Busted Flush Press: PUBLISHERS WEEKLY review of TOWER!

Monday, July 6, 2009

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY review of TOWER!

Publishers Weekly (07/06/09)

Tower (by Ken Bruen and Reed Farrel Coleman; Busted Flush; $15; paperback original; 978-1-935415-07-7) "Divided into two halves, this short, brutally poetic tour of the underside of Brooklyn, Boston and Philadelphia marks the first collaboration between noir masters Bruen (The Guards) and Coleman (The James Deans). Drawing on the classic theme of childhood friends pulled toward different sides of the law, the coauthors tell the story of Nick and Todd in quick concise scenes, sketching backstories and love lives, flipping time and incidents like Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. Running errands under the cold eyes of an enforcer, Griffin, for the Bible-quoting gangster Boyle, the heroes learn fast enough that 'you live in the rain forest, you get wet.'... Bruen and Coleman shine, dropping in-jokes, experimenting and displaying all the literary chops that have made their novels such cult favorites among mystery fans."

Tower will be published by Busted Flush Press in September. Please contact your favorite independent, chain, or online bookseller -- or library! -- to reserve your copies now.

4 comments:

Donna said...: What a brilliant review! Congrats Ken, Reed and David. You deserve it.; July 6, 2009 at 4:45 AM
mybillcrider said...: I knew this was gonna be a big one for Busted Flush!; July 6, 2009 at 5:26 AM
David Thompson said...: Thanks, Bill & Donna!; July 6, 2009 at 9:20 AM
Unknown said...: David,

This goes to the top of my reading list.

Cheers, Pat.; July 10, 2009 at 2:26 AM

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WHERE TO FIND BFP BOOKS

For readers seeking bookstores that stock BFP books:
You can find BFP books at your favorite online, chain, and independent bookstores. Scroll down for a list of indie stores that stock our titles, or please ask your local bookseller to carry them. You can also purchase them directly from Busted Flush Press.

For booksellers looking to stock BFP books:
Busted Flush Press (except for the limited editions) is distributed by Consortium. Go here for a direct link to Consortium's Spring 2010 catalog, which also lists all of BFP's backlist titles. Booksellers can purchase the Randy Wayne White limited editions directly from Busted Flush Press.

Recent interviews

Daniel Woodrell interviewed on NPR's "Fresh Air" (06/16/10).

Reed Farrel Coleman interviewed at "Signs & Wonders" (02/17/10).

Ken Bruen interviewed by Milton C. Toby at ThrillerWriters.org (01/01/10).

Megan Abbott (A Hell of a Woman) interviews best-selling thriller writer Robert Crais (The First Rule) in Los Angeles Times Magazine (01/03/10).

Zoë Sharp interviewed at MrEdit (12/21/09).

YouTube video: Reed Farrel Coleman interviewed by Barbara Peters (The Poisoned Pen bookstore) about Tower (10/16/09).

Austin's BookPeople interviews Reed Farrel Coleman (10/14/09).

Michael Connelly (9 Dragons) & Reed Farrel Coleman (Tower) interview each other at Murder By The Book (10/01/09).

Crime writer Tom Piccirilli (The Cold Spot) interviews Ken Bruen & Reed Farrel Coleman about Tower (08/29/09).

Megan Abbott (A Hell of a Woman) interviewed by Barnes & Noble (07/20/09) & by award-winning crime writer Tom Piccirilli (08/01/09)

Listen to Maureen Corrigan's profile on Reed Farrel Coleman & the Moe Prager mysteries on NPR's Fresh Air (05/14/09).

RANDOM PRAISE

"I giggled my way through Donna Moore's Old Dogs... Filled with mayhem, torture, raw sexual banter, creepy chauffeurs, hired killers, and enough kilt-raising Scots profanity to shock a porn star... [A] ribald laugh-a-thon... I recommend Old Dogs highly to fans of Donald Westlake and Carl Hiaasen." -- Betty Webb, Mystery Scene

“I've long been a fan of [Reed Farrel] Coleman's Moe Prager series, and I have admired [Ken] Bruen's writing for the spare, almost poetic prose he creates. They have written a small, intimate book with a limited cast and a compact, explosive plot, and it is seamless. It is also gritty, with sharply drawn characters and an unstoppable pace. More, please.” -- Linda Brown, The Mystery Bookstore (Los Angeles, CA) on Tower

"Reading Tomato Red -- the first Daniel Woodrell novel I came upon -- was a transformative experience. It expanded my sense of the possibilities not only of crime fiction, but of fiction itself -- of language, of storytelling. Time and again, his work just dazzles and humbles me. God bless Busted Flush for these glorious reissues. It's a service to readers everywhere, and a great gift." -- Megan Abbott, Edgar award-winning author of Bury Me Deep

