in a world of wistful people looking behind themselves, not ahead. Brooklynites are very much tied to the place itself, so my parents’ generation looked for glory in the past. Their best days were behind them. That attitude greatly affected me and, by extension, Moe.

Q. The plot of INNOCENT MONSTER deals with the art world. Again, we know that setting is vital here because the art world in say Lincoln, Nebraska, is not the same world that exists in New York City. But why the art world for this go-round with Moe?

Reed: Well, a few reasons. One, my son Dylan is an artist. The New York art world is, he hopes, his future, but if it’s anything like the world of New York publishing he’d better watch out. Any artistic pursuit is fraught with danger and pitfalls and constant judgments. Second, I have always been fascinated by child prodigies. For all of its craziness, I loved my childhood. But what if you never had a childhood and were expected to be the family’s major source of income? I’ve read about some child art prodigies and wanted to play with the notion of what that world must be like for a child. Three, I have the great good fortune of knowing mystery writer and artist Jon Santlofer who helped me understand the unseen differences between being a real artist and a kid who makes pretty swirls. I have to say that this is more about the fringes of the legitimate art world than the New York art scene per se.

Q. Titles fascinate me and especially so with your titles because they are so integrally tied to the plot, and they are incredibly powerful. Each time I’ve read a Moe Prager novel and reached the point where the title and its meaning become clear I’ve been wowed and then it just continues to play out and expand as you reach the end. So what’s your process for titles? Do you have the title at the beginning; is that the basis you work from? Or is it something that comes along as you’re writing?

Reed: I always start with a title. How I get the title changes from book to book, but it is astute of you to see that not only is the title about the book, but that the book is about the title. Someday, maybe at Bouchercon, we can sit down and go over how I got each title. Or maybe we can do a blog about it, but I don’t want to give away too much because I don’t want to spoil it for people who haven’t read the earlier Moe books. Innocent Monster came about one day when I was playing word games in my head. I do crosswords every morning and it was probably right after I finished doing a puzzle. The words monster and innocent popped into my head. I flipped them around, added words, subtracted words, but in the end, the only two words left were innocent and monster. When I put them together like that I began to think of what an innocent monster might be like. What did those words imply? So it was from the title that my mind moved to thinking about the art world and childhood prodigies. The book is almost completely the result of me playing with those two words.

Q. Very quickly, I know I’m getting carried away here; another series came about while you were also writing the Moe Prager series and it features Joe Serpe who is a former NYPD narcotics detective who becomes a home heating oil delivery driver. You wrote this series under the pen name Tony Spinosa. What was the motivation for this new series? And why chose to write it under the pen name? And I’m especially curious where the very Italian pen name came from.

Reed: It’s a long boring story having to do with my contract at the time and a no competition clause. Let’s just say, I had to write Hose Monkey under a pen name and that by the time I wrote The Fourth Victim, the die was cast. I would have been happy to write those books as Reed Farrel Coleman and, when I get the rights back, the reprints will bear both names. For many years I delivered home heating oil on Long Island and noticed that as a delivery man I was basically invisible. People knew more about their mailboxes than their mailmen. The concept of invisibility fascinated me and I wrote a short story about it. SJ Rozan heard it and said, “There’s a novel there. Write it.” Who was I to argue with SJ?

Fooled ya! Spinosa is not an Italian name, but taken from the 17th century Dutch-Portuguese-Jewish philosopher Baruch Spinosa or Spinoza. Like Joe Serpe, the protagonist of the Spinosa books, the real Spinosa wasn’t very popular among his brethren in his day.

Q. Where to from here? You’re working on another Moe Prager novel. Will there be any more in the Joe Serpe series? Any more collaborations? Anything completely unrelated to any of the series?

Reed: I doubt there will be any additional Joe Serpe books. I have toyed with bringing Dylan Klein back. I think it’s possible there will be some future collaborations with some unexpected co-authors. I have a high concept stand-alone being shopped now. I have been discussing a short story anthology about the Holocaust with Busted Flush for over a year. There will be more short stories. There will always be a lot to write and not enough time.

Q. Okay, last one, I promise! Last year you very generously contributed to the memoir project with six six-word memoirs. And they each are truly poetry. I know a lot of people who read those memoirs would love for you to elaborate on them. So, can you share a little with us on your memoirs:

Reed:

Dad, standing at the hospital window.
My dad was diagnosed with bone cancer when I was 4. In those days kids weren’t allowed to visit hospitals, so my strongest early images of my dad are seeing him at the hospital window.

