KN Magazine: Reviews
The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley / Review by Liz Gatterer
THE GOLDEN TRESSES OF THE DEAD
By Alan Bradley
Delecorte Press
$26.00
ISBN 978-0345540027
Publication Date: January 22,20189
Book of the Day
Flavia De Luce is back and cleaver as always. This is the 10th installment by Alan Bradley featuring the precocious prepubescent private investigator, Flavia De Luce. Flavia and her father’s faithful friend (ok – valet, but that didn’t fit the alliteration pattern…) have begun their own professional investigation firm. Case number one: who stuck their finger in Feely’s wedding cake? Or rather, who stuck a severed finger in Feely’s wedding cake?
As ever, this little girl is too smart for her own good. But it is good fun! Bradley’s creation echoes back to Sherlock Holmes without being a tired recreation. If you haven’t read the early novels, you really should. But no worries if you haven’t -each book can stand on its own. Alan Bradley published his first Flavia De Luce novel (which won the Crime Writer’s Dagger Award) as a septuagenarian. Which gives me hope that I still have time to write my great novel.
Killer Nashville Interview with Alan Bradley
Alan Bradley is the New York Times bestselling author of the award-winning Flavia de Luce mystery series. His first novel, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie received the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger Award, the Agatha Award, the Barry Award, the Dilys Award, the Arthur Ellis Award, the Macavity Award and the Spotted Owl Award. Recently, Mr. Bradley took a bit of time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions for Killer Nashville. The author discusses his protagonist and the unique choices made in creating her, his writing process, and offers advice to those who—like Bradley—began their writing careers a little later in the game. Thanks to Liz Gatterer for conducting this interview.
Enjoy!
A Killer Nashville Interview with
ALAN BRADLEY
KN: When I first looked at the press release for The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place and saw that the story was about a 12-year-old girl, I assumed this was a children’s book, or a middle-grade book and was intrigued that was not how it was categorized. Who do you write your books for?
I write my books for people who are interested in the same kind of things I’m interested in. I dote on curiosities and wonder, and I have been accused of possessing a magpie mind. Fortunately, there are vast numbers of readers of all ages who share my enthusiasms.I have heard of a four-year-old girl who insists upon having the books read aloud to her, then acting them out with herself as Flavia, her father as Dogger, and her mother as Mrs. Mullet.
KN: I must admit, I am a new Flavia fan. I enjoyed The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place so much I have now binge read/listened to the entire series from the beginning. By the way, the narrator, Jayne Entwistle is just fantastic! There is an incredible amount of information in each book. How long does it take to research one of your books? Do you squirrel away factoids for use “at some point” or is it a more focused practice?
Yes, Jayne is incredible. I recently had the opportunity of speaking to her “live” during an internet broadcast. I think we were both in tears of laughter and recognition!
Some of the facts in the Flavia books are titbits I’ve been saving up for years, while others come to light during research. Because I’m a great fan of ancient and outdated reference books, it’s often harder to decide what to leave out than what to put in. In general, it takes about nine months to a year to write each book, a substantial amount of which is research. It’s not always easy to find out, for instance, what the weather was like in England at a certain hour of a certain day in 1952, or whether the 10:32 from Waterloo ran on Sundays in November.
KN: I have read at first you thought this would be a six-book series, and then a ten-book series. Well, The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place is book 9… Is book 10 in the works? Will that be the end of the series? (Please say no) Are there any plans for your next series?
In spite of reports to the contrary, I’m presently working on a tenth book. Beyond that? I don’t know. I’m sure my lovely publishers would be happy to continue, but, as Sherlock once so wisely remarked, “It is a capital mistake to theorize in advance of the facts.”
KN: Although the character of Flavia de Luce has certainly developed over the series, she has not really aged. She was 11 in Book 1: The Sweetness at the Bottomof the Pie and now in Book 9: The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place she is 12. It has been quite a year for the young girl! Is Flavia destined to be a pre-adolescent forever?
