The Hungry Detective

It is the good fortune of The Hungry Detective to now and again receive books from authors, publishers or their associated marketing agencies. These books were received in the month of June 2012. THE BOURNE IMPERATIVE  - Eric Van Lustbader - Grand Central Publishing  DETROIT BREAKDOWN - D.E. Johnson - Minotaur Books THE TRINITY GAME - Sean Chercover - Thomas and Mercer

Anthony Award nominations peeked their head out the other day. It is a good mix of old guard and fresh young faces. Especially happy to see the awards limited to five this year. I know in the past other awards have been given, but I like the look of the Big Five. Classy. Award will be given at the 2012 Bouchercon in Cleveland Ohio. Congratulations to all of the nominees. Best Novel THE END OF EVERYTHING -   Megan Abbott   -  Reagan Arthur/Little, Brown HURT MACHINE - Reed Farrel Coleman - Tyrus THE DROP - Michael Connelly - Little, Brown A TRICK OF LIGHT - Louise Penny - Minotaur ONE WAS A SOLDIER -  Julia Spencer-Fleming -  Thomas Dunne/Minotaur Best First Novel  LEARNING TO SWIM -  Sara J. Henry - Crown NAZARETH CHILD -   Darrell James - Midnight Ink ALL CRY CHAOS -  Leonard Rosen - The Permanent Press WHO DO, VOODOO?  - Rochelle Staab - Berkley Prime Crime THE INFORMATIONIST -   Taylor Stevens - Crown PURGATOR...

Well.... just well...I.... dont't think I should have to explain myself further on the following topic.

It is the good fortune of The Hungry Detective to now and again receive books from authors, publishers or their associated marketing agencies. These books were received in the month of May 2012. PLAYING DEAD - Julia Heaberlin - Ballentine Books THE DEAD WOMEN OF JUAREZ - Sam Hawken - Serpent's Tail ICE CAP - Chris Knopf - Minotaur/Thomas Dunne Books

Perhaps you recall my man crush?

It is the good fortune of The Hungry Detective to now and again receive books from authors, publishers or their associated marketing agencies. These books were received in the month of April 2012 ATLANTIS GOD - David Gibbins - Dell DANDY GILVER AND THE PROPER TREATMENT OF BLOODSTAINS - Catriona McPherson - Minotaur Books THE FAMILY CORLEONE - Ed Falco - Grand Central  Publishing

Yay! Another year, another Edgar Awards in the book. As for my predictions, three is not too bad. One year, however, I am going to hit it, and when I do it is going to be beautiful. Winners below. Congratulations to them and all who were nominated.  Don't forget to read these books!  BEST NOVEL GONE -  Mo Hayder  -Grove/Atlantic – Atlantic Monthly Press BEST FIRST NOVEL - AN AMERICAN AUTHOR BENT ROAD -  Lori Roy  - Penguin Group USA - Dutton BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL THE COMPANY MAN -  Robert Jackson Bennett  - Hachette Book Group – Orbit Books BEST FACT CRIME DESTINY OF THE REPUBLIC: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President -  Candice Millard  - Random House - Doubleday BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL ON CONAN DOYLE: Or, the Whole Art of Storytelling -  Michael Dirda  - Princeton University Press BEST SHORT STORY “THE MAN WHO TOOK OF HIS HAT OFF TO THE THE DRIVER OF THE TRAIN” – Ellery Queen My...

I predicted absolutely nothing last year. My general advice if you are betting this is to go in the opposite direction. To the authors I have 'chosen' this year... I'm sorry. I spent most of 2011 out of the Crime Fiction trade so I'm even less acquainted with this year's books more than normal. In general it was great to see all of small press stuff got nominated, particularly as it is an indication that I'm not the only one who is left wanting by the major Crime Fiction publishers. My fingers are crossed in a big way for THE RANGER. I have read Mr. Atkins going back to CROSSROAD BLUES. It is always great to see authors who you love recognized. Even if THE RANGER fails to capture the big prize I hope it brings more people to his work.  Good luck to all the authors. I hope the night is a blast no matter how things end up. Cheers! BEST NOVEL THE RANGER - Ace Atkins -Penguin Group USA – G.P. Putnam’s Sons BEST FIRST NOVEL - AN AMERICAN AUTHOR BE...

