Dead Man's Dust (Joe Hunter) by Matt Hilton

If you enjoy Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels, Stephen Leather's books or Don Pendleton this is the book for you. The first in a new series we are introduced to vigilante Joe Hunter and his pal Rink as they look for Joe's brother. He's gotten mixed up with a dangerous serial killer, dubbed The Harvestman and travels across the USA as Hunter and Rink do.
There's an awful lot of violence in this baby and if you dislike that sort of thing this might not be your cup of tea. Matt really knows his combat, that's very clear from every hardboiled page. Harvestman is a cool but somewhat over the top villain and Joe Hunter is a capable soldier, surely good enough to star in a long-running series. I can see why Matt Hilton got the big advance for his stuff, it's great, commercial dicklit but might not appeal to the visitors of this site who prefer subtler stories or crave for a bit more realistic stories. I however will absolutely be there in six months when the new Joe Hunter novel comes out.r

A Tight Lie (Huck Doyle) by Don Dahler

If you know ''tight lie'' is a golfing term you might get a bit of an idea what to expect... The PI in this debut novel is a professional golf player. He does know how to handle himself in a fight however and is backed up by a tough cop (who surprised me by his true identity) and a paraplegic FBI brother. Yep, he's hardboiled enough to appeal to all of you loyal visitors. The mystery centers around the death of a young girl and the ballplayers suspected of killing her. There's a refreshing lighter side to it all that reminded me of Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar novels. Add to that the same sports-setting and I can really recommend this one to Bolitar-fans.
The absence of quotation marks for dialogue makes it a bit hard to read at times but that is made up for by the crisp writing style and layout of the book.
For me this one was one of the biggest surprises of 2009. Very enjoyable.

The Good Son (McNee) by Russel D. McLean

Dundee is the setting of this PI-tale featuring McNee, a depressed private investigator mourning the death of his wife. He is hired by James Robertson to find out why his brother killed himself. When some hard men from London appear the case becomes a very dangerous one!
As much a tale about McNee and his grief as a crime novel it follows in the footstops of Ken Bruen and his followers like Tony Black that show us that hardboiled is not all about the mystery but as much about the protagonist and the dark world he lives in. That said, with all the dark stuff coming out of Scotland these days I must say I wouldn't want to live there! ;-)

Gun by Ray Banks

< Review by Tony Black >
< GUN by Ray Banks >
< Published by Crime Express >
< Price £4.99 >

< ISBN-10: 190551252X >

< ISBN-13: 978-1905512522 >

Gun is biting, bleak noir with a boot in the gutter and a shooter in the waistband. Banks, author of the outstanding No More Heroes and Beast of Burden has sharpened his already laser-edged storytelling in this novella about a bottom-feeder crim sent to collect a handgun.

British crime fiction doesn't get much grittier than this foray into the mean streets of petty crooks and knuckle-breaking thugs. Banks portrays the street trash and derros of the inner city with an acuity few of his peers can match. But it's his empathetic treatment of their woes that shines out in Gun. This is a tale that speaks up for the futility of those trapped in the slum, those seeking a better life when the only options point to prison or a needle.

For such a short, and seemingly prosaic, tale Banks crams in an incredible amount. Like Hemingway's iceberg principle, there's much more going on between the lines that the keen reader will ponder on. This is no mean writing feat, and one too rarely achieved these days.

Gun is a buy in the morning and devour by the afternoon mini-masterpiece that will whet the appetite for more from this talented writer.

Q & A with Sybille Barrasso

Q: What makes Macy Adams different from other (unofficial) PIs?
Macy unravels her cases through psychological insights into other people's motivations. She has empathy for human frailty. She is more sentimental than other PIs. Many PI novels are gritty, with the action taking place on those legendary mean streets. Macy's world is more refined; her clients tend to be wealthy, though her investigation in DARK WATERS takes her many places. She's a descendant of John Adams, the second American president. While other PIs may work up a sweat boxing or doing martial arts, Macy plays tennis; she wears jewelry and perfume, and she has a love interest.

Q: What is it about Boston that has generated so many good PI writers?
I think it all started with Robert B. Parker, who inspired so many local writers. There's a large community of authors here in Boston, with various associations providing fellowship and support. And Boston is such a beautiful setting, a pretty town overlooking the ocean with a history full of political scandals (Chappaquidic, Whitey Bulger), corruption at the state house, prominent murder cases (Charles Stuart, Neil Entwistle), and even a real serial killer (the Boston Strangler).

Q: What would a soundtrack to your novel sound like?
That's a tough question. Boston's "More than a Feeling" comes to mind, for the underlying energy--as well as the name of the band, of course. And in a way the song tells the story of the novel. Also K.D. Lang's "Constant Craving," which Macy actually plays in a scene in DARK WATERS. For the water scenes, maybe Chopin's Ballade #4?

Q: What's next for you and Macy?
In DARK THOUGHTS, Macy Adams goes undercover at a TV station to unmask the stalker of a beautiful news anchor. And the relationship between Macy and Jack gets more complicated.

Q: How do you promote your books?
My publisher does a lot, of course, but I do book signings, speak at book clubs and conferences, and do guest blogging. I write a monthly feature for the International Thriller Writers website, and I have a website www.sibyllebarrasso.com.

Q: Do you have any favorite Sons of Spade yourself?
Yes, I do, and she's a Daughter of Spade. Sue Grafton is my idol. My favorite review came from Library Journal: "Barrasso's approach to the PI genre might be considered a softer version of Sue Grafton, but her touch is as deft."

Q: In the last century we've seen new waves of PI writers, first influenced by Hammett, then Chandler, MacDonald, Parker, later Lehane. Who do you think will influence the coming generation and in what way?
It'll be interesting to find out. Maybe someone who uses CSI-type technology.

Q: Rusell McLean came up with the following question: What defines a private eye (or a son of spade) for you?
It can't be an amateur crime solver. A PI is someone who either has a professional background in solving crimes (i.e. a former detective or cop), or gets paid for investigating (for example, a lawyer could function as a PI).

Q: What question should we ask every PI writer we interview and what is your answer?
WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR THIS NOVEL?
Water has a strong emotional pull for me. I used to sail and swim competitively, and I've always harbored a great fear of drowning. The summer I started writing DARK WATERS, I spent a lot of time at Harvard University. Harvard is located on the banks of the Charles River. Jogging along the Charles at dawn and seeing the river on a daily basis served as inspiration for DARK WATERS. I liked the idea of finding a dead body by the water's edge, and I wanted the novel's main victim to have drowned, making it ambiguous whether his death was accidental or a homicide.