Flavia at 18, for instance, would be a completely different person than she is now, and perhaps not half so interesting. At any rate, there’s still much to be told about her present circumstances, and I’ve never been one for rushing things.
KN: As an author that really began to write in earnest after retirement and who published an award-winning novel after 70, what advice or words of encouragement (or words of warning) would you give to others who are just beginning their writing later in the game?
First of all, my heartiest congratulations to anyone who manages to get published at 60 and beyond! At that age, it seems unlikely that you’ll be changed: your life will be, but you won’t.
My best advice would be, as has been said so many times before, never give up. I was once told that real success takes ten years, but in my case, it took fifteen. To summarize: apply bottom to chair, write, and keep writing.
As Philip Van Doren Stern (author of the book that inspired the film “It’s a Wonderful Life”) once said, “The only thing that’s important is the manuscript. All the rest is just bubbles on the horse-piss.
Many thanks to Alan Bradley for taking time to answer our questions and to Sharon Propson from Random House Publishing for facilitating this interview.
The Grave's a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley / Review by Liz Gatterer
THE GRAVE'S A FINE AND PRIVATE PLACE
By Alan Bradley
Delecorte Press
$26.00
ISBN 978-0345539991
Publication Date: January 30, 2018
Book of the Day
Flavia de Luce is the absolutely spellbinding, precocious, 12-year-old, British, sleuth that has stolen my heart. She may have even roosted Hermione Granger from the position of "the girl I most wish I could have been". I began to read The Grave's a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley, which is actually the ninth book in the series, and was hooked. I subsequently purchased the first 8 books and have binge read/listened my way through all of them in less than a week. These are not quick reads, mind you, but sometimes sleepless nights and take-out dinners for the family are the prices one must pay to satisfy an obsession (and possibly I needed something with a little more "sweetness" as I had just finished re-reading It by Stephen King). But, back to Flavia.
Flavia is the youngest daughter of the recently deceased Laurence de Luce. Having lost her mother as an infant and now in mourning for her beloved father, she has decided life is no longer worth living and has plans to end it all while on a boat trip with her loathsome older sisters and Dogger, the families' faithful factotum. But she is brought out of her malaise when she, literally, fishes a corpse out of the river. Absently trailing her fingers in the water she hooks her fingers into the mouth of the floating remains and in her absolutely practical and unflustered way, she simply informs Dogger that "we'd best make for the pier." With Dogger off to fetch the police and her sister evacuating the contents of her stomach, Flavia begins her examination of the body. Without the slightest qualm, she searches the body and collects what evidence she can, (obviously she cannot conduct a PROPER post-mortem on the river bank!) and then with her endless knowledge of poisons, she deduces the likely cause of death. The eyeballs smell of apples, so it must be cyanide, of course. And that is just the beginning...
What first intrigued me about the series was that it is not categorized as a children's book or Young Adult and yet the protagonist is a young girl living in 1950's England. What I discovered was a cleverly conceived character that is a combination of Hermione Granger, Sherlock Holmes, Temperance Brennen (the television version) and a bit of Elizabeth Bennet. Mr. Bradley's style of writing is quick-witted, fact-laden and extremely fun to read. Although a Canadian that had actually never stepped foot in England until after he had won the Crime Writer's Debut Dagger Award for the first Flavia de Luce novel, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, he perfectly captures what is, to me at least, that quintessentially British cadence that authors like Lewis Carrol or Terry Pratchett are known for. I can see why this isn't necessarily a "kid's" book, although it speaks to the kid in me. Overall it is a wonderful series for most ages.
The Take by Christopher Reich / Review by Jim Biggs
THE TAKE
By Christopher Reich
Mulholland Books
$28.00
ISBN 978-0316342353
Publication Date: January 16, 2018
Book of the Day
Who better to catch a thief than another thief? Simon Riske has played both sides of the game and has the skills (as well as connections) to hunt down a former acquaintance who has stolen a large amount of cash from a Saudi Arabian princ–as well a letter that could turn that could upset the balance of power in the western world. I love a good spy vs. spy novel!
