The Redeemers - Ace Atkins

My review of Ace Atkins' The Redeemers first appeared in Shelf Awareness for Readers. I am posting it here today with their permission. Hope you enjoy!

First line: "Mickey Walls didn't bring up the subject until after he'd paid the Huddle House check and was walking out to his red Hummer parked on top of a ridge overlooking Highway 45."

Former Army Ranger and now former sheriff of Tibbehah County, Mississippi, Quinn Colson just can't escape the ugliness the world has to offer. His sister, Caddy, has fallen off the wagon--back abusing drugs--and a deputy is shot and left for dead during a burglary on Quinn's last night as sheriff. Leaving Tibbehah looks like a better option every minute.

In the fifth book of Ace Atkins' Quinn Colson series, his protagonist is again faced with dark and difficult decisions to make. Quinn has rekindled his relationship with his high school girlfriend, Anna Lee, and his rambling father, Jason, is back living on Quinn's property, urging his son to give farming a go. But Quinn doesn't see himself as a farmer; without his role as sheriff, he doesn't know where he fits.

Luckily, Mississippi isn't quite ready to let its native son go. Quinn is tangentially pulled into the burglary investigation as it snowballs out of control and changes the entire landscape of Quinn's hometown.

Atkins has created another suspenseful installment of this series. Despite the novel's nearly 400 pages, the plot is tight and will grip readers with plenty of action and twists.

But The Redeemers, like the previous books in this series, goes beyond a thrilling story. Atkins delves into the darkest and messiest depths of his wonderfully complex characters in order to pull out rays of hope for humanity. Readers unfamiliar with this series don't need to start at the beginning, but they should definitely start.

The Redeemers is available in hardcover from Putnam (9780399173943) and as an unabridged audio (9781490684215), narrated by Brian D'Arcy James, from Recorded Books.

   

   

Quote of the Week

'I've always recognized the human circus and all the wonderful creeps you meet on the way to Oz.'
    –Ace Atkins in The Redeemers 

2013 Favorite Reads!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy New Year and Happy Reading!

Kicking off the year-end favorites

It's that time of year when I reflect back on the books I've read and put together lists of my favorites. I'll start with a little recap of my reading stats for you. I'm hoping to fit another one or two books in before we ring out the year next week, but they will be 2014 publications, so I feel ready to run down my favorites at this point.

So at this point I've read 98 books. A smaller percentage of that number were audiobooks this year: only 30. The 98 books were written by 92 different authors, and 65 of those authors were new to me this year.  I read 21 debut novels (3 debuted earlier than 2013).

I wish I could double those numbers, but alas, I simply don't read that fast. And while I wish I could read more of the books that come out, I don't ever want reading to turn into a chore for me. I read at a pace that allows me to absorb and enjoy my books. I'm happy with that.

Now onto our first look at favorites - favorite book covers.

I've discovered that I'm not a fan of commercial book covers. In other words, I don't like what sells. I prefer covers that elicit something from me. I love covers that have strong meaning and connect well with the books they are wrapped around. So, you may find my choices a little odd...that's just me, a little odd! And just a little side note, these are only covers from those books I read this year. I know there are fabulous covers out there I haven't seen or picked up yet as well...

If You Were Here - Alafair Burke

I love all of Alafair Burke's books, but this is by far my favorite of her covers. I'm often drawn to colors that are not black, white or red because those are so dominant in the crime fiction genre. But this cover's simplicity conveys a lot of meaning connected to the book. This is definitely a gold star book cover.

The Broken Places - Ace Atkins

While the use of the car mirror isn't a new one, I find the use in this cover especially strong given the role of the storm in the book. There's a great deal of atmosphere created in this cover without bogging it down with a lot of insignificant and busy detail.

The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt

I'm finishing up the 26-disc audio of this one right now. Again, I like the simple design. I like the sense of depth--inviting you to look inside, the appearance of texture and the font--among my all-time favorite fonts. There's an overall aura of something hidden and mysterious behind the paper. This cover does a lot with little.

Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies - Chris Kluwe

Maybe it's because I see so many dark and melancholy covers in the crime fiction genre, but I just can't help smiling when I see this cover. It has such a sense of whimsey to it. The contrast between the big male football star and the carousel horse is striking. This is a beautifully unique book and I think the artists came up with a beautifully unique cover.

Brilliance - Marcus Sakey

As with Alafair Burke's work, I thoroughly enjoy all of Marcus Sakey's work. And likewise, I feel the cover for Brilliance is his best cover yet. The depth perception, the use of light and shadows, it's all such a strong image. I love the way they've positioned the title and Marcus' name. Had they moved the blurb to the back cover or made it A LOT less prominent I'd say this cover is perfect.

Today's post will be a twofer: two favorites lists for the price of one (since they are both short). My next list is my five favorite first lines from 2013. First lines from any book I read this year, whether published in 2013 or earlier were considered for this list. I think these mostly speak for themselves, so here you go:


From Dead Harvest (Chris F. Holm): "Light spilled through the window of the pub as I watched them, casting patches of yellow across the darkened street but conveying no warmth."

From Gun Machine (Warren Ellis): "On playing back the 911 recording, it'd seem that Mrs. Stegman was more concerned that the man outside her apartment door was naked than that he had a big shotgun."

From A Quiet Vendetta (R.J. Ellory): "Through mean streets, through smoky alleyways where the pungent smell of raw liquor hangs like the ghost of some long-gone summer; on past these battered frontages where plaster chips and twists of dirty paint in Mardi Gras colors lean out like broken teeth and fall leaves; passing the dregs of humanity who gather here and there amongst brown-papered bottles and steel-drum fires, serving to tap the vein of meager human prosperity where it spills, through good humor or diesel wine, onto the sidewalks of this district... Chalmette, here within the boundaries of New Orleans."

From The Titled World (Tom Franklin & Beth Ann Fennelly): "Dixie Clay was squelching through the mud along the creek's swollen banks, shooing mosquitoes with her hat, when she saw a baby coffin bobbing against a sycamore snag."

From Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies (Chris Kluwe): "I've decided to call my own mind." (Note: since this is a series of essays and articles, this is only the first line to the first essay. Virtually every first line for each entry in the book is worthy of appearing on this list.)

There you have it! My five favorite covers and my five favorite first lines from books I read this year. How about you? What were standouts for you in these categories?

The Broken Places - Ace Atkins

My review of Ace Atkins' The Broken Places first appeared in Shelf Awareness for Readers. It is appearing here today with their permission.

First line: "'This ain't no joke,' Esau Davis said."

Sheriff Quinn Colson has a bit of a quagmire on his hands when three escaped convicts show up in Tibbehah County, Mississippi, to collect stolen money and exact revenge on the man who betrayed them. The predicament becomes personal when Colson learns the cons are pursuing Jamey Dixon, recently—and questionably--pardoned from his murder conviction. Dixon also happens to be dating Colson’s sister.

As federal agents and a tornado bear down on Tibbehah County, Colson races to protect his family and his jurisdiction from the impending disasters.

This series has been exceptional from the start, but Ace Atkins is truly finding his groove with Quinn Colson in the third outing. Atkins has found that quintessential balance in Colson, allowing readers to easily forgive his transgressions because they result in justice when the law cannot.

And Colson doesn’t carry the series. Atkins’ entire cast contributes to its strength, including Colson’s recurring nemesis, Johnny Stagg.

The Broken Places opens with a Hemingway quote: “The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong in the broken places.” Atkins merges that theme flawlessly with his uses of faith and nature. He simultaneously respects and questions both through the eyes of his hardened and oft-broken hero, Colson, as well as Jason, Colson’s uncorrupted five-year-old nephew. The result is what sticks with the reader long after “the end.”

Whether new to the series or a fan from the start, The Broken Places will touch readers the way all great novels do, profoundly.

The Broken Places is available in hardcover (ISBN: 9780399161780) from Putnam. There is also an unabridged audio from Recorded Books, narrated by Brian d'Arcy James.

