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SLIP OF THE KNIFE
Crime fiction was a late life discovery for me. I never read the stuff. Then, about 15 years ago I started to interview authors on the radio and I came to the realization that I had been missing out on a whole genre of amazing books.
Hundreds of novels later I have my favorites; Robert Crais, James Lee Burke, George Pelecanos, Ian Rankin, and Denise Mina. Rankin and Mina are Scots. Rankin’s final Inspector Rebus novel will be published in America next month. It’s good!
Mina put out SLIP OF THE KNIFE (Little,Brown) in February. I finally found the time to read it. It is tremendous!
Mina’s fans have fallen in love with her protagonist, the journalist Paddy Meehan. We have watched Paddy grow in her profession. When we first encountered Paddy she was a young “copy boy” at a newspaper in Glasgow. Paddy may be overweight but when it comes to finding the story she is a heavyweight.
Over the course of these books she has advanced in her field. In this latest episode she has ascended to the rank of columnist and she is the mother of a five year-old boy. Her maternal instincts become a big part of the plot here. Paddy will do anything to protect her wean (the wee lad).
As the story begins we have the classic crime fiction opening; a soon-to-be corpse. The victim is a journalist and Paddy’s former lover. It looks like an IRA assassination but hey, this is Scotland!? What gives?
Mina gets more brilliant with each book. This is one of my faves so far this year.
Vick Mickunas
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Comments
By victor mickunas
August 28, 2008 3:48 PM | Link to this
Thanks, Ed. I read one of the Richard Stark books a few years ago. I need to check Westlake out. Great tip!By edo
August 28, 2008 2:14 PM | Link to this
My all time favorite crime fiction writer is Donald E. Westlake, especially the Dortmunder series (hilarious)… his Parker character (written under the pen name of Richard Stark)is much darker… I love how you blog and respond; unlike most… most informitive… ed