BrianLindenmuth's Posts - CrimeSpace2024-03-29T15:54:39ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianLhttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/60985503?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://crimespace.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=BrianL&xn_auth=no2010 Spinetingler Award: Best Short Story on the Web nomineestag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-03-24:537324:BlogPost:2307322010-03-24T13:42:28.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
Over at Spinetingler the nominees for the Best Short Story in the Web category <a href="http://www.spinetinglermag.com/2010/03/24/2010-spinetingler-award-best-short-story-on-the-web-nominees/">have been announced</a>.<br/><br/>Next week the full Spinetingler Award nominees will be announced and the polls will open.<br/><br/>All voting is open to the public. <br/>
Over at Spinetingler the nominees for the Best Short Story in the Web category <a href="http://www.spinetinglermag.com/2010/03/24/2010-spinetingler-award-best-short-story-on-the-web-nominees/">have been announced</a>.<br/><br/>Next week the full Spinetingler Award nominees will be announced and the polls will open.<br/><br/>All voting is open to the public. <br/>The Real Ending of The 50/50 Killertag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-06-04:537324:BlogPost:1445992008-06-04T19:00:00.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
I've written a piece called <i>Post Mortem: Uncovering the Real Ending of The 50/50 Killer by Steve Mosby</i> that posits a new theory of the ending citing textual examples.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2698">http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2698</a>
I've written a piece called <i>Post Mortem: Uncovering the Real Ending of The 50/50 Killer by Steve Mosby</i> that posits a new theory of the ending citing textual examples.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2698">http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2698</a>May Mystery Bookspot updatetag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-06-03:537324:BlogPost:1444362008-06-03T17:20:48.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<b>Reviews</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2656">The State of the Onion</a> by Julie Hyzy <i>"This is a terrific beach read that moves along at a good pace."</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2627">Scalped: Casino Boogie</a> by Jason Aaron "<i>In this volume we will start to see the broader canvass of characters, their fractured personal histories and the intricately plotted connections that inform their depths."</i><br />
<br />
<b>Articles…</b>
<b>Reviews</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2656">The State of the Onion</a> by Julie Hyzy <i>"This is a terrific beach read that moves along at a good pace."</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2627">Scalped: Casino Boogie</a> by Jason Aaron "<i>In this volume we will start to see the broader canvass of characters, their fractured personal histories and the intricately plotted connections that inform their depths."</i><br />
<br />
<b>Articles</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2697">The Nominees for the Hammett Prize</a> by Bernd Kochanowski<br />
<br />
<i>"There is a very strong competition and every single book would deserve to win. All the books reach a high level of literary quality. But clearly The Outlander, Dahlia's Gone, and The Yiddish Policemen's Union are truly outstanding in this aspect."</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2577">A mystery/crime fiction primer</a><br />
<br />
<i>"A longing look is being cast over the shoulders, by an increasing number of writers and readers, at days gone past. We've seen reprint works, anthologies, entire lines of pulp fiction; also new books that feature stressed covers that replicate the beat up nature of the original paperbacks and sexy pin-up, pulp style original cover art. I think it was this trend that George Pelecanos had in mind when he gave the Phineas Poe omnibus the following blurb "Will Baer has located the black heart of noir, rescued it from the dry-hump clutch of homage, and dragged it back to the drunk tank where it belongs."</i><br />
<br />
<b>Interviews</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2658">Charlie Huston</a><br />
<br />
Please stop by and comment on any of these if you like. If you disagree with any of the reviews then let us know because honest discussion of books will only make the genre better. If you don't like any of the forum topics then come and start another.<br />
<br />
--Thanks from MBSApril Mystery Bookspot updatetag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-05-05:537324:BlogPost:1399302008-05-05T17:33:21.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<b>Reviews</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2619">The Magician and the Fool</a> by Barth Anderson "<i>THE MAGICIAN AND THE FOOL is thoroughly enjoyable, and imbued with a rich sense of wonder. What starts out as a juggernaut thriller subtly and skillfully turns into study of magic in the modern world."</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2588">The Open Curtain</a> by Brian Evenson "<i>If Jim Thompson were alive today he'd want to write a novel like this.…</i>
<b>Reviews</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2619">The Magician and the Fool</a> by Barth Anderson "<i>THE MAGICIAN AND THE FOOL is thoroughly enjoyable, and imbued with a rich sense of wonder. What starts out as a juggernaut thriller subtly and skillfully turns into study of magic in the modern world."</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2588">The Open Curtain</a> by Brian Evenson "<i>If Jim Thompson were alive today he'd want to write a novel like this.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2562">Arkansas</a> by John Brandon "<i>Arkansas is a strong debut novel by John Brandon coming from the never dull and always interesting McSweeney's with complex characters whose multiple facets contain conflicting sides of their personalities that come together to in the telling of a wonderful book. The use of language in Arkansas is precise, intricate, heady and approaches brilliance at times. Brandon is a talent to watch."</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2555">Kockroach</a> by Tyler Knox "<i>Kockroach is a problematic book."</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2553">Sharp Teeth</a> by Toby Barlow "<i>Sharp Teeth. Wow!"</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2458">The Cold Spot</a> by Tom Piccirilli "<i>An engaging, action-packed tale that manages to both give you hope and break your heart. Piccirilli is a master storyteller, able to effortlessly entertain while probing deeper questions about whether people can ever truly change, and Chase is an engaging character I look forward to spending more time with."</i><br />
<br />
<b>Discussions</b><br />
<br />
Here we discuss <a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5800">Richard Morgan's article</a><br />
<br />
What <a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5781">authors did you discover in 2008</a><br />
<br />
Tell us about what <a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5766">short stories you have read</a><br />
<br />
<b>At Central Booking</b><br />
<br />
Lie Detector: <a href="http://www.atcentralbooking.com/node/60">Tom Piccirilli</a>, <a href="http://www.atcentralbooking.com/node/45">Craig McDonald</a><br />
<br />
Solitary Confinement: <a href="http://www.atcentralbooking.com/node/57">Seth Harwood</a>, <a href="http://www.atcentralbooking.com/node/58">John Rickards</a>, <a href="http://www.atcentralbooking.com/node/59">Allan Guthrie</a> & <a href="http://www.atcentralbooking.com/node/56">Declan Burke</a><br />
<br />
Death Row: <a href="http://www.atcentralbooking.com/node/55">Declan Burke</a>; <a href="http://www.atcentralbooking.com/node/53">Jack Getze</a> prepares for the end, <a href="http://www.atcentralbooking.com/node/52">Seth Harwood compares notes with his protagonist, Jack Palms</a>; <a href="http://www.atcentralbooking.com/node/51">Tom Piccirilli gives the scoop on how he and his THE COLD SPOT protagonist, Chase, would end it all</a>; <a href="http://www.atcentralbooking.com/node/50">Allan Guthrie's PEARCE shares how he'd spend his final moments</a> and we get to hear how <a href="http://www.atcentralbooking.com/node/49">Anne Frasier would spend her final hours.</a><br />
<br />
Video Surveillance: <a href="http://www.atcentralbooking.com/node/47">Savage Night</a>, <a href="http://www.atcentralbooking.com/node/48">White Riot</a> & <a href="http://www.atcentralbooking.com/node/46">Head Games</a><br />
<br />
Please stop by and comment on any of these if you like. If you disagree with any of the reviews then let us know because honest discussion of books will only make the genre better. If you don't like any of the forum topics then come and start another.<br />
<br />
--Thanks from MBSThe books we love part 2tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-05-02:537324:BlogPost:1395172008-05-02T13:28:07.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
Generation Loss by Elizabeth Hand<br />
<br />
<p style="text-align:left"><img src="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/files/generationloss.JPG"></img></p>
<br />
