The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Review

As book reviews go THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is hardly in need of another.

What can I say, it is a great book, but not without its problems. The central story of a long missing girl is fabulous, that is until Larsson tires of it and wraps it up a little too conveniently.

[Spoiler: Highlight to read] T

The two main characters happen upon two separate pieces of information that essentially solves the crime at the same time is difficult to believe in the context of the story. Up til now the reader has been lead to believe that the missing girl's Great Uncle has pursued this case relentlessly for the last 40 years. That he could not have come upon similar information was hard for me to swallow.

Ultimately this is a minor quibble as it is all written fantastically. I think I am just expressing my disappointment that it was coming to an end because until then the book and this story of long dead family secrets is enthralling. DRAGON TATTOO certainly does not lack for scope. It pleased me to no end that Mr. Larsson seemed to manage the careful act of story and character. In the eternal debate of character vs. story. Character in Crime Fiction has been great, really wonderful from a number of author over the last few years. However, I have certainly felt that the story end has suffered in Crime Fiction.

What does not work so well is the bookend story that begins and end the DRAGON TATTOO. In the beginning I see the point of it all. It certainly sets up our lead character Mikael. It is a bit long, the story of Mikael's fall from grace after losing a libel case for publishing an article on a Swedish industrialist. However, I'm a sucker for character and story details so I did not mind too much. But as that story of the missing girl is resolved there was still nearly 100 pages to go in the book.

[Spoiler: Highlight to read]

These pages detail how Mikael exacts his 'revenge' against the Swedish industrialist with another article and book, this time proving his corruption. Truth wins out over injustice, but this sequence is written in an almost dream like scenario. The resolution could not work out any better for Mikael if he tried, and it rings absolutely false.

Let me state very clearly that this does not undo what I think is a fabulous book. Just that these sections play as an agenda of the author and not an organic element of the book. The second of the series releases in the US on the 28th of July.

FIFTY GRAND - Review

I'll admit that it was a difficult to say good-bye to Michael Forsythe. Over the course of three novels, DEAD I MAY WELL BE, THE DEAD YARD and THE BLOOMSDAY DEAD, Adrian McKinty crafted three fantastic stories and many wonderful characters. The books are bloody, gritty reads. They are the finest example of 21st Century Noir, and along with his first stand alone HIDDEN RIVER, without peer.

FIFTY GRAND is the latest and greatest from Mr. McKinty, and it does a lot to ease my anxiety over the loss Mr. Forsythe. 50K is a revenge story played out in the rich enclave of Fairview Colorado. A Cuban Police Officer masquerades as an illegal alien to discovery who killed her long absent father. As plot outlines go, this is pretty spare, but with some books it really is about the journey.

Strangely more fascinating than the revenge story is the Alexis de Tocquville-like examination of American society by the protagonist Officer Mercado. Through out the book Officer Mercado expresses complete ignorance and/or bafflement over American celebrity culture and all that follows it. From an American character and by extension an American author this kind of commentary usually comes off as a patronizing snobbery that only serves to undercut the message of how screwed our priorities really have become. Maybe with my lifetime subscription to the middle class I find these cultural explorations more an examination of class where no matter the 'good intentions' usually end up with the author looking down their long nose at lesser beings.

That is not to say that Mr. McKinty, as a non-American, should be given a pass. But certainly as a non-American the seeming naivete of Mr McKinty's study of U.S. culture can be accepted more on face value without the immediate expectation of a hidden agenda in posing questions like; 'Why do we care about so much about Tom Cruise and Scientology?'

Whatever may draw you to FIFTY GRAND it is a cracking good read. I'm guessing I'm not going to read anything better this year.

Barry Nominations 2009

The Hungry Detective's wife celebrated her Birthday over the weekend. WooHoo! My unfailing dedication to her meant that I missed posting the Barry nominations in a timely manner. Given the delay I had though I would forgo posting, but I changed my mind once I decided that I had a few things to say about them.

