In response to his ousting as editor of the much beloved The Best American Mystery Stories series of yearly anthologies, Otto Penzler (editor, anthologist, bookstore owner, schmoozer and mystery scene gadabout, launched his own series of annual best-ofs, under the rather ungainly The Mysterious Bookshop Presents The Best Mysteries of the Year banner. Meanwhile, the original Best … Continue reading Murder in the Library: The Mysterious Bookshop Presents The Best Mysteries of the Year
Tag: Lee Child
The Jack Reacher Industrial Complex
So this big guy walks into a bar... Now, I'm as big a fan of Lee Child's Jack Reacher, the best-selling, coffee-slurping palooka, as the next jasper, and I'm happy for his success--Lee's a great guy. He's generous to a fault, and kind to other writers and fellow human beings. I've had the good fortune to … Continue reading The Jack Reacher Industrial Complex
Pericles “Perry” Christo
Created by Lee Child, Mary Higgins Clark, John Connolly, Charlaine Harris, CJ Box, Mark Billingham, Lawrence Block, Ken Bruen, Alafair Burke, Stephen L. Carter, Marcia Clark, Max Allan Collins, James Grady, Heather Graham, Bryan Gruley, Val McDermid, SJ Rozan, Dana Stabenow, Lisa Unger, and Sarah Weinman. Yet another of those sprawling, episodic, collaborative mystery efforts … Continue reading Pericles “Perry” Christo
Kim Otto & Carlos Gaspar (The Hunt for Jack Reacher)
Created by Diane Capri Another spin-off from the mega-success of Lee Child's Jack Reacher is Diane Capri's "Hunt for Jack Reacher" series, featuring FBI Special Agents KIM OTTO and CARLOS GASPAR. Their secret, special off-the-books assignment? Find Jack Reacher. Somehow they always seem to just miss him, and find themselves cleaning up the messes he leaves … Continue reading Kim Otto & Carlos Gaspar (The Hunt for Jack Reacher)
Jim Grant (aka “Resurrection Man”)
Created by Colin Campbell Sheesh! Apparently Jack Reacher's massive success has not been lost on writers who are not named Lee Child. Colin Campbell's JIM GRANT is yet another cheeky parody/tribute/homage/rip-off. And I do mean cheeky -- Jim Grant is Lee Child's real name. Not that that's the only connection. When we first meet him … Continue reading Jim Grant (aka “Resurrection Man”)
Writers Say the Darnedest Things
"They're fancy talkers about themselves, writers. If I had to give young writers advice, I would say don't listen to writers talk about writing or themselves." -- Lillian Hellman "All writers are vain, selfish and lazy, and at the very bottom of their motives lies a mystery. Writing a book is a long, exhausting struggle, … Continue reading Writers Say the Darnedest Things
Jack Reacher
Created by Lee Child Pseudonym of James Grant (1954--) "I was thirty-six years old, a citizen of a country I had barely seen, and there were places to go and there were things to do. There were cities, and there was countryside. There were mountains, and there were valleys. There were rivers. There were museums, … Continue reading Jack Reacher