Noir Journal 31: Damage, Disciple, Ellipsis

Welcome to Noir Journal 31

Announcing today three new books. Thanks to Aisha Cloud at Tor/Forge Publishing for the info on THE DAMAGE DONE and DISCIPLE OF THE DOG.  

Note: In a new Noir Journal feature called "Crime Writers' Reviews," Todd Ritter (DEATH NOTICE, Minotaur Books, 2010) will soon review THE DAMAGE DONE. 

And thanks to Sparkling Books (UK) and author Nikki Dudley for the info on ELLIPSIS.                                                 (Sparkling Books Logo, above right) >  

Also coming Soon: Noir Journal interview with ELLIPSIS author Nikki Dudley.

THE DAMAGE DONE, by Hilary Davidson (Tor/Forge Books, 2010) 

“Davidson’s razor sharp mystery debut…offers a great portrait of sisterly love, despite a dysfunctional past, as well as a highly satisfying mystery.”

-- Publishers Weekly

“A tale of nonstop action with a nice twist.  An entertaining and promising crime-fiction debut.”

--Booklist

 Davidson's lush novel delivers on all counts, offering both slow-burn suspense and creeping pathos. A rich, haunting debut."

--Megan Abbott, Edgar-winning author of Bury Me Deep

 

“A stunning debut. THE DAMAGE DONE is a smart crime novel, peopled with sinister characters and clever twists you won't see coming”

--Linda Fairstein, New York Times bestselling author

Synopsis:

Spinetingler Award-winning author Hilary Davidson is making noise with the publication of her highly anticipated mystery debut, THE DAMAGE DONE (A Forge Hardcover; September 28, 2010; $24.99). A new voice in crime fiction, this fantastic first novel will become a favorite of fans of noir and women’s sleuth mysteries.

Lily Moore, a successful travel writer, fled to Spain to get away from her troubled, drug-addicted younger sister, Claudia.  However, she returns to the city when she gets devastating news – her sister is found dead in a bathtub on the anniversary of their mother’s suicide.  The situation shifts from tragic to baffling when Lily goes to the morgue to identify her sister and the body turns out to be a stranger’s. Though similar in appearance, it is soon revealed that the dead woman had been using Claudia’s identity for months. 

Upon hearing this news, the detectives return to Lily’s sisters’ apartment to look for clues and interview the neighbors about Claudia’s whereabouts and this mysterious woman living in her residence.  After gathering information, it is soon revealed that the real Claudia had vanished, reappearing briefly on the day her impostor died.  The situation, first deemed an accident, is now looking like a murder and Claudia starts to transform from victim to suspect in the eyes of the police.  Knowing the police will find it hard to believe the innocence of her sometimes violent, recovering heroin-addicted sister, Lily becomes determined to find Claudia before they do.

As Lily contacts friends of Claudia and visits her old haunts for answers, she is filled with questions and doubt.  Is Claudia actually missing, or is she playing an elaborate con game?  And who’s responsible for the body that was found in the bathtub?  In addition, after talking to her former fiancé about the problematic situation surrounding her sister’s disappearance, he is aloof and strangely unconcerned.  Is he hiding something and may have been more deeply involved with Claudia than he admits?  Determined to learn the truth at any cost, she is unprepared for the terrible toll it will take on her and those she loves.

Dark, suspenseful, and exhilarating, THE DAMAGE DONE is a gratifying debut mystery that will grip readers to the very end.

 

AUTHOR BIO

HILARY DAVIDSON is a travel journalist and the author of 18 nonfiction books. Her articles have appeared in more than 40 magazines, including Discover, Reader’s Digest, and Martha Stewart Weddings. Originally from Toronto, she now lives in New York City.  For more information, visit www.hilarydavidson.com

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DISCIPLE OF THE DOG, by R. SCOTT BAKKER (Tor/Forge Books, 2010)

 
“Not knowing shit and yet acting in all ways as if you do: this is the essence of human civilization.

They’ve even invented a name for it.

Trust.”

--from DISCIPLE OF THE DOG 

Disciple Manning is perhaps the most cynical private eye to ever ‘grace’ the pages of crime fiction. A drinker. A toker. A womanizer. A wiseass know-it-all reminiscent of Phillip Marlowe, only retooled for the 21^st century.