Best Novel:
• Trigger City - Sean Chercover
• The Draining Lake - Arnaldur Indridason
• Envy the Night - Michael Koryta
• Red Knife - William Kent Krueger
• The Cruelest Month - Louise Penny
• The Dawn Patrol - Don Winslow

The usual suspects as of late. Chercover, Krueger, Penny. The other three I know get a lot of love. As the lone woman in the group Louise Penny can rely on precedent. Last year's winner, Laura Lippman, was also the lone female. I know who I would like to see win, but I also have an idea of who might win.

Best First Novel:
• The Kind One - Tom Epperson
• Stalking Susan - Julie Kramer
• City of the Sun - David Levien
• Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith
• A Carrion Death - Michael Stanley
• Sweeping Up Glass - Carolyn D. Wall

Mr. Epperson also received a Best First Novel nom in this year's Edgar race. The Smith novel was widely applauded. The co-authored A CARRION DEATH has been on a slow simmer in the way that it both is and is not a surprise for showing up here on the list.

Best British Novel:
• A Simple Act of Violence - R.J. Ellory
• Ritual - Mo Hayder
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson
• Shatter - Michael Robotham
• Bleeding Heart Square - Andrew Taylor
• Bruno, Chief of Police - Martin Walker

On the Mystery News website this award is qualified with 'Published in the U.K. in 2008, not necessarily written by a British writer nor set in the U.K.' That's like me saying my favorite US cities are San Francisco, Milwaukee, and Toronto. That is not to say THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is not a worthy book, just that this is a bit of a head scratcher.

Best Paperback Original:
• The First Quarry - Max Allan Collins
• Money Shot - Christa Faust
• State of the Onion - Julie Hyzy
• The Black Path - Åsa Larsson
• Severance Package - Duane Swierczynski
• Echoes from the Dead - Johan Theorin

Totally awesome that Mr. Swierczynski picked up this nomination. This is by far his best book. Here is hoping that he can tear himself away from the comics to write another one soon.

Best Thriller:
• Collision - Jeff Abbott
• The Deceived - Brett Battles
• The Survivor - Tom Cain
• Finder - Colin Harrison
• Night of Thunder - Stephen Hunter
• Good People - Marcus Sakey

Not sure if the Thriller category is a new one, but as someone who has read a lot of thrillers lately it is great to see these books and these authors recognized. My general concern here is that sub-genres of sub-genres can become ghettoized to the extent that they become excluded from the non-qualified Best Novel award.

Best Short Story:
• “The Drought,” by James O. Born (from The Blue Religion, edited by Michael Connelly; Little, Brown)
• “The Fallen,” by Jan Burke (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine [EQMM], August 2008)
• “A Trace of a Trace,” by Brendan DuBois (from At the Scene of the Crime, edited by Dana Stabenow; Running Press)
• “A Killing in Midtown,” by G. Miki Hayden (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, January/February 2008)
• “Proof of Love,” by Mick Herron (EQMM, September/October 2008)
• “The Problem of the Secret Patient,” by Edward D. Hoch (EQMM, May 2008)

Summer 2009 Preview

The Woman Affairs Desk of The Hungry Detective Office has been picketing the building for the last few days. It is a very troubling situation. I'll be the first to admit that the Summer '09 Preview is a sausage fest. I've held on to the list for a few days in the hopes that some more female written crime fiction would come to light. Alas, I have been too busy smoking cigars and drinking Brandy at my Men's Only Club downtown.

MIND SCRAMBLER - Chris Grabenstein - June 23

I have been a long time advocate of these books. After Book Three I called it the best series I was reading. I think these books work so well because of wish fulfillment and identification. We want to be John Ceepak, but we are Danny Boyle.

BURY ME DEEP - Megan Abbott - July 7

Release of this author's fourth novel reminds me that I have yet to read her third. One could write that she is the reigning Queen of Noir, which she is, but I feel like that labels her work in way to make it palatable for audiences. Regardless of genre or subgenre she is a writer that demands to be read. This is my most anticipated book of the Summer.