Christopher Reich's latest novel, The Take is a high-speed thriller with an all the bells and whistles.Well written, with characters that are unexpectedly novel yet still fit the bill. Yes, there is a sexy Russian assassin, but she is not Natasha Fatale (and for you youngsters that don't get the reference, Google it). I actually read this one through in one go and I hope there are more to come.
The Burial Society by Nina Sadowsky / Review by E.J. Boyd
The Burial Society
By Nina Sadowsky
Ballantine Books
$26.00
ISBN 978-0425284377
Publication Date: January 30, 2018
Book of the Day
People disappear. Sometimes, they need help to disappear. That is where The Burial Society comes in, a sort of private, international, Witness Protection Plan. Based in Paris, Catherine, (no last name is given, but that may be a story for another time), helps women trapped in abusive relationships find new lives–for a fee. Her current client, Elena, a former Russian supermodel, is desperate to flee her husband, a Russian illegal arms dealer that has literally left his mark on her. Catherine is happy to help and plans to utterly destroy the sadistic bastard to boot–but Elena has one of the most recognizable faces in the world and she may be more difficult to hide than Catherine and her crew had anticipated. To complicate matters, the family of a former client (her one botched mission in America that left the client missing and presumed dead) have turned up in Paris.
Brian Burrows and his children, Natalie and Jake, are trying to make a new start following the disappearance of his wife 3 years ago. But it is not going well. Natalie is an obsessive-compulsive teen with serious impulse control issues. She returns from a fling in Amsterdam to discover the dead body of her father. Jake, who had also been out of town, returns to find his distraught sister and struggles to hold things together until their Uncle Frank (Brian's brother) can make it across the Atlantic to take over. But, Uncle Frank may not be the stabilizing force he was when their mother disappeared. He has his own troubles and with so much going wrong at once–it would be a wonder if anyone could stabilize this family.
The Burial Society by Nina Sadowsky is a non-stop, run-away train, oh-dear-god-what-else-could-go-wrong, kind of thriller that speeds by faster than those wee hours between "I'll just read a few chapters before I go to sleep" and "damn! Is that my alarm going off?" This really is a fun read. Sadowsky's characters are, for the most part, wonderfully tragic, self-centered and self-destructive, yet they each want to so desperately to help each other. They are extreme examples of most anyone going through a crisis, acutely aware of their own pain and tired of feeling helpless, they become obsessed with solving the mystery at the heart of it all–what happened to Mallory Burrows?
What You See by Hank Phillippi Ryan / Reviewed by Kelly Saderholm
Killer Nashville Book of the Day
Find What You See on Killer Nashville's affiliate, Amazon.com*
Hank Phillippi Ryan
What You See by Hank Phillippi Ryan
Reviewed by Kelly Saderholm
In Hank Phillippi Ryan’s latest book, What You See (the fourth in her Jane Ryland series), almost nothing is what it appears to be. A man is stabbed in broad daylight in front of dozens of witnesses, and yet Detectives Jake Brogan and Paul DeLuca find that the pictures and surveillance cameras tell conflicting stories.
Jane Ryland has a job once again as a reporter, but finds her work coming into conflict with Jake’s investigations, causing them to struggle with the tension between their competing careers and their relationship. At the same time, Jane’s family is dealing with a serious crisis. Jane’s sister Melissa is getting married, and the flower girl, nine-year-old Gracie has been taken by her step-dad. Is the little girl, who will soon be Melissa's stepdaughter, in danger? Or is it a harmless lark? No one seems to be able to find out.
Ryan deftly weaves all these plot lines together, plus a couple more involving a dark conspiracy of extortion, and another family torn apart by its secrets, into an engaging, riveting read. Not only does Ryan carry the reader along a fast-paced story full of twists and turns, but she also explores themes of modern life such as surveillance, and instant communication, and the ways these can be manipulated so that nothing is quite what it seems.