Favorite First Lines & Covers

I was looking back over my reading spreadsheet for this year and I started to fall behind on keeping track of what I read this year. So, I'm not exactly sure of final totals, but it is somewhere in the vicinity of 95ish books total, a little low which I expected because of all the change this year. I am committing to keeping better track in 2013 and hopefully reading a bit more. But, from what I did accurately track I can tell you that I read at least 77 different authors; at least 54 of the authors were new to me; and at least 13 were debut novels. My audiobook total was the area that took the hardest hit. I listened to about 23 audiobooks. Past years it's been closer to 50 percent of my total. I'm also going to work on getting that back up in 2013 by dedicating at least an hour for walking each day, and I'll listen to audio then.

How about you all? Any areas of your reading that you'd like to work on in 2013? Anything from 2012 that you're especially proud of? A new author you tried? A different genre? Or even sub-genre of crime fiction? Did you discover you loved (or hated) something that surprised you? Share with us in the comments!

This is my week of favorites lists for this year. I'm going to include a new one today and that's my favorite covers and first lines. I have to admit that I am not a connoisseur of covers. I don't buy books because of the covers or reject books because of the covers (at least to date--if a cover really offended me I'd probably not buy it). So take my five choices with a grain of salt. Now on the other hand, first lines are something that I definitely pay attention to; that's why I include them on my reviews. And of course these choices are only from the books I read this year--it also doesn't include any 2013 publications I've read this month.

My Top Five Favorite Covers:

5. Boca Daze. I have often commented about walking down the mystery aisle in a bookstore or library. There's a sea of black, with red and white speckled in. The books that stand out to me are the ones that are NOT black. And the cover of Boca Daze just screams fun without looking preposterous. Since I had an early copy of this one, my cover was just boring black and white. The final cover is a masterpiece.

4. The Prophet. I really have to tip my hat to the Little, Brown folks because this was a bit of a gamble. I know there was some concern about people not wanting to buy the book with the dead bird on the cover. That didn't stop Koryta from hitting the NYT bestseller list with it, though. This is a cover that was tuned into the content of the book and was unique to the book. Nice call on this cover!

3. Whiplash River. I love the pure simplicity of this cover and how well it articulates the constant movement of the book. And again, I think the cover is in tune with the unique elements of the book.

2. Taken. The atmosphere of this cover is what first grabs my attention. I have a large version of this cover hanging on my library wall. It embraces the impending doom that boils in the novel while still showing a ray of hope. And the reflection is equally befitting the content of the novel. This one was well planned out.

1. The Survivor. At first glance this cover may not look like much, but the power behind the itty bitty man on his precipice is breathtaking. If you miss that little man (as I did at first because I was so excited to read a new Gregg Hurwitz book), it changes the cover completely. When I closed this book and really looked at the cover I was blown away. Again, the simplicity of the image was what did it. The enormity of the message in the simple graphic arrangement is stunning. I love this cover. Hands down, my favorite this year.

My Top Five Favorite First Lines:

5. Julia Heaberlin's  PLAYING DEAD:

"Despite its name, Ponder, Texas, pop. 1,101, isn't a very good place to think."

 This opening line is a good chuckle, but it all sets the scene and the atmosphere immediately. I was very excited to read this debut novel after that opening line.

4. Chris Grabenstein's FUN HOUSE:

"He wasn't happy about it, but last night my partner John Ceepak became a TV star."

Chris Grabenstein is a master of first lines. This first line may hold more attraction to readers of the series who already know John Ceepak, but even if you don't have that background, you know quite a tale is close on the heels of this opening sentence.

3. Ace Atkins's THE LOST ONES:

"A couple of roustabouts had been asking about guns at the Tibbehah County Fair, but by the time the word had gotten back to Donnie Varner, they'd long since packed up their Ferris wheel, corn dog stands and shit, and boogied on down the highway."
I love how Atkins's language brings out the setting of the novel. It also seems to add a scent to the air and a color to the page. Even though I know this is going to be a crime novel, I end up with a warm feeling from the way he puts his words together on the page.

