The Hungry Detective

Spring arrived at The Hungry Detective offices in early March. Weather was so amazing that posting the Spring Preview seemed ridiculous. I was certain the cruel joke of Rochester weather would dump a ton of snow on us. But yesterday I threw away the ice scrappers, and fertilized the lawn. The fact that the lawn mower might be dead is a minor inconvenience. It was then I knew it was time to post the Spring Preview. FUN HOUSE - Chris Grabenstein - May 1 A series that is a lot of fun, even if the quality has fallen off over the last couple books. John Ceepak is still a role model for living this life as a better man. HARD COUNTRY - Michael McGarrity - May 10 I have never been let down by Mr. McGarrity. And, although this is a straight up Western, I'm still excited to see what this capable storyteller has in mind. AS THE CROW FLIES - Craig Johnson - May 15 Day of release purchase. Boom! I blew through four of Mr. Johnson's books last fall. They were all a blast...

In the Noe Valley neighborhood of San Francisco is a Chris Cosentino's restaurant, Incanto . I've eaten there once. It was yummy. I'm headed back to San Francisco in a month and will partake in Mr. Cosentino's 9th annual Head to Tail Dinner . As the tile alludes, Mr. Cosentino is a proponent of offal. Many are put off by this kind of cooking. I am less concerned with what goes into the food, and more concerned with how it tastes. Notably Mr. Cosentino has written a book on the topic that as yet has gone unpublished.  BEGINNINGS as one might surmise is all about the first course. Like most Italian cooking these days, the book will focus on simple rustic food preparation to begin a meal. I'm excited for this book, and hope it is the first of many for this charismatic Chef. The book is being published by Weldon Owen . It releases May 8th.

About a year ago, nearly to the day, a friend of my walked me to the rather unassuming outpost of   Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream in the city of San Francisco. When I am in Shake Town I eat, a lot. Sadly what flavor of ice cream I chose is now lost to time. However, I remember being taken by the wonderfully fanciful concoctions , and thankful that I was not lactose intolerant.   So there is some excitement that a cookbook  is in the offing from these Bay Area iced milk purveyors. There is a nice little write up and a recipe to boot over at Wired . A bunch of years ago a few other friends gave me the money to by a Cuisnart ice cream maker. Hmmm...

The Winter Preview is here. With the winter holiday I had a few hours to seat and consider what is an expansive list of upcoming Crime Fiction releases. There are a good number of books to get excited about this quarter. The Hungry Detective encourages you to buy these books when they appear at local bookstore. (Seriously Amazon..... just awful.). Happy Holidays to everyone. Be safe, and read! SLASH AND BURN - Colin Cotterill - Out Now One of these days I'll write a post about all the authors I have always wanted to read. Mr. Cotterill would be near the top of that list. THE LEOPARD - Jo Nesbo - Out Now While we all wait for the eventual release of Book 4 of Blomkvist and Salander, publishing is pushing Mr. Nesbo with unrestrained abandon. Plus the name. Harry Hole. I. Mean. Come. On. DARK REVELATIONS - Anthony Zuiker and Duane Swierczynski - December 29 I read the first book in this series. I skipped the second due to my court mandated restraining order ...

There is nothing so over as Summer.  It is odd that August chokes you with heat, and then suddenly it is six week later and I have to fight from turning the heat on. A trip home to visit my father for his 70th Birthday means this is showing up a little late. I also held off to see if a few more release dates firmed up. A good portion of this list has already arrived on shelves, so go out and buy these books. PIRATE KING - Laurie R. King - Out Now I have fallen behind on this series. I plan on correcting this short-sightedness soon. Her spin on Sherlock Holmes has always worked because she figured out a way to make Holmes second banana to Mary Russell. CITY OF SECRETS - Kelli Stanley - Out Now The second book in Ms. Stanley's highly regarded Miranda Corbie series. FEAST DAY OF FOOLS - James Lee Burke - Out Now Jonathan Franzen can suck it, Mr. Burke is America's best author. I'm only half serious, because I have not read Mr. Franzen. Mr. Burke on th...

