Watch Your Mouth

I've been reading, and mostly enjoying, a police procedural that has a pretty good plot. It also has great characters, a fine setting and decent pacing. 

Fairly early on, I found myself picking up on the use of mouth references, mostly employed to break conversation. 

It started to become irritating and definitely detracted from the read.

I'm not sure why the references bug me so. Perhaps its because these actions aren't visible to me in everyday life and in real conversation. I think it works in films to suggest many things, but when it's written, it completely turns me off. 

Towards the end, I was reading on a train with my pen marking the instances I came across. The journey was just over twenty minutes. 

Here's what I found: 

presses his lips together

T chews his lip

H licks his lips

his lower lip seems to tremble

moisture fills her mouth

clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth

she says, tight-lipped

sucks his teeth

sucks in his cheeks

presses his lips together into a tight, bloodless line

It's easily done, I know. We often write using pet movements and often don't even realise they're there. The writer is forgiven, just about, but the editor of the book is most definitely not. 

Be careful out there. 

One Man's Opinion: SITTING (IN SILENCE) by KITTY FALCON

 

I do enjoy Edinburgh during festival season. Perhaps that's because I don't live there anymore, but for me it has a buzz and vibrancy that's difficult not to love.

Wandering through the city, senses are bombarded with sparkly clothes, booming voices, dancing bodies, pumping music and a raging sea of flyers that parts as you approach. Everyone is vying for your attention and will do almost anything to get it. 

You have to remember, however, as you move through the throngs, that it's not always those who shout loudest who have the most to say; if anything, the opposite is often the case, something that certainly applies to the wonderful Sitting (In Silence) by Kitty Falcon. 

A young woman sits on a forest floor covered with white leaves. Her attempts at meditation are interrupted by her father, who arrives full of energy and rebellion to disturb her self-imposed contemplation. The pair are soon sharing memories tinged with joy, tenderness, sadness, humour and pathos. As is typical of family life, the emotions here run deep, and the actors show great agility as they step from the light into the shadows and through to the darkness and back again. Along the way, a weave of cleverly drawn hints shows the direction in which we're heading, though it's not until the end that the full picture becomes clear, a mark of the high quality of writing.  

The play is performed in the beautiful anatomy theatre of an old veterinary college in Summerhall; what better place could there be to witness the subtle dissection of complicated lives and relationships? 

For me, Sitting (In Silence) is the perfect antidote to the manic torrents of the fringe. I'm reminded of the way a gentle stream has the strength to cut its way down the hillside. This play carries all the force of water and, as the story unfolds, has the power to erode even the stoniest of hearts.  

Highly recommended.     

 

 

One Man's Opinion: JIMMY THE KID by DONALD E WESTLAKE

 

I was scouring a pile of second-hand books in a store a while back and came across this. 

Truth be told, I almost let it slip through my fingers, which I don't think I can be blamed for given the cover. It looks like a kids' book, the kind that will get a class of children laughing. 

Funny thing is, I reckon I could have read it to a class of children when I was still teaching (Primary 6 or Primary 7, maybe) and I also think they'd have loved it if I had. 

I certainly did. 

It's definitely an odd thing. A gang of misfit crooks decides to carry out a kidnapping based on a Parker novel called Child Heist by Richard Stark. It even quotes sections of the book to help to make sense of the gang's interpretation. It seemed so well written, I had to check in with my favourite search engine to make sure it wasn't a title I'd missed (which it isn't), and you won't be surprised that it sounded like authentic Stark given that Westlake was the writer. 

Of course, the whole thing unravels as the gang either trip over themselves, are hampered by misfortune or are simply outsmarted by their young hostage. 

Jimmy The Kid is often silly and playful, yet it's very well put together. The comedy is sharp, there's tension in spite of the obvious direction of events and there's some jolly good character and description, to boot. It also has a pleasing twist that does exactly what it should for the reader (well played).

I shouldn't have been surprised that it was actually very good or upon discover that it was even made into a movie. I'm also happy to say that I picked up a copy of Nobody's Perfect at the same time (similar awful cover), and I can't wait to jump in. 