Elizabeth Hand is one of the finest writers that we have. Her body of work has mainly consisted of SF/F but last year she wrote a mystery/psychlogical/thriller/dark/noir-ish novel called Generation Loss. It recieved a good amount of attention in print and in the Sf/F community but <i>seems</i> to have gone unnoticed in the mystery/crime fiction community.<br />
<br />
Here is the synopsis:<br />
<br />
<i>Cass Neary made her name in the…</i>
Generation Loss by Elizabeth Hand<br />
<br />
<p style="text-align:left"><img src="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/files/generationloss.JPG"/></p>
<br />
Elizabeth Hand is one of the finest writers that we have. Her body of work has mainly consisted of SF/F but last year she wrote a mystery/psychlogical/thriller/dark/noir-ish novel called Generation Loss. It recieved a good amount of attention in print and in the Sf/F community but <i>seems</i> to have gone unnoticed in the mystery/crime fiction community.<br />
<br />
Here is the synopsis:<br />
<br />
<i>Cass Neary made her name in the 1970s as a photographer embedded in the burgeoning punk movement in New York City. Her pictures of the musicians and hangers on, the infamous, the damned, and the dead, got her into art galleries and a book deal. But thirty years later she is adrift, on her way down, and almost out. Then an old acquaintance sends her on a mercy gig to interview a famously reclusive photographer who lives on an island in Maine. When she arrives Downeast, Cass stumbles across a decades-old mystery that is still claiming victims, and into one final shot at redemption.</i><br />
<br />
This is a beautifully written and moving book that becomes, in part, a meditation on the relationship between the artist and the work that they produce. The desolate locale and the eccentric ctizens are vividly portrayed and Cass becomes a complex, varied and interesting protagonist. Her journey is quite extraordinary as she is so emotionally vacuous 30 years after her 15 seconds of fame that it takes the magnitude of losing someone she pretended wasn't close to her but really was on 9/11 for her to even feel the slightest emotion and thus start even slightly connectiong with humanity again.<br />
<br />
This was one of my favorite books from last year and the trade paperback is now out so I hope you'll give it a try.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://lcrw.net/hand/hand-excerpt.htm">Here</a> is the first chapterPage 123 memetag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-04-28:537324:BlogPost:1386552008-04-28T13:55:58.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<a href="http://sandrablabber.blogspot.com/2008/04/we-interrupt-this-meme.html">Sandra</a> tagged me last week with the page 123 meme and in typical fashion I drag assed it. But better late then never.<br />
<br />
<br />
I'm currently reading a novella, The Brotherhood of Mutilation, that only has 99 pages. Soooo I'll take the liberty of dropping the "1" and do everything from page 23.<br />
<br />
<br />
"Kline could see he was missing an eye, one closed lid seemed flat and deflated. He was wearing a uniform. Ramse rolled down…
<a href="http://sandrablabber.blogspot.com/2008/04/we-interrupt-this-meme.html">Sandra</a> tagged me last week with the page 123 meme and in typical fashion I drag assed it. But better late then never.<br />
<br />
<br />
I'm currently reading a novella, The Brotherhood of Mutilation, that only has 99 pages. Soooo I'll take the liberty of dropping the "1" and do everything from page 23.<br />
<br />
<br />
"Kline could see he was missing an eye, one closed lid seemed flat and deflated. He was wearing a uniform. Ramse rolled down the window, and the man peered into the car."<br />
<br />
<br />
Why is he missing an eye?<br />
What kind of uniform?<br />
What does a man with one eye peering into a car look like?The books we lovetag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-04-25:537324:BlogPost:1382412008-04-25T14:35:30.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
Did you ever read a book that completely grabbed you in every way then haunted you for days afterwards? Of course you have because we all have. After reading a book like this you want to talk about it with someone, then, much to your dismay, no one has read it or, in some cases, has even heard of it.<br />
<br />
This is just shocking really.<br />
<br />
How could they not have heard of the best book ever written?<br />
<br />
A few days ago Patti floated an idea out there. Seeing that some books seemed to get a lot of attention…
Did you ever read a book that completely grabbed you in every way then haunted you for days afterwards? Of course you have because we all have. After reading a book like this you want to talk about it with someone, then, much to your dismay, no one has read it or, in some cases, has even heard of it.<br />
<br />
This is just shocking really.<br />
<br />
How could they not have heard of the best book ever written?<br />
<br />
A few days ago Patti floated an idea out there. Seeing that some books seemed to get a lot of attention while others weren’t talked about as much she wanted to get some people to recommend books that wowed them. So every Friday each one of us will talk about a book that stunned us in some way, that doesn’t seem to be getting the attention that it deserves.<br />
<br />
Today's book is <u>The God File</u> by Frank Turner Hollon.<br />
<br />
This is one of the most powerful books that I have read in years. I still find myself talking about it, thinking about it, re-reading pages. The God File is a deeply thought provoking novel that asks tough philosophical questions. It’s about a man in jail for a murder he didn’t commit who sets out to prove that God exists.<br />
<br />
So what kind of novel is The God File? Is it a crime novel? A philosophical novel? A theological novel? A deconstruction of the crime novel? An existential novel? Yes ,The God File is, at times, all of these. Hollon breaks open the crime novel and reassembles the pieces into something new. The result is a stunning work of fiction.<br />
<br />
I think that an excerpt from the books opening provides the best defense to read it.<br />
<br />
"So you say you believe in God? So you say that you see evidence God exists, and not only does God exist, He cares about you? Spend almost twenty-two years in a maximum security Alabama penitentiary for a murder you didn’t commit, and then tell me God exists. I have, and I'm still looking.<br />
<br />
They walked my skinny ass through the front door twenty-two years ago. I was in here three months before my mind would let me read, then I started reading everything. Anything with words. Anything. I read a book about a man with cancer. His cancer was cured. He was a doctor with a supportive wife and blue-eyed kids. He wrote about his evidence and proof, both historical and personal, of the existence of God. He wrote about dreams of Jesus and signs of that the Lord had cured his cancer. I thought it must be pretty fuckin' easy to see signs of God's existence when you're a rich doctor, with a wonderful wife and children, cured of cancer, sitting around in your country house with your fat dog on the floor by your feet and writing stories about pretty visions. I thought it would really be a test, it would really be worthwhile, to be able to find this evidence in a nasty-ass place like this, with no real freedoms, surrounded everyday with fear, hopelessness, and people who live like rats.<br />
<br />
So does God exist? I set out to collect the evidence, to put together a file, to look for God in the tiny details, the corners of my days in this place, to find out for myself. All I have is time, and this file. I have added to the ideas through the years, like building my own house on a solid foundation, brick by brick."<br />
<br />
And it only gets better from there.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Check out other recommendations here:</b><br />
<br />
http://billcrider.blogspot.com/<br />
http://bofexler.blogspot.com/<br />
http://anthonyneilsmith.typepad.com/crimedog_one_the_internet/<br />
http://sandrascoppettone.blogspot.com/<br />
http://patrickshawnbagley.blogspot.com/<br />
http://sandrablabber.blogspot.com/<br />
http://josephinedamian.blogspot.com/<br />
http://traviserwin.blogspot.com/<br />
http://randomactsofunkindness.blogspot.com/<br />
http://eudaemoniaforall.blogspot.com/<br />
http://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianLMarch Mystery Bookspot updatetag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-04-09:537324:BlogPost:1358522008-04-09T13:18:13.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<b>Reviews</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2511">Small Favor</a> by Jim Butcher<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2477">The Resurrectionist</a> by Jack O'Connell<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2476">Mad Dogs</a> by Brian Hodge<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2471">Sweet Silver Blues</a> by Glenn Cook<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2458">Mad House</a> by Rob Thurman<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2458">The Demon…</a>
<b>Reviews</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2511">Small Favor</a> by Jim Butcher<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2477">The Resurrectionist</a> by Jack O'Connell<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2476">Mad Dogs</a> by Brian Hodge<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2471">Sweet Silver Blues</a> by Glenn Cook<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2458">Mad House</a> by Rob Thurman<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2458">The Demon and the City</a> by Liz Hand<br />