Sean Doolittle has a new book . LAKE COUNTRY. Yay! It releases next July. Boo! Everyone knows I love this guy, right? Well, you should. The guy has never missed. You have a whole year to read this guys back catalog. 

Summer is only a few days old so it is time a for the The Hungry Detective Summer Preview. Summer is always the biggest time of the year for Crime Fiction releases. Of course there are more than a few books that have my interest piqued. WITNESS TO DEATH - Dave White - Now I stumbled across this book while reading an interview that Duane Swiercyncski's did on his blog with author Dave White. I love this guy. THE EVIL THAT MEN DO is still a book that I think about. Great stuff. This is an e-book release, and I plan on enjoying all 4200 pages on my Kindle iPhone app just as soon as I can.  A BAD DAY FOR SCANDAL - Sophie Littlefield - Now I'm reading Ms. Littlefield's second book now. I always lament the lack of female writers in my Crime Fiction education, this is making up for that right now. I hear only good things about this author. This is her third book. STEAL THE SHOW - Thomas Kaufman - July 5 The second book for this author. THD had the opportunity to interview ...

Hello. Spring appears to be here. I say appears because the other day we got about three inches of snow. Stupid snow. Spring Preview arrives with more than a few books I would like to add to my permanent collection. I'm sure some of them will make it. The rest I will lament like friends who I never call (or blogs I never update). Sigh. Of course my thanks go to Fantastic Fiction and The Bloodstained Bookshelf in helping THD to compile this list THE FIFTH WITNESS - Michael Connelly - April 5 I've warmed up to the Haller books ever so slowly. HEADS YOU LOSE - Lisa Lutz and David Hayward - April 5 Ms. Lutz is pretty hilarious even if her books are a little too caught up in stylistic flourishes. A book by dueling authors sounds like fun. HELL IS EMPTY - Craig Johnson - June 2 Finally got around to giving this guy a read last year. He is pretty good. NOW YOU SEE ME - SJ Bolton - June 7 Reminds me of early Minette Walters, I'm hooked. THE RIDGE - Michael ...

The Winter Preview is a bit late this year. The Hungry Detective raided the petty cash at the office and spent the Christmas Holiday in the UK. Besides shoveling, Ms. Hungry Detective and I have been trying to keep up with Oscar bait in the theater. The end of the year has come and gone, but I should have my Best of 2010 up in a few days. That will be a neat trick. Frequent readers of the blog know that I have been at a low ebb. Sorry about that. I'm going to stop beating myself up about it pretty soon. For now you should check out these books. The Good Lord willing so will I. THE SENTRY - Robert Crais - January 11 Third in the Joe Pike books.  I'll be honest, THE FIRST RULE was not nearly as compelling as THE WATCHMAN. Does that mean I'll be passing up this latest? Hardly. WORLD'S GREATEST SLUETH - Steve Hockensmith - January 18 Love the setting, love the character, love the light comic touch. This is a pretty reliable series, and one I look forward to every year....

Our picks for Thursday and Friday went up yesterday. Today I'll look at Saturday and the shorten Sunday panels. I am super jealous of anyone who will be in San Francisco. Saturday 8:30am - 9:30pm LETTERS FROM THE GRAVE The Endurance of Sherlock Holmes Les Klinger(M), Steve Hockensmith, Laurie King, Michael Kurland, Graham Moore Holmes, Hockensmith, King. Done. Saturday 10:00am - 11:00am Denise Mina interviewed by Val McDermid No competition for this panel, but it would not matter if there was. I dig both these writers, and need to read more from both of them. Saturday 11:30am - 12:30pm INNOCENT NO MORE East coast/ west cost Authors discuss attraction/differences of the coasts. F. Paul Wilson(M), Naomi Hirahara, Walter Mosley, S.J. Rozan, Brett Battles Walter Mosley is at the core of why I read Crime Fiction. I'll hate to miss 'The Drop' with Billingham, Connolly, et. al., but Mr. Mosely is fundamental to why I read. Saturday1:30pm - 2:30pm GUEST OF HONOR LEE C...