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...

It is the good fortune of The Hungry Detective to now and again receive books from authors, publishers or their associated marketing agencies. These books were received in the month of  March 2012. THE MEMORY OF BLOOD - Christopher Fowler - Bantam SATORI - Don Winslow - Grand Central DOLLED UP FOR MURDER - Jane K. Cleland - Minotaur Books ASHES TO DUST - Yrsa Sigurdarottir - Minotaur Books KING OF MIDNIGHT - Wallace Stroby  - Minotaur Books

It is the good fortune of The Hungry Detective to now and again receive books from authors, publishers or their associated marketing agencies. These books were received in the month of February 2012. HUNTING SWEETIE ROSE - Jack Fredrickson - Minotaur/Thomas Dunne Books SECRET OF THE WHITE ROSE - Stefanie Pintoff - Minotaur Books STRONG VENGEANCE - Jon Land - Forge NIGHTS OF AWE - Harri Nykanen - Bitter Lemon Press THE GIRL NEXT DOOR - Brad Parks - Minotaur Books THE KING OF DIAMONDS - Simon Tolkien -  Minotaur/Thomas Dunne Books

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.

Michael Connelly hunted around for Micky Haller for a bit. There were a few stand-alone works, but other than THE POET and BLOOD WORK (and maybe CHASING THE DIME ) they were almost excessively exercises to keep the creative engine alive. THE FIFTH WITNESS is the fourth book in the Mickey Haller Series , and finds Connelly in a groove with this character and the larger narrative of Mickey's world. Mickey has fallen on difficult times as he is representing clients whose homes are being foreclosed. It is tedious work, but it pays the bills. Mickey is itching for something new and exciting. He gets in spades when a client is charged with murdering a bank executive. Down the path Mickey will go with his close cadre of support. For Mickey guilt or innocence has little to do with justice, and everything to do with playing every angle of the system with an unshakable belief that the prosecution is exploiting the system in the exact same way. Of ...

I remember back to Mr. Sakey's first book, THE BLADE ITSELF . It was exciting. Along with Sean Chercover , Mr Sakey was new and very good. He wrote a lean thriller that was high on actual thrills and low on preposterous male testosterone fantasies. His characters where regular guys who were caught up in circumstance. One of the reasons Mr. Sakey's books have worked for me is that simple fact. He didn't write about bitter former FBI agents with a dizzying array of ways to kill me. But for a stupid decision here or careless remark there you could be a character in a Mr. Sakey's novel.  THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES is the latest from Mr. Sakey and it has stiff competition. His previous opus, THE AMATEUR S, ranks as one of the few books I read in one sitting. To write that THE AMATEURS was engrossing is an understatement. So how does TWO DEATHS match up? Sadly, it is the lesser, and as I look back over Mr. Sakey's three other books I have to say it comes up sh...

Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine announced their Barry Award Nominations yesterday. The awards will be handed out at this year's Cleveland B'Con . The Hungry Detective congratulates all of the nominees.   Best Novel The Keeper of Lost Causes  (aka  Mercy ) - Jussi Adler-Olsen - Dutton The Accident  -  Linwood Barclay - Bantam The Hurt Machine -   Reed Farrel Coleman - Tyrus Iron House   -   John Hart - Minotaur Hell Is Empty   -   Craig Johnson - Viking The Troubled Man   -   Henning Mankell - Knopf Best First Novel: Learning to Swim   -   Sara Henry - Crown The Devotion of Suspect X -   Keigo Higashino - Minotaur The Boy in the Suitcase -   Lene Kaaberbø l and Agnete Friis -  Soho Crime Turn of Mind -  Alice LaPlante - Atlantic Monthly The Informationist -  Taylor Stevens - Crown Before I Go to Sleep -  S.J. Watson - Harper Best British Novel: Now You See Me -...

