Spinetingler Rocks

Check out this post on Spinetinger. The mighty Brian Lindenmuth gives THE POINT a high recommendation, which fairly put a spring in my step for the day.

Nigel Bird (interviewed here yesterday) gets the same treatment. With the kind of prices our publishers are charging, why not pick up both and see if you agree? You know you want to.

Pulp Press

Trestle Press

Thumbs up from the Triumvirate

The BSC website has posted a top ten Mystery/Crime Fiction of 2009 list from the three wise-guy reviewers, Keith Rawson, The Nerd of Noir and Brian Lindenmuth -- the triple-pillar of new noir.

These boys know what they're talking about and I was very pleased to see a good Northern Irish representation. Stuart Neville's The Ghosts of Belfast (AKA The Twelve) and Adrian McKinty's Fifty Grand made the cut.

Also mentioned were three adopted sons of CSNI (ie, not Northern Irish writers, but with enough of an Irish connection to have been interviewed here in the past). Dave Zeltserman's Pariah, Jason Starr's Fake ID and Allan Guthrie's Slammer got their much deserved big-ups.

Jump over to BSC to see who placed where for whom (grammar?). I'll be referring to it for some reading recommendations in 2010. You should too.

A Nifty Top Fifty

I’ve been keeping my eye on the BSC Review website that features reviews, interviews and articles from the likes of such crime fiction connoisseurs as Brian Lindenmuth, Sandra Ruttan, Keith Rawson and Gerald So. Earlier today, Lindenmuth’s Top Favourite 50 Novels of the Decade article caught my eye. I read it wondering if any of my favourites were in there, whether any of the unread books on my shelf would feature and to see if I could pick up a few recommendations (though God knows I don’t need to be spending cash on more books any time soon). Turns out a goodly portion of these books are CSNI favourites.

Adrian McKinty and Stuart Neville each got a mention, and Ken Bruen featured in the list twice.

Their entries went like this:

The Guards by Ken Bruen – This was the gateway book for most fans of Bruen’s work and introduced us to this original voice, great character and unique stylist.

American Skin by Ken Bruen – American Skin is Bruen’s masterpiece.

Fifty Grand by Adrian McKinty – This book, along with Safer by Sean Doolittle, represents what commercial, popular fiction SHOULD be.

The Ghosts of Belfast by Stuart Neville – Simply put, this is a great novel that will change you.

Some high praise indeed. And who’s to say what might be added to Lindenmuth’s favourites from this neck of the woods in 2010? I don’t think this surge in Irish crime fiction is going to die out any time soon.

Check out the rest of Brian Lindenmuth’s article for a year’s worth of highly recommended reading. As Allan Guthrie said on Twitter, “Brian recommends, I read.”