The program for this year's San Francisco Bouchercon has been released. Loyal readers... if there are any of you left... know that for the past two years I have picked what I think is the best of the panels during the run of the 'Con. This is in no way to disparage any of the other panels. Every panel is a good one. Normally the picks coincide with what The Hungry Detective anticipates on seeing himself.  But this year it is not to be. I am already breathless for Bouchercon 2011 in St Louis. This post is in two parts. Today I'll cover Thursday and Friday. I'll cover Saturday and Sunday in a follow up post  in the next day or so. Also look for my predictions for the many awards that will be presented during the run of the 'Con. Those probably won't appear until the Tuesday or Wednesday before Bouchercon begins. Thursday 10am - 11am MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED Our favorite books – fan/reviewer panel Ali Karim(M), Chris Aldrich, Sarah Byrne, Janet Rudolph, An...

The leaves are changing faster than I have posted around here. The summer was a hot sweaty mess. And once the final decision was made not to attend the SF B'Con , The Hungry Detective was all at sea. However, there is nothing worse than a blogger complaining about the morass of complacency. Fall 2010 looks to be fruitful. Everything on the list is a distant second to MOONLIGHT MILE. The return of Mr. Lehane is giving me a panic attack. I am actually being more careful in life lest some horrid accident befall me before November. Do yourself a favor, find yourself a hammock and read these books! My thanks to Fantastic Fiction and The Bloodstained Bookshelf . THE HANGING TREE - Bryan Gruley - In stores now! Mr. Gruley returns with his follow-up to STRAVATION LAKE. I am not along in thinking that Mr. Gruley's first was a winner from the word go. The book has been out a few weeks now, but I'll be looking for this in the coming months. THE BODY AND THE BLOOD - Michael Lis...

Out of the loop for so long that I missed this bit of recent greatness. 11.2.10!

My Summer Preview 2010 is almost a week late, but that is ok. Mrs. Hungry Detective had a birthday and it was a gigantic production. Dominoes, 90 degree heat, an art happening, Karaoke, a trip to the emergency room, hitting a deer, driving to Syracuse and the World Cup were all accomplished in 48 hours. This summer is even more bountiful then it has been in the past. A lot of books caught my eye. There are 22 books here, and that certainly must be a record. I wish I had the time to read them all. If I am lucky 2 or 3 will cross my already full summer reading schedule. As always The Hungry Detective encourages you to buy books! STRONG JUSTICE - Jon Land - June 22 The long history of the Texas Rangers has always fascinated me. James Lee Burke has put it to effective use in his Billy Bob Holland books. Plus the Rangers have one of the great all-time slogans. One riot, One Ranger. Balls! I guess I should mention that Mr. Land's protagonist is Catlin Strong a 5th generation Texas Ran...

Spring is about to be sprung on the unsuspecting masses of the Midwest and East coast who will enjoy the 6 hours of nice weather before it all turns to an insufferable sweltering Summer heat. I might have done this in the past, but The Hungry Detective would like to thank Fantastic Fiction and the Bloodstained Bookshelf for being the primarily resources from which this list is drawn up. Cheers, mates! EXPIRATION DATE - Duane Swierczynski - March 30 I mentioned this in my Winter Preview as well. I dig most of what Duane has written so I don't have a problem giving EXPIRATION DATE another plug. Read this dude! INFAMOUS - Ace Atkins - April 15 Baby Face Nelson is the focus of Mr. Atkins next reality based fiction. I really thought the WHITE SHADOW was one of the finest things I read in 2009. It reminds me that I need to get back to WICKED CITY and DEVIL'S GARDEN . THE THIRD RAIL - Michael Harvey - April 20 Chicago. What are you gonna do? I'm a sucker for this place. Fun...

