"Shot of pure pleasure"

FAST COMPANY magazine selects THE RIDDLE, by Andrew Razeghi, as one of its "Smart Books" for 2008.

On the fiction side, Ed Gorman compares Swierczy to McBain, and calls THE BLONDE extraordinary.

PERSON OF INTEREST continues to garner fans. Oline H. Cogdill at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel includes it as one of the best mysteries of 2007. The Chicago Sun-Times agrees that POI is "riveting", and welcomes Theresa Schwegel back to Chicago from Los Angeles.

Paul Goat Allen (The Chicago Tribune) praises PERSON OF INTEREST as "Reminiscent of some of Joseph Wambaugh's most powerful works ("The New Centurions," "The Choirboys")... Theresa Schwegel's newest novel [is] her most accomplished yet. Aside from the novel's gritty realism and intense emotional intimacy, the numerous thematic subtleties make this blend of police procedural and suspense thriller eminently readable…"Person of Interest" is an indisputable crime fiction tour de force."

Somer's Super Foods

Ladies, if you missed this morning's Today Show, check out the article and footage online. Elizabeth Somer explained the best foods you should be eating to stay in tip-top shape - and, yes, chocolate is one of them!

POI on CBS

PERSON OF INTEREST is one of Janet Maslin's picks for the holidays on CBS Sunday Morning!

Fireworks for Schwegel

Janet Maslin, at The New York Times, gives Theresa Schwegel's newest one a spectacular review!

"ingenious...“Person of Interest” quickly escalates into a high-stakes story of risk and suspicion, told with rich, insightful detail. Some actress is destined to have a field day with Leslie, who vacillates deliberately between playing mother and vamp, plotting her moves while also spiraling out of control...[Schwegel] switches perspectives gracefully in order to convey the anger and estrangement of each member of the McHugh family. And she weaves a terrifically vigorous plot out of how their misapprehensions of one another lead them into danger."

She’s got be somebody’s baby

PW's Laura Hudson interviews Duane Swierczynski about his new CABLE series, coming out next March.

NewsARama and Comic Book Resources also talked with Duane about Marvel's famous time traveller - now a father!

The craft of crime

St. Martin's Minotaur has a brand, spankin' new blog. Guess who is kicking off the blog party with her very first blog post?

In comic news, Greg Rucka chats with Eric Moreno inside the comic writer's studio... after he delivers a mysterious artifact from another dimension.

Swierczy makes us squirmy

“Done right, a slam-bang, nonstop thriller is a squirmy pleasure. One of recent vintage I can highly recommend is Duane Swierczynski's The Blonde…Jumping off from a dynamite opening - "I poisoned your drink," the blonde tells a our hero in an airport bar - the story makes a mad, exhilarating dash through a maze of hairpin turns. It's all ludicrous, but never less than uproariously entertaining... "The Blonde" is (film noir classic) "D.O.A." for a new generation.” - Eddie Muller, SF Chronicle

EW picks Schwegel

PERSON OF INTEREST is an “Entertainment Weekly Pick”!

"Chicago cop Craig McHugh is working undercover to expose a heroin ring; back home, his bored wife, Leslie, is tempted by a come-on from a friend of her teenage daughter's. Meanwhile, the daughter gets nabbed possessing a small amount of drugs. Theresa Schwegel, an Edgar winner for her debut, Officer Down, weaves these three subplots together not only for quickening suspense but also to achieve something more. She creates a portrait of a family in crisis, and her vivid characterizations — stressed husband, yearning wife, floundering daughter — lift the thriller plot of Person of Interest to literary-novel status." A-

Also in the cheering section is Harriet Klausner, who says "This exciting thriller will be on the short list for police procedural of the year as the action, some quite graphic, never slows down for even a paragraph. Besides a strong undercover subplot and a close look at the underbelly of the Windy City, the key that makes this a strong tale is a deep look at a cop whose keeps him away from his family leading to a dysfunctional relationship. Readers will seek Theresa Schwegel’s previous Chicago PD tales as they come highly recommended (see PROBABLE CAUSE and OFFICER DOWN)".

High fives all around

MOON KNIGHT ANNUAL #1 swoops into stores today! Get in line at the nearest comic book store for the very first Marvel comic written by Duane Swierczynski.


While you're out and about, tell everyone to vote for our 2007 Spinetingler Award nominees:

Best Novel / Rising Star - Sean Doolittle, THE CLEANUP
Best Novel / New Voice - Duane Swierczynski, THE BLONDE


Wizard Magazine has its "Best of 2007" list too, and congrats go out to Greg Pak. He's nabbed two categories - Breakout Talent and Best Ongoing Series!