2. Gar Anthony Haywood's ASSUME NOTHING:

"His last night in Florida, Joe Reddick remembered the blood in the goldfish bowl."

And the whole book follows suit with that. It's such a startling image to really grab the reader as soon as he/she opens the book!

1. Robert Pobi's BLOODMAN:

"Two hundred feet below the rolling metal surface of the Atlantic, a handful of ghosts skittered along the ocean floor in a jerky seesaw roll, furling and unfurling in a diluvial ballet."

The imagery of this statement is a mix of fun and fear. Bloodman was one of those rare books that taps the paranormal (just slightly) and I still love it and buy into it. It would have been hard to dislike the book after this opening sentence. This is another debut novel, by the way.

I went back and forth with about three other first lines that were great from my reading this year, but I wanted to keep each of these lists today to five, so I determined these five first lines to be my favorite.

Tomorrow I should have my favorite audios of 2012 and Monday will be my overall favorite reads of the year. I hope you'll check back and share your favorites as well! Happy Reading!

Shopping for the Robert B. Parker Fan

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I've asked some folks to help me out on making "If you like this..." recommendations. Often we have a reader on our gift list who has a favorite author, but when he/she has a favorite author, they buy themselves that author's book immediately when it comes out. So what reading alternatives do we have for those folks? How about introducing them to someone new? A writer who's wonderful, but maybe not as well know??

I wanted to kick this off for the start of the big shopping season so you could have some ideas for your gift lists. I hope you'll also point others over (especially those who don't regularly read crime fiction but might want to buy for a crime fiction fan) to take a look at the suggestions for the readers on their lists.

Starting us off is my wonderful friend Lauren. She's an avid reader and a great Robert B. Parker fan. Here's what Lauren has to share:

I still remember, with sorrowful clarity, the morning I woke to learn that Robert B. Parker had died. It may sound silly, but the man, his stories, characters, and words had been a large part of my life for thirty some-odd years. Still, I was taken aback at how deeply his death impacted me. Part of that, I later realized, was the seeming sudden and untimely nature of his passing. Most people, those in our lives, others that entertain us such as actors or sports heroes, we see on a daily or at least somewhat regular basis, we watch them age along with us. Not so much authors. The jacket cover often stays the same for years, many don’t tour often (or at all), and many do not partake in events such as Bouchercon. Robert B. Parker could not be dead, he was still that rakish 60-something posing with Pearl on the jacket of my books. And yet, he was gone. And with him, part of my "family."

 

The impact was also deep because of the literary family Parker had created for me. Picking up a Spenser book to see what Spenser, Hawk, Susan and the remaining cast of regulars was up to felt like pulling into the driveway after a long trip away from home. Yeah, you knew what was coming, especially towards the end of the series when the story might not have been much of a story at all anymore. But that’s not what kept me coming back. I knew those characters, I cared about those characters, I drank up their dialogue, their relationships, their thoughtfulness (and those damn food and cooking descriptions which always left me salivating). There was going to be no filling that void.

 

And yet, there has been, to a certain extent. When I first learned of Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire series, centered on law enforcement personnel in Wyoming, I had no desire to read them. Westerns are all well and good, but not particularly in my reading wheelhouse. I had way too many other books on the shelf waiting for my attention. Jen kept insisting to me, "They’re not Westerns!" And in the sense she meant, they’re not. I finally picked up The Cold Dish and was very pleasantly surprised. The dialogue sparked (and feels, to me, very reminiscent of Parker’s dialogue), the characters and relationships were real (to me and to and between each other). The stories, just as in the Spenser series, became something of a backdrop for being able to peer into the lives of smart, interesting, real people dealing with their issues, personal and interpersonal alike. Walt, Vic and Henry, to some extent the Spenser, Susan and Hawk of the Longmire series, had me hooked. The cast of supporting characters is no less important or well-drawn as those in the Spenser series. The void was feeling a little less of a chasm.