The Winter Preview shows up about a week late. I had an ambitious publishing schedule and it looks like I am going to keep to precious little of it. This Preview is fairly strong this year. Past Winter releases have struck me as a bit weak. Lots to look forward to here. I am super excited for Mr. Crais's latest, but also have strong interest in Ms. Armstrong's and Mr. Huston's books. If you have any Crime Fiction you are excited for do not hesitate to leave a comment. The Hungry Detective lays awake at night in utter terror of missing something good. THE LOCK ARTIST - Steve Hamilton - January 5 If I had to choose a life of crime it would be as as a safe cracker. A highly skilled professional. No emotional entanglements. Steve McQueen cool. I'm guessing THE LOCK ARTIST will be a little more messy. THE FIRST RULE - Robert Crais - January 12 The 2nd official Joe Pike book. I just called THE WATCHMAN the 10th best book of the decade so there is little doubt that is one o...

Not as long as Part One , primarily because Sunday is pretty limited in terms of a variety of offerings. Don't forget the continuing conversation that runs from 9a-3:30p on Saturday. Saturday 9am - 9:55am THE COLD DEAD HAND OF THE PAST Ross Macdonald used the past as his grim reaper. Who's doing it today? Sandra Parshall (M), Thomas H. Cook, Deborah Crombie, Jennifer McMahon, Dan Waddell If they give away free Kindles I might decide to claw my way into that panel. Saturday 10:30am - 11:35am AUTOPSIES IN THE DARK Can forensic mysteries deal with the unanswerable questions? Alan Jacobson (M), Lisa Black, D.H. Dublin, Kathryn Fox Okay, so you will probably be over a the MWA Poe panel. Pound for pound best group of writers all weekend. I might peak into that panel, but also the Crime Through Time panel and Serial Killers panel may tempt me. Saturday 1:00 pm - 1:55pm WAR CRIMES How war shapes character and crime novels. Suzanne Arruda (M), James R. Benn, Rebecca Cantrell, Martin L...

Once again, I am offering what The Hungry Detective sees as the Best of Bouchercon 2009 . It is a fair bet that you will find me in these panel, but as usually there are more than a few that will be a game time decision. As this begins The Hungry Detective's coverage of the Indy B'Con, I am already nostalgic. The Shake Town B'Con is a year out and the decision has already been made to not attend. Do not cry too much for THD as I will be able to attend the 2010 NoirCon in Philadelphia. Today's focus will cover the first two days of the Indy B'Con, and Monday we will dispense with Saturday and the abbreviated Sunday activities. Right off the bat I'll mention perhaps one of the most intriguing 'panels' is the Continuing Conversation Panel that runs non stop 9a-6p Thursday and Friday, and until 3p on Saturday. Virtually every author will appear there during some portion of the weekend. Thursday 9am - 9:55 am THE MEAN STREETS OF INDIANAPOLIS ...

The leaves are beginning to turn as I stare out of The Hungry Detective offices. With the weather now cool I tend to do a good deal of reading in the backyard of THD estate. Just a simple chair with a step ladder as an ottoman. The wife tells me I look strange to the neighbors with the step ladder. Touche. LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS - Anthony E. Zuiker w/ Duane Swierczynski - Out Now! Title, colon, more title is always a suspect enterprise. Inexplicably, I left this book off the Summer Preview . Mr. Swierczynski is a writer with tremendous talent. SEVERANCE PACKAGE, from last year, is a book I enjoyed immensely. I will probably just ignore the 'Digi-Novel' aspects of the book. BLOOD'S A ROVER - James Ellroy - Sept 22 This is the biggest book of the season, and sneaked it into the Summer Preview in June. Mr. Ellroy may be a bit of a douche, but he is also a generation defining writer. CRUSH - Alan Jacobson - Sept. 22 When I started reading Crime Fiction every other book w...

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 au...