Hank Phillippi Ryan has the personal expertise to write such a novel, as she, as an investigative reporter for Boston's NBC affiliate WHDH-TV, won many awards for her reporting. Her best selling suspense novels have also won many awards. What You See was published by Forge Hardcover, New York, NY, in October 2015.
Kelly Saderholm has written, blogged, and lectured about aspects of the mystery novel. She has moderated panels and presented papers at literary conferences, on both the Mystery Novel and Urban Fantasy. She is currently shifting from writing about mystery fiction to writing actual mystery fiction, and is working on a novel, as well as a non-fiction book dealing with Folklore in the American South. She is a recipient of a Kentucky Foundation for Women grant. She lives in South Central Kentucky with her family and two feline office assistants.
If you have a book you would like featured, send an ARC for consideration. The Killer Nashville Book of the Day Reviews are coordinated by Clay Stafford with the assistance of Emily Eytchison and credited guest reviewers.
For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.
*Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale. Killer Nashville receives zero compensation (other than sometimes the book to review) from publishers who have been selected for the Book of the Day.
"Killer's Island" by Anna Jansson / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
I’m a fan of the differing perspectives in foreign novels (yes, my fellow Americans, there is a world outside the U.S.) and I’m a particular champion of the dark world of Swedish mystery writers. Killer’s Island is the action-packed seventh Detective Inspector Marian Wern book and the second of Anna Jansson’s – I think – translated into English, this one skillfully retold by Enar Henning Koch. I wish I spoke Swedish because – after reading this book – I’d love to read the rest in the chronology and also view the Swedish TV series based upon the character of Wern.
The story starts with a decapitated young nurse dressed in bridal clothes (hopefully not from Jansson’s part-time life as a nurse herself). Killer’s Island is part mystery and part scientific thriller. The supertech villain does a tremendous job playing cat-and-mouse with the police and Wern. What drew me in were my feelings for the victim. This is one of those books where, if you can figure out the motive, you can possibly figure out the killer. All deaths in this novel are taking place on an island – I love confined places stories.
What I got from this book: I have a new author to explore. With over 2 million copies of Anna Jansson’s books in print in over fifteen countries, I can only read two of them! We definitely need more translators and more publishers like Stockholm Text to get onboard sharing works such as this around the world.
Well, this should give you a few eclectic titles to read over the next few days. Get in touch with these authors, learn about them, and tell them you would like to see them at this year’s Killer Nashville.
And remember, if you buy your books through the links on Killer Nashville, you’ll still get the great Amazon discount prices, but – better yet – a portion of the proceeds goes towards the educational events sponsored by the good volunteers at Killer Nashville. So support Killer Nashville while you’re supporting our featured authors!
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com). As a writer himself, he has over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print in over 14 languages. Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.JefferyDeaverXOMusic.com). A champion of writers, Publishers Weekly has identified Stafford as playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” throughout “the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13)
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Love is Murder" by Sandra Brown / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
From International Thriller Writers, a short story anthology from authors such as Lee Child, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Heather Graham, Allison Brennan, and more. These will pull at your heart: bodyguards, vigilantes, stalkers, serial killers, men and women both in jeopardy, cops, thieves, P.I.s, and killers all in the midst of romance, love, or downright lust.
This should give you something to read for the next few days. Get in touch with these authors, learn about them, check out their other series, and buy their books. And tell them you would like to see them at this year’s Killer Nashville.
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com). As a writer himself, he has over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print in over 14 languages. Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.JefferyDeaverXOMusic.com). A champion of writers, Publishers Weekly has identified Stafford as playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” throughout “the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13)
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Megan's Mark" by Lora Leigh / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
For those who really want to go out there, this is a world where altered Breeds and the humans who created them cross the boundaries of desire. Murders and passion go hand in hand and Cupid gets on the run. Read this one in private.
This should give you something to read for the next few days. Get in touch with these authors, learn about them, check out their other series, and buy their books. And tell them you would like to see them at this year’s Killer Nashville.
