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I contributed to this book in two ways: First, I wrote an essay for the collection on Patricia Highsmith's debut noir, Strangers On A Train, and second and more importantly I was there at the birth of this concept in a post pub kebab shop in a rainy South Belfast last August with Dec and Andrew Pepper (the author of the delicious Pyke Bow Street Runner Series). Andrew had written a few entries for 1001 Books To Read Before You Die and Declan said that someone should do one for mystery novels with top novelists doing the essays not just professional critics. In between bites of heart attackingly good kebab both Andrew and I said that that was a great idea and concurred that Declan was the man for the job. Which, obviously, he was. I hear that this John Connolly fellow is a promising up and commer too.
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Dec will be launching the book in Belfast in a couple of weeks as well as reading from his own brand new novel, the wonderful Slaughter's Hound. Here's the official announcement thingy:
Thursday, August 30 at 6:30 p.m.
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Belfast launch of THE WRATH OF ANGELS, BOOKS TO DIE FOR, and SLAUGHTER’S HOUND by Declan Burke
The Ulster Museum
Botanic Gardens, Belfast
Tickets Available from No Alibis Bookstore—free event!
44 (0) 28 9031 9601
The Ulster Museum, eh? Pretty fancy. I remember the days when Dec and I used to read together at No Alibis and the only people who would show up were a couple of confused Spanish tourists looking for directions and a strange man with a cat on leash muttering about David Icke. Anyhoo, pick up BTDF and Slaughter's Hound and if you're in Belfast on the 30th go see Mr B!
18 comments:
my Aussie sis-in-law is over here with me in Pembrokeshire, and asks, 'why isn't he (Adrian) taking his kids to school at 8am??? ' - she and I are clearly having high level discussions...
Deb
Yup we're off to school in about fifteen minutes!
Thank god for that! we can now relax and have an after hours pint!
World's Greatest Mystery Writers?
Nice!
Speedskater
I think they got everyone they wanted except Elmore Leonard. Dec is very persuasive.
Podcast review of The Cold Cold Ground here: audiophile magazine
They got Elmore, he wrote about George V. Higgins' "Friends of Eddie Doyle."
Did you get your whiskey yet?
"Coyle." Sheesh.
Mine's been backordered from Book Depository for awhile now, along with Slaughter's Hound. Looking forward to both.
John
I took the money rather than the whiskey, but as with my experience from every short story volume I've ever been associated with I know that I'll never see a penny of it.
Should have taken the booze.
Seana
Should be out in the next two weeks.
You took the money over the whiskey? What were you thinking?
Actually, I think I just turned down a bottle of whiskey today in exchange for, well, nothing. I obviously wasn't thinking at all.
Adrian - The cheque - or bank draft, in fact - is quite literally in the post. Heh. I've always wanted to say that and it be true ...
We did get Elmore Leonard, I'm delighted to say. A wonderful writer and a very generous man.
Cheers, Dec
I once had a bad toothache in Ireland. My host offered me whiskey.
Oh, I see you're in a new book, too. Good job,
Dec
Actually I think the only other time I've been successfully paid for a short story or essay was in your collection Down These Green Streets. I should not have doubted you. Although I still maybe should have taken the booze.
Peter
they give it to babies too, still.
I don't know what I'm looking forward to most - the content of BTDF, or getting round to reading the books that these writers are discussing. An excellent concept!
I'm a great fan of mystery and crime novels. Thanks for this post!
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