A CRACK IN THE LENS - Steve Hockensmith - July 21

Here is another series that I get a lot of enjoyment out of. The last book, THE BLACK DOVE, was his best so far primarily because of the increased female influence among our boys Big Red and Gustav

THE DEAD OF WINTER - Rennie Airth - July 23

The third in this infrequently written series takes place between the World Wars in the English Country side. The first book, RIVER OF DARKNESS was everything that Historical Crime Fiction should be. The second THE BLOOD-DIMMED TIDE was less successful. Still, I'm looking forward to this one.

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE - Stieg Larsson - July 28

Maybe by the time this book is released, in the US I'll have read the first one. Over the last few years I have reacted pretty ambivalently toward many of the books that have garnered overwhelming positive reviews. Still as releases go, this might be the big one of the summer.

THE SILENT HOUR - Micheal Koryta - August 4

Back to series with this book after last year's highly successful stand alone ENVY THE NIGHT. I wish I had enjoyed that book more. Perhaps I, as a reader, felt it was a little early to break from the series. I'm guessing Mr. Koryta feels differently.

THE AMATEURS - Marcus Sakey - August 6

Everything thing this author has written has been really good. However, it is time Mr. Sakey went to the next level with a truly great novel. If I had to guess what is holding this author back? I wish he wrote a series character.

HEART OF THE ASSASSIN - Robert Ferrigno - August 11

I think this is the final book in a planned trilogy. I have enjoyed all the books to this point, but have felt they have never really delivered on their intriguing premise. Book Two was nominated for the Edgar.

BLOOD'S A ROVER - James Ellroy - September 22

Mr. Ellroy never feels the need to censor himself, so this is one of the few times I don't feel the need to be diplomatic. The second in this trilogy, THE COLD SIX THOUSAND was a stylistic disaster. The language was stripped so bare that even the subtext was scrubbed clean. Still, the first in this trilogy is a towering achievement.

The rest I can recommend with little to no reservations. While I have not read all of these authors, I know many that do and just rave about them.

C.J. Box - BELOW ZERO, Meg Gardiner - THE MEMORY COLLECTOR, David Liss - THE DEVIL'S COMPANY, Brett Battles - SHADOW OF BETRAYAL, Blake Crouch - ABANDON, J.A Konrath - CHERY BOMB, James Lee Burke - RAIN GODS, Jason Starr - PANIC ATTACK, Dan Fesperman - THE ARMS MAKER OF BERLIN

Shutter Island - Trailer

Well this brightens an otherwise dull Thursday afternoon. Scorsese's adaptation of Mr. Lehane's SHUTTER ISLAND looks a little crazy. Here is hoping that with his Oscar win for THE DEPARTED Mr. Scorsese will have a little fun. As Scorsese is huge movie fanatic, I'm hoping for a good old Haunted House movie like the ones Val Lewton used to make. Although Lewton didn't make a Haunted House film per se, he did make movies about things that go bump in the night.

Blue Heaven - Review

C.J. Box is one of those authors I have always wanted to read. Sitting, very lonely, on the shelf is his first book OPEN SEASON. First in his Joe Pickett series, I never read it and now I feel I am too far behind to play catch up. BLUE HEAVEN is his first non-series title. BLUE HEAVEN is set in North Idaho, the panhandle of the state. This section of Idaho has become a refuge for former/retired Los Angeles police officers. A lot of what BLUE HEAVEN is about is the uneasy relationship between the native population of Idaho and their new residents. Each group holds little respect for the other, each believing that their way of life holds more value than the other.

The story of BLUE HEAVEN surrounds the unfortunate witnessing of a murder by two young kids. The murder is that of a cop, killed by his own brethren to cover up for a highly lucrative crime in their past. The book is an intense thriller when its focus is on the evil that men do. The ordinariness of human deceit and how characters deal with the compromises they have made to just get through the day end up being fascinating. In lesser hands the downfall of human decency leads to tedious moralizing. Mr Box never falls into the trap of making his bad guys cartoons and his good guys wearisome supermen.

