Appearance: Cold River Radio Show, 9/10

Man, that's one heck of a lineup.

New Englanders! If you're as big a fan of old-fashioned variety shows as I am, I hope you'll join me Sunday, September 10th, at 7PM in Intervale, New Hampshire for the Cold River Radio Show! It promises to be an amazing night of story and song. (Don't worry; I'm not providing any of the song.) Click through for more information, or to purchase tickets.

The Busy Season

I feel as if I say this every year, but dang is this fall shaping up to be a busy one. Here's a brief (and doubtless incomplete) rundown of what I'll be up to in the coming weeks. (Yes, I know fall doesn't technically start until the 22nd, but I had to put on long pants yesterday, so as far as I'm concerned, it's already here.)

Appearances

Sunday, September 10th,  at 7PM, I'll be appearing on the Cold River Radio Show, an old-fashioned variety program that records live before a studio audience in Intervale, New Hampshire's Theater in the Wood. It promises to be a tremendous evening, full of story and song. Click through for more information.

On September 24th, my little sister's getting married. You probably can't come, but I'm very happy for her, so it seemed worth mentioning.

From October 12th to 15th, I'll be in Toronto for Bouchercon, where RED RIGHT HAND is up for the 2017 Anthony Award for Best Novel. I'll also be on a couple panels, about which I'll post in greater detail as the time nears, since this update is threatening to be way too long already.

And from November 10th to 12th, you'll find me at New England Crime Bake, where I'll also be on a panel. Again, details to follow as we get closer to the event.

Publications

The University of Chicago Press' reprint of Richard Stark's BREAKOUT, to which I contributed a foreword, comes out September 5th. The last three books in the series come out the 5th as well, at which point the entire series will be in print for the first time. Fellow Parker fans, rejoice!

RED RIGHT HAND comes out in paperback on October 10th. It's got a snazzy new cover I'll be releasing soon, so stay tuned.

I've got a creepy short story called "The Group Home" in Hex Publisher's BLOOD BUSINESS anthology, which comes out November 7th. BLOOD BUSINESS is a collection of dark, gritty crime stories, half of which feature paranormal elements. I'll leave you to discover which half my story belongs to.

Other

Dustin Tucker, who starred in Portland Stage's irreverent production of Sherlock Holmes' "The Hound of the Baskervilles," is adapting my short story "The Well" for the stage as part his The Haunting Hour series. The event runs from October 25th to November 4th, and also features work from Tess Gerritsen, John Cariani, and many more. If you manage to snag tickets to the showing on the 28th, you might just see me there!

BREAKOUT Foreword

Ain't they pretty?

Donald Westlake is one of my literary idols. His Parker books—written under the pen name Richard Stark—comprise, in my opinion, the finest crime series ever written.

The series (twenty-four books strong) kicked off in 1962 with THE HUNTER and concluded with DIRTY MONEY, which was published shortly before Westlake's death in 2008. Thanks in part to a twenty-three year hiatus between 1974's BUTCHER'S MOON and 1997's COMEBACK, the series has never been in print in its entirety... but that's about to change.

The University of Chicago Press began reissuing the series in 2008, with forewords from such crime fiction luminaries as Charles Ardai, Lawrence Block, and Dennis Lehane. Next Tuesday, September 5th, they're releasing the last four books in the series. NOBODY RUNS FOREVER and ASK THE PARROT feature forewords by Duane Swierczynski. Laura Lippman penned the foreword for DIRTY MONEY.

BREAKOUT includes a foreword by, um, me.

I can't tell you what an honor it is to be a footnote in this series. I hope I did it (and the late, great Donald Westlake) justice, because its influence on my work can't be overstated. Many thanks to Maggie Hivnor-Labarbera and everybody at The University of Chicago Press, both for the opportunity and for ensuring that a whole new crop of readers will have the opportunity to fall in love with the Parker books like I did.

Appearance: The Mystery in Gerritsen's Garden, 7/29

Would you like to spend a sunny summer Saturday in Maine's gorgeous midcoast region hobnobbing with some of the finest authors on the planet? I'm talking about such award-winning, bestselling scribes as Tess Gerritsen, Gayle Lynds, Douglas Preston, and Richard Russo, to name but a few. (For what it's worth, I'll be there too, along with my lovely and talented wife.)

What if I told you that Tess was hosting this shindig in her own stunning seaside garden?

Of course you'd like to come. Who wouldn't?

This once-in-a-lifetime event, which benefits the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance (a terrific organization I'm delighted to support), takes place Saturday, July 29, and tickets are still available. Click through for more information (including a complete list of attending authors). I hope to see you there!

RED RIGHT HAND Nominated For An Anthony!

I'm delighted to report that RED RIGHT HAND is nominated for the 2017 Anthony Award for Best Novel! Thanks to all who included it on their ballots, and congratulations to my fellow nominees. I'm honored to be in such terrific company.