My mom, at the mirror, empty.
My mom had a terrible self-image and it’s always what I imagined she saw when she looked at herself.

Sheepshead Bay, Brighton Beach, Coney Island.
These are the three neighborhoods in which I lived the early part of my life. For a long time I thought they would be my entire universe.

Saturday morning, my brothers, we’re happy.
I have two older brothers, Jules and David. We shared a room growing up and we always had a great time on Saturday mornings, fighting, clowning around, watching TV.

My children. My wife. Our life.
Kinda self-explanatory.

Ken, Reed, Tower, movie rights sold.
Again, self-explanatory. We sold the movie rights to Tower. No movie yet.

Many thanks to Reed for his time. You know I can't ever do anything short. Maybe it's compensating for BEING short? Who knows. Tomorrow for Audiobook Thursday and to continue Reed Week, I'll be talking about SOUL PATCH, the fourth Moe Prager novel. For those of you who do not know, the Moe Prager series is now available on Audiobook from Audible, narrated by Andy Caploe. INNOCENT MONSTER will also be narrated by Andy. And finally, on Friday, I'll share my thoughts on INNOCENT MONSTER.

For you print devotees, INNOCENT MONSTER is out from Tyrus Books, and the older books in the Moe Prager series are available from Busted Flush Press in trade paperback. Reed is also going to be at Bouchercon, so you can meet him in person in San Francisco. Can't make it to San Francisco? I'm over the moon because this year Reed will be at Murder and Mayhem in Muskego. You can also meet him in person there. Of course, I'll have reports from both events for those of you who can't make either.

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One-on-one with Reed Farrel Coleman

Today is the release of Reed Farrel Coleman's new Moe Prager novel, INNOCENT MONSTER. The award-winning Moe Prager series has been lauded by critics, booksellers, crime fiction fans, and of course ME! In celebration, I'll be highlighting Reed all this week, starting with a two-part interview and ending with my review of INNOCENT MONSTER on Friday. I'm a big fan of Reed's work, as you've seen through my reviews of previous Moe Prager novels; Reed's collaborative novel, TOWER, written with Ken Bruen; and his poetry. So, it is my distinct honor and pleasure to share this interview with you on Reed's release day. If you've not experienced Reed's work and you wonder what I'm talking about when I say his prose is very poetic, you'll get a good taste of that in this interview. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Here he is, Reed Farrel Coleman (Part 1)!

Q.  Reed, you started out writing poetry, having studied it in college. What drew you to poetry to begin with?

Reed: Actually, I started writing poetry when I was 12 or 13. I had a great seventh grade English teacher named Mr. Isaacs who focused on poetry. He used song lyrics and other stuff we could relate to and I got the bug. Also, I grew up in a family that communicated by shouting. We even expressed love that way. Eventually all the shouting made it impossible to be heard. Poetry gave me a voice that could be heard above the noise. When I saw how powerful and economic the vocabulary of poetry could be, I got really into how poets used the instrument of language and poetics to express themselves. Then in college I had some formal training with David Lehman. He was a great teacher and really freed me to think of myself as a writer. He also emphasized that writing and playing with words should be fun. I’ve published poetry on and off for years and was recently asked to join the editorial staff of The Lineup, a poetry journal that features poems on crime. It’s great to be writing and editing poetry again. One of the coolest things ever was getting to go to one of David Lehman’s readings and giving him a set of my novels. Oddly enough, he too has been nominated for an Edgar.

Q. Unlike some other writers, you didn’t grow up reading and loving crime fiction. You kind of discovered it by chance. Can you talk about that a little?

Reed: Sure. To me, crime fiction was the cheesy paperback on my dad’s nightstand. I was pretty snobby about what I read—a poet, don’t ya know—and never paid the genre much mind. I did like film noir, but the movies didn’t much impact my reading. Then when I was working in the cargo area at Kennedy Airport—think the real Goodfellas—I had to commute to Manhattan once a week and to kill time I decided to take a night class back at Brooklyn College. The only class that fit my schedule was a class on American Detective Fiction. From the first day in class I was totally and utterly smitten. We read The Continental Op; Farewell, My Lovely; Red Harvest; The Maltese Falcon; The Glass Key; The Long Goodbye. It completely changed my world. For the first time I saw how I might apply the lessons I learned in poetry to prose writing. After about a month in that class I knew that this was what I wanted to do with my life. I guess it’s a good thing it wasn’t a class on Poetry of the French Renaissance.

