And The Winner Is

Stephen D. Rogers is the lucky owner of a new copy of Dave Zeltserman's Killer, which I will drop in the mail after the holiday. Thanks to everyone who entered, and Happy New Year.

Win Dave Zeltserman's Killer

And lo, it was a Christmas miracle as angels descended from the heavens and provided a humble blogger with an extra copy of Dave Zeltserman's forthcoming novel Killer, and told him that, since he already had one copy, he should spread the wealth. And, lo, the humble blogger, said, "Why the hell not."

So, here's the deal. You send an email to IndieCrimeatgmaildotcom with "Contest" in the subject line. Include your name and address. I will number the entries in the order in which I receive them. Then, on Dec. 31, I will use Random.org to pick a random number. If your number comes up, I drop a brand new copy of what is sure to be one of the best books of the year in the mail to you.

Good luck and Merry Christmas you sons of bitches.

The Winners Are...

Dan Vanderkooi and Steve Oerkfitz are the two winners of The Hunter Giveaway. Thanks to everyone who entered.

Giving Away Darwyn Cooke's The Hunter Part Deux

In our last episode, our hero, announced he was giving away two copies of Darwyn Cooke's adaptation of The Hunter. As part of the contest, he asked would-be entrants to answer a trivia question. Upon reflection, the question may have been too difficult (or blog readers too lazy), because exactly no one sent in an entry. I've done giveaways before, and always had entrants. So, lesson learned, we're going to try this again. I still have two copies of this graphic novel to give away, and I'm still going to ask a trivia question, but I'm going to make it much, much easier.

To enter for a chance to win The Hunter, send an email to IndieCrime-at-gmail-dotcom with Contest in the subject line. Include your address and the answer to this question:


Who is the man Parker comes to New York to kill in The Hunter?

Can I make it any easier than that? Yeah, probably, but I'm not going to. Next Sunday, I'm either announcing the winners or I'm just going to give the goddamn things to homeless people.

Two Chances to Win Darwyn Cooke's Hunter Adapatation

I just dropped in my local book/comic shop, The Book Nook on N. Druid Hills Road, in Atlanta (or Decatur, depending on who you ask), and I was very pleased to see a robust Richard Stark display up front. Not only, did they have Darwyn Cooke's The Hunter graphic novel, they were in the process of stocking the U. of Chicago reprints as well. One of the guys who worked there told me the graphic novel was going into a second printing, which bodes well for Cooke's adaptation of The Man with the Getaway Face, seeing the light of day. I should have taken some pictures of the display, but my Google Phone camera is shit. I may go back and do that tomorrow, just to show you that I was right about the coming Stark resurgence. Anyway, I bought two of the last copies of Cooke's adpatation, and I'm giving them away this time next week because I'm feeling generous.

To enter, all you have to do is answer this question: In The Handle, who are the final members of the team that carry out the island robbery. Email the correct answer to IndieCrime-at-gmail-dot-com by next Friday. Those who get it correct are entered for a chance to win one of the two copies. I use a random number generator to pick actual winners.

And The Winner Is..

Wade Harrington from Indiana just won a copy of Dave Zeltserman's Pariah.

Remember, I'm Giving Away Pariah

So, Dave Zeltserman's latest novel, Pariah, I liked it. I'm giving away a copy this Sunday. If you want it, send me an email at IndieCrime-at-gmail-dot-com with your name and address and "Contest" in the subject line.

Review of Pariah

Question: Who do you have to kill to get a book deal?

Answer: A ten-year-old hemophiliac.

At least according to Dave Zeltserman. His latest novel, Pariah (Serpent's Tail, 2009), tells the story of Kyle Nevin, gangster from Southie, who gets released from prison after an eight-year stretch for bank robbery and decides to go after "Red" Mahoney, his former employer and the one who set him up to take a fall. Mahoney has disappeared, however, and Nevin needs money to look for him, so he plans a kidnapping. The kidnapping goes wrong, Nevin is caught, and, due to some prosecutorial shenanigans, gets off scott-free. Nevin's new notoriety leads to a two-book deal with a major publishing house.

