All Entries Tagged With: "Richard Neer"
Douglas Preston – Gideon’s Corpse
Gideon’s Corpse renews Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston’s chronicles of Gideon Crew, art thief turned nuclear scientist. Preston expresses some surprising theories regarding greater threats to our safety than smuggled nukes. He opines that the toxic political atmosphere in American today has contributed to the rise of domestic terrorism. From a technical standpoint, Preston speaks of how two writers collaborate on thrillers and how their styles and plotlines complement and sometimes conflict. Also, there is news of a new thriller they are working on, due this fall.
Tami Hoag – Down the Darkest Road
Tami Hoag’s Down the Darkest Road is her third novel set in the fictional bucolic town of Oak Knoll, California. Hoag’s twist is that although she revisits characters from her previous novels, the protagonist of this book is new, Lauren Lawton. Tami talks about her decision to invest Lauren with many unlikeable qualities, while detailing graphically the events that caused her psyche to become so damaged. Given the recent scandals at major colleges regarding predators who prey on underage children, this book is a timely examination of the effects this devastating experience has on its victims.
Michael Connelly – The Drop
Michael Connelly scores again with another Harry Bosch thriller, THE DROP. Set in Los Angeles, Bosch is tasked with solving two crimes – one a cold case from over twenty years ago, and the second – a high-profile apparent suicide by the son of a prominent politician who just happens to be a personal enemy of Harry and the LAPD, owing to some festering resentments dating back his time as a cop. Connelly explains how he juggles and interweaves the two storylines. He provides some objective insight into the sexual predators Bosch investigates, particularly timely in the wake of the recent collegiate scandals. He also reveals plans for The Lincoln Lawyer, which will be exciting news to fans of the Mickey Haller series.
Lee Child – The Affair
Lee Child’s The Affair is possibly his best Jack Reacher novel to date. In it, he chronicles the events leading up to his hero’s resignation from the Army in 1997. Written in the first person, through Reacher’s eyes we see a small town in the rural South, dominated by a military base and shocked by three gruesome murders, all involving beautiful young women. Appropriately titled, it is easily the sexiest novel of the series. Child also shares his feelings about the controversial casting of the first Jack Reacher film, which began principle photography in late September 2011.
The Affair
Harlan Coben – Shelter
Harlan Coben enters the world of Young Adult novels with Shelter, introducing Mickey Bolitar. Mickey is the nephew of Myron Bolitar, former basketball star and agent/detective hero of many of Coben’s previous works. Salty language and sexual content is avoided, but otherwise, it reads like typical Coben; that is, a taut thriller with mind bending plot twists. In our interview, Harlan details how he doesn’t “write down” to the reader in an attempt to reach a younger audience. He also discusses plans for his next stand-alone piece, and reveals that Ben Affleck is making a film of one of his earlier novels, Tell No One.
Shelter
Tess Gerritsen – The Silent Girl
Boston’s Chinatown is the setting for Tess Gerritsen’s latest Rizzoli and Isles thriller. Tess talks about how the success of the TV series has brought a host of new readers, and how the characters in her novels differ from the actors’ portrayals. She reaches into Chinese folklore to intensify this tale of abduction and murder. As her two heroines delve into a twenty year old cold case to solve a new crime, they also vindicate the original suspect. In our chat, Tess tells us how she constructs her elaborate plot lines while staying within the realm of reality.
The Silent Girl
John Hart – Iron House
John Hart’s Iron House is his fourth novel, all of which were published to critical acclaim. Our lengthy chat not only focuses on the storyline of this intriguing tale, but Hart’s style and technique. Unlike so many other authors, he does not outline his plots in advance, preferring to crawl into his characters’ psyche. After stripping away the veneer of civilization, they react to the pressurized environment he places them into. You’ll enjoy his deep insights into the novelists’ craft and his obvious passion for the work.
Iron House
Dean Koontz – A Big Little Life
Dean Koontz has written a host of best selling suspense novels, but no book is closer to his heart than this latest work of non-fiction, A Big Little Life. It’s all about his love affair with Trixie, an angelic golden retriever who he adopted after the dog’s career as a service animal was terminated due to joint surgery. In our talk, Dean explains how he values his privacy and has revealed little of his own life up until now in his writing, but knew that this book would give his readers insight into who he really is. The book is touching on many levels and beautifully illustrates what could only be described as the soul of a very special dog. Trixie transformed Koontz’s life in a very meaningful way, and his deep appreciation of this amazing gift is evident in our talk.
A Big Little Life
David Baldacci – The Sixth Man
David Baldacci’s latest marks the return of his two Secret Service agents turned private investigators, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell. The pair are doing a favor for an old lawyer friend, who is defending an alleged serial killer. The plot gets complicated when the old friend turns up murdered, and our intrepid duo are immediate suspects. In our conversation, the prolific Baldacci details the relationship with his editors and how he goes about crafting such elaborate thrillers. He also plunges headfirst into the electronic book pricing controversy. David is always honest and personable, you’ll gain insight into this novelist’s technique and style in our easygoing chat.
The Sixth Man
