Monday, November 07, 2011

R.J. Ellory's A SIMPLE ACT OF VIOLENCE named Publisher's Weekly Best Book of 2011


R.J. Ellory's A Simple Act of Violence has been recognized by Publisher's Weekly as one of the ten best books published this year in the Mystery/Thriller category. Every year PW awards the coveted accolade to ten books published in genres including Poetry, Romance, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Comics.

This year's Mystery/Thriller picks include:
  • The End of Everything by Megan Abbott (Little Brown, Reagan Arthur)
  • Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson (Little Brown, Reagan Arthur)
  • Revenger by Rory Clements (Bantam)
  • Hurt Machine by Reed Farrell Coleman (Tyrus)
  • A Simple Act of Violence by R.J. Ellory (Overlook)
  • Field Gray by Philip Kerr (Putnam/Marian Wood)
  • The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman (Morrow)
  • A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny (Minotaur)
  • Two for Sorrow by Nicola Upson (Harper)
A Simple Act of Violence is Ellory's third novel published in the United States by The Overlook Press. An explosive and soaring novel, it received a star review from Publisher's Weekly:

"At the outset of this superb crime thriller from Ellory (The Anniversary Man), Det. Robert Miller, a veteran Washington, D.C., cop who doesn't have much of a life outside his job, arrives at the house of Catherine Sheridan, an attractive woman who's been badly beaten and strangled. Around her neck is a ribbon attached to a luggage tag, the hallmark of the Ribbon Killer, who's claimed three other female victims in the same upscale neighborhood over the past eight months. Bizarrely, Sheridan's murderer ordered pizza delivered, thus insuring that the corpse would be found right away. Meanwhile, in creepy first-person asides, someone using the alias John Robey reveals he knows a great deal about the crimes. As the case unfolds, the motive behind the murders gradually comes into focus, connecting with much larger political issues. Impressive prose and pacing, coupled with a grim, unflinching view of reality that James Ellroy would recognize, make this a must-read for noir fans."

No comments: