Lazy Thoughts From a Boomer: Sean Chercover

Showing posts with label Sean Chercover. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Trigger City

One of things I dislike most (besides lame Hollywood film remakes) is reaching the tail end of a book series that I really enjoy. While there are always other books to read (or in my case, listen to), a great novel series brings the kind of stories that blend the new right along with the familiar - all the while leaving the reader yearning for more. That's great when you start such a series, or are in the midst of one. It's not so good when you hit the wall, so do speak, and there's no next chapter in the string just sitting there... patiently waiting on you to get to it. This only goes to show the reader (me) that he's now hooked - relegated to waiting for that next novel fix. You end up trying to squelch that hunger by doing things like scanning the inter-tubes for any word of a publishing date for that next novel. Then, when you get the news you've waited on so desperately, you're counting the days down till the publishing date arrives. Not that I'm complaining... much. Although, this Crais-head really welcomes the autumn slide into January next because it'll deliver The First Rule come the 12th (there, I said it). Only now, however, I have to contribute another series-jones to my list of addictions (I'm excluding all things golf, for the sake of argument). I found myself taking stock of that fact yesterday morning when I finished Sean Chercover's Trigger City.

I've already noted how much I admired the author's debut novel, Big City Bad Blood, in an earlier post. The next in the series did not disappoint, at all. As well, the audiobook by Audible was just as solid as the first. This time, I had the benefit of some history with the P.I. character of Ray Dudgeon. Besides having the first book under my belt, Corey clued me in to the author's short story contribution in Killer Year (edited by Lee Child), One Serving of Bad Luck (which I consumed rather quickly after BCBI). The exemplary voice work done by audiobook narrator Joe Barrett (and the Audible studio directors) had his tones and inflections in my head as I read it (not a bad thing at all). The second novel added welcomed new layers to Ray, while he continued his painful recovery from what was meted out in the first book. Add to this, Trigger City included a timely and relevant plot to boot. The secondary characters (and I very much include the Second City here) Mr. Chercover used in the novels were a force multiplier with their impact on the series. Moreover, whatever the work experiences he gathered before he became a writer, seem to bring a certain reality to his story-lines. Like author Robert Crais, Sean can deftly build out and construct a character universe through his books (this one squarely centered on Chicago). He really made it easy to get immersed in the day-to-day lives of the characters, and grow comfortable with them (it has to be some sort of gift to be so habit-forming). I don't know what it is about the mystery/crime fiction genre that seems to draw this causing dependency reaction in its readership. The Horror and Sci-Fi lit I've read over the years rarely did that for me (Frank Herbert's Dune series being an exception). Even my Tom Clancy years never had this affect, either. Nevertheless, here I am... once again.

Hello. My name is Michael... and I'm a crime-fic series addict.

I never did smoke cigarettes (even in high school), chocolate no longer loves me, and I can't drink alcohol anymore (dammit). Great... All I have left is this series condition. All thanks to my dealers, the C-brothers (Crais & Chercover). I guess I can take the edge off by reading the Gravedigger Peace short, A Sleep Not Unlike Death, from the Hardcore Hardboiled collection, or the Ray Dudgeon piece in Chicago Blues (The Non Compos Mentis Blues) while I wait word on the next book. That, and cross off another day on The First Rule calendar I keep.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Miscellaneous Monday

Not that it means anything special, but this is the last Monday for the month of October, already. We're sliding, alright. Halloween on Saturday and November (along with the return of Daylight Standard Time) comes Sunday. Plus, I've got a newly minted 14 year-old who still wants to trick or treat (and says he needs a costume), a 9 year-old (who can't wait for next month to arrive so she can turn 10) who desires pumpkins for sculpturing and spider webs for decorating the house with, and a wife who is juggling so many projects at work and at home that the last thing she wants to see is any ghoulish creature coming to our door, at the moment. Add to this that she-who-must-be-obeyed cares little for the time change (winter blues), and we (kids and I) have our work carved out for us as the light wains. Good to know that it's another normal October at the insane asylum that is my home during this time of year. So, let's mention a couple sundry items and get them out of the way.

First, the author of Big City Bad Blood and Trigger City, Sean Chercover, is having a diverting giveaway. His READING@WORK CONTEST:

I'm giving away prizes for the best pictures of people reading Trigger City in the workplace. So take a picture of yourself reading the book at work, and send it in.

Prizes include Trigger City lapel pins, t-shirts, signed books, and one-year subscriptions to Crimespree Magazine. You might even win your name used as one of the characters in my next book. You could end up as a cop, a corpse, or even an arch criminal.

