Showing posts with label a simple act of violence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label a simple act of violence. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

New Paperbacks from Overlook

Readers, start your engines. With summer weather in full swing and July 4th just around the corner, there's no better time than the present to stock up on the latest paperbacks from Overlook. This month brings four new page turners for your beach reading pleasure, ranging from the "sympathetic and compelling" (Cleveland Plain Dealer) novel of a young woman's family secrets in Julie Drew's Daughter of Providence to R.J. Ellory's award-winning CIA thriller A Simple Act of Violence.

Daughter of Providence
Julie Drew
On Sale: 6/26/2012

Julie Drew's extraordinary novel is a breakthrough work in the tradition of Richard Russo and Annie Proulx. Summer, 1934: Anne Dodge, raised by her old-money father in a small Rhode Island coastal town, has always been told that her mother abandoned them. But then Anne learns that she has a half- sister, Maria Cristinaand when Maria Cristina comes to live with Anne and her father, ugly truths begin to surface about the family. Within a context of jazz, the end of Prohibition, and stifling gender expectations, Daughter of Providence is a gripping and seductive summer read. This story of loss and rediscovery will resonate with readers long after the final page. 

"Haunting, mesmerizing ... this atmospheric and compelling historical tale will surely sweep the reader into the past." Library Journal

R.J. Ellory
On Sale: 6/26/2012

R. J. Ellory's latest paperback is his most timely, menacing serial killer novel yet, and a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. As in his globally acclaimed A Quiet Belief in Angels, it is a stunning work of suspense guaranteed to keep the reader awake at night. Set in Washington, embroiled in elections, it follows Detective Robert Miller as he is assigned to an unsettling murder case. He finds a serious complication: the victims do not officially exist. Their personal details do not register on any known systems. And as Miller unearths ever more disturbing facts, he starts to face truths about the corrupt world he lives intruths so far removed from his own reality that he begins to fear for his life. As CrimeSquad described it, "This is a book with everything that a fan of modern mystery fiction could hope for: a labyrinthine plot, unbearable tension, controversy, and a social conscience."  

"Conspiracy buffs will have a field day." Kirkus Reviews

Max Frei
On Sale: 6/26/2012 

The Labyrinths of Echo seriesthe adventures of Max, who was once a loser but discovers a new worldhas been an international literary sensation since its debut. In this second installment, Sir Max is still a hardened smoker, an uncomplicated glutton, and a loafer, but once again, he gets lucky. He travels to the parallel world of Echo, where magic is commonplace and where he fits right in. Plunging back into the astounding and absurd realm first portrayed in The Stranger (Fandomania.com's #1 Book of 2009), this is a sequel of addictive power, blending fantasy, horror, philosophy, and comedy. Readers will welcome this "utterly original" (Bookslut) volume of the new adventures and misadventures of Sir Max in this enchanting world. 

"The Stranger's Woes served up exactly what I was craving for ... another wildly imaginative and entertaining entry in The Labyrinths of Echo." Fantasy Book Critic

Gerald Seymour
On Sale: 6/26/2012

A young man starts a journey from a village in Saudi Arabia. If his mission succeeds, he will die a martyr—and many innocents will die with him. Meanwhile, a London protection officer begins to realize that one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. The suicide bomber and the policeman will have equal cause to question the roads they've chosen. The Walking Dead is a breathtakingly suspenseful thriller about the world in which we live, with all its dangers and complexities. With intelligence and deep understanding, Seymour—"the best spy novelist ever" (The Philadelphia Inquirer)—shows us the choices we are forced to make, and their consequences. 

"The three British masters of suspense, Graham Greene, Eric Ambler, and John le Carré, have been joined by a fourth—Gerald Seymour." The New York Times
 

Thursday, December 22, 2011

On the eleventh day of Christmas, Overlook Press gave to me …

“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas just like the ones I used to know. Where the tree tops glisten, and children listen to hear sleigh bells in the snow.” – “White Christmas” by Irving Berlin

Between this week’s unseasonal warmth in the New York metro area and an unfavorable outlook for snow over the holiday weekend, it seems unlikely that any NYC-based Overlookers will be enjoying a white Christmas this year. After last December’s onslaught of extreme winter weather we’ll be grateful to skip the endless shoveling and travel delays, but as the days slowly begin to grow longer after last night’s winter solstice, we’re all secretly craving Central Park sledding and snowball fights.

