Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Me And Bobby McCue

Busted flat in Baton Rouge / Headed for the train / Feeling nearly faded as my jeans …” Bobby McCue (right, in back behind Sarah Chen, Michael Haskins and Linda Brown) of The Mystery Bookstore in LA does our humble offering THE BIG O proud, choosing it as his ‘other favourite’ in this month’s Mystery Bookstore newsletter, with the gist running thusly: “Another Irish writer new to American readers, Declan Burke is drawing comparisons to Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen.” Which is nice.
  Mind you, it’d be even nicer if THE BIG O was his actual favourite, rather than his ‘other’ favourite. His actual favourite? Brian McGilloway’s “terrific debut”, BORDERLANDS. Which would be a stone-cold bummer if yon McGilloway wasn’t as nice a bloke as you could meet. But he is, so it’s not. Brian? Tell Tanya we were asking for her.
  Anyhoos, it’s three cheers, two stools and a resounding huzzah for Bobby McCue. All together now: “Feeling good was easy, Lord / When Bobby sang the blues / And feeling good was good enough for me / Good enough for me and Bobby McCue …”

6 comments:

  1. Bobby McCue looks an awful -- ok, wrong word -- a great deal like Bobby Crais. So...is he single?

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  2. Nice one. May the kudos continue to roll in.

    gb

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  3. Hi Dec

    I'm delighted to be in such good company! T's fine, thanks - no news yet. Hope Sunday went well.

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  4. Bobby is single, but in real life he bears a closer resemblance to cyclist Lance Armstrong. Ladies, he likes Guinness and beach volleyball...

    Clair

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  5. Clair - like, who doesn't like Guinness and beach volleyball? Cheers, Dec

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  6. Declan,

    Here's the pic of Bobby you were looking for--the other is of Mr. Crais:

    http://bp3.blogger.com/_BMy2iRUsJ08/RjLVQA4_LRI/AAAAAAAAAFA/5Zp9eCMTfSk/s1600-h/Blog4.jpg

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Declan Burke has published a number of novels, the most recent of which is ABSOLUTE ZERO COOL. As a journalist and critic, he writes and broadcasts on books and film for a variety of media outlets, including the Irish Times, RTE, the Irish Examiner and the Sunday Independent. He has an unfortunate habit of speaking about himself in the third person. All views expressed here are his own and are very likely to be contrary.