Books currently available from Busted Flush Press

CROSSROAD BLUES, by Ace Atkins
DAMN NEAR DEAD, edited by Duane Swierczynski
A FIFTH OF BRUEN, by Ken Bruen
THE FROG AND THE SCORPION, by A. E. Maxwell
GATSBY'S VINEYARD, by A. E. Maxwell
A HELL OF A WOMAN, edited by Megan Abbott
IMPOLITE SOCIETY, by Cynthia Smith
THE JAMES DEANS, by Reed Farrel Coleman
JUST ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE, by A. E. Maxwell
KEY WEST CONNECTION, by Randy Wayne White (limited edition)
THE MAN WHO DIED LAUGHING / THE MAN WHO LIVED BY NIGHT, by David Handler
THE MAN WHO WOULD BE F. SCOTT FITZGERALD / THE WOMAN WHO FELL FROM GRACE, by David Handler
MIAMI PURITY, by Vicki Hendricks
NOBLESSE OBLIGE, by Cynthia Smith
REDEMPTION STREET, by Reed Farrel Coleman
SANIBEL FLATS, by Randy Wayne White (limited edition)
TOWER, by Ken Bruen & Reed Farrel Coleman
WALKING THE PERFECT SQUARE, by Reed Farrel Coleman

GATSBY'S VINEYARD

GATSBY'S VINEYARD

"Unlike too many other fictional p.i.'s, Fiddler has aged well. So has his ex-wife and occasional bedmate, Fiora, one of the smartest, toughest, sexiest broads in crime fiction. The plots are well-hewn, the dialogue crackling, the bad guys among the very baddest. But the real payoff is A.E. Maxwell's gimlet-eyed take on California circa 1980s. From the yachty Newport crowd and the oenophiles of Napa to the dream-seeking denizens of L.A., Maxwell's books provide a sort of literary amber, capturing the scene and saving it for posterity." -- Bob Morris

FORTHCOMING BFP TITLES

JUST ENOUGH LIGHT TO KILL, by A. E. Maxwell (February 2010)
MISLEADING LADIES, by Cynthia Smith (March 2010)
SOUL PATCH, by Reed Farrel Coleman (w/ foreword by Craig Johnson; summer 2010)
KILLER INSTINCT, by Zoë Sharp (w/ foreword by Lee Child; May 2010)
OLD DOGS, by Donna Moore (June 2010)
RIOT ACT, by Zoë Sharp (July 2010)
DARK END OF THE STREET, by Ace Atkins (fall 2010)
EMPTY EVER AFTER, by Reed Farrel Coleman (w/ foreword by S. J. Rozan; fall 2010)
A COOL BREEZE ON THE UNDERGROUND, by Don Winslow (fall 2010)
TOMATO RED, by Daniel Woodrell (w/ foreword by Megan Abbott; fall 2010)
SILVER AND GUILT, by Cynthia Smith (fall 2010)
HARD KNOCKS, by Zoë Sharp (fall 2010)
DAMN NEAR DEAD 2, edited by Bill Crider (w/ foreword by Charlaine Harris; November 2010)
ROYALS AND ROGUES, by Cynthia Smith (winter 2011)
ROAD KILL, by Zoë Sharp (winter 2011)
THE TRAIL TO BUDDHA'S MIRROR, by Don Winslow (spring 2011)
BLOODY KIN, by Margaret Maron (spring 2011)
THE DEATH OF SWEET MISTER, by Daniel Woodrell (w/ foreword by Dennis Lehane; spring 2011)
THE HACKMAN BLUES, by Ken Bruen (2011)
WAY DOWN ON THE HIGH LONELY, by Don Winslow (2011)
A LONG WALK UP THE WATER SLIDE, by Don Winslow (2011)
WHILE DROWNING IN THE DESERT, by Don Winslow (2012)

BFP awards and nominations!

CROSSROAD BLUES: "Last Fair Deal Gone Down," by Ace Atkins. Nominated for the 2010 Edgar Award.
A HELL OF A WOMAN: "Served Cold," by Zoë Sharp. Nominated for the 2009 CWA Short Story Dagger.
A HELL OF A WOMAN: "Hungry Enough," by Cornelia Read. Winner of the 2008 Shamus Award.
A HELL OF A WOMAN: "Uncle," by Daniel Woodrell. Nominated for the 2008 Edgar & Anthony Awards.
A HELL OF A WOMAN: Nominated for the Crimespree Magazine Award for Favorite Anthology of 2007.
DAMN NEAR DEAD: "Cranked," by Bill Crider. Winner of the 2007 Derringer Award. Nominated for the Edgar & Anthony Awards.
DAMN NEAR DEAD: "Daphne McAndrews & the Smackhead Junkies," by Stuart MacBride. Nominated for the 2007 Derringer Award.
DAMN NEAR DEAD: "Policy," by Megan Abbott. Nominated for the 2007 Anthony Award.

BOUCHERCON 2011