<br />
<b>Discussions</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5483">Is there a place for purple prose in mystery/crime fiction?</a><br />
<br />
Please stop by and comment on any of these if you like. If you disagree with any of the reviews then let us know because honest discussion of books will only make the genre better. If you don't like any of the forum topics then come and start another.<br />
<br />
--Thanks from MBSGregg Olsen's progressive interviewtag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-04-02:537324:BlogPost:1348722008-04-02T13:30:00.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
When I heard through the grapevine that Gregg Olsen wanted to do a "progressive" interview I had an adverse reaction. I mean come on, who really likes progressives right? I mean they always come along and want to try new things, like there's something wrong with what's always worked, right.<br />
<br />
But fine, whatever. I'm hip. I'm down with the 411. I can be progressive too.<br />
<br />
But seriously. Gregg's new novel, A Cold Dark Place, is out today and like Johnny Appleseed spreading goodness throughout the…
When I heard through the grapevine that Gregg Olsen wanted to do a "progressive" interview I had an adverse reaction. I mean come on, who really likes progressives right? I mean they always come along and want to try new things, like there's something wrong with what's always worked, right.<br />
<br />
But fine, whatever. I'm hip. I'm down with the 411. I can be progressive too.<br />
<br />
But seriously. Gregg's new novel, A Cold Dark Place, is out today and like Johnny Appleseed spreading goodness throughout the land he wants to take you on a cooks tour of the interweb. Different sites and blogs will all be hosting a question in this progressive interview. So enjoy my portion of this yellow brick road while you are here and make sure to follow it all the way through by clicking on the link at the bottom as there are a lot of great questions asked.<br />
<br />
<p style="text-align:left"><img src="http://www.greggolsen.com/images/covers/coldDarkPlace.jpg"/></p>
<br />
<b>There are a lot of people who share your name. Do you guys have an annual picnic for Gregg Olsen's held each year in a secret location where you all gather and swap stories? I heard a rumor once from a guy who claimed to cater one of these events, he told me that there is some dissension among the ranks of the "Olsen conspiracy" (his words), apparently the group has split into two factions based on one G or two G's in the first name. Do the single "G's" really think that they are better then the double "G's" or has the upstart coup d'état been squashed?<br />
</b><br />
<br />
Double Gs all the way, Brian. The picnic is amazing, by the way. We eat gregg salad sandwiches and wash it all down with spiked gregg nog.<br />
<br />
Honestly, I have often wondered why it was that my mother was too cheap to buy the rest of my first name. Gregory Olsen sounds so much better to me. More professional. You know? It is so strange to Google your name (which I do about ten times a day) to find out that you've ridden in a space ship, painted a godly work of art, or pitched a great baseball game.<br />
<br />
<br />
Next, head over to <a href="http://www.truecrimeweblog.com/2008/04/progressive-interview-with-gregg-olsen.html">The True Crime Web Log</a> where Steve Huff claims to not make any assumptions about Gregg's inspirations (but we all know he really does) and we hear about Gregg's TV that eats stories.<br />
<br />
To purchase A Cold Dark Place please click <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Dark-Place-Gregg-Olsen/dp/0786018305/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207149995&sr=1-1">here</a>Neuropath by R Scott Bakkertag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-03-26:537324:BlogPost:1332702008-03-26T13:45:04.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
There is a book coming out later on this year that is being marketed as a sci-fi thriller that I think might go a bit unnoticed in mystery/crime fiction circles because the authors last three books were fantasy. Its Neuropath by R Scott Bakker.<br />
<br />
One advance reviewer wrote that its the most disturbing book that he ever read. "Neuropath is a psychological thriller that will challenge you in ways that will leave you thinking long and hard after you put the book down.....Neuropath will challenge…
There is a book coming out later on this year that is being marketed as a sci-fi thriller that I think might go a bit unnoticed in mystery/crime fiction circles because the authors last three books were fantasy. Its Neuropath by R Scott Bakker.<br />
<br />
One advance reviewer wrote that its the most disturbing book that he ever read. "Neuropath is a psychological thriller that will challenge you in ways that will leave you thinking long and hard after you put the book down.....Neuropath will challenge your perceptions, your sense of self, and the way you look at the world around you. It draws incredibly distressing conclusions that raise uneasy questions to ponder. Fascinating, stimulating, thought-provoking, tormenting, and downright worrying at times -- Neuropath is all that and more."<br />
<br />
Here is the synopsis:<br />
<br />
<i>Tom's life is not what it once was. His marriage to the beautiful Nora is on the rocks and he now sees his two young children only on her say so. His best friend - and best man - Neil has moved away to California to teach neurology and he barely sees him. He has one successful book - on human psychology - but he now wiles away the time trying to teach bored grad students things that they are often not equipped to understand. But that all changes when Neil comes back into his life. For it seems that his best friend was no teacher - he was working for the US government, cracking the minds of suspected terrorists. But now it is Neil himself that has cracked and gone AWOL - what's more he has left behind evidence that he has been employing his unique skills on civilians - obsessed with the idea that he can control the human brain. Thus begins a terrifying sequence of events as Neil starts to kidnap and mutilate people with a connection to Tom. He damages their brains selectively and then releases them - often leaving them mad. But it is only when he gets near his ultimate target does he reveal the full horror of his plan...</i><br />
<br />
In an interview Bakker said the following: "The idea here is to write something as philosophically troubling as it is psychologically frightening, a demented ‘psycho-thriller’ that explores the nihilistic implications of neuroscience.<br />
<br />
Over at FBS we were able to get exclusive rights to the first chapter which is now online here:<br />
<br />
http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2515New Interview with Allan Guthrietag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-01-31:537324:BlogPost:1215752008-01-31T15:21:02.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="149160015-31012008">Last month I conducted an interview with Al Guthrie.</span></font></div>
<div><br></br><br></br></div>
<div><span class="149160015-31012008"><font face="Arial" size="2">At the same time that I was talking to Al Sandra Ruttan was interviewing Ray Banks, so unbeknownst to either of them we conspired to ask them some of the same
questions to see how they answered.</font></span></div>
<div><br></br></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">You can…</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="149160015-31012008">Last month I conducted an interview with Al Guthrie.</span></font></div>
<div><br/><br/></div>
<div><span class="149160015-31012008"><font face="Arial" size="2">At the same time that I was talking to Al Sandra Ruttan was interviewing Ray Banks, so
unbeknownst to either of them we conspired to ask them some of the same<br />
questions to see how they answered.</font></span></div>
<div><br/></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">You can read the results here: <a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2343"><font face="Arial" size="2">http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2343</font></a></font></div>My favorite reads from 2007tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-01-06:537324:BlogPost:1114032008-01-06T00:34:54.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="postbody">I dont know how others do it but by sticking with already established favorite authors and mixing in new ones(not to mention the odd blind grab) I had a successful reading year. In actuality
there were about 25 books or so that I read and really liked and what follows<br />
is my unranked top 15.</span><br style=""></br><br style=""></br></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">YA - 1</p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">Comic - 1</p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">Mystery/crime fiction - 8…</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="postbody">I dont know how others do it but by sticking with already established favorite authors and mixing in new ones(not
to mention the odd blind grab) I had a successful reading year. In actuality<br />