Q. And how did you transition from writing poetry to writing prose? Were there elements that you found especially challenging because of your training in poetry? Or was it just more of a natural flow from one to the other?

Reed: It took me two and a half years to write my first novel, Life Goes Sleeping. I knew what I wanted to do, but had no training. I was really lost and stumbling about in the darkness. Then when I sort of found a plot idea, I tried too hard to make every sentence poetry. What a mistake. But you have to get the overwriting out of your system eventually. I wasn’t trying to write the great American novel. I was trying to write the great American sentence … every sentence. It was a very difficult transition because the techniques don’t easily translate. My first three books are really an exercise in someone teaching himself how to write. What I found was that if I relaxed, my writing improved. And once I relaxed the poetry came out of me naturally. In the first two books, I really forced it. You could see the promise in those books, but you needed to look hard. By the third book, They Don’t Play Stickball in Milwaukee, I think I had gotten it. That’s the thing most beginners don’t understand: You learn by doing. All writing when you start out is valuable. You need to do a lot of it before you get good at it. It doesn’t happen magically. No one walks out onto a major league pitcher’s mound without first throwing hundreds of innings in Little League, high school, college and/or the minor leagues.

Q. You’ve also said that crime writing is a poetic art form. Can you explain that a little and tell us who in the genre you feel really has a grasp on the poetic element?

Reed: Well, I think certain writers have a natural poetry in their work. To me, Chandler is like the TS Eliot of detective fiction to Hammett’s William Carlos Williams. Chandler is the king of the image, of the powerful metaphor. Hammett is more manifest, he tells it like it is. You have to get what you’re going to get out of what he gives you. They both have an implied rhythm in their prose. You can’t read Daniel Woodrell, Megan Abbott, Peter Spiegelman, Ken Bruen, Lawrence Block, SJ Rozan, or Don Winslow without getting a sense of poetry in their work. Don Winslow’s narrative style has had a great effect on my recent poetry. This is not to say that crime writers who don’t write poetic prose aren’t fantastic writers. I never want people to misunderstand that. In fact, if it’s poetic prose not done well, it’s godawful.

Q. Then it wasn’t until later that you wrote your first short story. So from short works to long works to short works. How do the various experiences compare for you? Do you find any easier or any that you more readily jump into than the others? What are your favorite parts of each?

Reed: Writing short fiction really helps sharpen the instrument. It makes you focus. You’re forced to cut out the superfluous. I tell my writing students that a short story is like a road flare: It burns hot and bright and it’s about one thing. Novels are like the night sky: It can be about the moon, the stars, the clouds, a thousand different things. Or, if you prefer, the difference between short fiction and a novel is like the difference between red and white wines. Red wines tend to be more complex and about a variety of tastes and experiences. White wines tend to be about one thing. What I love about novel writing is the chance to explore the small corners of things. Hey, look at that old spider’s web and the copper penny. I wonder who left them there. When? Why? What could they mean? Short stories aren’t about the small corners or painting with the fine brushes. It’s broad strokes and bright colors.

Q. You’ve also collaborated on a project with Ken Bruen. Together you wrote TOWER. In what ways did collaborating make the process easier and in what ways did it make the process harder? Did you find any element of the book that you couldn’t come to an agreement on? If so, how did you deal with it?

Reed: To paraphrase the great actor Edmund Kean: Comedy is easy, collaboration is hard. Collaboration cuts against the grain of writing fiction. As Ken and I have often joked, one of the reasons we write for a career is that we don’t play well with others and we hate bosses. Well, by definition, if you collaborate, you have to play with others and one of you has to be the boss. Tower was Ken’s idea, so he was the boss. His decisions were the final decisions, though we didn’t have many disagreements and we usually worked through them together to reach a consensus. The fact is, Ken isn’t like anyone else I know, so collaborating with him was unique. He mentioned Tower to me about five years ago and I agreed without a second’s hesitation. Then he never said another word about it although we emailed each other nearly every day. I just figured he had moved on. Then, six months later, I get a one-line email from Ken that reads “Have at it, bro.” This was shocking in itself as Ken’s emails used to be yards long. Attached to the email was his half of Tower. That was it: no instructions on how to finish it or what he wanted me to do. It was all very mystical and Zen. I had to be the other hand in the one hand clapping metaphor. So I absorbed Ken’s half of the novel and after months of thought wrote my half of the book. It was murder, the hardest work I’ve ever had to do. I loved it and hated it, but am a much better writer for it. Man, did I have to stretch. A lot of people love the book. Some hate it. But you won’t find many books like it. In the end, the nature of the collaboration made it quite unique.

