We Are All In The Gutter, But Some Of Us Are Looking At The Stars

Off with yours truly this evening to the award-winning Gutter Bookshop in Temple Bar, where Brian McGilloway will be holding court and reading from his latest offering, LITTLE GIRL LOST, in the company of Sean Black, who may or may not be reading from his forthcoming tome, GRIDLOCK, which should be touching down at a shelf near you on August 4th. Should be a good evening, with perhaps a Pimms or two to follow, given that today is LITTLE GIRL LOST’s official publication date. If you’re around about Dublin this evening, Friday May 6th, wondering where all the Irish literary stars are hanging out, swing by the Gutter Bookshop around 6.30pm and we’ll give you directions.
  Incidentally, Brian - due to the magic of electronic recording devices and suchlike - will be interviewed by Sean Rocks on RTE’s Arena arts programme this evening. Clickety-click here at about 7.30pm for the Derryman’s dulcet tones …
  In other Irish crime fiction-related news, the very generous Michael Malone interviews yours truly over at his blog, May Contain Nuts. Sample Q&A:

Q: One of the many things in EIGHTBALL BOOGIE that fascinated me was Harry Rigby’s relationship with his psycho brother. Tell us where that came from.

A: “As with all the ostensibly bad guys in my books - Rossi in THE BIG O, Karlsson in ABSOLUTE ZERO COOL - I have a lot of sympathy for Gonzo, who is Harry’s brother in EIGHTBALL BOOGIE. He’s an exaggerated version of the milder kind of sociopath that people tend to meet in their lives - the bullying boss at work, the aggressive moron who lashes out at the end of the night after one too many beers, the passive-aggressive manipulator we’ve all met at some point in our lives. Gene Kerrigan makes the point that most criminals aren’t all that different to law-abiding citizens, they simply want to pay their mortgage off quicker, and are prepared to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals ...”

  For the rest, clickety-click here …
  Elsewhere, the estimable Peter Rozovsky of Detectives Beyond Borders fame reviewed Gerard O’Donovan’s PRIEST for the Philadelphia Inquirer last weekend. Peter being Peter, a straightforward review wouldn’t suffice, and so the novel is reviewed in the context of O’Donovan’s ambition, as quoted by Peter, to ‘put the crucifix back at the heart of Irish writing’. Which is an entirely admirable ambition, in my opinion, so long as said crucifix is being used as a stake in the heart of an Irish church that has abused the trust of its faithful by sheltering sexual deviants who preyed on vulnerable young children. But that’s just me. Anyway, you can find Peter’s review here …
  Finally, good news for The Artist Formerly Known As Colin Bateman: DR YES has been short-listed for the Crimefest ‘Last Laugh’ award, a gong that Bateman has taken home in the past. By which I mean, he has won it in the past, not that he snuck in and stole it and smuggled it back to Norn Iron. Anyway, the competition will be fierce this year: also shortlisted are Chris Ewan for THE GOOD THIEF’S GUIDE TO VEGAS, and the entirely bonkers OLD DOGS, by the lovely Donna Moore. Good luck to all concerned, and all the shortlists for the Crimefest weekend can be found here …