Isn't It About Time...

[Donna Moore]

I recently read (and loved) Declan Burke's THE BIG O - a book I had to wait nearly 4 years (that's FOUR years for heaven's sake Mr Burke!) to read, following the wonderful EIGHT BALL BOOGIE which came out in 2003. It got me thinking about other authors who it's been far, far too long since we heard anything from. Now, while I would love for my favourite authors to bring out 5 or 6 book a year, I don't think I'm being greedy here - these are authors where it's been at least 3 years since we've seen any new books (unless someone can tell me differently) and who I would dearly love to read something from soon:

EDDIE MULLER - one of my favourite authors whose most recent fiction book (he's written non fiction since) came out in January 2003. His books THE DISTANCE and SHADOW BOXER, featuring boxing columnist Billy Nichols and set in 1940s San Francisco are wonderfully atmospheric and beautifully written. And his femmes fatales are just brilliant.

MARK SULLIVAN - apparently there are two Mark Sullivans who write crime - this one is a UK author who wrote the wonderfully funny and touching CORNED BEEF SANDWICH which is about a hold-up gone wrong and features a goth assistant in a run-down bookmakers in Manchester, a halal corned beef sandwich and an aquarium full of oddly named goldfish. It came out in 2002 - five bloody years ago. I've been waiting in anticipation ever since.

JUDITH SMITH-LEVIN - the most recent book in her series featuring police Lieutenant Starletta Duvall came out in 2001 I think. These books are good stories and great fun.

SCOTT PHILLIPS - I really enjoyed THE ICE HARVEST, which was a nice little slice of noir; but I loved his most recent - COTTONWOOD - which came out in early 2004. Set in 1873 in the burgeoning frontier town of Cottonwood, Kansas (where men are men, and so are most of the women), it's like Little Whore House On The Prairie.

So, who are the authors who have written one book and then disappeared off the face of the earth, or who have a series where it's been a couple of years since the last one and you keep checking their websites, or Amazon, hoping against hope that there's something due out?

[Christa M. Miller]

I'm anxious for Dennis Lehane's new book to come out. Otherwise I can't think of anyone off the top of my head. Honestly that's why Sarah Weinman's blog is so useful. She does all the research I'm not able to, so I figure if she doesn't have info about a new book coming out, it's not appearing anytime soon. Other times she'll mention an author I'd heard or read ages ago but didn't remember.

[Jude Hardin]

I was thinking Dennis Lehane too, Christa.

I'd like to see a non-Hannibal effort from Thomas Harris, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Donna Moore]

It HAS been a long time since a Lehane hasn't it?

[Jude Hardin]

Gone, Baby Gone is scheduled for reissue in October, to follow the film release, but I haven't heard about a brand new title coming out. Anybody? Last I heard he's been working on a historical novel for the past three or four years.

[Christa M. Miller]

The most recent release was last year (or '05?) - a collection of his short stories, and one play. I heard mixed reviews about it. As for the historical, it's actually a trilogy based on the Boston Police Strike in the early 1900's, but a 2003 interview has him describing it as a "five or six year project." So... 2008 or 2009? Yeesh.

[Don Anderson]

So tired. Tired of waiting......It's been far too long since Kent Anderson's two prior novels, SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL (1987) and NIGHT DOGS (1997). In 1998, Dennis McMillan published a pastiche of Anderson's fiction and non-fiction work, LIQUOR, DRUGS & AMMO--since then, nada.

Anyone know whatever happened to Thomas Adcock? His Neil Hockaday series featuring the Irish-American cop in New York's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood suddenly ceased after installment six, GRIEF STREET, in 1997, with nary a word.

[Donna Moore]

Don - I've never read either of those authors - thanks!

[Nick Lawless]

A guy by the name of William Hjortsberg wrote the novel FALLING ANGEL a.k.a. ANGEL HEART (yes, the Mickey Rourke/DeNiro flick) and another detective yarn starring Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini called NEVERMORE. Great stuff. Hasn't published anymore fiction to my knowledge since then, but has apparently been putting in long work on a biography of poet Richard Brautigan. Not a big 60s counterculture guy myself; kinda wish he'd go back to the grittier stuff.

[Donna Moore]

Thanks Nicholas - I didn't know that film was based on a book - I shall look out for it.

[Donna Moore]

Well done Colman - keep at the man!

Kuncks - I shall look out for it. No Exit put out some great books.

[Felicia Donovan]

I was absolutely enthralled with Diane Setterfield's THE THIRTEENTH TALE when it came out in 2006. Wonderful writing, a captivating and twisting plot set against a literary backdrop, a musty library with a roaring fireplace... can't wait for the next tale to emerge. Granted it's too soon to expect another one and with the phenomenal success it had here and in the UK, there's probably no rush on her behalf, yet I'm anxiously awaiting it nonetheless.

[K Barrett]

Ha! How's this for serendipity? The name that came to my mind was TimothyHallinan. Sure enough he's on crimespace and says he has a new book coming out.

Whaddayaknow?