And The Winner Is..

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

Two New Publishers

New Pulp Press, which has several titles up on their Web site, including The Disassembled Man by Nate Flexer, and The Butcher's Granddaughter by Michael Lion.



Switchblade, an imprint of PM Press. They're first two titles are a reprint of Gary Phillips' The Jook, and what looks to be a cheery little novel about white slavery called I-5 by Summer Brenner.

Hey Deabeats: Pay Hard Case

It looks like the recession has finally hit home. When is was just affecting I-bankers and people who bought million dollar homes on $40,000 a year salaries, I really didn't give a shit.

An excerpt from the latest Hard Case Crime newsletter:

After that two-book month (December), we'll be taking a break for a few months to give me a chance to catch up on other work (in particular, the first six books of our new "Gabriel Hunt" adventure series: www.HuntForAdventure.com) and to give some companies who owe us money (you know who you are!) a chance to pay off all their accumulated, overdue bills. But once that's behind us, new Hard Case Crime titles will start coming again -- in fact, we're in the process of buying #64 now, and Greg Manchess is already hard at work on the cover.

A Twist of Noir's Contest Winners

A while ago, A Twist of Noir announced a short story contest based on the theme alienation. Well, I was one of the judges in the contest (no idea who the others were), and the winners have actually been up for a three weeks. I should have noticed sooner. Anyway, the winners are:


Keith Rawson, "In The Shower, Thinking"

Eric Beenter, "Past Due"

Andy Henion, "Henson Comes Home"

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.

Wednesday Paperback Cover

I couldn't help but notice the similarities between this cover and Warren Zevon's mascont Little Velvet.

Cinco De Harwood

Seth Harwood's Jack Wakes Up, is out today from Three Rivers Press. You've probably already checked it out since it's been available as a free audio book for a while, and has already had one press run. In case you missed it, however, there is a three chapter preview available here. Or you could always just order it from the bookseller of your choice.

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).

Wednesday Paperback Cover

I love how you used to have to hide the promise of hot girl on girl action under the guise of "speaking out on a growing problem." Also, how much do you want to bet that sweet, sweet hetero lovin' turns her straight? From the previously posted Harry Whittington Flicker set.

Blogging the Black Lizard Anthology of Crime Fiction #3: Swamp Search

Before Harry Whittington, the lawyer who Dick Cheney first shot in the face, and later threatened to waterboard unless he apologized for getting shot in the face, there was Harry Whittington the prolific paperback author, about whom I probably could have found some relevant biographical information had not the other Mr. Whittington managed to get himself shot in the face by Dr. Evil (Here's a tip: If you can't dodge birdshot, don't go "hunting" with high functioning alcoholics).

Whittingtion is the author of "Swamp Search," the third entry in The Black Lizard Anthology of Crime Fiction. The story is about a young vet and farmer who owns a helicopter he uses to rescue his cows from the Everglades (Here's another tip: Don't try to raise cows in a swamp). Anyway, one day, a beautiful woman shows up and wants to hire the young farmer to search for her defense contractor husband who, in the face of an impending congressional investigation into his war profiteering, decides to go on a hunting trip to the Everglades. Conveniently, his plane crashes, and he is believed dead. His wife, however, refuses to believe he's dead, and our young country squire chivalrously decides to help her search for her husband. He also, not so chivalrously, starts sleeping with her. What follows is a sordid tale of betrayal and greed. The takeaway from this story is that there will always be war profiteers, killers and degenerates, so let's hope they all decide to take hunting trips to Florida.