there were about 25 books or so that I read and really liked and what follows<br />
is my unranked top 15.</span><br style=""/><br style=""/></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">YA - 1</p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">Comic - 1</p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">Mystery/crime fiction - 8</p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">Horror - 2</p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">SF/F – 2</p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">Non-fiction - 1</p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="postbody"><b>The Blood of Paradise</b> by David Corbett - I really like the works of David Corbett. He has an assured and
confident authorial voice that builds strong, complex, tragic characters up in<br />
stories that are a slow building crescendo that leaves us twisting in our seat<br />
waiting for the wave to crash. His characters ache and hurt and so do we right<br />
along with them. The antagonist of the book has a fantastic name, Bill Malvasio<br />
and I even went back and re-read Corbett's first novel, The Devil's Redhead</span> <br/>
<br/>
<span class="postbody"><b>The Raw Shark Texts</b> by Steven Hall - Like I said<br />
before I had this sitting on my shelf for quite a few months before finally<br />
jumping into it and I'm sorry I waited. This is one of the more imaginative<br />
books that I encountered all year. The story left me breathless, thinking and<br />
desperate to start it again as I haven't had this many textual questions (in a<br />
good way) since reading The Book of the New Sun all those years ago.</span> <br/>
<br/>
<span class="postbody"><b>Linger Awhile</b> by Russell Hoban- I love Hoban's work<br />
and this one may just rank as one of my favorites by him in recent years. Quite<br />
possibly one of the oddest books of the year and I'd be willing to bet that it<br />
flew under the radar of most readers.</span> <br/>
<br/>
<span class="postbody"><b>Mr. Clarinet</b> by Nick Stone- No less then Ken Bruen<br />
sent me an email one day telling me to read Nick Stone. Am I glad that I<br />
listened. Fully developed characters, a unique setting, a tinge of the<br />
real-world supernatural and some brilliantly written scenes that scared me and<br />
rank as some of the years best written. I've got the second book sitting on my<br />
shelf and can't wait to jump into it.</span> <br/>
<br/>
<span class="postbody"><b>The Shotgun Rule</b> by Charlie Huston - Huston's first<br />
stand alone is a doozy. Wild characters in even wilder situations. The best<br />
part comes around page 80 or so when yanks the rug out from the characters, and<br />
us, forcing us to stop dead in our tracks, re-reading the passage to see if he<br />
really did what he just did. Yep he did. Maybe his middle name is "No<br />
Fear"</span> <br/>
<br/>
<span class="postbody"><b>Head Games</b> by Craig MacDonald- When I first heard<br />
of this book I knew that I wanted to read it, if only for the fact that a work<br />
of fiction was promising that a sitting president was going to be an element.<br />
Not to mention the secret histories, road trip and pulp era adventures. Head<br />
Games never disappointed and proved to be so much more.</span> <br/>
<br/>
<span class="postbody"><b>Scalped</b> by Jason Aaron- I stayed away from the<br />
monthlies because I just dont read them much anymore and instead waited for a<br />
collection. And damn what a collection it is. Dare I say it that Scalped is one<br />
of the **hush my mouth** best crime fiction novels of the year AND its a<br />
**shush don't tell anyone** comic book.</span> <br/>
<br/>
<span class="postbody"><b>Bad Monkeys</b> by Matt Ruff - I love Matt Ruff and<br />
this book baffled me while reading it and I can't get the ending and some other<br />
scenes out of my head. This one is screaming for a re-read.</span> <br/>
<br/>
<span class="postbody"><b>Shakedown</b> by Charlie Stella- Quite possibly<br />
Stella's strongest to date. To be reductive: This book is for all of you fans<br />
of The Sopranos when it was firing on all cylinders. But getting down to brass<br />
taxes Shakedown has great characters, dialogue, plot -- the whole shebang.</span> <br/>
<br/>
<span class="postbody"><b>Paper Trails</b> by Pete Dexter - One of my fav's of<br />
the year bar none. Love Dex and wish he was more prolific but that just makes<br />
each of the columns all the more delectable.</span> <br/>
<br/>
<span class="postbody"><b>Generation Loss</b> by Elizabeth Hand - A haunting and<br />
lovely book that I think missed a lot of peoples radar screens. Just an all<br />
around fantastic book. I hope that Elizabeth Hand will be writing other books<br />
mystery/crime fiction books in the future as her take is an interesting one.</span> <br/>
<br/>
<span class="postbody"><b>Terror</b> by Dan Simmons- Just one of the flat out best<br />
written books all year with scenes that just kill you.</span> <br/>
<br/>
<span class="postbody"><b>Dark Harvest</b> by Norman Partridge- My surprise pick for<br />
the year since I picked it up as a throw away Halloween book and wasn't<br />
expecting much. Man was I surprised though when this turned out to be one of my<br />
more enjoyable books of the year. The usage of the second person narrative was<br />
perfectly done and added the right tone to the book. Also one of my favorite<br />
covers of the year.</span> <br/>
<br/>
<span class="postbody"><b>Half-Moon Investigations</b> by Eoin Colfer- Another<br />
surprise pick. I never would have thought that a hard-boiled YA PI tale would<br />
have worked after being weaned on the amateur sleuthing likes of Encyclopedia<br />
Brown and The Great brain in my younger reading days but damn did it ever.</span> <br/>
<br/>
<span class="postbody">And finally, a long running, critically and commercially<br />
popular, seven book series came to an end this year. It was a sad day to close<br />
the book and realize that this beloved cast of characters wouldn't be seen any<br />
more. The conclusion of the series sent me back into the other books of the<br />
series once again, reveling in their madcap adventures. What? No you big dummy,<br />
not that scar-faced choad Harry Potter I mean that bad mutha Brant. Geesh. <b>Ammunition</b><br />
by Ken Bruen was one of my fav's of the year. Did she (Falls) or didn't she? is<br />
the fiction question haunting me most this year.</span></p>The Crimes of Dr. Watson - reviewtag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-01-04:537324:BlogPost:1109122008-01-04T17:46:40.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<div class="blurb"><strong>Quick Take</strong></div>
<div class="blurb"><p><i><br></br></i></p>
<p><i>The Crimes of Dr. Watson is an engaging and ultimately fun book to read.</i></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><br></br></font></font></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">When you see this book for the first time, you just want to admire it. This is a gorgeous book that has to be one of the best looking books…</font></font></font></p>
</div>
<div class="blurb"><strong>Quick Take</strong></div>
<div class="blurb"><p><i><br/></i></p>
<p><i>The Crimes of Dr. Watson is an engaging and ultimately fun book to read.</i></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><br/></font></font></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">When you see this book for the first time, you just want to admire it. This is a gorgeous
book that has to be one of the best looking books that I have seen in a long<br />
time. It does something that most books fail to do it demands to be handled. You<br />
immediately flip through it just to see everything from the beautiful<br />
illustrations to the inserts to the clues. The sealed solution even taunts you a<br />
bit from the back. Quirk books just did as fantastic job.<br/><br/><br/>For readers
already familiar with Duane Swierczynski's other books the first thing that<br />
becomes readily apparent is the difference in writing style and tone.<br />
Swierczynski is very adept at adopting the voice and writing style of Dr. Watson<br />
as well as the tone of the time. I was impressed overall and think that The<br />
Crimes of Dr Watson really shows the range of his writing ability in a new<br />
light. <span class="930482521-02012008">(<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2280">more</a>)</span></font></font></font></p>
</div>Half the Blood of Brooklyn - reviewtag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-01-03:537324:BlogPost:1103932008-01-03T13:22:47.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<div class="blurb"><b>Quick Take</b></div>
<div class="blurb"></div>
<div class="blurb"><i>Pitt hasn’t so much burned all of his bridges as he has completely blown them up and ends the book, literally, with a declaration of war.<br></br><br></br></i></div>
<div class="blurb"></div>
<div class="blurb">Half the Blood of Brooklyn is the third Joe Pitt casebook following 2005’s Already Dead and last years No Dominion. Since all of the Joe Pitt books have had the same release date, December 26th is becoming…</div>
<div class="blurb"><b>Quick Take</b></div>
<div class="blurb"></div>
<div class="blurb"><i>Pitt hasn’t so much burned all of his bridges as he has completely blown them up and ends the book, literally, with a declaration of
war.<br/><br/></i></div>
<div class="blurb"></div>