One Man's Opinion: DESTROYING ANGEL by RICHARD PAUL RUSSO

I'm not sure if this is available other than as an audiobook or second hand. My link is to the audiobook, though I read it rather than listened. I have every confidence it's well worth a listen. 

Louis Tanner is an ex-cop, scarred by memories and experiences and just about keeping himself afloat. He's obsessed with the murders of the Chain Killer, whose return he sees first hand while taking a drink with a friend when a couple are pulled from a swampy lagoon, chained back-to-back and tattooed with the mark of the murderer. 

The scene is also witnessed by a teenage girl, Sookie, a streetwise child of an insane world who is just about managing to survive the dangers she encounters in daily life. As well as seeing the bodies, she clocks Tanner, something that creates a fascination with the man that will send her deeper into peril. 

Tanner gets in touch with an old colleague on the force, Frank Carlucci. Though they share the same ambition in terms of solving the case, they're cagey with each other and both are mean with their truths. 

The Chain Killer's return means Tanner has to leave the relative safety of an anarchic society based in a world of environmental unpleasantness and general chaos, to enter another area of his city where insanity reigns. Nobody in their right mind would enter The Core, so Tanner fits right in. 

The backdrop for the search for the killer is fantastic, essentially because Russo has created a cast of misfits, tribes and subcultures that demonstrate a wonderful imagination. They are visually stunning and their behaviour is unorthodox and unpredictable, Tanner's nemesis being among the most bizarre. 

Tanner's mission is tense and gripping. There's a real edge to the work and the ending has a real edge that befits the story. 

Definitely one to seek out.    

DRAWN IN

I mentioned to a friend that Drawn In is free this weekend. He asked me when I wrote it. Six or seven years ago was my guess. Turns out it's over ten years since it was first published. How time flies. 

This is a favourite of mine. Written for a very particular publisher who was putting out work in episodes, each chapter is roughly the same length. It was a challenge to meet these parameters and I think it's all the better for it. 

Called a gem of magical realism, as well as being labelled romantasy by some, I find it very difficult to categorise. 

Whatever the genre, it's free for the next few days, here in the US and here in the UK. 

 I hope you like it as much as I do. 

TWO-WAY SPLIT: THE RETURN OF A NOIR HEAVYWEIGHT

 

You've got this book, I'm sure. If you haven't, then read on and then go and get yourself a copy. It belongs on any noir fan's shelves. 

It's over 20 years since this was first published, which I'm finding difficult to comprehend. Hell, that's a long time. It was a Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Novel Of The Year back in 2007 and launched the writing career of the writing talent that is Allan Guthrie. 

More importantly, it altered the direction of my life and, for that, I feel very fortunate indeed. Let me explain.

I happened to be passing Waterstones on Princes Street when I saw a poster for an event. It explained that Al would be reading from his debut novel. I can't recall whether there were any books on display or whether I checked them out, but the cover for it was so insanely good and insane that I needed to go along. It was a special evening. The reading blew me away and the Q&A went so well that I bought my copy and I loved it for it's energy, darkness and noir sensibilities. In short, it broke the mould for me, or possibly reset an old mould created long ago across the pond. On a personal and from the point of view of my writing, the rest is history.

What was that you said? You missed it the first time around? Well have no fear, it's just been re-released by Grey Dog Books with a brand new cover. It's even out there as an Audiobook via Audible, read by the talented Angus King. 

