March’s Reads

I didn’t read a lot of books in March, having immersed myself in Max Hastings’s wonderful history of the Second World War, Inferno, which checks in at about 800 pages. More on that when I look back on April.

Frag Box, Richard Thompson. Thompson is a fine example of why to go to conferences. I saw him on a panel at Bouchercon in Indianapolis, which inspired me to read Fiddle Game, which in turn impressed me enough to keep Thompson on the radar. I took way too long to get to Frag Box, but books have the endearing ability of waiting for tardy readers, so it was as good as I’d hoped it would be, though quite a bit different from its predecessor. Thompson has the ability to disappear into his writing while maintaining a style of his own, which must be damned hard to do, since so few people can do it. He’s has written two books since Frag Box; the only question for me is which to read first.

In the Morning I’ll Be Gone, Adrian McKinty. The final installment of McKinty’s Troubles Trilogy, featuring Catholic Sean Duffy as a member of the nearly all Protestant Royal Ulster Constabulary, when the only job in Ireland more dangerous than being a member of the RUC was to be a Catholic RUC. I went into this book in more detail a few weeks ago. Suffice to say, I’m as struck by the entire series today as I was when I first read The Cold Cold Ground. Tours de force, all three.

March's Best Reads

Here are my recommended reads from March:

Fiddle Game, Richard Thompson—Saw Thompson on a Bouchercon panel discussing cons and swindles. Engaging fellow, good sense of humor, and the right tongue-in-cheek attitude about con games in general. The book isn’t quite what I expected: it was better. The fiddle con in question relates to a bail bond scheme, and who the bad guys are is in doubt for most of the book. The cast is fun and varied, especially a demented prophet who’s not as off as he appears, and never misses an opportunity to turn a buck himself. Thompson keeps things unpredictable but plausible and delivers a very entertaining read. I’ll look for his next book, which is due out soon, if it hasn’t hit already.

Johnny Porno, Charlie Stella—This is a kickass book. Stella is writing what most publishers say they won’t buy—books about Italian mobs—so well you have to wonder why the hell people won’t buy them. Set in the early 70s, Johnny Porno examines what happens when a divorced father gets down on his luck and has to take a job as a runner for the local mob to make ends meet. His ex-wife, her boyfriend, and another mobster all have it in for him, and the cops can’t barely tell which side each of them is on. The characters would make Elmore Leonard proud, and the dialog has elements of George V. Higgins. First-class stuff. (A more detailed review and interview with the author are available at New Mystery Reader.)

First Drop, Zoe Sharp—Sharp’s first Charlie Fox novel makes it easy to see why she was asked to write more. Fox is an excellent female protagonist: feminine, tough enough to do the job, and smart enough to know when she’s in over her head. She doesn’t wait around for divine intervention or a big, strong, man to save her, but knows enough to get help when she needs it. What starts out as a simple job of keeping an eye on a teenaged boy turns into a high body count thriller when an attempt is made on his life at an amusement park, and everyone—including Fox’s partner—is missing when they try to go home. I figured out the ultimate bad guy before the end, but much of the fun came from seeing how Fox would put it all together.