<div class="blurb">Half the Blood of Brooklyn is the third Joe Pitt casebook following 2005’s Already Dead and last years No Dominion. Since all of the Joe
Pitt books have had the same release date, December 26th is becoming one of my<br />
favorite days of the year.</div>
<div class="blurb"><p><br/></p>
<p>Each book tends to shed some light on some of the different clans, in No Dominion Pitt ventured into the territory of The Hood. The death of a blood
dealer in the beginning of Half the Blood of Brooklyn acts as the catalyst for<br />
Pitt to venture out into the territory of some new clans to the series. Minor,<br />
lesser clans that hold less turf then the major clans do.</p>
<p><br/></p>
<p>One of these clans gave me pause, I may not be the most ardent vampire student but I <i>really</i> had to rack my brain to remember even the slightest
instance of this type of vampire being mentioned. This was one of the highlights<br />
of the book. (<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/2281">more</a>)<br/></p>
</div>Exclusive Ken Bruen Excerpt!!!!tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-11-02:537324:BlogPost:887932007-11-02T18:50:00.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<div><div><font size="3"><span class="251351216-02112007"><span style="font-size: 85%; font-family: Arial;">Issue # 3 of Heliotrope is live.<br></br><br></br></span></span></font></div>
<div><font size="3"><span class="251351216-02112007"><span style="font-size: 85%; font-family: Arial;">Since we are a recent entry into mystery/crime fiction market we are hoping that future issues will have more crime fiction content. But quality always trumps quanitity right?…</span></span></font></div>
</div>
<div><div><font size="3"><span class="251351216-02112007"><span style="font-size: 85%; font-family: Arial;">Issue # 3 of Heliotrope is live.<br/><br/></span></span></font></div>
<div><font size="3"><span class="251351216-02112007"><span style="font-size: 85%; font-family: Arial;">Since we are a recent entry into mystery/crime fiction market we are hoping that future issues will have more crime fiction content. But quality always trumps quanitity
right?</span></span></font></div>
<div><font size="3"><br/></font></div>
<div><font size="3"><span class="251351216-02112007"><span style="font-size: 85%; font-family: Arial;">This issue we are exited to present an exclusive excerpt from Ken Bruen's unpublished novel Once Were Cops.</span></span></font></div>
<div><font size="3"><br/></font></div>
<div><font size="3"><span class="251351216-02112007"><span style="font-size: 85%; font-family: Arial;">Here is the Table of Contents</span></span></font></div>
<div><p><span class="251351216-02112007"><b>Fiction:</b></span></p>
<p><span class="251351216-02112007"><i>Red-Haired Man in a Sweater</i> by Brendan Connell<br/><i>Moon at the Starry Diner</i> by Tina Connolly<br/><i>He Angles, She Refracts</i> by Rob Vagle</span></p>
<p><span class="251351216-02112007"><b>Poetry:</b></span></p>
<p><span class="251351216-02112007"><i>The Witch</i> by Theodora Goss</span></p>
<p><span class="251351216-02112007"><b>Articles/Columns:</b></span></p>
<p><span class="251351216-02112007"><i>The Anatomy of “Sleep”</i> by Jeffrey Ford<br/><i>Plus ca Change</i> by Michael Moorcock<br/><i>The Shadow Cabinet</i> by Jeff Vandermeer</span></p>
<p><span class="251351216-02112007"><b>Previews/Exclusive Excerpts:</b></span></p>
<p><span class="251351216-02112007"><i>Once Were Cops</i> by Ken Bruen<br/><i>Grease Monkey Book 2</i> by Tim Eldred<br/><i>Fablewood</i> edited by William Ward</span></p>
<p><span class="251351216-02112007"><br/><span class="251351216-02112007"><span style="font-size: 85%; font-family: Arial;">Here is the link to the issue - <a href="http://www.heliotropemag.com/Issue03/">http://www.heliotropemag.com/Issue03/</a></span></span></span></p>
<p><span class="251351216-02112007"><span style="font-size: 85%; font-family: Arial;">Here is the link to the Ken Bruen excerpt - <a href="http://www.heliotropemag.com/Issue03/Oncewerecops.html">http://www.heliotropemag.com/Issue03/Oncewerecops.html</a></span></span></p>
<p><span class="251351216-02112007"><span style="font-size: 85%; font-family: Arial;">Here are Heliotropes submission guidelines - I swear we really do want your crime fiction stories. - <a href="http://www.heliotropemag.com/node/2">http://www.heliotropemag.com/node/2</a></span></span></p>
<br/><p>--Brian Lindenmuth</p>
</div>
</div>African Psycho by Alain Mabanckou - reviewtag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-09-28:537324:BlogPost:763512007-09-28T12:34:35.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<div><span class="151084014-10092007">African Psycho is the first English translation by Alain Mabanckou. Its a first person account of Gregoire Nakobomayo, would be killer, that takes as its inspiration Brett Easton Ellison’s novel <u>American Psycho</u>. Where as the protagonist from Ellison’s
novel is a success at his chosen vocation its interesting to note that<br />
Nakobomayo is ultimately a failure. It’s this fundamental inability to<br />
successfully commit any crime that makes him such an…</span></div>
<div><span class="151084014-10092007">African Psycho is the first English translation by Alain Mabanckou. Its a first person account of Gregoire Nakobomayo, would be killer, that takes as its inspiration Brett Easton
Ellison’s novel <u>American Psycho</u>. Where as the protagonist from Ellison’s<br />
novel is a success at his chosen vocation its interesting to note that<br />
Nakobomayo is ultimately a failure. It’s this fundamental inability to<br />
successfully commit any crime that makes him such an intriguing character. He<br />
bounces back and forth between tragedy and farce so that he ultimately gains the<br />
smallest possible measure of sympathy from the reader. Which in the end leaves<br />
us feeling slightly odd because of what we are feeling when he <i>doesn’t</i><br />
kill. <a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/1920">Read More</a><br/></span></div>Ammunition by Ken Bruentag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-09-24:537324:BlogPost:753402007-09-24T17:33:19.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<span class="151084014-10092007"><font face="Arial" size="2"><br />
</font></span><div class="blurb"><span class="151084014-10092007"><font face="Arial" size="2"><b>Quick Take</b><br></br><i><br></br>A brilliant addition, and maybe completion, to the series.</i></font></span></div>
<div class="blurb"></div>
<div class="blurb"><p><span class="151084014-10092007"><font face="Arial" size="2"><br></br></font></span></p>
<p><span class="151084014-10092007"><font face="Arial" size="2">I think that it’s safe to say,…</font></span></p>
</div>
<span class="151084014-10092007"><font face="Arial" size="2"><br />
</font></span><div class="blurb"><span class="151084014-10092007"><font face="Arial" size="2"><b>Quick Take</b><br/><i><br/>A brilliant addition, and maybe completion, to the series.</i></font></span></div>
<div class="blurb"></div>
<div class="blurb"><p><span class="151084014-10092007"><font face="Arial" size="2"><br/></font></span></p>
<p><span class="151084014-10092007"><font face="Arial" size="2">I think that it’s safe to say, and is in no way a spoiler to say, that Brant survives the attempt on his life. Bruen dangles the possibility of Brant dying
in front of us for about, um, lets see, a half a nano-second. Those who have<br />
stuck with Brant this long know that its going to take more then getting shot<br />
with a Browning to keep him down and out. Now, with the fate of Brant the<br />
character out of the way lets talk about the fate of Brant the series.</font></span></p>
<p><span class="151084014-10092007"><font face="Arial" size="2"><br/></font></span></p>
<p><span class="151084014-10092007"><font face="Arial" size="2">Last winter, when I interviewed Ken, he said that we should be on the look out for “The final Brant, Ammunition”. From then till now his story hasn’t
changed. At times Ammunition feels as if it COULD be the final book of the<br />
series: villains from past books will make sudden re-appearances; story arcs of<br />
characters we have followed from the beginning will end with finality; old story<br />
lines will be rear their heads. There is a measure of resolution here that lends<br />
itself to the possibility of the series being over. <a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/1921">Read More</a><br/></font></span></p>
</div>Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff - reviewtag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-09-17:537324:BlogPost:731012007-09-17T14:24:18.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<b>Quick Take:<br></br></b><div><span class="151084014-10092007"><i><br></br>Bad Monkeys displays for us not only its, at times, dark humor but the patchwork juxtapositioning of odd and imaginative ideas that is Matt Ruff’s
trademark.</i></span></div>
<div><br></br></div>
<div><p><span class="151084014-10092007">With a gun that kills people using natural causes, a secret organization that spies on people via the eyes on pictures called The Panopticon, axe-wielding clowns in Vegas and great chapter titles…</span></p>
</div>
<b>Quick Take:<br/></b><div><span class="151084014-10092007"><i><br/>Bad Monkeys displays for us not only its, at times, dark humor but the patchwork
juxtapositioning of odd and imaginative ideas that is Matt Ruff’s<br />
trademark.</i></span></div>
<div><br/></div>