Whatever the weather may bring this weekend, the 12 Days of Overlook Christmas must go on. With only two days of literary gift-giving remaining, we’ve already handed out ten prize packs containing sets of books by Charles Portis, Milton Glaser, Eva Zeisel, Kate Colquhoun, Carrie Hagen, Peter Quinn, John Avlon, Jesse Angelo, Errol Louis, Juan Luis Cebrián, Alan Cowell, Robert Forbes, Walter Brooks, Paul Lichter, King Adz, Allan Tannenbaum, Mervyn Peake, Maeve Gilmore, Charles Dickens, David Bercuson, Holger Herwig, P.G. Wodehouse, Eoin Colfer, Jim Nisbet, and Charles McCarry (whew). Today we add to that esteemed list one of our most cherished writers of crime fiction and noir, R.J. Ellory, whose three previous Overlook novels A Quiet Belief in Angels, The Anniversary Man, and A Simple Act of Violence, as well as his forthcoming A Quiet Vendetta will all be given away to one lucky winner. Congratulations to Petite, who nabbed yesterday’s suspense and comic noir compilation, and remember to continue sending comments and tweets to enter today’s contest.

What do a kidnapped governor’s daughter, a secret government cover-up, a serial killer from New Jersey, and a group of adolescent vigilante guardians have in common? They’re all subjects found between the pages of R.J. Ellory’s award winning mysteries and thrillers. Of Ellory’s work, commercial heavyweight James Patterson said, “There aren’t nearly enough beautifully written novels that are also great mysteries. Like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Smilla’s Sense of Snow, A Quiet Belief in Angels is one of them.” If you’re looking for something to do this weekend besides open gifts, skip the Fincher flick and cozy up to one of Ellory’s psychological page turners.

A Quiet Vendetta (coming in 2012) begins with a seemingly straightforward crime: the New Orleans kidnapping of Catherine Ducane. The police quickly react, expecting the usual demands of a ransom for her recovery, but when the mutilated remains of her bodyguard are discovered and her kidnapper finally calls, it’s not money he’s asking for, but instead a private audience to tell the shocking story of his own dark past. Ringing with truth and containing an epic history of the Italian mafia in America, it’s a must have for mystery fans.

A Simple Act of Violence is a panoramic novel about the covert activities of the CIA during the war in Nicaragua, the illegal trafficking of cocaine from Managua to Miami in CIA-chartered aircrafts, and the activities of known criminals given carte blanche and exemption from prosecution by the US intelligence community—all set against the backdrop of contemporary Washington. Perfect for the conspiracy theory enthusiast.

A riveting thriller set in New York City, The Anniversary Man may well be the ultimate serial killer novel, chronicling the case of a deranged but highly intelligent murderer who kills on the anniversary dates of famous crimes from the past. A mesmerizing mystery and an ideal gift for fans of the serial killer thriller.

Set in the small, rural community of Augusta Falls, Georgia A Quiet Belief in Angels tells the story of twelve-year-old Joseph Vaughan as he learns of the brutal assault and murder of a young girl—a classmate he knew better than anyone else and quietly loved. The murder is the first in a series of killings that plague his community over the next decade. Compelled by fear and duty, Joesph gather a group of friends to form “The Guardians,” who vow to watch over the young girls of Augusta Falls. But the murderer evades them and they watch helplessly as one child after another is taken.

Don't forget, there are three ways to enter. Good luck and happy holidays!

1. Comment on this post

2. Tweet at us using the hashtag #OverlookChristmas

3. Leave a comment on our Facebook page

You can enter once in each area until 8 AM tomorrow morning, and we will be announcing a winner in Monday’s post. After all entries are received, we choose a winner using random.org. Please leave an email address when entering so we can contact you if you’ve won.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

R.J. Ellory's A SIMPLE ACT OF VIOLENCE On Sale This Week

R.J. Ellory's A Simple Act of Violence, his third novel published in America by The Overlook Press, will go on sale this Thursday, June 2. Nominated for a Barry Award and winner of the 2010 Theakston’s Prize for Best Crime Novel of the Year in the U.K., A Simple Act of Violence is an explosive and soaring new novel.