 

I was wrong to mentally classify this series as Western. Craig’s books are Westerns the way the Spenser books were about Boston. The atmosphere, the land, the location inform the story. Indeed, Wyoming becomes a character in much the same way Boston was a character in the Spenser books. Ultimately, the Longmire series is about the people, a group of wonderful and wonderfully flawed characters I can’t wait to revisit each time out. It’s almost like I’ve got that driveway home to pull into again, knowing what’s waiting for me at the end, something that feels a bit like going home.

 

As an aside, if you are or have been a fan of the Spenser series, please give Ace Atkins’ continuation of the series a read. I, probably like many, had my doubts, but was really pleased with Ace’s work and will happily pick up the next installment.

 

I can't disagree with any of Lauren's comments! I think these are great recommendations for your Parker fan. Feel free to leave other recs of your own--or questions if you have any--in the comments. With these posts we're here to help you find the perfect books for the readers on your gift list! 

Lessons I've Learned...

...from books I've read so far in 2012. A little fun to kick off your week.

1. Don't look in the trunk! The next time I'm offered 50 grand to not look in the trunk, I'll not look in the trunk, no matter how much noise I hear. (Gutshot Straight by Lou Berney)

2. When planning your child's wedding, move mountains to get the first choice location. It may seem like an impossible task, but that second choice locale can really cause problems. (As the Crow Flies, Craig Johnson)

3. If someone writes to you saying you're their child, immediately burn the letter and move far away. Curiosity did, after all, kill the cat. (Playing Dead, Julia Heaberlin)


4. If a guy can't afford his own car and has to use yours, do NOT let him move in with you. In fact, don't date him at all. (Heartbroken, Lisa Unger)

5. When it comes to family, help hide the body. It is, after all, family.  (A Bad Day for Mercy, Sophie Littlefield)

6. Never spend the night in a backwoods small town. And most especially never do it if you are traveling with a teen who's been in trouble with the law before. (The Conviction, Robert Dugoni)

7. Reality TV is nothing but trouble. It can even affect people not directly involved in the show. It's bad, bad, bad! (Vanishing Point, Val McDermid)

8. Imaginary friends are real. A different kind of real, but real all the same. (Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, Matthew Dicks)

9. A bag of donuts can buy you anything. No one can resist donuts, especially a P.I. who can't help but do the right thing. (Lullaby, Ace Atkins)

10. Fate despises suicide. You don't need to bother even trying. Fate will interfere and make you realize the life before trying suicide wasn't all THAT bad. (The Survivor, Gregg Hurwitz)

THE LOST ONES - Ace Atkins

May was quite a month for Ace Atkins. The beginning saw his first Spenser novel, LULLABY, and the end saw the second installment in his Quinn Colson series. I reviewed both for Shelf Awareness, and I'm reprinting my review of THE LOST ONES today with their permission.

First line: "A couple of roustabouts had been asking about guns at the Tibbehah County Fair, but by the time the word had gotten back to Donnie Varner, they'd long since packed up their Ferris wheel, corn dog stands and shit, and boogied on down the highway."

In Ace Atkins’ first book of the Quinn Colson series, the Army Ranger, home on leave, exposed a corruption ring responsible for the death of his uncle, the small town’s sheriff. Now Colson finds himself out of the Army and in the sheriff’s uniform when the suspicious death of a foster child leads him straight into a hornet’s nest of illegal activity, including running guns and selling children.

Despite Atkins’ dark subject matter, he manages to weave an exceptional sense of humor into this series. From Colson’s wise-cracking chief deputy, Lillie Virgil, to the often humorous conflict Colson himself encounters when he has to observe the county law as opposed to war-time protocol, there’s an easiness in the tone that balances the ugliness of the crimes.

Atkins’ secondary characters rival Colson in their depth and complexity. Caddy, Colson’s sister, returns to play a prominent role in this second novel, revealing more of the Colson family history. And Atkins seems to be setting Colson’s disabled veteran buddy, Boom, up to see substantial face time in coming series installments. All of the characters have their dysfunctions, but the weaknesses of one fit nicely with the strengths of the others, creating a cast of essential characters rather than one standout.