<div><p><span class="151084014-10092007">With a gun that kills people using natural causes, a secret organization that spies on people via the eyes on pictures called The Panopticon, axe-wielding
clowns in Vegas and great chapter titles like “Nancy Drew, Reconsidered as a Bad<br />
Seed” and “Scary Clowns, Shibboleth’s, and the Desert of Ozymandias” Bad Monkeys<br />
displays for us not only its, at times, dark humor but the patchwork<br />
juxtapositioning of odd and imaginative ideas that is Matt Ruff’s trademark.</span></p>
<p><span class="151084014-10092007"><br/></span></p>
<p><span class="151084014-10092007">Part of the fun of Bad Monkeys is the shifting time frames of the story that jump back and forth between the present in the hospital and the past as Jane
tells the story of her life. Jane proves to be a fascinating narrator that<br />
reminds us, on more then one occasion, of Verbal Kint. Her reliability as a<br />
narrator comes into question pretty early on when her interrogator obtains proof<br />
that brings into question the veracity of at least part of her tale. Since the<br />
lie is brought immediately to our attention it knocks us off balance a bit and<br />
the rest of the story, as relayed by Jane, is treated with more caution. Due to<br />
Ruff’s skills as a writer this insertion of doubt doesn’t disengage us from the<br />
story but manages to increase our engagement levels. This is due in large part<br />
to the simple fact that the story being weaved before our eyes is just so damned<br />
interesting. <a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/1956">Read more</a><br/></span></p>
</div>A little bit of old Baltimore died yesterday - A remembrance of Wild Bill Hagytag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-08-21:537324:BlogPost:654712007-08-21T16:31:21.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007">I felt compelled to write this and since there are no other Baltimore people here please feel free to ignore it</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007"><br></br>It's a sad day. A little bit of old Baltimore died yesterday.</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007"><br></br>My phone rang yesterday much more then it normally does on a rainy Monday…</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007">I felt compelled to write this and since there are no other Baltimore people here please feel free
to ignore it</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007"><br/>It's a sad day. A little bit of old Baltimore died yesterday.</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007"><br/>My phone rang yesterday much more then it normally does on a rainy Monday evening at dinner
time. Everyone had the same thing to say but it was my mom who broke it to me<br />
first. Wild Bill Hagy had died. Maybe the rain was appropriate.<br />
</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007"><br/>Ironically we had been talking about him just the day before. Everyone I spoke to had stories to
share about the wild days of Oriole magic, Memorial Stadium and the<br />
man himself.<br/><br/></span></font><p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/70737344?profile=original=/wildbill2.jpg?width=300" alt=""/></p>
<br/><div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007">He was a Dundalk cabdriver who would refuse fares from out of towners who openly displayed the
colors of the opposing team especially those of the reviled Yankees. He met two<br />
presidents. He might just be in the top 5 of most popular Orioles ever and he<br />
never played a single game. He signed more autographs then most players did.<br />
</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007"><br/>His signature move was the O-R-I-O-L-E chant contorting his body into the shape of the letters as
everyone chanted the letters then getting everyone up and yelling with a wave of<br />
his tattered cowboy hat.</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007"><br/>For many Baltimoreans</span></font> <font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007">of a certain age to invoke the name of Wild Bill Hagy
is to produce an instant smile. For those of us who smile at those memories<br />
Wild Bill was the embodiment of Oriole magic, something which has been missing<br />
for close to 20 years now.</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007"><br/>When the O's made the switch to the new stadium Wild Bill didn't follow. Something was lost in
the translation and Camden Yards was just a different place in a different time<br />
with a different type of fan.</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007"><br/>But he did make the occasional curtain call. He led Camden Yards in a cheer when Cal Ripken broke
the record. But the vibe was different and the old energy just wasn't there.<br />
It's easy to imagine the yuppie Washingtonian fan telling the person that he was<br />
talking to on his cell phone to hold on as this big, burly, bearded guy did his<br />
thing and looking on at this alien dance with confusion then returning to his<br />
call without even leaving his seat.</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007"><br/>Just recently he went to Cooperstown to witness the induction of Ripken into the Hall of Fame and
stood one last time and did the chant for those sitting around<br />
him.</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007"><span class="140165113-21082007"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007"><br/>The memory of him leading the entire stadium in his famous O-R-I-O-L-E chant atop the dugout may start to fade but he will never
be forgotten. <font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007"><span class="140165113-21082007">Wild Bill Hagy was the greatest Orioles fan that ever<br />
lived and there will never be another like him.<br />
</span></span></font></span></font></span></span></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007"><span class="140165113-21082007"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007"><span class="140165113-21082007"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007"><br/>A little bit of old Baltimore died yesterday.<br/><br/></span></font></span></span></font></span></font></span></span></font><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="140165113-21082007"><br/></span></font></div>
</div>
<br/>From the front lines of Charm City or David Simon nailed it - pt. 2tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-06-15:537324:BlogPost:487192007-06-15T13:10:28.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<div><span class="159571319-14062007"><font face="Arial" size="2">As a follow up to my post from a couple of weeks ago. There is now a follow up to a proposed plan to put Baltimore city Homicide detectives back in uniform and on foot patrol. This
policy has been in place for two weeks now and has not been sucessful so it is<br />
being revoked. Homicide detectives are off the street and back on the case.<br />
…</font></span></div>
<div><br></br></div>
<div><span class="159571319-14062007"><font face="Arial" size="2">As a follow up to my post from a couple of weeks ago. There is now a follow up to a proposed plan to
put Baltimore city Homicide detectives back in uniform and on foot patrol. This<br />
policy has been in place for two weeks now and has not been sucessful so it is<br />
being revoked. Homicide detectives are off the street and back on the case.<br />
</font></span></div>
<div><br/></div>
<div><span class="159571319-14062007"><font face="Arial" size="2">Below is a link for an article with more information on this. For fans of the book Homicide: A Year
on the Killing Street; the classic tv show Homicide: Life on the Street and The<br />
Wire there is an easter egg in the article for you. There is a quote<br />
from</font></span> <span class="159571319-14062007">Gary D'Addario who you'll<br />
recognize from the shows. He's also the real life basis for Lieutenant Al<br />
Giardello</span></div>
<div><br/><br/></div>
<div><span class="159571319-14062007"><span class="159571319-14062007"><a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.police15jun15,0,7785331.story?coll=bal-local-headlines"><font face="Arial" size="2">http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.police15jun15,0,7785331.story?coll=bal-local-headlines</font></a></span></span></div>
<br/><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/70736383?profile=original=?width=100" alt=""/></p>
<br/>Hard Man by Allan Guthrietag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-06-11:537324:BlogPost:476842007-06-11T18:07:27.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<div><span class="365280118-11062007"><em>Hard Man is a simple story of a man who misses his mom, loves his dog and finds Jesus.<br></br><br></br></em></span></div>
<div><span class="365280118-11062007">Over the course of 8 blood soaked chapters that all take their names from movies, Hard Man unfolds with a savage intensity. The movie titles used will cleverly act as epigraphs for the
chapters.<br></br><br></br><br></br>Hard Man is divided pretty clearly into two parts. It’s
during the first part that we will be…</span></div>
<div><span class="365280118-11062007"><em>Hard Man is a simple story of a man who misses his mom, loves his dog and finds Jesus.<br/><br/></em></span></div>
<div><span class="365280118-11062007">Over the course of 8 blood soaked chapters that all take their names from movies, Hard Man unfolds with a savage intensity.