Zeltserman's last novel, Small Crimes, featured disgraced cop Joe Denton, who was one of the most loathsome characters to ever crawl out of someoneone's imagination. Nevin is even worse than Denton. Every time you think that he has surely reached bottom and can't possibly behave in a more repugnant fashion, Zeltserman has his anti-hero find a new low. Nevin is genuinely frightening because his actions are entirely rational, and his crimes are plausible. Forget cartoon psychos who skin young women to make designer handbags, Zeltserman has succeeded in bringing a blithely psychopatic character to the page who will chill the blood.

Despite the utter moral bankruptcy of the main character, Pariah is gripping as opposed to repugnant. Zeltserman's writing and plotting are sharp and the plot is immaculately crafted. The only other author writing about such venal characters with such an incisive eye is Jason Starr, and some of Starr's characters are downright cuddly when compared to Zeltserman's. Pariah is a scathing rebuke of society's obsession with fame, and mythologizing of gangsters and the repugnant moral calculus that allows them to victimize innocent people with impunity. Zeltserman points out that we can embrace a monster, but not a dishonest monster. He's the guy who tells a newly engaged woman that her shiny, new diamond ring likely helped finance a pointless, bloody civil war in Africa, and besides, it's just another goddamn rock. It's an ugly thing to say, but it's entirely true, so what're you gonna do?

As it happens, I have a spare copy of Pariah, which is not getting an American release until October, so send an email to IndieCrime-at-gmail dot com, with "Contest" in the subject line and your name and mailing address in the body. I will pick a winner next Sunday. (Winners are picked using a random number generator).

And the Winner is...

Steve Gibson, of Virginia Beach, who will be receiving a copy of Allan Guthrie's Slammer in the mail in the not-too-distant future.

The response to this particular giveaway was great, and I want to thank everyone who entered. I wish I had more than one copy to give away.

Win Allan Guthrie's Slammer

Allan Guthrie's new novel Slammer is out in the UK. I've bought a copy, and I'm reading it, but today in the mail I got a review copy, which I take it was kind of late, because it looks like it was sent to an old address first. Whenever something like this happens, I like to pass the good fortune on, so I'm giving away the brand new, never opened copy of Slammer I just got in the mail. To enter, just send an email with "Contest" in the subject line and your name and address in the body to IndieCrime-at-gmail-dotcom. I will pick the winner next week using a random number generator. Entries are numbered in the order in which they are received. Good Luck.

And stay tuned. I have another extra book to give away soon that you will want.

And the winner is...

Robert Sanker. Who will be receiving a copy of of How the Dead Live by Derek Raymond in the mail in the near future. Thanks to everyone who entered the contest.

Win How the Dead Live

I just finished Derek Raymond's How the Dead Live, which Serpent's Tail is publishing in the States in May. It's a hellish piece of work that's guaranteed to ruin your day, and I've got a spare copy, so I'm giving it away. Lucky, lucky you. I'll pick the winner a week from today. To enter the contest send an email to IndieCrime-at-gmail-dotcom with your mailing address. I'll number the entries as they're received and then use a random number generator to pick the winner.

And the Winners Are

Keith Rawson and Seth Harwood have both won a copy of Reasonable Doubts by Gianrico Carofiglio.

Still Time to Win Reasonable Doubts

There's still time to enter my Reasonable Doubts giveaway. If you want to be entered to win one of two copies of this new book from Bitter Lemon Press email me at IndieCrime-at-Gmail-dot-com. Put contest in the subject line and your address in the body. Deadline is Sunday.

Win Reasonable Doubts by Gianrico Carofiglio

Okay people, I have now received three, count em, three copies of Reasonable Doubts by Gianrico Carofiglio. This book, put out by Bitter Lemon Press, is a legal thriller, and the author is a former organized crime prosecutor in Italy.
Since I only need one copy, I'm passing the other two copies to you. If you want to win one, just shoot me an email with contest in the subject line. Include your name and address. It's the same old story: I'll number the emails in the order they're received and then use a random number generator to pick the winners. The deadline is Sunday, Oct. 6.