Monthly Archives: August 2010

Very Nasty with a Hell of a Twist

Posted on August 27, 2010 by

This just in: “Bruce DeSilva’s Rogue Island is just my kind of book: beautifully written, to the point, very nasty, and with a hell of a twist.” – Sara Gran, critically-acclaimed author of Claire DeWitt & the City of the … Continue reading →

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Buy It For The Wisdom; Read It For Pleasure

Posted on August 26, 2010 by

Roy Peter Clark, one of the finest writing teachers on the planet, has written a new book about the most unglamorous of subjects—grammar. I cracked it open for its advice, but I found myself reading it for pleasure. Hard to … Continue reading →

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Mulligan’s Music: Why the Hero of “Rogue Island” Loves The Tommy Castro Band

Posted on August 24, 2010 by

Liam Mulligan, the main character in my crime novel, Rogue Island, loves the blues. He spends a lot of time grooving to it while prowling around Providence in his beat-up Ford Bronco. Mulligan is a big fan of Buddy Guy, … Continue reading →

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Rave Review for “Rogue Island” in Publishers Weekly Today

Posted on August 23, 2010 by

Publishers Weekly says: “The serial torching of Mount Hope, a deteriorating Providence, R.I., neighborhood, sparks an investigative reporter’s mission to smoke out the firebug in DeSilva’s promising debut. Journalist Liam Mulligan, a Mount Hope native, smells arson in the ashes … Continue reading →

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Laura Lippman’s Latest May Be Her Best Yet

Posted on August 20, 2010 by

Laura Lippman’s crime novels are always remarkable, but she has outdone herself with her latest, I’d Know You Anywhere.  To read my Associated Press review of this fine novel, please click here.

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“Rogue Island” is “a Blistering Debut” — Kirkus Reviews

Posted on August 13, 2010 by

Kirkus Reviews adds to the advance praise for Rogue Island: The smallest state bursts with crime, corruption, wisecracks and neo-noir atmosphere in DeSilva’s blistering debut. Someone’s set seven fires in the Mount Hope section of Providence. Arson for profit is … Continue reading →

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Crime Dog

Posted on August 12, 2010 by

You can learn a lot about people from the way they treat dogs, and the same is true of fictional characters. Continue reading →

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For Lovers of the Hardboiled Crime Story, Life Began with the Black Bird

Posted on August 9, 2010 by

Recently I sat in a dark auditorium to watch a screening of “The Maltese Falcon” for what must have been the 100th time. Most of the others in the audience were college students, and within minutes they began to titter. … Continue reading →

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In Praise of Bryan Gruley

Posted on August 4, 2010 by

Bryan Gruley, a reporter at The Wall Street Journal, was an Edgar Award finalist in the debut novel category for his first novel, Starvation Lake. The second, which is just out, is every bit as good. I reviewed the book … Continue reading →

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Making Graham Greene Complete

Posted on August 3, 2010 by

Strand Magazine, a fine periodical devoted to crime fiction, has been serializing The Empty Chair, a previously unpublished novella by the late great Graham Greene. But if you are waiting to see how the story turns out, you are out … Continue reading →

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