Anybody read any of these?

[Cammy May Hunnicutt]

Hot crime reads for this year, says Salon.

http://www.salon.com/2012/07/09/love_gone_girl_read_these_crime_nov...

[Cammy May Hunnicutt]

With those numbers, you should spring for a banana split.

So how does that work?   If they download it on your free days, it's just a freebie, but if they "borrow" it, you get paid from their slush fund?

[Susan]

How it works: the freebees get you tons of visibility from being on the top "whatever" lists. Also your book appears in the "People who bought this book bought ..." on other book pages.

[Borrows are completely different, but pay very well, maybe $2.35 each.]  

And if you have a series, people will see and buy your other books during the freebee. I only have two, but I'm trying like mad to get the next one out soon, end August or early Sept. After the freebee book goes back to non-free, there's usually a day or so where sales aren't great, but then, for some reason I cannot explain, they jump and the book appears on the "paid" rankings. I really can't tell you exactly how it works, but I'm telling you it does. I have done this for several months in a row, and each time I get more free downloads, followed by much better sales (in US and UK especially, a few in Germany/France)

Before the freebee I pimp it like mad on a bunch of sites where people go to find free ebooks. It's all about visibility. I haven't sold a book on B&N in months. Since February I've sold almost 2K books on amazon. Banana split coming right up! :)

[Craig Pickering]

Just read 'The good German' after finding it in a remainder bookshop and I enjoyed it so much I thought I'd revive this thread. Susan (July 16 2012) is absolutely right. It's a tremendous depiction of Berlin in the summer of '45: bleak, exciting and dangerous. Th eplot weaves together spies, the holocaust, occupation and personal relationships in a completely fascinating fashion. And the characterisation is way better than in many crime stories. I wish I could describe a historical setting 10% as well as Kanon!

[Susan]

Hi Craig ... agree that he is great at descriptions. Also at the psychological hangups that drive characters. Since I wrote that post above, I have actually met him. He was a mystery novel panelist at the Tennessee Williams Writer's conference in New Orleans. Got to chat with him a bit after the panel. I went out and bought a copy of one of his early novels. Alibi, which is set in Venice. Amazing story!! And I have to admit, if you've been to Venice as I have, it's even better.

http://www.amazon.com/Alibi-Novel-Joseph-Kanon/dp/0312425902/

[Craig Pickering]

Many thanks Susan. Great you've met him. I've just downloaded his 'Leaving Berlin' but I'll bear 'Alibi' in mind. As you say Venice is a great setting. Every time I've been there I've thought it has a slightly sinister quality (as in the film 'Don't Look Now).

[Susan]

Let me know how you like Leaving Berlin. I think that's his latest, right? The one he talked about at the conference. And yes, Venice can be overwhelmingly beautiful with the light or ... sinister ... Death in Venice? However, Berlin also can be verrrry sinister, especially before the wall came down.

[Craig Pickering]

Indeed. I made one visit to East Berlin in Soviet days. Very scary and you could see the bullet holes on buildings from 1945. Have you read Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther novels? They're a great mix of fiction and real historical characters, in Nazi Germany and elsewhere.

Reverting to Venice, do you know the Donna Leon's Brunotti novels? They're superb, especially on Venetian corruption and food

I'll get back to you on 'Leaving Berlin', though it could be a little while.

[Susan]

Yes, I was in East Berlin ... went thru checkpoint Charlie w/friend ... he spoke fluent German had lived in cologne for years. Most impressive sight to me: The bombed out Gedecknis (sp) Kirche on the KUdam, and lots of russian soldiers around with big long guns.

Haven't read Kerr's Bernie Gunther novels .. thanks for the tip.

I read Donna Leon's 1st, Death at La Fenice (because I played a lot of opera as musician). to tell the truth, I found Brunotti very annoying, way too sexist for my taste. Worked with many Italians in music biz ... very macho most of them. But hey, that's just my take. Enjoy Leaving Berlin!   

[Craig Pickering]

My wife and I have always been amazed that Brunotti's wife is a university lecturer who also cooks delicious lunches and dinners! But the plots are good.

[Susan]

Confess I haven't read any since the first one. As one who played many operas, I did enjoy the descriptions of backstage intrigue. 

[Craig Pickering]

I promised to let you know what I thought of 'Leaving Berlin’. Like 'The Good German' it portrays post-war Berlin wonderfully well, this time during the Airlift in 1949. The characterisation is excellent. I particularly liked Marcus, the protagonist, a German author who has left McCarthyite America and returned to 'socialism'. I liked it that the Russians were people, not cardboard villains. It read more like a thriller than a whodunnit for much of the book but it is tied up beautifully. I recommend it.

[Susan]

Glad you enjoyed it, Craig. You echo my sentiments about the book. Particularly interesting that the protag is an author.

Now I must read some of his other novels ... ah, so much to read, so little tme!