This book won the 2009 Edgar for Best Novel. It is easy to see why. The book deals with complex problems of the human condtion and refuses to give the easy answers the characters of this book are deperarly seeking.

2009 Anthony Award Nominees

This is a very strong list of nominees. Lots of big names and big books. I already have some thoughts I want to share, but I am in Wisconsin this week. I'm watching the Brewers game and enjoying time with my parents. Check back in a few days for ill advised commentary.

--EDIT-- It has been more than a few days for those ill advised comments, so you maybe one of the select few to actually read them.

Official announcement here.

BEST NOVEL
Trigger City by Sean Chercover - William Morrow
The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly - Little, Brown and Company
Red Knife by William Kent Krueger - Atria
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson - Knopf
The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny - Minotaur

I am real curious to see how this shakes out. Last year's winner was the deserving WHAT THE DEAD KNOW by Laura Lippman. Not to diminish that win in any way, but the awards were given out in Baltimore. Again deserving, but decidedly lacking in excitement. Kreuger and Connelly are multiple winners of this award, although Connelly's hasn't won since 2003 and Krueger has won 3 times since then. It will also be interesting to see who becomes the bigger awards juggernaught; Chercover or Penny.

BEST FIRST NOVEL
Pushing Up Daisies by Rosemary Harris - Minotaur
Stalking Susan by Julie Kramer - Doubleday
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson - Knopf
Death of a Cozy Writer by G.M. Malliet - Midnight Ink
Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith - Grand Central

I wonder if a novel has ever done the double? Has there even been a double nominee before. Patrica Cornwell perhaps? I would be stunned to see the Larsson book do it, and give only a 5% chance of that happening.

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
The First Quarry by Max Allan Collins - Hard Case Crime
Money Shot by Christa Faust - Hard Case Crime
State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy - Berkley
In a Dark Season by Vicki Lane - Dell
South of Hell by P.J. Parrish - Pocket Star

I know exactly who is going to win this award. Exactly.

BEST SHORT STORY
"The Night Things Changed" by Dana Cameron from Wolfsbane and Mistletoe - Ace
"A Sleep Not Unlike Death" by Sean Chercover from Hardcore Hardboiled - Kensington
"Killing Time" by Jane K. Cleland from Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine - November
"Skull and Cross Examination" by Toni L. P. Kelner from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine - February
"Scratch a Woman" by Laura Lippman from Hardly Knew Her -William Morrow
"The Secret Lives of Cats" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine - July

BEST CRITICAL NONFICTION WORK
African American Mystery Writers: A Historical and Thematic Study by Frankie Y. Bailey - McFarland
How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries by Kathy Lynn Emerson - Perseverance Press
Anthony Boucher: A Bibliography by Jeffrey Marks - McFarland
The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective by Kate Summerscale - Walker & Company

BEST CHILDREN'S/YA NOVEL
The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein - Random House
Paper Towns by John Green - Dutton Juvenile
Kiss Me, Kill Me by Lauren Henderson - Delacorte
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart - Little, Brown
Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash by Wendelin Van Draanen - Knopf

BEST COVER ART
Death Was the Other Woman designed by David Rotstein and written by Linda L. Richards - Minotaur
Death Will Get You Sober designed by David Rotstein and written by Elizabeth Zelvin - Minotaur
The Fault Tree designed by David Rotstein and written by Louise Ure - Minotaur
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo designed by Peter Mendelsund and written by Stieg Larsson - Knopf
Money Shot designed by Steve Cooley and written by Christa Faust - Hard Case Crime

I enjoy the inclusion of this award. How quickly David Rotstein could become a three time loser though. I generally feel whatever the year, the Hard Case Crime cover will be hard to beat. I'm also guessing Chip Kidd had no books out there?

SPECIAL SERVICE AWARD
Jon and Ruth Jordan
Ali Karim
David Montgomery
Gary Warren Niebuhr
Sarah Weinman

I'm calling for a five way split. All are deserving.