The movie titles used will cleverly act as epigraphs for the<br />
chapters.<br/><br/><br/>Hard Man is divided pretty clearly into two parts. It’s
during the first part that we will be introduced to the Baxter clan and their<br />
situation with Wallace. Their opening gambit to scare Wallace fails miserably<br />
and they decide to attempt to enlist the help of Pearce. Pearce, a character<br />
from Guthrie’s debut novel Two-Way Split, is as the title suggests a hard man.<br />
But he is also a man who is, by his very nature, more reactive then proactive so<br />
he refuses the job. The full dysfunctionality of the Baxter's will slowly become<br />
evident as we witness their machinations to not only get rid of Wallace but to<br />
make further attempts to enlist the aid of Pearce.<br/><br/><br/>It will be one of
these further attempts that sets into motion the final full throated berserker<br />
yell that is the second part. <a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/1835">Read more</a>.<br/><br/></span></div>
<div><span class="365280118-11062007"><font face="Arial" size="2">Also as a reminder the current contest is for Hard Man. Click <a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4275">here</a> for
more details. <br/></font></span></div>Lost Dog by Bill Cameron - reviewtag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-06-08:537324:BlogPost:458242007-06-08T16:00:00.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<div><span class="881541215-04062007"><font><font><span class="881541215-04062007"><font face="Arial" size="2">"</font><font face="Arial" size="2">In the opening moments of the book we find Peter existing in a state of stasis. He doesn't have a job and he's trying to gain a measure of control over his kleptomania. In fact we meet Peter while he's in the middle of coming up
with excuses. Excuses not to go jogging, not to look for a job, not to go into<br />
the house. He's renting his house from his…</font></span></font></font></span></div>
<div><span class="881541215-04062007"><font><font><span class="881541215-04062007"><font face="Arial" size="2">"</font><font face="Arial" size="2">In the opening moments of the book we find Peter existing in a state of stasis. He doesn't have a job and he's trying to gain a measure of control over
his kleptomania. In fact we meet Peter while he's in the middle of coming up<br />
with excuses. Excuses not to go jogging, not to look for a job, not to go into<br />
the house. He's renting his house from his sister so there isn't any real<br />
impetus to find a job as she isn't pressuring him about the rent. The discovery<br />
of the dead body will force him into activity.<br/><br/></font></span></font></font></span></div>
<div><p><font><font><font face="Arial"><font size="2">Peter is interesting as a protagonist chiefly because of his kleptomania. The kleptomania represents itself interestingly at
both ends of the spectrum. On one side there is a scene where Peter comes across<br />
a bloody condom at what might be a crime scene. The compulsion to pick it up and<br />
put it in his pocket is so great in him that he becomes literally becomes frozen<br />
where he stands. The mental and emotional battle that he wages with himself is<br />
compelling if not a little frightening but it serves as an illustrative example<br />
of his condition. On the other side of the spectrum is a small scene when he<br />
meets Ruby Jane and goes to her place. She is in the other room and he becomes<br />
obsessed with a pen that is left on a table. Again he very badly wants to put it<br />
in his pocket and wages the same battle with himself. This moment too passes<br />
with him making a decision about the object in question. Both of these moments<br />
show the diverse emotions that can be wrung out of the condition. From revulsion<br />
& horror all the way to a small measure of personal growth. To say he's<br />
flawed would be an understatement.<span class="881541215-04062007">" <br/></span></font></font></font></font></p>
<p><font><font><font face="Arial"><font size="2"><span class="881541215-04062007"><br/></span></font></font></font></font></p>
<p><font><font><font face="Arial"><font size="2"><span class="881541215-04062007"><a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/1822">Read More</a></span></font></font></font></font></p>
</div>Priest by Ken Bruen - reviewtag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-06-07:537324:BlogPost:458232007-06-07T16:00:00.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<div><span class="881541215-04062007"><font><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="881541215-04062007">"<font face="Times New Roman" size="3">In the beginning of Priest we find Jack Taylor in an asylum. The story picks up as he is starting to come out of his medicated stupor. As he eases into some semblance of his old
life he tries to keep from confronting the tragedy that ended The Dramatist and<br />
deal with its fallout. For the first time he finds himself completely sober, no<br />
drugs, no…</font></span></font></font></span></div>
<div><span class="881541215-04062007"><font><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="881541215-04062007">"<font face="Times New Roman" size="3">In the beginning of Priest we find Jack Taylor in an asylum. The story picks up as he is starting
to come out of his medicated stupor. As he eases into some semblance of his old<br />
life he tries to keep from confronting the tragedy that ended The Dramatist and<br />
deal with its fallout. For the first time he finds himself completely sober, no<br />
drugs, no alcohol, no cigarettes. With those numbing defense mechanisms not in<br />
place Jack tries hard to ignore the enormity of his actions. His refusal to<br />
directly confront his act lends to the narrative a palpable menace mixed with a<br />
strong riptide of violence that threatens to pull him under. Jack will use<br />
physical confrontations to release the building pressure but will find no real<br />
satisfaction."</font></span></font></font></span></div>
<div><br/><br/></div>
<div><span class="881541215-04062007"><font><font face="Arial" size="2"><span class="881541215-04062007"><a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/1821"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Read More</font></a></span></font></font></span></div>Baby Shark's Beaumont Blues by Robert Fate - Reviewtag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-06-06:537324:BlogPost:458162007-06-06T15:30:00.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<div><span class="881541215-04062007"><font face="Arial" size="2"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">"While not breaking any barriers of originality its fast pace, action packed sequences and ultimately likeable characters come together to form a well told and enjoyable tale. When young Kristin Van Dijk and
her irascible good ol' boy partner Otis take on the case of a missing heiress to<br />
an oil fortune little do they know that the lies, double crosses and bodies are<br />
going to start to stack…</font></font></span></div>
<div><span class="881541215-04062007"><font face="Arial" size="2"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">"While not breaking any barriers of originality its fast pace, action packed sequences and ultimately likeable characters come
together to form a well told and enjoyable tale. When young Kristin Van Dijk and<br />
her irascible good ol' boy partner Otis take on the case of a missing heiress to<br />
an oil fortune little do they know that the lies, double crosses and bodies are<br />
going to start to stack up." </font></font></span></div>
<div><a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/1783"><span class="881541215-04062007"><font face="Arial" size="2"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span class="881541215-04062007"><font face="Arial" size="2">Read More</font></span></font></font></span></a></div>
<br/>Duane Swierczynski Interviewtag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-06-05:537324:BlogPost:458152007-06-05T15:30:00.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<span class="881541215-04062007"><font face="Arial" size="2">I recently finished my<br />
interview with Duane Swierczynski. It can be found <a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/1818">here</a>.</font></span> <br/>
<span class="881541215-04062007"><font face="Arial" size="2">I recently finished my<br />
interview with Duane Swierczynski. It can be found <a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/1818">here</a>.</font></span> <br/>Win a copy of Hard Man by Allan Guthrietag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-06-04:537324:BlogPost:458122007-06-04T15:53:40.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<div><span class="881541215-04062007"><font face="Arial" size="2">The new <a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/">Mystery Book Spot</a> contest has been announced. We are giving away a copy of Hard Man by Allan
Guthrie.</font></span></div>
<div><br/><br/></div>
<div><span class="881541215-04062007"><font face="Arial" size="2">For more information click <a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4275">here</a>.</font></span></div>
<div><span class="881541215-04062007"><font face="Arial" size="2">The new <a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/">Mystery Book Spot</a> contest has been announced. We are giving away a copy of Hard Man by Allan
Guthrie.</font></span></div>
<div><br/><br/></div>