Send your photo to the author to get in on this. I sent mine in this morning (I should have shaved, though):

Since I'm in my seasonal movie mode (Silent Hill and 1963's The Haunting, already), there are a couple still I'm looking forward to teeing up on the DVD player. The new one is (from what I hear) the highly unrated werewolf movie, Bad Moon (1996). Eric Red (the writer of The Hitcher and Near Dark) directs this tale of a man coming to visit his sister and her son at their home. What intrigued me to this film is that it's told from the perspective of the protective family German Shepard (yes, I'm a sucker for these kinds of stories):

Of course, Halloween wouldn't be Halloween for me without my annual viewing of Tim Burton's Sleep Hollow. Whether it's how the director handles this period horror film, the startling visuals he employs throughout, the Hammer films that provided the inspiration for the design of it, and favorites like Christopher Lee and Christopher Walken giving chilling cameos in it, I have to have this fix this time of year (that and candy corn):

Who knew that my children would continue to amaze their father (and hand out gray hairs to their parents like it was candy on a certain holiday). I don't know if it's related to the solar system sculpture he recently completed and turned in for his 8th grade science class, but this is what my son wants his old man to play (and re-discover) in the car as we make our way to school:

And my daughter is no slouch as to enforcing her will on to my iTunes library. She's got her father scratching his head as to how he ignored (or missed entirely) this song:

I'm definitely getting too old too fast.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Well Worth the Wait: Big City Bad Blood in Audiobook!

First off, having just finished author Sean Chercover's excellent debut novel, Big City Bad Blood, I can finally see what all of the fuss was about. No wonder my friend (and book blogger) Corey has mentioned the author for over a year in various posts. And when reviewers start throwing the likes of Robert Crais, Michael Connelly, and Dennis Lehane about in their pieces and blog posts in regard to crime fiction entrances when talking about SC's inaugural tale, it tends to draw attention. Or, dubious stares from us jaundiced ones. Perhaps, I'm late to this party... but I'm old, have young kids to chase around and have to work till I drop dead to pay for them, so I have an excuse. But, I'm finally there with what this former Chicago P.I./writer brings to the genre and the readers who appreciate a great hardboiled thrown down. Although, I'm also one of those who really appreciates a well produced audiobook (because I have no time to actually read a book due to said age and kids). In my case, this book was well worth the wait till the audio form of this work (and his second novel, Trigger City) arrived.

Luckily, I am an Audible member and could download this great production - though it would be nice if others who aren't members had alternative purchase channels to obtain this audiobook. I know Audible regularly licenses and distributes various audiobooks (via the download route to their members using their proprietary file design) from other audio publishers (who also sell those works in CD, cassette, or MP3 formats). Perchance, Audible will start producing their own productions to other media that they could also sell? I sure hope so. And yes, I realize that it's available through Amazon's site, too. [and now:

] But, you still have to have an MP3 player, iPod, or computer to play it - or take the extra steps to burn it to disc. It's a small (but real) criticism due to that added limitation. And I say this because what the Audible studio managers produced in regard to Mr. Chercover's first book turned out to be one of the best audiobooks I've heard all year. And IMO, it needs wider avenues of distribution because it's that good. I think I've made myself clear in the past to this point: when an audio publisher perfectly matches up a quality and talented narrator to a finely written work of fiction (of any genre), and tops it off with the right bit of direction and production values, it can breathe not just sound but real life into the words of an author. It is simply lightning in a bottle for those of us audiobook enthusiasts. And they did it here [see why I think it shouldn't just be exclusive to Audible members (or iTunes addicts like myself)?].

Narrator Joe Barrett turned in an awesome performance in this production. He made the character of Ray Dudgeon his own. It'll be hard for me to associate anyone else's voice to that particular introspective Chicago P.I. other than this speaker. Much like blogger Jen (and I) can't see anyone else voicing author Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire series other than George Guidall, or Jen's Mark Hammer not being the essence of James Lee Burke's Dave Robichheaux, Barrett is Dudgeon. The narrator was pitch perfect in his interpretation of the material. His use of intonation and dialect in his vocal characterizations were spot on, especially in the Chicago and L.A. settings of the book (so sayeth this native Angeleno). Whoever the studio manager was at Audible who came up with this casting should get a medal, IMHO. As well, Audible is to be commended for now offering the higher quality, Enhanced sound option for their audiobook distributions. It is a nice touch and a solid improvement for fans of the form. And when all of this is matched with an author who can really convey not only the landscape of a great city (along with personalities and story), but its gritty heart in words [very much like what the great film director (and fellow Chicagoan) Michael Mann did for The Windy City (Thief) and L.A. (Heat, Collateral)], the reader (or the listener) has another fantastic character in the book to become involved with. This was some combination to come together, and I was lucky enough to catch it. More thanks to my friends and book bloggers for steering it my way. And now I'm off to find and read One Serving of Bad Luck before teeing up the Trigger City audiobook.

And for said author Chercover, who gave his protagonist some excellent, smoking jazz/blues musicians and tracks to keep Ray Dudgeon company (wonderfully cited throughout) in his debut novel, here's a tip of the old hat (in my case a well worn golf cap) to you, my friend. This Dodger fan can't root for the Cubs, but you and the city of Chicago have a new fan.