And the praise is pouring in:

“Ellory is back with an amazing new novel. It’s not only a mystery with enough plot twists to keep the most jaded fan of the genre guessing, it’s also a high-speed car chase of a thriller. This is a superbly entertaining book and one that will endure in the reader’s thoughts long after the last page turns. After several fine novels, it’s high time R.J. Ellory takes his rightful place on crime fiction’s A-list. - Booklist (starred review)

“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.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)


"Although R.J. Ellory's A Simple Act of Violence is set in Washington, D.C., just a few years ago, it really concerns the battles of an earlier era. A series of brutal murders draws a homicide detective into a shadow world involving a secret government agency, numerous federal and civic officials, and a scheme to hide acts tied to U.S. involvement in Nicaragua in the 1980s. A police procedural thus shape-shifts into a conspiracy thriller and a historical exposé. . . There are powerful scenes and vivid images in A Simple Act of Violence, which begs comparison with the work of such writers as Charles McCarry and Richard Condon." - The Wall Street Journal

"A Simple Act of Violence is a masterful exercise in suspense that keeps unfolding and taking the reader to unexpected places. This one will keep you up late reading, and then you won't sleep." – John Lutz

"There is something for everyone in A Simple Act of Violence, although the less sophisticated and uninformed readers in the realm of historical politics may tend to get lost in the backstory. That aside, this crime thriller will delight the palate of lovers of political intrigue in international venues, events that ring of historical truth, bringing the action closer to the realm of real life." - New York Journal of Books

Roger Ellory talks about A Simple Act of Violence, his background, and the writing life in an interview with Dean Murphy on The Big Thrill, the website of the Internationatal Thriller Writers Association.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

"It’s high time Ellory takes his rightful place on crime fiction’s A-list."


We love the entire R.J. Ellory ouvre, but we're especially thrilled to see Booklist award a glowing (and starred!) review to his upcoming thriller A SIMPLE ACT OF VIOLENCE. Stay tuned for information on his U.S. appearances!

BOOKLIST
Issue: May 1, 2011
A Simple Act of Violence (starred review) Ellory, R. J. (Author)
Jun 2011. 464 p. Overlook, hardcover, $24.95. (9781590203187).

Ellory (author of Strand magazine’s Thriller of the Year winner, A Quiet Belief in Angels, 2009) is back with an amazing new novel. It’s not only a mystery with enough plot twists to keep the most jaded fan of the genre guessing, it’s also a high-speed car chase of a thriller. The bones of the book are structured around the well-reported CIA/Reagan/Bush complicity in skimming money from the cocaine trade to build the infamous drugs-for-guns bridge that supported contra intervention in Nicaragua.

Launching from a seeming “simple act of violence,” Ellory lures the reader into a Machiavellian tapestry of international proportions. The premise is deceptively simple: two Washington, D.C., beat cops are assigned to a series of murder cases that appear to be the usual and customary work of a psychopathic serial killer. However, the further they get into the case, the stranger the possibilities become. Many writers who attempt to construct a novel with levels of geopolitical intrigue found here wind up producing a string of lame polemics or, even worse, a conspiracy-theory rant. It’s a tribute to Ellory’s mastery of his craft to note that he avoids these pitfalls completely.

This is a superbly entertaining book and one that will endure in the reader’s thoughts long after the last page turns. After several fine novels, it’s high time Ellory takes his rightful place on crime fiction’s A-list.

Friday, November 12, 2010

R.J. Ellory in the FINANCIAL TIMES

One of our favorite authors, R.J. Ellory, was recently profiled in the Financial Times. A few of our favorite parts are below.


Watch for his CIA thriller A SIMPLE ACT OF VIOLENCE coming this summer from The Overlook Press! Below, a few of our favorite excerpts from his Q&A with the FT. Go here to read it all!

Roger Jon Ellory began writing in 1987, producing 22 novels in six years, but he remained unpublished until he returned to writing in 2001. The first of his eight thrillers, Candlemoth, was published in 2003. A Quiet Belief in Angels (2006) has been translated into 23 languages and several of his books have been shortlisted for Crime Writers Association awards. Born in Birmingham in 1965, Ellory lives in the West Midlands with his wife and son.

What book changed your life?

The Shining by Stephen King. When I was 13 and quarantined for chicken pox in my school dormitory, I would hear the footsteps of nurses in the corridor and by the time I’d got to the door to look, there was nobody there. I realised then the power of fiction.

...

Who are your literary influences?

I read as many writers as possible who make me feel embarrassed about how clumsy my words are: Steinbeck, Faulkner, Hemingway, Capote, Cormac McCarthy, Annie Proulx.

....

Who would you like to be stuck in a lift with?

Phillip Seymour Hoffman, John Steinbeck, Charlie Chaplin, Arthur Conan Doyle, Audrey Hepburn and Elvis.