As the various elements of the plot weave together, the significance of the title grows. In some way we’re all lost and that common thread will allow readers to connect with the novel on an intimate, personal level.

Following up an Edgar-nominated novel can be a challenging task. With The Lost Ones, Ace Atkins makes it look easy.

The Lost Ones is available in hardcover (ISBN: 9780399158766) from Putnam. It's also available on audio from Audible, narrated by one of my favorite narrators, Jeff Woodman. 

ROBERT B PARKER'S LULLABY - Ace Atkins

My review of LULLABY first appeared in Shelf Awareness for Readers, and I am reprinting it here with their permission. 

First line: "I spotted the girl even before she knocked on my door."

The first Spenser novel penned by someone other than Robert B. Parker will undoubtedly face a high level of scrutiny. Ace Atkins’ Lullaby will stand up to any level.

The woman who walks into private investigator Spenser’s office is fourteen-year-old Mattie Sullivan looking to set the record straight on her mother’s murder four years earlier. Mattie is convinced the wrong man was convicted, but the combination of Mattie’s age, her mother’s history of drug addition and prostitution, as well as the evidence against the convicted man all cause the police to turn a deaf ear. Spenser listens and soon finds himself embroiled in the dark element of Boston no one’s willing to talk about.

Atkins has proven himself an exceptionally talented writer through his own works, including his most recent Quinn Colson series; Lullaby verifies he’s only shown a fraction of his abilities to date. Taking the essence of all that made Spenser an iconic figure in the P.I. genre, Atkins adds an arresting new chapter in the wisecracking, food-loving, former boxer’s biography.

The dialogue follows in the vein of Parker: sharp, witty, engaging. Relationship dynamics will pull readers into more than just the plot, they will pull readers into the lives of the characters. And Atkins remains true to all of Parker’s characters including Spenser’s regular supporting cast: Susan, Rita, Hawk and Quirk.

Especially impressive is Atkins’ sense of Boston. Unlike Parker, Atkins is not a native, but that doesn’t impair his ability to give it as much life as one of the characters.

Taking on the challenge of continuing the much-loved Spenser series is a daunting task. Ace Atkins responds with a knock-out punch in round one. Parker would most definitely approve.


Extra note: I don't know that 250 (or in my wordy case 280) words can do justice to how wonderful I felt this book was. I was skeptical, and Atkins won me over on page one. The dialogue is simply priceless - reflecting character, expressing humor, evoking emotion:

"You think Broz did the shooting in Dorchester?" I asked.
"Yep," Hawk said. "Course, he didn't pull the trigger. You think Gerry knows one end of the gun from the other?"
"Probably not."
"Leaves us with Red and Moon."
"Bad guys," I said.
"We been up against much badder," Hawk said. "Those boys still minor-league."
"And Jack Flynn?"
"Jack Flynn is on the thug all-star team."

And Atkins doesn't include a dialogue tag in every line. The interaction between characters should be a textbook lesson. It's art. Whether you're a long-time Spenser fan or you haven't ever picked up one of the books, you'll enjoy Lullaby. Don't miss this one!

Robert B. Parker's Lullaby is available in hardcover from Putnam (ISBN: 9780399158032) and on audio from Random House Audio (ISBN: 9780307987730), narrated by long-time series narrator, Joe Mantegna.

The Ranger - Ace Atkins

First line: "Quinn headed home, south on the Mississippi highway, in a truck he'd bought in Phenix City, Alabama, for fifteen hundred, a U.S. Army rucksack beside him stuffed with enough clothes for the week and a sweet Colt .44 Anaconda he'd won in a poker game.

Quinn Colson left Tibbeheah County to join the Army and fight in Afghanistan. He returns home to his uncle's funeral to find a completely different place than he left. Forced into circumstances he had no hand in creating, Quinn tries to reign in evil forces only to uncover secrets that hit far too close to home.

THE RANGER is the first book in a new series for Ace Atkins. And it's an explosive way to start a new series. Quinn Colson is a complex characters with many jagged edges, but a few soft, rounded parts, too.