Just a quick review of BRUNO, CHIEF OF POLICE that has been hanging around for a bit. I enjoyed the book in spite of myself its seems. So there is a photo stolen from the scene of a brutal murder, and there is also a portentous meeting between bitter rivals. That pretty much signals all that you need to know to figure out the who and why behind the mystery of BRUNO, CHIEF OF POLICE . After this Bruno spends his time explaining why he is powerless to investigate the murder, he plays a couple tennis matches and attends three dinner party's, as well as a picnic. Plus he picks up an attractive lady friend in that way that unattractive French men tend to do. Eventually with 50 pages to go, Bruno finds a reason to sort out the murder in almost the exact way you have been waiting for him to do since chapter three. You would think that this aimless wandering around, and paint by numbers mystery plotting would signal doom for BRUNO, CHIEF OF POLICE. It doesn't though and mayb...

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...

I know you are tired of hearing about it, but I assure you that I am just as tired, if not more so, of dealing with my crime fiction malaise. In an effort to rebuild my confidence in a genre that I love I decided to focus on the authors that have provided steady companionship through the years. If you are keeping score at home...and there is no reason to think that you are.... Steve Hockensmith has proven pretty reliable for The Hungry Detective. THE WORLD'S GREATEST SLEUTH is Steve's latest effort following cowpoke investigators Gustav and Otto Amlingmeyer. Our fearless duo find themselves in Chicago during the waning days of the Colombian Exposition. The reason is a contest to determine who in fact, now that Sherlock Holmes is dead, is the world's greatest sleuth. Along with a handful of other amateurs Gustav and Otto traipse around the White City trying to solve riddles that will lead them to golden eggs, and eventual victory...

Cover for Lucky Peach Three showed up yesterday . Issue 2 was kind of 'Meh'. That issue's concentration on the topic of the 'sweet spot' was far too intangible to build any kind of critical mass. It was more hodgepodge than anything else. Still it is a fun magazine, and one that you should check out if you have an interest in food, or food related matters, or swearing in print.

It is the good fortune of The Hungry Detective to now and again receive books from authors, publishers or their associated marketing agencies. These books were received in the month of January 2012 ON BORROWED TIME - David Rosenfelt - Minotaur Books EYES OF THE INNOCENT - Brad Parks - Minotaur/Thomas Dunne Books THE JANSON COMMAND - Paul Garrison - Grand Central Publishing A PARLIAMENT OF SPIES - Cassandra Clark - Minotaur Books DYING IN THE WOOL - Frances Brody - Minotaur Thomas Dunne Books HEART OF A KILLER - David Rosenfelt - Minotaur Books

As someone who has been absent from Crime Fiction for over a year it is not surprising that most of the books nominated are unknown to me. Still Edgar nominations are an exciting time. There always a number of books that I try/want/need to seek out. Of all the nominees I am happiest to see Ace Atkins nominated for Best Novel. I've read Mr. Atkins from the beginning. I have three/four books in front of me, but I would love to catch up with Mr. Atkins work. It sounds like a nice way to spend the early part of Spring. Awards will be handed out in late April. I'll try not to embarrass myself with this year's predictions.    BEST NOVEL THE RANGER - Ace Atkins -Penguin Group USA – G.P. Putnam’s Sons GONE - Mo Hayder -Grove/Atlantic – Atlantic Monthly Press THE DEVOTION OF SUSPECT X - Keigo Higashino -Minotaur Books 1222 - Anne Holt -Simon and Schuster - Scribner FIELD GRAY - Philip Kerr -Penguin Group USA - G.P. Putnam’s Sons – Marion Wood Books BEST...

It is the good fortune of The Hungry Detective to now and again receive books from authors, publishers or their associated marketing agencies. These books were received in the month of December 2011 GETTING LUCKY - DC Brod - Tyrus Books EL GAVILAN - Craig McDonald - Tyrus Books HURT MACHINE - Reed Farrell Coleman - Tyrus Books VOYEUR  - Daniel Judson - Minotaur Books THE VILLA OF DEATH - Joanna Challis - Minotaur Books RIZZO'S WAR - Lou Manfredo - Minotaur Books A GENTLEMAN OF FORTUNE - Anna Dean - Minotaur Books THE JUDGEMENT OF CAESAR - Steven Saylor - Minotaur Books GIDEON'S CORPSE - Preston and Child - Grand Central Publishing