"PLANET HULK turned the big green behemoth from a raging monster into a deeply complex and psychologically driven character. And with WORLD WAR HULK, Pak proved his ability to deliver complex, heartfelt storytelling and intense scenes of action on the grand stage of company-wide crossovers."

WizardUniverse.com also recognizes INCREDIBLE HULK #111, written by Pak and Jeff Parker with pencils by Leonard Kirk, as its Book of the Week.


PW name checks a top-notch group, including Theresa Schwegel, Greg Rucka, Duane Swierczynski, and Michael Koryta, in their article about mystery bookstore favorites.


Sally Horchow, co-author of THE ART OF FRIENDSHIP, signs on as spokeswoman for Pepperidge Farm's campaign, "Connecting through cookies". ArtOfTheCookie.com, like Sally's book and website, aims to help cultivate friendships and connections.

THE ART OF FRIENDSHIP would make a great stocking stuffer, along with a copy of START STRONG, FINISH STRONG, by Drs. Kenneth and Tyler Cooper. The book was one of several fitness gifts highlighted on The Today Show this week.

Thanksgiving updates

Click through to Mystery Readers International for their At Home Online series of "visits". In the newest Q&A, Steve Hamilton interviews Michael Koryta, who had just chatted with Theresa Schwegel in the last round.


Also check out Marvel Comics' February 2008 list of releases, which includes two DHS Rock Stars:

Greg Pak (INCREDIBLE HERCULES #114; WWH AFTERSMASH: WARBOUND #3)

Duane Swierczynski (FORCE OF NATURE ONE-SHOT; MOON KNIGHT VOL. 2: MIDNIGHT SUN)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

The Sun comes out for Rucka

"Greg Rucka's terrific new thriller [PATRIOT ACTS] lives up to his other bestsellers like Private Wars and A Gentleman's Game. Fast-paced and exciting." - Toronto Sun

Get fired up

The Dallas Morning News calls START STRONG, FINISH STRONG an "excellent introduction to the Cooper philosophy...explaining the importance of getting on track at any age, from a biological and spiritual perspective... one of the book's strengths is that it is told with an understanding that comes from two age perspectives – that of Kenneth Cooper, who is in his 70s, and of Tyler Cooper, who is in his 30s."

Monday Morning Reviews

Looking for a book that "packs a positive punch"?

Publishers Weekly recommends David Cottrell's newest one, MONDAY MORNING CHOICES: 12 Powerful Ways To Go From Everyday To Extraordinary, which comes out this January.

La créme de la créme

Congratulations, Theresa! From more than 6,000 books reviewed this year, Publishers Weekly chooses PERSON OF INTEREST as one of the Best Books of the Year!

Friday goodies for Rucka and Swierczy

Eric Newsom delves into the CRIME BIBLE, in a 5 part conversation with Greg Rucka.

Rucka also reveals to Geoff Johns that there are two more projects lined up for The Question.

Rod Lott (Bookgasm.com) spends a "so damned white-hot" night with Duane Swierczynski's BLONDE and REDHEAD. "Swierczynski’s novel is darkly comic and moves at incredible speed, helped along by a real-time structure, an outlandishly imaginative foundation, multiplex-ready action and a real nut-kicker of an ending...you’ll be on the very edge of your ringside seat."

The Crime Bible

Renee Montoya is back as the new Question - today! THE FIVE LESSONS OF BLOOD #1 is written by Greg Rucka, with art by Tom Mandrake and cover by John Van Fleet.

As big as a baby's head!

That's how big the signature popovers should be, according to chef Kevin Garvin.

Kim Pierce at the Dallas Morning News says new cookbook "Neiman Marcus Taste is elegant enough for the coffee table and substantial enough to stand tall on the kitchen counter."

Meet the Redhead

THE BLONDE and bonus REDHEAD hit the town in trade paperback today! These lethal ladies are "not your usual bag of Polish pulp. Kicki the balls and ass! Get some." (Colman)

Swierczy comes out of the closet

Duane Swierczynski finally gets to share what he's been plotting over at Marvel Comics - and it'll blow you away!

Getting personal with PW

In today's issue, Publishers Weekly chats with Edgar Award winner Theresa Schwegel about her tightly drawn stories and her conflicted characters. Her third novel, PERSON OF INTEREST, will be released on November 27.

Bring us one of everything

NEIMAN MARCUS TASTE, the 100th anniversary cookbook, is a retrospective of the timeless, legendary dishes that have satisfied generations of Americans.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram calls this captivating cookbook "classic and sophisticated".