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com). As a writer himself, he has over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print in over 14 languages. Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.JefferyDeaverXOMusic.com). A champion of writers, Publishers Weekly has identified Stafford as playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” throughout “the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13)
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"The Search" by Nora Roberts / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
A canine search and rescue volunteer who finds love in the Pacific Northwest wilderness. Be wary of the puppy eyes. This is Nora Roberts doing what she does best: being Nora Roberts.
This should give you something to read for the next few days. Get in touch with these authors, learn about them, check out their other series, and buy their books. And tell them you would like to see them at this year’s Killer Nashville.
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com). As a writer himself, he has over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print in over 14 languages. Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.JefferyDeaverXOMusic.com). A champion of writers, Publishers Weekly has identified Stafford as playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” throughout “the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13)
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Sweet Surrender" by Maya Banks / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
Nothing like a cop getting close to his suspect. She’s everything a man could want. Maybe more than he can handle. This should leave the bathroom mirrors steamy.
This should give you something to read for the next few days. Get in touch with these authors, learn about them, check out their other series, and buy their books. And tell them you would like to see them at this year’s Killer Nashville.
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com). As a writer himself, he has over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print in over 14 languages. Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.JefferyDeaverXOMusic.com). A champion of writers, Publishers Weekly has identified Stafford as playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” throughout “the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13)
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"The Girl In Berlin" by Elizabeth Wilson / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
Today’s Killer Nashville Featured Books take me around the world, but they all have two things common: non-stip suspense and brains.
Class differences are once again at play in “The Girl from Berlin,” the third novel set in the 1950s from spy writer Elizabeth Wilson. There is Communist paranoia everywhere, along with defections, and then murder. As one would expect in a tale of espionage, characters are not what they seem. Paranoia will haunt you as you try to make sense of who you can and cannot trust, not only on an international level, but also personal. Be careful of Wilson’s misdirection; she’ll lead you away. This is the third novel from Wilson set in the same 1950s timeframe involving duplicitous characters playing various major and minor roles as the series unfolds.
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an Author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com), business owner (www.AmericanBlackguard.com), and founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com) with over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print in over 14 languages. Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.JefferyDeaverXOMusic.com). Publishers Weekly has named Stafford one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13)
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Killer's Art" by Mari Jungstedt / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
"Killer's Art" by Jari Jungsteadt
Today’s Killer Nashville Featured Books take me around the world, but they all have two things in common: non-stop suspense and brains.
“Killer’s Art” comes to us from one of Sweden’s most popular crime fiction writers Mari Jungstedt. The theft of a painting and the battered and naked body of an art dealer set this mystery in order. This well-crafted police procedural is the fourth in the series and features ongoing characters police superintendent Anders Knutas and reporter Johan Berg and takes place on a Martha’s Vineyard-type island on the Baltic Sea called Gotland where we see the contrast between the glittering art world and the shadowy, savage Gehenna underground surrounding it. As usual with Jungstedt’s books, this is a thriller that will make you care about the characters as you explore those from different economic and erudite worlds.
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford
- Clay Stafford is an Author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com), business owner (www.AmericanBlackguard.com), and founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com) with over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print in over 14 languages. Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.JefferyDeaverXOMusic.com). Publishers Weekly has named Stafford one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13)
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Roots: The Saga of an American Family" by Alex Haley / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
Like most of Americans in the 1970s, I was riveted to the mini-series “Roots.” Also probably like most Americans, I had never read the book even though “Roots” by Alex Haley had won the Pulitzer Prize. That changed last night.
I finished “Roots,” all 688 pages in my hardcover version, though some editions go over 899. I was blown away. Comparing my memories of the mini-series (of which, frankly, there have never been any better unless it was arguably “The Thornbirds” or “Winds of War”), the filmed version (which had 37 Emmy Award nominations – winning nine – among others) does little justice to the novel itself. Translated: the book is better. That should tell you how good the book is.