In case I haven't convinced you, check out what these others had to say:

Praise for Two-Way Split:

"With razor-sharp characterisation and an evocative sense of place, the novel's pace never relents: the supremely damaged characters that Guthrie conjures up are seldom let off the hook, and stew throughout in their fetid juices. Dark and splendid." — The Guardian

"Seek him out and buy his book." — Ian Rankin

"Excellent." — George Pelecanos

"In the tradition of Irvine Welsh and Ian Rankin, Allan Guthrie chronicles life in the underbelly of Edinburgh with dazzling grace. TWO-WAY SPLIT is a hard-edged, fast-paced noir thriller with outstanding dialogue and plenty of unforgettable bad guys. It's Scottish crime fiction with a unique American hard-boiled twist." — Jason Starr

"Scottish crime noir at its best" — Sunday Independent

"the tension ratchets up with each snatch of mayhem" — Sunday Herald

"...a memorable and stunning and pitch-perfect debut and one you should grab forthwith. I can't remember a first novel this good in a long, long time." — Mystery Scene

"Allan Guthrie is a master at giving readers heroes who are anti-heroes, people who they can easily identify with and care about. In Guthrie’s world, unconventional becomes conventional, sanity is found in madness, love springs from the dark. Critics are fond of calling books like Guthrie’s neon noir or hard-boiled fiction. Call it anything you want, but read ‘Two-Way Split.’ It is damn good fiction." — The New Review 

And here's what it's all about:

Winner of the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year and shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger, TWO-WAY SPLIT announced the arrival of a major new voice in crime fiction.

One bad decision. No way out.

Robin Greaves is having a very bad day. When compromising photographs surface, revenge is on his mind, but the robbery meant to fix everything goes catastrophically wrong.

Now he’s on the run. The police are closing in. Two private detectives are circling for their own grubby reasons. And somewhere in the chaos, a ruthless killer has decided Robin needs to die.

For most people, that would be enough. For Robin, it’s worse – he hasn’t been taking his medication. Reality is slippery. Paranoia is rising. And every choice he makes drags him deeper into trouble.

TWO-WAY SPLIT is a lean, ferocious crime thriller, stripped to the bone and powered by hard violence, black humour and a dangerously unstable central character. It never lets its protagonist off the hook and it never lets the reader catch their breath.

One Man's Opinion: BAD BLOOD by SJ ROZAN

 

I’ve been reading Proust, hence the radio silence of late. Somehow, I don’t think you’d care much about my musings on his musings. I certainly don’t think I have much to say other than I’ve enjoyed my meanderings so far.

I also finally got round to reading Tortilla Flat, another classic, and I’m glad I did. Other than some difficult slurs that kept jolting me from the rhythm, the steady build up of layers as each new story brought a new facet to the picture was extremely satisfying. I recommend it as a read, with the caveat that the characters often use terms that are offensive.

SJ Rozan’s Bad Blood (aka Stone Quarry) merits a return to the blog.

I’ve not read a PI novel for a while and had an itch for the familiarity a only a detective could bring.

Bill Smith leaves the city to consider taking on a new case. He meets up with his prospective client in Antonelli’s Bar where he already has history (saving the neck of the barman’s delinquent brother, Jimmy). At the end of the evening, the barman is taken outside, threatened and attacked by the local gangster. Smith intervenes, and in doing so becomes involved in a feud that just won’t let him go.

It turns out that the case he takes on is that of a famous artist who lives incognito in the neighbourhood. Six of her early paintings have gone missing and she wants them back before they surface on the market. It’s not that she’s worried about losing the value of the pictures, rather she’s concerned that the works will lessen her reputation.

The case might be relatively simple, only the body of one of the previous night’s attackers is discovered in the basement of the bar and all the evidence suggests that young Jimmy is the perp. Now it seems everyone wants to find Jimmy and only his brother and Smith have his interests at heart.

When things get truly difficult, Smith calls in Lydia Chin and the action really thickens.

As is required in such a story, there are many threads to the tale. What I like about it is that all the complications are justified. When everything is tied up, each set of motives is consistent with the way things play out, whether that’s for the competing cops, the local businessman looking for his missing daughter, the gangster, the corruption, the possible land grab, the artist, the barman and Smith himself. Given the nature of the plot, that’s no small thing.

I enjoyed it so much, I decided that there’s more room in my life for the Private Investigator, which is handy because, while out walking yesterday, I came across a beautiful 1966 Penguin Classic copy of The Big Sleep in a book box. Sure, I’ve read it several times already and done the film to death, but the universe seems to be pointing me in that directions and who am I to ignore such a welcome gift?