"[H]old it in your hands, this gloriously illustrated book, and you'll be smitten...vivid and beautifully styled...Neiman Marcus Taste is full of little gems." - St. Petersburg Times

A literary classic

Let us rejoice, for Beer is back!

Get your vote on

One of the Best Teen Books of 2006 (Barnes & Noble)
One of the Top Ten Children's Books of 2006 (Washington Post)

TK Welsh's THE UNRESOLVED is on a roll - it's just been nominated for YALSA's 2007 Teens' Top Ten Books! Vote this week to support this touching story of the General Slocum steamship, which caught fire in the East River, New York, in 1904, and resulted in the death of over 1,000 immigrants.

Syphon's story

IGN.com gives an Editor’s Choice award to Sony PlayStation's SYPHON FILTER: LOGAN'S SHADOW!

If you haven't played the game (or even if you have!), check out this outstanding behind the scenes video featuring co-writer Greg Rucka.

The 3:10 to Bouchercon

The 3:10 to Bouchercon
Originally uploaded by dhslit

The DHS Literary trail ride with our friends at Horseback Alaska over Bouchercon 2007 weekend makes international news. We were featured on the Picture of the Day spot by PW Daily on October 4, 2007. It was a great day to saddle up!

Doolittle celebrates Barry win with friends

Schwegel, Doolittle, Koryta
Originally uploaded by dhslit

Fellow DHS clients Theresa Schwegel and Michael Koryta help Sean celebrate his epic Barry Award win at Bouchercon 2007 on Friday night in Anchorage.

Doolittle wins big

Here's a photo of Super Literary Agent Man and Sean Doolittle in Anchorage before he became aka Mr. Barry Award Winner for Best Paperback Original!

Now we just need an after photo... or a celebration dance.

The Doctors are in

Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the Father of Aerobics and the world's leading authority on preventive medicine, embodies the active lifestyle that he recommends to his patients. His 19th book, and the first written with his son Dr. Tyler Cooper, START STRONG FINISH STRONG is an easy-to-follow prescription for how to start living well at any age, from any fitness level, instead of facing a slow deterioration.

This father and son team has also taken housecalls to another level. Check out the NY Times article about their $2 billion luxury and wellness community called Cooper Life - the first of its kind!

A stellar encore

It's a *Starred Review* for this PERSON OF INTEREST!

"This pitch-perfect portrait of a family in crisis reinforces Schwegel’s position as one of today’s top authors of hard-boiled police procedurals." - Publishers Weekly

Fredo's exit

Bill Minutaglio, our resident expert on Alberto Gonzales, has been flooded with media inquiries today after Gonzales announced he is resigning in September. You can hear Bill on NPR's Talk of the Nation and also see him tonight on Nightline.

Nature never intended for you to survive here

The WHITEOUT teaser premiered at Comic-Con International in San Diego last week, and it was striking to say the least! DHS was on hand, channeling Entourage’s Ari Gold, as Greg Rucka was ushered between panels and press junkets along with Kate Beckinsale, Dominic Sena and Joel Silver.

Click through for sneak peeks:

Snippets from the trailer
Interview with Greg Rucka
Interview with Kate Beckinsale
Interview with Dominic Sena
Audio interview with Kate, Dominic, and Greg

Love, love, love

Team DHS anted up for Best Paperback Original. Massive props to our 2007 Anthony Award nominees!

THE CLEANUP by Sean Doolittle
SHOTGUN OPERA by Victor Gischler
47 RULES OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE BANK ROBBERS by Troy Cook

The first 3-way tie in Bouchercon history? We thinks so.

We Heart Omega-3's

Award-winning dietician Evelyn Tribole has a new book that explains why certain fats are good for you. THE ULTIMATE OMEGA-3 DIET presents essential sources of omega-rich foods, clarifies food labels, and offers scrumptious recipes for everyday meals. It's time to dig out from under those celery sticks!

Such great heights

Congratulations to Greg Rucka! PATRIOT ACTS, his newest Atticus Kodiak thriller, gets a *Starred review* in this week's issue of PW.

"At the start of Rucka’s electrifying sixth thriller featuring bodyguard Atticus Kodiak (after 2001’s Critical Space), Atticus is ready to settle down after years of chasing the deadly female assassin known as Drama and finally breaking her away from “The Ten”—a group of cold-blooded killers operating around the globe. But when he and Drama, now known as Alena, are ambushed and left for dead, Atticus knows his troubles are far from over. Suddenly, the two find themselves the target of a massive manhunt after being mistakenly identified as Ten members. From a tiny village on the Black Sea to the inner sanctum of the Pentagon, Atticus and Alena race to clear their names and punish those responsible for the shocking death of a close friend. Rucka expertly blends intense shoot-’em up scenes with biting political commentary as Atticus and Alena uncover just how high the conspiracy reaches within the U.S. government. Kodiak fans who’ve waited a long time for this installment will find it exceeds all expectations."

We're also pleased to announce that audio rights for PATRIOT ACTS and UNTITLED have been sold to Tara Gelsomino at BBC Audiobooks America.


Refill those glasses and order another round. THE CLEANUP by Sean Doolittle has been nominated for a 2007 Barry Award! It's no wonder this "noir gem" has been touted by critics. (Booklist Starred review)


For ye writers who aspire to such literary stardom, check out some words from Secret Literary Agent Man. (Thanks, Chuck!)

Reed Coleman and Megan Abbott walk into a bar...

Thanks to Mystery Readers International for a look into the keen mind behind acclaimed and award-winning novels such as WALKING THE PERFECT SQUARE and THE JAMES DEANS.

We also highly recommend the insightful interview on Behind the Black Mask.

Oh so stylin'

Add Michael Koryta's "stylish prose" to your summer reading list (New York Times). Check out the rave reviews and read an excerpt of A WELCOME GRAVE on Michael's website.

In fine company

Congratulations to Michael Koryta! His newest book, A WELCOME GRAVE, has been nominated for a 2007 Quill Book Award.

Experiment in the Amazon

A note from the lovely Miz Vicki Hendricks:

"If anyone would like to buy CRUEL POETRY on Amazon, please do so on Friday, May 25. I'm told that if even 20 people buy the book on one day it will put my numbers up so that I get more publicity, get mentioned on special offers, etc. I don't really know if this will work, but I'm excited to watch my numbers on Fri and see what happens! I also have the beautiful reprint of MIAMI PURITY, with Ken Bruen's foreword and Megan Abbott's afterword that people have kindly mentioned. The two books together on Amazon are barely over $21. They make great gifts for noir-reader friends! Of course, if you have a favorite independent bookstore, that is always the best place to buy."

Go fish

It's that time again, when the fish are dancing in the water and calling your name. Mark D. Williams showcases a classic hobby (and one of his passions!) in the newly published SO MANY FISH, SO LITTLE TIME.

The Trout Underground writes “William’s writing is entertaining and he’s clearly fished far more waters than most of us would consider “fair”… I’d look very, very hard at any future books by Mark Williams. I like his words.”

“If you’re the type who loves to drool over the endless fishing choices out there, the type who enjoys dreaming about secret honey holes both near and far, or maybe the type who has fished so many domestic and exotic locales that you’re on the look out for something new and exciting or maybe just overlooked," as The Tennessee Valley Angler is, "then this is the book for you… Williams’ stories are fun and often serve to get you in the mood of the place he’s talking about…One thing I have found the book useful for is introducing me to places I would have never thought about as fly fishing destinations.”

Musings of a Mad Fisherman says “I'll be adding this book to my list of tools.”

The Trout Zone is hooked. “So far it has been nearly impossible to put down…I already can tell that even when I've read it all, I will still sit down and spend time day dreaming and planning future fishing trips by looking through its pages."

New Brit lit

Speaking of love in the UK, Little Black Dress has just published the first foreign edition of THE MEN'S GUIDE TO THE WOMEN'S BATHROOM. One of the leading British blogs, Trashionista.com says, "Not only is Jo Barrett a smart, witty and talented author, but her heroine is too. The novel is full of great banter and memorable characters, and I'm sure it will translate brilliantly to the big screen."

Love is in the air

Quercus Publishing is still smitten with Theresa Schwegel. They have the UK rights for Theresa's first two books and just signed on for the next two: PERSON OF INTEREST and UNTITLED.

It's a perfect match, too. Theresa is an Edgar Award winner and Quercus just won the 2007 Lightning Source Small Publisher of the Year Award (The British Book Industry Awards). Pints all around!

Triumph of the Resurrection Men

Bravo to J. G. Sandom for this terrific review of RESURRECTION MEN in the April issue of Publishers Weekly.

"Welsh's (The Unresolved) latest historical novel takes readers on a haunting tour of London's underclass during the 1830s. Victor is a 12-year-old Italian boy whose cheerful life in Modena is dramatically altered when his parents, suspected revolutionaries, are murdered before his eyes by Austrian soldiers. Victor is sold to a merchant who uses him as a cabin boy; he adjusts to the brutal life on board the ship, but his ill luck is unrelenting: while escaping a crew member who attempts to molest him, Victor breaks his leg and is tossed overboard. He washes ashore in England, and is taken in by an elderly man who helps him learn English and recover from his injury. But the man eventually sells Victor to a pair of grave robbers, the eponymous "Resurrection men" who steal corpses for doctors' use in research and dissection. The men bring Victor to London, where he joins a guild of beggars and befriends some fellow outcasts. His luck finally begins to change when a wealthy physician makes him his apprentice, but Victor discovers evil practices within that profession as well. Welsh's visceral descriptions of industrial London are unflinching: in the city's meat market, 'Many sheep were skinned while alive. And horses were frequently stabled in the putrefying remains of their fellows, maimed and starving, awaiting their own executions. Somehow they knew. Victor could see it in their pitiful eyes.' Teens will likely be both captivated by Victor's harrowing story as well as his ability to prevail in the face of harsh injustices."

For it's a beautiful cover

On bookshelves this week is the new paperback edition of THE SECRET SISTERS by Joni Rodgers.

A round of applause for Linda Armstrong Kelly, whom The National Mother's Day Committee is honoring at the 29th Annual Outstanding Mother Awards! Linda joins other exemplary moms such as Glenn Close (actress), and Pam Shriver (Olympic Gold Medal Tennis Player). Proceeds benefit Women in Need, a nonprofit organization that serves homeless and disadvantaged women and their children.

Tomorrow, Linda pops over to the Montel Williams Show to co-host their Mother's Day tribute.


Congratulations, also, to Dr. Kenneth Cooper! The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars of the Smithsonian, a nonpartisan institution that explores national and global issues, is awarding Dr. Cooper the 2007 Woodrow Wilson Public Service Award.

Readers beware: you may develop a sudden fascination with shiny, patent leather. Victor Gischler has signed a very nice deal for two books with Zach Schisgal at Touchstone Fireside. In GO-GO GIRLS OF THE APOCALYPSE, an ex-insurance salesman leads a small band of survivors through a post-apocalyptic American landscape in search of his ex-wife and a single cup of hot coffee and toward an epic battle to save a new world.


"Sentence for polished sentence, no one in the genre writes better" (Kirkus) than Michael Koryta, who scored *Starred* Reviews for his newest book, "top-notch thriller" (Booklist) A WELCOME GRAVE.

Library Journal calls it "the best entry yet in Kortya's 'Lincoln Perry' private eye series (after Sorrow's Anthem )…This is a compelling novel with well-developed characters, fast pacing, and intricate plotting. The young Koryta, who won the SMP/PWA Prize for Best First PI Novel (for Tonight I Said Goodbye) at age 21, has proven that was no fluke; A Welcome Grave showcases his accomplished writing skills. Highly recommended for all mystery and crime fiction collections."

Publishers Weekly agrees. "Edgar-finalist Koryta stakes a claim as one of today’s pre-eminent crafters of contemporary hardboiled mysteries...his haunting writing and logical, sophisticated plotting rival that of established stalwarts like Loren Estleman."


THE MEN’S GUIDE TO THE WOMEN'S BATHROOM by Jo Barrett hits #2 on the Austin American-Statesman’s bestseller list.

Just in time for the summer, this fabulous book is “genuinely hilarious… Women will find themselves nodding 'been there done that' as the book unfolds…The author skillfully keeps the book on track throughout, without resorting to tacky, and providing a unique, witty, cute, fast-paced, and yes, classy tale that is fun to read. I knew it was that good, when I was sorry that I'd reached the last page.” - AdviceSisters.net

Romance Junkies join the conga line of excited fans too. "THE MEN’S GUIDE TO THE WOMEN’S BATHROOM is smart, funny, and oddly enough – dead on accurate. There are many laughs in the story centered on Claire’s antics and missteps, but I found myself cracking up even more at the ‘book excerpts’. They were funny because they’re true – we’ve all seen/heard/done the same things time and again on a visit to the ladies room. Claire is the perfect character to carry off this story – a little lost and immature despite her respectable lawyer status. She makes the struggling writer concept work, and she and Jake add some spice to the humor. All in all, this is an awesome debut by Jo Barrett, and I’m eager to read her next novel, KILLING CARLTON. "


In other media goodness, Elizabeth Somer tips us off on 5 supposedly healthy foods on The Today Show.

Funnier to look at...

A round of applause for Sean Doolittle, who celebrated writing before heading off to the LA Festival of Books.

Akashic Noir spotlights the City of Angels for its next anthology LOS ANGELES NOIR, which comes out on May 1. We can't wait to read the "Mid-City" story by DHS rockstar Gary Phillips.

This month's issue of Mystery Morgue and ITW's The Big Thrill feature Coney Island champion, Reed Farrel Coleman, who is making the rounds for his newest book SOUL PATCH.