Getting the controversy aside: There were charges and settlements of plagiarism along with accusations of sloppy and untraceable research against Haley following publication. I’m including this not as a muckraker, but – if I don’t – someone will post this background in the comments section for me as if the rest of us didn’t know and the questionable accusations unto themselves could be accepted as fact. Long story short, it may have been a research assistant’s error without proper attribution (who knows). Such things have happened with no knowledge of the writer. This matter was settled out of court, which means someone made a deal and we’re not really sure what that deal was. I take plagiarism and false claims seriously – as do most – which is why most people now consider this book to be a book of fiction versus a biography or nonfiction. I think it an unfortunate black eye.
After reading “Roots,” there were sections I would like to have had more of. I would like to have known what happened to certain characters (black and white) after the narrative moved beyond them. As I read (and this was before I knew of the legal controversies), I wondered that if this information was taken from census polls and public records, why didn’t Haley include what happened to certain individuals after the narrative left them? For the whites, those records would continue to show where they had lived. For the blacks, it would continue to show who owned them or where they were after their freedom. I would have even been happy with the “oh, by the ways” at the end of the book in a wrap-up section if Haley felt that including what happened to these characters in the narrative was disruptive. Didn’t Haley want to know what eventually happened to Kunta Kinte? Last I read of him, he was running after a wagon. What happened to these individuals up to their deaths would be just as easy to discover as what was included about them in their lives. After noting the controversy, it made me wonder – as did others – about the validity of the research. That being the case, we have to look at this (unfortunately like many biographies of today) as a work of fiction.
Let’s make this Elephant-in-the-Living-Room other point over genealogy, as well, and the reason that most of us who aren’t members of the Whatever Whatevers of Some Revolution find those people who view ancestry research as a given fact rather amusing: Not every child is who their mothers say their fathers are. I personally take birth certificates with a grain of salt. Give me blood tests and now DNA, of which you saw little in the 1800 and 1700’s. Nothing to do with genealogy could be anything more than speculative to begin with. ‘Nough said.
So, looking at “Roots” by Alex Haley as a work of fiction…
This book was incredible. It completely opened my eyes on these savage blacks that Europeans rescued from the forests of Africa to bring out of the jungles and try to civilize (isn’t that the misconception). Frankly, I knew of slaves, but never really thought about slaves. Or examined slavery in my own heart or compared it to something in my own experience. I imagine most don’t, including those who say they really do. There is nothing in my life to compare it to. What this book showed me and made me empathize with was a proud and religious people who were taken (as was custom in that part of the world, not just by Europeans, but by other black African tribes and nations, as well) from their homes and families and transported cold-heartedly (in the case of European history) to an unknown world where their pasts, traditions, and sense of who they were was completely denied and suppressed. It showed me a representative story of representative characters who sought nothing more than to just have the choice to walk across a street if they wanted to without having to have a written pass from the massa in order to do it. It showed me the dignity of a previously proud and moral character forced to live in squalor and filth because those who owned him (not putting it in italics because at the time they did own him, just as they might have owned a horse or chicken) viewed him as something less than human. I read “Roots.” I was engrossed in “Roots.” I went to sleep thinking about “Roots.” It is easy to say one is against slavery – which I and most are – but it is another to feel the vileness of it, the indignity of it, the shame of it. I lost sleep over it. Frankly, the treatment of these people made me sick.
To my knowledge, none of my ancestors owned slaves. As far as I know, we were the po’ white crackers the slaves made fun of in the book. But it made me wonder. What is back there in my past? Though I know the skeptic in me will always view my family tree as a work of fiction, it might be worth the contemplation. As abhorrent as I have always viewed slavery, this book actually made me feel it. What else is back there that may shake me to the core?
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is a husband, father, author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com), business owner (www.AmericanBlackguard.com), and founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com) with over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print in over 14 languages. Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.JefferyDeaverXOMusic.com). Publishers Weekly has named Stafford one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13)
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Theodore Boone: The Accused" by John Grisham / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
A young wannabe lawyer finds himself on the wrong side of the law in “Theodore Boone: The Accused” by John Grisham. Read my review.
I grew up reading John Grisham books. Now my son has the same opportunity. We read this one together.
