All Entries Tagged With: "Richard Neer"
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
Michael Connelly – The Fifth Witness
The Fifth Witness is Michael Connelly’s fourth book featuring Mickey Haller, aka The Lincoln Lawyer. Haller has fallen on tough financial times and has decided to represent clients trying to protect their homes from foreclosure. Topical as that may be, it soon becomes more serious when one of his clients is accused of murdering the banker who tried to steal her home. With almost daily headlines about loan scandals, this book will really resonate with anyone who has ever owned a home or taken out a loan. Connelly also addresses the controversy regarding the electronic pricing of his books. Always wry and intelligent, you’ll enjoy this close up look at this bestselling novelist.
The Fifth Witness
John Lescroart – Damage
Damage
John Lescroart, like Michael Connelly (below), shifts roles in Damage as a long time defense lawyer gets elected District Attorney of San Francisco. Charged with re-trying a murderer out on appeal, he quickly learns to take the gloves off when battling not only defense attorneys but the family of the perp, owners of a major newspaper who pull out all stops in defending their son. Lescroart talks about the role of the press and how it has changed for the worse over the last decade. A fascinating conversationalist and raconteur you’ll find this a delightful journey through the mind of one of America’s top novelists.
Dean Koontz – What the Night Knows
What the Night Knows
Dean Koontz is a frequent guest of ours and always interesting to speak with. His latest, What the Night Knows, is a thriller that will not disappoint his legion of followers. In our conversation, Dean talks about his writing style and his appreciation for the beauty of the language. He differentiates between what he terms purple prose and vivid descriptive writing. He also describes how he under writes violent passages to great effect.
Michael Connelly – The Reversal
The Reversal
Michael Connelly adds to his Lincoln lawyer series with an interesting twist… defense attorney Mickey Haller is thrown into the role of prosecutor and teams with half brother Harry Bosch and ex wife Maggie Mcpherson in The Reversal. Although convinced of the righteousness of the case, Haller is conflicted by his defense minded impulses. Connelly’s courtroom dramas always have a true to life feel, due to his exhaustive research and his earlier career as a crime reporter. You’ll enjoy hearing this master plotter take you inside the process.
Ken Follett – Fall of Giants
Ken Follett never fails to amaze. A hugely successful writer, here you’ll find him disarmingly down to earth and quite willing to share his uncensored thoughts on a wide range of subjects.
With the release of Fall of Giants, the first of his twentieth century trilogy, Follett embarks on a thousand page epic that spans the years from 1911 to the aftermath of World War One. Told from the viewpoint of characters in England, Germany, Russia and the United States, he weaves a complex yet easy to follow tale of the brinkmanship that led the world into a tragic conflict which seemed avoidable on so many levels. His device of examining socio-economic issues from the perspective of the ruling class and the downtrodden makes events of the past easily translatable to today’s political observers. His characters are complex …. even though you find yourself rooting for his protagonists, they are not without blemishes and often fatal flaws. Follett explains how he structures detailed descriptions of life a hundred years ago in a manner that makes for an entertaining read. He talks about how he eschews flowery verbosity in favor of straight ahead prose that is accessible without descending into bodice-ripping pabulum.
We also discuss Ridley Scott’s blockbuster cable TV series based on Follett’s earlier novel Pillars of the Earth. He reveals plans for a sequel as well as thoughts on uber-villain Ian McShane. I’m sure you’ll find our chat with Ken as enjoyable and informative as I did.
Fall of Giants (The Century Trilogy)
Jeffrey Deaver – The Burning Wire: A Lincoln Rhyme Novel
The Burning Wire: A Lincoln Rhyme Novel
Deaver returns to Lincoln Rhyme and Amanda Sachs in his latest effort, set in New York City. Like his other novels, this one has multiple plot lines with twists and cliffhangers in almost every chapter. You’ll be flipping pages backwards, trying to pick up the subtle hints Deaver leaves to foreshadow the wild rides his books traverse. In the end, his hero is faced with a crossroads that will affect the future of this series. He also incorporates another of his continuing characters into this one, hinting at future alliances.
In our conversation, we’ll also get some news about a new James Bond series, and what Deaver has in store next. He also dispels some of the fears you may feel about electricity while reading The Burning Wire and talks about how he feels no compunction about terrorists using the author’s imagination to further their real world plots. Always a great read, Jeffrey Deaver is also a terrific conversationalist, as you’ll soon discover.
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