Lillie Virgil, a supporting character, in Atkins' cast is a wonderful female battling for her place in a region that still hasn't come to fully embrace women. Atkins balances her ambition and drive with her compassion without turning either characteristic unbelievable.

On the flip side of Atkins' protagonist is the brutal ugliness of the methamphetamine business. As complex as Atkins creates his hero, he matches that complexity in the antagonists. And a slew of characters are trapped somewhere in between where the good and evil blur boundaries.

The plot of THE RANGER makes for a compulsive read; the audience simply has to keep turning pages. But there's trepidation with every turn, like sitting in a movie theater knowing something is going to jump up at you; covering your eyes with your hands but not being able to resist peaking through your fingers. And when it finally does jump out at you, the anticipation makes the scare even greater.

Atkins creates that anticipation with his atmosphere. In the opening sentence I heard echos of Faulkner. Atkins follows in the southern tradition, creating the pacing and tone in the setting as well as the action. THE RANGER is a perfect example of a book transporting its reader to a new world. Whether you're intimately familiar with Mississippi or not, you'll feel as though you are after reading this novel. Through his protagonist, Atkins illustrates a love of a region that is far from perfect.

The dialogue drips with various sounds of the South, adding to the dimension of the characters. An audio version of this may be a difficult sell for me because the characters were so vividly alive in my imagination and most especially so through their voices. Atkins does a meticulous job of giving each character a distinctive voice.

I'm extremely excited about this series. Quinn Colson and Lillie Virgil are characters I can embrace, root for, and look forward to. Here's to the start of a beautiful series!

THE RANGER is available now in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0399157486) from Putnam.

Caught! - Ace Atkins

That Edgar nomination isn't keeping him so busy he can't find time to read. Keith Rawson found Ace Atkins enjoying some PHOENIX NOIR, edited by Patrick Millikin who we caught this past weekend.

Ace of course was recently nominated for the Best Short Story Edgar for his "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" published in his Busted Flush CROSSROAD BLUES reprint. In addition, Ace's newest novel is INFAMOUS, released last month from Putnam.

Technorati Tags: Ace Atkins, Crime Writers Caught Reading Crime

Caught - Patrick Millikin

Is Patrick slacking on the job? He's supposed to be selling the books at Poisoned Pen, not reading them! But here Keith Rawson caught Patrick checking out Ace Atkins' INFAMOUS.

In addition to his duties at Poisoned Pen, Patrick Millikin is a freelance writer and the editor of PHOENIX NOIR.

Technorati Tags: Patrick Millikin, Ace Atkins, Crime Writers Caught Reading Crime

Monday Mystery Backlist - CROSSROAD BLUES

This week I chose to highlight CROSSROAD BLUES by Ace Atkins as the Monday Mystery Backlist because it is in my TBR pile. It taunts me, I swear it does. So, I can't wait until it's up in the rotation so I can escape its hold on me! I also thought it fitting since Ace Atkins was nominated for an Edgar this year for the short story that appears at the end of the new printing.

CROSSROAD BLUES was originally published in 1998 by St. Martin's Minotaur and was re-released in 2009 by Busted Flush Press.

The back cover of CROSSROAD BLUES says:

"A modern, Southern re-invention of The Maltese Falcon, Crossroad Blues won noir fans with its nod to the masters and thrilled readers with a wild ride along Highway 61. It's here that we first meet Nick Travers, an ex-New Orleans Saint turned Tulane University blues historian. Nick searches for the lost recordings of 1930s bluesman Robert Johnson - and a missing colleague - and finds trouble at every turn.

The cast of characters includes a red-headed siren, an Elvis-worshipping hitman, Johnson's ghost, and the Mississippi Delta itself. A decade later, Crossroad Blues still sings."

And Ken Bruen says,

"Ace Atkins brings to mystery what Muddy Waters brought to music - the totally unexpected and the absolute sublime."

Pretty easy to see why this one's taunting me, isn't it? Can't wait to get to it. And you can check it out, too. It's available from Busted Flush Press in trade paper (ISBN: 978-1-935415-03-9). If you get to it before me, let me know what you think!