<div><span class="881541215-04062007"><font face="Arial" size="2">For more information click <a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4275">here</a>.</font></span></div>What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman - reviewtag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-11:537324:BlogPost:347972007-05-11T16:42:54.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<div><p><em><font face="Arial" size="2">What the Dead Know will by the end of the year be recognized as one of the top novels of the year.</font></em></p>
<p></p>
<p><br></br></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2">In many ways What the Dead Know is a tour-de-force of story telling whose only serviceable comparison is the tapestry of bullshit, truth & wonder that Verbal Kint weaves in the movie The Usual Suspects. To
extend the comparison just one step further if the central question of the…</font></p>
</div>
<div><p><em><font face="Arial" size="2">What the Dead Know will by the end of the year be recognized as one of the top novels of the year.</font></em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><br/></p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2">In many ways What the Dead Know is a tour-de-force of story telling whose only serviceable comparison is the tapestry of bullshit,
truth & wonder that Verbal Kint weaves in the movie The Usual Suspects. To<br />
extend the comparison just one step further if the central question of the movie<br />
was ‘Who is Keyser Soze’? Then the central question of What the Dead Know is<br />
‘Who is Heather Bethany’? It’s exactly this question that Lippman will answer<br />
for us over the course of 384 masterfully controlled and written pages.<br />
</font></p>
<p><br/></p>
<p> </p>
<p><font face="Arial" size="2">The story is crafted in such a way so that it leap-frogs back and forth in time. This serves two purposes and executes both
beautifully. First it allows Lippman to pick and choose which bits of<br />
information to give us and when to give them to us. The bits of information<br />
quickly become a potent mix of hints and red-herrings that will form a literary<br />
bread crumb trail. Second, and perhaps more importantly it will allow for a<br />
careful dissection and examination of the events and the relationships<br />
surrounding them.</font> <span class="399583515-10052007"><a title="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/1781" href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/1781"><font face="Arial" size="2">Read More</font></a></span></p>
<p><br/></p>
<p><br/></p>
<p><span class="399583515-10052007"><font face="Arial" size="2">All of my reviews can be found <a title="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/1025?reviewer=41" href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/1025?reviewer=41">here</a></font></span></p>
</div>Blood of Paradise by David Corbett - reviewtag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-02:537324:BlogPost:307012007-05-02T15:41:11.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><span class="497570915-02052007"><em>With an assured hand David</em> <a href="http://www.davidcorbett.com/"><em>Corbett</em></a> <em>has been quietly crafting some of the best novels of the last 5 years.</em></span></font></font></font></div>
<div><br></br><br></br></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><span class="497570915-02052007">Corbett</span> is better then anyone else at…</font></font></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><span class="497570915-02052007"><em>With an assured hand David</em> <a href="http://www.davidcorbett.com/"><em>Corbett</em></a> <em>has been quietly crafting some of the best novels of the last 5
years.</em></span></font></font></font></div>
<div><br/><br/></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><span class="497570915-02052007">Corbett</span> is better then anyone else at using a simple premise or crime as a platform to spin epic stories of the human
experience writ large against a vast canvass. From personal interaction with one<br />
another; to interactions with ourselves; to interactions with our own ghosts and<br />
demons; to interactions with faith, god and fate; to interactions with the<br />
socio/politico machines of our own creation. The beating heart at the center of<br />
Blood of Paradise may be a dark one but it’s a real one that we, at times, can<br />
recognize as our own. <span class="497570915-02052007"><a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/1768">Read<br />
More</a></span></font></font><br/></font></div>Cast of Shadows by Kevin Guilfoile - reviewtag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-04-15:537324:BlogPost:249872007-04-15T20:46:11.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<p style="margin-bottom: 12pt;">Cast of Shadows takes a small handful of issues, cloning and stem cell research chief among them, and crafts a tale that
that launches from a simple premise and becomes a multifaceted discussion that<br />
is at times moral, scientific and religious. The premise and its exploration<br />
prove to be an effective evaluation of these difficult issues without any real<br />
political or religious bias.<br></br>
<br></br>
The story is told over 20+ years, during which we get to watch…</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 12pt;">Cast of Shadows takes a small handful of
issues, cloning and stem cell research chief among them, and crafts a tale that <br />
that launches from a simple premise and becomes a multifaceted discussion that <br />
is at times moral, scientific and religious. The premise and its exploration <br />
prove to be an effective evaluation of these difficult issues without any real <br />
political or religious bias.<br/>
<br/>
The story is told over 20+ years, during which we get to watch these characters <br />
grow, change and age. Every character is complexly rendered producing very <br />
real, very sympathetic people.</p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">“In spite of his dedication to work, he had raised the kind
of young woman a teenaged Davis Moore would have admired, would have <br />
befriended, would have pursued with all his energy and charm. More important, <br />
he had the raised the kind of young woman who would have seen through teenaged <br />
Davis Moore’s unflappable, swaggering bullshit.”</p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">Cast of Shadows is divided into two parts. The first part
will cover a little over a decade and focuses on Dr. Moore’s twin obsessions of <br />
finding his daughters killer and keeping up with Justin’s growth and progress. <br />
Justin’s face will very slowly start to come into focus as he grows into the <br />
man who killed Moore’s daughter. By the end of this first part nothing will be <br />
the same and everyone’s lives will be affected.<br/>
<br/>
<a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/1734">Read more</a></p>
<br />
Ice by Vladimir Sorokin - reviewtag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-04-15:537324:BlogPost:249862007-04-15T20:45:13.000ZBrianLindenmuthhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianL
<p>The terse, clipped prose moves the story along at a fast pace. The first part of Ice follows three characters through their lives as they are awakened
and after the awakening has taken place. They are plucked from all walks of<br />
life and economic backgrounds. Not only do we get to witness first hand the at<br />
times brutal awakenings but we also get a nice cross section of Russian life.<br />
The second part of the novel threats us to a lengthy first person account of<br />
how one member of this group…</p>
<p>The terse, clipped prose moves the story along at a fast pace. The first
part of Ice follows three characters through their lives as they are awakened <br />
and after the awakening has taken place. They are plucked from all walks of <br />
life and economic backgrounds. Not only do we get to witness first hand the at <br />
times brutal awakenings but we also get a nice cross section of Russian life. <br />
The second part of the novel threats us to a lengthy first person account of <br />
how one member of this group was awakened. The Nazi’s took her from her village <br />
as a young teenager. Upon arrival in Germany she was kept aside at a camp <br />
because of her physical features then awakened. Her heart proves to be older <br />
then her body and she quickly become part of the upper echelon of the secret <br />
group. Her personal history will act as a history lesson of the group for not <br />
only us but also the three recently awakened characters from the first part. We <br />
will learn about its origins and its relationship with the Tunguska event, its <br />
methods and its ultimate goals.</p>
<br />
<p> </p>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">From the moment we witness the first awakening in the <br />
opening moments, and especially as we learn more about them, we are forced to <br />
wonder if they are a menacing group or are they our superiors. Will their <br />
success be a benevolent act for a humanity that was never supposed to be? Will <br />
the destruction of the world, as we know it be a mercy killing for a patient <br />
that has been dead for a long time, even if they just didn’t know it? Will the <br />
final act be one of selfless love or ultimate selfishness? These are not easy <br />
questions to ask and no clear answers are provided.</span><br/><br/><br/><a href="http://www.fantasybookspot.com/node/1732">Read more</a><br/>