I'm not quite sure how it happened but it's March already and that's okay because I personally have been counting down the days until the arrival of the second mystery/novel by Benjamin Black, The Silver Swan. I was so taken by the first, Christine Falls, (now out in paperback,) that I feel compelled to tell as many people as I can about these wonderful novels and the main character, Quirke.

This is taken from an article written by Don McLeese for the Dec 15, 2007 issue of Kirkus Reviews – I couldn’t say it better!  The article is entitled “What’s in a Name?”

“Graham Greene made a distinction between his literary endeavors and the trifles he called “entertainments.”  Some fans may wonder why he bothered….John Banville has taken the distinction a leap farther, establishing a new identity for himself as Benjamin Black, a writer of stylish mystery thrillers separate from his literary work, such as the Booker-winning The Sea (2005).  Christine Falls, the debut by Black, reached a readership that might have had no acquaintance with Banville’s previous novels…..Now Black is back a year later with The Silver Swan.  The follow-up is a more compelling mystery than its highly praised predecessor, but it depends on familiarity with that earlier work for full enjoyment.  The protagonist again is a Dublin pathologist named Quirke, a character who isn’t exactly a hero and is certainly no detective - he’s as clueless as he is curious.  In fact, Quirke is something of a mystery, certainly to the reader, likely to himself….Again, Quirke finds his curiosity piqued by the corpse of a young woman.  Again, Quirke feels like he has stumbled upon a secret concerning her death, only to discover that he has it all wrong.”

McLeese goes on to point out the literary tradition started by Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler and continued by Dennis Lehane, George Pelecanos and David Lindsey that obliterates the line between mystery and literature.  (and don’t forget Dostoevsky!).  So, if you haven’t treated yourself to Christine Falls yet, pick it up in paperback.  I can guarantee you’ll be back for The Silver Swan!

Jodi Picoult’s latest, Change of Heart debuts this week.  Picoult is a master at fictionalizing stories ripped from the headlines of the newspapers. Here she delves into questions of vengeance and redemption by exploring the rage of a mother who has lost a daughter, the bitterness of a criminal on death row, and the fate of a critically ill child that forces them together one last time to test the question – can even the most understandable thirst for vengeance be quashed if it means saving someone you love.

And don’t miss Richard Price’s newest, Lush Life.  Price is an accomplished storyteller with a gift for capturing the accents of the Bronx and Jersey projects.  Here he turns his unrelenting eye on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.  When bartender Ike Marcus is shot to death after barhopping with friends, the police first focus on restaurant manager and struggling writer Eric Cash, who claims the group was accosted by would-be muggers.  Price then steps back and follows the lives of the alleged shooters – teenagers from the projects – as well as Ike’s grieving father.  Price proves to be a master of American urban crime fiction.

New in Paperback


Savage Detectives, by Roberto Bolano. Two modern-day Quixotes – the last survivors of an underground literary movement (and perhaps of literature itself) - on a tragicomic quest through a dark, entropic universe.  Exuberant, raunchy and wildly inventive.  This would be a challenging, but interesting, bookclub selection.

If you are looking for nonfiction, check out Standing Tall: A Memoir of Tragedy and Triumph, by Vivian Stringer. The legendary Rutgers University women’s basketball coach tells her extraordinary story of perseverance and triumph.  To her credit, the Imus incident takes only a few pages at the end of the book.  This is a memoir of her life growing up in a Pennsylvania mining town as one of five children and dealing with personal tragedy that paralleled her professional success.

And for the younger set….. The latest installment of the Sisters Grimm series comes out this week, Sisters Grimm Book 6: Tales From the Hood, by Michael Buckley. The Grimms defend Mr. Canis (he’s really the Big Bad Wolf – now that’s a challenging client!) in Ferryport Landing’s trail of the century.  This gripping courtroom drama won’t disappoint!

And if you are a Yankees fan, check out The New York Yankees Legendary Sports Team, by Matt Christopher. This action-packed and fact-filled volume brings the Yankee’s greatest history to life.  Includes team records and post season results from 1903-2006, as well as lists of Yankees inducted into the Hall of Famer and photos of the most memorable plays and people in Yankee history.

Click here to order!