Theodore Boone is the son of two attorneys. He wants to be an attorney when he grows up. And, though he is still a kid, he is already practicing law amongst his friends and even representing llamas in court. In this third installment of this Young Adult series, John Grisham trumps Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. My son and I have read the first three books and we can’t wait to read the fourth. My son can’t get enough of it and neither can the other kids at his school. The library can’t keep the several copies there in stock.
In “Theodore Boone: The Accused,” young Boone finds himself on the wrong side of the law. He gets to feel what it is like to be suspected by the police and, since they are convinced that he has committed the crime, it is up to him and his disbarred Bob Dylan-humming uncle to clear Theodore’s name before it is too late.
What I love first about the series is that you can’t put it down. Secondarily, it teaches legal process to kids in a truthful and fair way. By fair, in this installment, the police who are normally the good guys are characterized as two jerks, my son’s opinion. It’s a good lesson that just because the newspapers say someone is arrested does not mean that they are guilty and sometimes detectives want credit for wrapping up a case greater than they want delayed justice. Just because someone is in uniform doesn’t make them the good guy. (My son and I kept waiting for the detectives to officially apologize for falsely maligning Theodore, but it never came. That’s when my son decided they were jerks.)
John Grisham has made a career out of the legal mystery. In fact, some say he created the genre. I believe, when we are long gone, that what Grisham will be remembered for is Theodore Boone and creating a whole new generation of avid readers. I’ve seen it in my son. I’ve seen it in the other kids at my son’s school. I’ve seen it in myself. These books are hot and, like a Disney film, they transcend numerous generations. My opinion? Theodore Boone is Grisham’s best.
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is a husband, father, author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com), business owner (www.AmericanBlackguard.com), and founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com) with over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print in over 14 languages. Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.JefferyDeaverXOMusic.com). Publishers Weekly has named Stafford one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13)
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Tell Me" by Lisa Jackson / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
Who murdered a pregnant teenage girl? Her mother is not talking.
Thriller author Lisa Jackson’s new book “Tell Me” sucked me in and disabled me like a snakebite. Out of nowhere, from the first page of the Prologue, she had me.
The mystery is multi-layered. In Savannah, Georgia, a mother is about to be released from prison. The story questions are numerous. Was she wrongly incarcerated for killing her child, or are they about to release a guilty woman? Who murdered a young girl and shot two other children, paralyzing one? Who is the father of the girl who was murdered? Who fathered the unborn child the teen died carrying? And who is the stalker who keeps appearing? The angle is reporter and detective working together (they’re also engaged, which creates the romantic suspense), but the point-of-view for the most part is shared by the two interchangeably.
This is the third in the Detective Pierce Reed and journalist Nikki Gillette series and joins the over 75 Lisa Jackson novels, many of them New York Times bestsellers.
The cast of characters are related to each other to some degree or other. The snake scenes, which are peppered throughout, will give you the willies. Lisa Jackson has written several books for Silhouette and you can see that in the love scenes, which were a little over the top for me (I think there were 3 of them I could do without), but my wife says those were there for the women in the audience, not the men. For you guys, though, there is enough suspense, thrills, dangers, guns, knives, murders, and whodunit to keep you going, just don’t stay too long in the shower scene.
From the first page, the story is suspenseful and open-ended. The culprit could be anybody. Jackson plays fair, but she’s tricky. Pay attention as you read: the plot is tight. Lisa Jackson wraps it up nicely and, frankly, I read a lot of books, but I didn’t see the tie-up of this one coming. Masterful. Full of energy. A delight to read. I rushed to the ending and then hated myself for getting there so fast. This is one of the best romantic suspense novels I’ve ever read. If on-the-edge-of-your-seat, I-can’t-sleep suspense is what you’re after, Lisa Jackson is the author and “Tell Me” is the book for you.
Now that Killer Nashville 2013 is over, I’m back to reading books again. Looking forward to sharing what I find.
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.killernashville.com). He reviews books daily for Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford and Killer Nashville as one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13) Having over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print, Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.oneofthemiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.jefferdeaverxomusic.com).