When a New Jersey couple employs him to find their missing daughter, Disciple finds himself drawn ever deeper into the convoluted world of the Framers, an end of days cult unlike any other. Amid the abandoned factories that surround their compound, he discovers a secret that will shock the entire world.

With DISCIPLE OF THE DOG, R. Scott Bakker demonstrates the same pulp brilliance that has made him an internationally acclaimed master of speculative fiction. At once a gripping mystery and a profound meditation on our troubled times, this is not a novel any reader will soon forget.

■     ■      ■     ■

“Someone said that reading a Jim Thompson novel was like being locked  up in a

fallout shelter with a brilliant, chatty, fast-talking maniac.  Meet your new

companion: Disciple Manning.”

—Jim Sallis, New York Times bestselling author of Salt of a River

 

“Even without the benefit--or would that be hindrance—of total recall, this is a book

I’ll remember for a long time. And enjoyable as it was, when the details fade I look

forward to rereading and loving it again.”

—Bob Fingerman, award-winning author of Bottom Feeder and Pariah

 

“Beautifully viscious and painfully, darkly human, Bakker's Disciple of the Dog is the kind of book that makes a lot of other noir look like it was written by Sunday School teachers.”

—Brian Evenson, award-winning author of Last Days

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Ellipsis, by Nikki Dudley (Sparkling Books, 2010)

"Right on time," Daniel Mansen mouths to Alice as she pushes him to his death. Haunted by these words, Alice becomes obsessed with discovering how a man she didn't know could predict her actions. On the day of the funeral, Daniel's cousin, Thom, finds a piece of paper in Daniel's room detailing the exact time and place of his death.

As Thom and Alice both search for answers, they become knotted together in a story of obsession, hidden truths and the gaps in everyday life that can destroy or save a person.

Ellipsis is a disturbing thriller stemming from what is left unsaid, what bounces around in the mind and evaporates when trying to remember. Can there be a conclusion when no-one seems to know the truth?

Free shipping outside the United Kingdom is available from the Book Depository. You can also buy Ellipsis from Amazon in paperback and hardback

Reviews and comments about Ellipsis:

'Exciting, psychologically complex, and disconcerting, it is a powerful tale of two misfits trying to uncover long hidden secrets about themselves and their pasts. Dudley has an often startling eye for description and her simple poetic prose will delight readers looking for something slightly different in the crime thriller genre.' Sam Ruddock, Writers' Centre, Norwich

'Tight, evocative gut-punches tempered by the desperate details of everyday life.' Shawn Kupfer, author of White Male, 34

'This is the type of story that keeps a reader up half the night.'Maureen Vincent-Northam, author of The Writer's ABC Checklist', Hereford

'I wouldn't have stopped reading if my house was on fire!' Cas Peace, author of ‘For the Love of Daisy’, North Hampshire

'Ellipsis is a very stylish, compelling read that will stay with you for a long time, and Sparkling Books have very much lived up to their name in their presentation of this title. Nikki Dudley has a burgeoning literary career that should go on from strength to strength following the publication of the magnificent Ellipsis. I look forward to reading more works by this great writer.' Kevin Mahoney, Authortrek.com

Ellipsis by Nikki Dudley (pictured below), ISBN: 9781907230103 (Hardback) 9781907230189 (Paperback)

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That's it for now. Notes and pics from NoirCON 2010, which I attended  Nov 4-7 in Philly, coming soon.

See Noir Journal exclusive articles/reviews  in Spinetinetingler and The Rap Sheet, as well as reviews in The New York Journal of Books. Thanks to those great publications for the opportunity to contribute.

And you can follow Noir Journal on TWITTER.

Happy Holidays. Be safe.

ML

Comments

[Brian Lindenmuth]

Just as an FYI for readers curious about The Disciple of the Dog we have an excerpt of it at Spinetingler.

[Mike L.]

Thanks for the tip Brian. Will put it at the top of the next post, so more people can see it.
Mike

[Susie]

Hi Mike,

Ellipsis sounds pretty good!

I'm sure you know, but just in case you don't, Sam Millar's On the Brinks is available now from amazon, $13.00, beats the heck out of $800 + for it. It's also available on Kindle, it says it's an extended version but I don't know what that would be.

I hope you're having a wonderful holiday season!
Susie

[Mike L.]

Susie,
Thanks for another great comment. Did you see the post about James Thompson?
Having a great holiday season. Also changed jobs.
Happy holidays,
Mike