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Fall Preview 2009: Leaf Peeping Edition

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 was about a Serial Killer. I am generally drawn to the topic for a variety of reasons that need not be discussed. The setting for the second Karen Vail novel is Napa, California. The Hungry Detective has in-laws who live in this area. I'm always looking for the author who can reinvigorate the Serial Killer. If it was up to me I would go more depressing less gore.

PAPER SOLDIER - Hugh Laurie - September 27
I'm not just buying this because I am addicted to HOUSE, but because I have really fond memories of Mr. Laurie's first book THE GUN SELLER. This appears to be a sequel, but information is beyond scant. This maybe a UK only release as I see no confirmed information for a US release except a sparse Amazon page.

THE FURY - Jason Pinter - October 1
Recently nominated for the Shamus Award, Jason Pinter returns for his fourth book in the hugely enjoyable Henry Parker series.

DEATH MESSAGE - Mark Billingham - October 1
Book 7 of the Tom Throne series. Book 8 is already out in the UK. This is a pretty reliable series. Mr. Billingham is a talented writer that has taken great pains to keep the narrative fresh. Over the course of the last 3-4 books THD has picked up the UK release of Mr. Billingham's work, so this has been sitting on the shelf for about a year.

9 DRAGONS - Michael Connelly - October 13
Book 14 of the continuing adventures of H. Bosch: Bosch goes to Hong Kong. I have felt for the last three or four books that we have been in the second golden age of Mr. Connelly's writing. This is the first Bosch since the fantastic NY Times serialized THE OVERLOOK.

THE DARKNESS - Jason Pinter - November 24
Recently nominated for the Shamus Award, Jason Pinter returns for his fifth book in the hugely enjoyable Henry Parker series. This and the THE FURY, which proceeds it by two months, promise to be a two part story. Let the awesomeness commence.

U IS FOR UNDERTOW - Sue Grafton - December 1
My sister is/was a big fan of these books. The Hungry Detective thought they were cozy crap that wasn't worth his time back in the 90's when the series become an institution in the genre. However, I'm fascinated. With 'U,' the end of the alphabet is now firmly insight. I wonder if she regrets going with letters over numbers now... seems shortsighted of Ms. Grafton.

Books of further note: Rough Country - John Sanford; The Gates - John Connolly; My Dead Body - Charlie Huston; The Good Son - Russel D McLean; Pirate Latitudes - Micheal Crichton; The Professional - Robert B. Parker
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