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Lifetime" by Liza Marklund / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
Author Liza Marklund has been called the “Queen of Scandinavian crime fiction” and once you read “Lifetime,” her latest book, you’ll see why. Marklund has over 9 million copies of her books in print in over 30 languages along with a major movie deal. Liza Marklund’s writing pops like a Super Aegis 2 machine gun.
Following the theme that people are not always what they appear to be, former tabloid journalist Marklund starts the story with a police officer finding one of their own naked in his bed riddled with bullets with his spaced-out wife rocking on the floor near him. There is also the main character, newspaper reporter Annika Bengtzon, running with her children away from a house that is burning down. Both of these set-ups are certainly strong enough to get your attention. As the novel progresses, the wife of the police detective appears to be guilty of his murder and the disappearance of their only child, but reporter Bengtzon doesn’t believe it to be true and sets off on a one-woman, tenancious mission to prove the wife’s innocence.
Newspaper woman Bengtzon’s life is falling apart. The new case seems to give her life meaning when all other meaning seems to be leaving it. She is a strong-willed woman – not always likeable – and, because she is strong, much is piled upon her. And she can take it. All this creates an intriguing depth of character as author Marklund juggles personal and professional crisis. The mystery plot closes nicely, but the personal tribulations will make you long for the release of the next novel. And plot-twist endings are always nice.
Unsung hero Neil Smith does a great job translating.
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.killernashville.com). He reviews books daily for Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford and Killer Nashville as one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13) Having over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print, Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.oneofthemiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.jefferdeaverxomusic.com).
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Candlemoth" by R.J. Ellory / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
“Candlemoth” was R.J. Ellory’s first novel, published in 2003 in the U.K. This is its first release in the United States. Since originally publishing “Candlemoth,” Ellory has gone on to become an international bestseller.
“Candlemoth” is set in the American South, which is an interesting choice for a debut novel from an Englishman. Ellory did his research weaving the story of death-row convict Daniel Ford with the events that have taken place over the past 50 turbulent years in the U.S. From reading the book, I’d say Ellory probably knows more about American history than most Americans.
History, though, is not what the story is about. It’s about Ford’s death-row conviction related to the death of Ford’s best friend, Nathan. With the execution date only 30 days away, Ford begins to relive how he got to where he was. It is a story of friendship, betrayal, prejudice, and coming of age. It is a story of murder and the meaning of justice. The central question I had running throughout, of course, was more personal: did Ford really brutally behead his best friend Nathan or was something going to twist in the end? You’ll have to wait until the very end for that answer.
What I loved best about “Candlemoth” is how everything ties together. Historical references are made for which there seems to be no relation to the story, conspiracy theories are introduced that, while interesting, don’t seem to have anything to do with anything. And then, it all blends together and makes sense in a story that is tight, suspenseful, and – most importantly – human. This book is a great start for what has already become a brilliant career.
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.killernashville.com). He reviews books daily for Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford and Killer Nashville as one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13) Having over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print, Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.oneofthemiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.jefferdeaverxomusic.com).
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"The Cutting Season" by Attica Locke / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
I enjoy surprise endings and how the murder mystery element is used to bring us into a larger world. It is an African American perspective of Southern history over the last 100 years beginning with a gruesome murder in Louisiana from an author (Locke) attracting the extremely deserved literary spotlight.
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.killernashville.com). He reviews books daily for Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford and Killer Nashville as one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13) Having over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print, Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.oneofthemiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.jefferdeaverxomusic.com).
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Low Pressure" by Sandra Brown / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
While a child, a woman’s sister is murdered. When she writes about it as an adult, she attracts a stalker. I’ve been a Sandra Brown fan for years and this one does not disappoint. Filled with danger and tension, it is one of those that will keep you on the edge of your seat. A great study for writers on plotting.
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.killernashville.com). He reviews books daily for Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford and Killer Nashville as one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13) Having over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print, Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.oneofthemiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.jefferdeaverxomusic.com).
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
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