Q. Would you want to collaborate again on a work? Or is once enough for a lifetime on that experience? If you were to collaborate again, anyone other than Ken you’d like to work with?

Reed: I have worked on some other collaborations. Peter Spiegelman and I have toyed with the idea and have made a few stabs at it. I have a few other collaborative projects in mind as well. Some that might surprise people. Ken and I have kicked around the idea of doing a Western together. A crazy Irishman from Galway and a Jew from Brooklyn writing a Western. Makes a twisted kind of sense, doesn’t it? But Ken is so busy these days, I don’t know that it will happen.

Q. Your first series that you published featured Dylan Klein who was an insurance investigator turned novelist and Dylan’s best friend Johnny MacClough. Now their friendship mirrors a real-life friendship of yours, correct? And Dylan gives up his career to pursue writing, like you. Is that the extent of Dylan’s connection to you?

Reed: Yes, Dylan Klein’s friendship with Johnny is based upon my friendship with a retired NYPD detective named Tom McDonald. Tom and I worked at a restaurant together and became very close friends—partially because we came from the same area in Brooklyn. Getting to know Tom gave me a center to write the DK series around. Tom and I are still good buddies, though he will never forgive me for what I did plot-wise with Johnny MacClough. Actually, Dylan Klein was named for my son Dylan before Dylan was born. Huh? I knew that if I ever had a son, I would name him Dylan, but when I began writing I didn’t have kids, let alone a son. So I was determined to name somebody Dylan. My first child was a girl, Kaitlin—now a senior at Hunter College, studying animal behavior and biology—so who knew if I was going to have a son. Well, my son Dylan—a freshman majoring in illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology—showed up after my first novel was published, but I figured I still owed him the name. Please, buy my books, I have two kids going to college in Manhattan!

Q. And that kind of leads into the next question - well, not the kids in college part. Often characters will start out reflecting their authors or people the authors know, but eventually don’t the characters really start to take on a personality of their own, influenced by the experiences they have? Where would you say that starts to occur? Or am I completely off my rocker and that doesn’t happen at all?

Reed: Well, you may be completely off your rocker, but not about this. Dylan Klein (to more fully answer your previous question), is much like me. Authors often give the advice that new writers should write about what they know. I think this is often misunderstood or misinterpreted to mean new writers should write about the jobs they have or have had, to set their works where they live. But what a new writer knows better than any of those things is his or herself. Writing is an internal process and what helps bring characters to life is a rich internal life. Whose internal life is a writer intimately acquainted with? His or her own. I ended the DK series because I was no longer engaged in writing essentially about my mirror image. Moe has features of mine, but he isn’t me. In writing Walking the Perfect Square, Moe, a reincarnation of a protagonist from a series of unpublished novels, became his own man.

Q. So after Dylan came Moe Prager. Was the desire to stop writing your mirror image the only catalyst to change protagonists and series?

Reed: Like I said before, I was bored. While I was writing Walking the Perfect Square, I latched onto a protagonist name Moe Einstein, a too-clever NYPD detective I used in two unpublished—thank goodness—novels I wrote while still working on the DK novels. Moe Prager was a construct of the old Moe and a new backstory that suited the plot of WTPS. He has since become as real to me and to my fans—all seven of them—as any human being I’ve ever met. I think a series runs its course. The trick is spotting it before it’s too late. I built in a sort of endline for the Moe series because he ages as the series progresses. In Innocent Monster, Moe is in his early sixties. In Hurt Machine, the next Moe book, he’s a year older. It would become farcical to write him much beyond that. As Moe muses in Hurt Machine, the only ID he can use with any credibility is his AARP card.

So there's a little carrot for you. Tomorrow Reed and I will delve into INNOCENT MONSTER and the Moe Prager series as a whole. Hands down, this is one of my favorite crime fiction series, so I'm very excited to talk to Reed about the books. I hope you'll come back tomorrow and join in the fun. In the mean time, if you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments. If Reed isn't able to stop by - what with the craziness of release day - I'll go over to his house and harass him. No...not really. Please no one call the police and report me for stalking or anything.

In all seriousness INNOCENT MONSTER does go on sale today from Tyrus Books (ISBN: 978-1-935562-20-7). AND thanks to the brilliant mind and forethought of David Thompson, the beginning of the Moe Prager series is in print and available from Busted Flush Press.

See you tomorrow! Happy Reading!

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