Thanks to the folks who have worried about the missing chapter in the serial; it turns out the Times had a special publication this week, so there was a gap.
Meanwhile, although I haven’t been publishing the reviews of Hardly Knew Her here, I got one today so nice that I feel compelled to quote it. Bear in mind, I still believe that good reviews are probably more damaging to a writer’s mental health than bad ones. And I’m not crowing or gloating. But it’s just a really nice review that highlights the stories’ singular connection.
From Booklist:
Readers buckle in with high anticipation as each of best-selling Lippman’s mysteries featuring the Baltimore private eye Tess Monaghan appears. But this major-prize-winning crime writer has also crafted stand-alone novels, including What the Dead Know (2007), and now reveals her great gift for whiplash short stories in this top-rate collection introduced by George Pelecanos. Here scams and murders are not the desperate acts of Baltimore’s downtrodden but, rather, the calculated moves of soccer moms, real-estate-savvy suburbanites, and nihilistic teens and college students. In an intoxicating mix of Poe-like horror and the pleasingly bitter irony of Dorothy Parker, Lippman tells deliciously vicious, topsy-turvy tales of women taking revenge for the endless insults and injuries of sexist, selfish men, and, for good measure, of guys who rid themselves of manipulative women. Tess is present, most enjoyably in a hilarious faux interview, while two particularly resonant tales portray Heloise, a sophisticated D.C. madam. Lippman is a class act and a potent storyteller in these elegant, furious, and blues-blasting dispatches from the endless war between the sexes.–Donna Seaman
Will it include previously published short stories, such as your chapter from LIKE A CHARM, and the faux letter to Penthouse that was in that Otto Penzler-edited collection?
One appearance in Baltimore with Dennis Lehane?
My heart just stopped.
When? Where? Oh, I hope I’m off work.
Oh! Also, were you at the Emmys last night? I was hoping The Wire would win, but I’ve heard good things about Mad Men too.
Wow, ” Poe-like horror” and “pleasingly bitter irony of Dorothy Parker”.
Nice company you are keeping! As you know, I have always loved the Lippman short stories and have been looking forward to HARDLY KNEW HER since it was 1st mentioned in journalscape.com.
Are you and Mr. Pelecanos touring this one?
No touring for this, Kevin. (Heck, George doesn’t even tour for his own books these days!) I am making one appearance in Baltimore, with Dennis Lehane. Plus, I’m out on the road next spring with a new novel and will happily sign copies of the short stories then.
Congratulations, Laura.
There are not many authors who could be compared to Edgar Alan Poe and Dorothy Parker…at the same time!
My theory about reviews (they have touched me with regards to theatre in the past) is that you are allowed to enjoy the good ones and completely dismiss the bad ones. It’s hard to stay sane otherwise.
Thanks.
Great Laura. And from Booklist, published by the American Library Association. We librarians know good
writers when we read them. Can’t wait to read this book.
While “Poe” and especially “Parker” would draw me in,
it’s the “Lippman” name that sells the book to me.
“Lippman is a class act and a potent storyteller….”
We already knew that.
Oct. 10 on St. Paul Street, at 33rd.
Laura: Is the appearance with Dennis at Bouchercon? Is he sneaking in? <G>
Kelly,
Lehane and I will be signing at noon at the B&N in Charles Village.
And, no, no Emmys for me. I was many time zones away, in London, but am home now.
I can always swing noon, especially if it’s not a weekend. Glorious!
Wow–best dilemma ever: Emmys? Or London?
No dilemma at all. I’ve been to the Emmys, but I don’t think I’ll ever have another chance to watch people in London, Glasgow and Dublin go crazy for The Wire. And the book “Homicide,” re-released after seventeen years, is getting tons of attention over there. I’m proud of these Baltimore exports
I would pick London too but it would be harder if the choice had been Oscars or London.
What day is the signing? And the B&N is the one where you signed last time, right?
The event is separate from Bouchercon, although I assume Dennis may have plans to sign there as well. This is part of Dennis’s tour for The Given Day and the B&N was given the opportunity to have an event with him because of the amazing event they had for me last March. And given that my sister works there, I’m pretty happy about that.
An aside for the true book nerds among us: this B&N is the Johns Hopkins bookstore, which was in the basement of the campus English building until two years ago. Now it does double-duty as the campus store and a community bookstore. I know some people get upset about chains, but in Baltimore we don’t have the same history of chains using predatory practices to hurt established bookstores. Our big independent, Bibelot, was undone by unique financial problems. But we still have the fabulous Mystery Loves Company, which is so successful it has two locations.
“Thanks to the folks who have worried about the missing chapter in the serial; it turns out the Times had a special publication this week, so there was a gap.”
And now part three is up and well worth double the wait.
I love Mrs. Blossom even more now than I did before. I thank you for that, Laura.
10/05/08
Laura, another great chapter including the return of another of my favorite “support” characters in Tess’s world.
But again with the two week wait! Although as I will be in a room on Sunday celebrating your accomplishments with hundreds of other people (and eating quantities of bagels at the same time), it hardly seems fair to complain too much! But clearly the Times does not understand what they are doing to your faithful readers!!
Thanks.