Friday's Forgotten Books, June 5, 2015

Congratulations to our own B.V. Lawson for being nominated for a SHAMUS for her novel, PLAYED TO DEATH. 


(From the archives)

Not exactly a forgotten book since C.J. Box's BLUE HEAVEN won the Edgar in 2009. But I have been meaning to read it and since I did, here is my review. This is a masterful book that manages to tell a fairly complex story in a completely lucid way. There is no fat in the story. It takes place over 48 hours and you can feel those hours ticking by at breakneck speed.
Two kids in northern Idaho watch the murder of a man, see that they've been spotted and are immediately on the run. They are lucky enough to find themselves in the barn of Jess Rawlins, a rancher who is one of the few good men left in his neck of the woods. He is also a hardluck guy who has lost almost everything. But Jess must hide the kids, figure out if their story is true, and determine just who the murderers are and why. Can he trust that what they think they saw really happened. And is it fair to keep the kids away from their worrying mother.
Blue Heaven is a term for the part of northern Idaho that is now a haven for ex-policeman. And some of those ex-policemen have taken over Jess's town for their own purposes. The is an exciting read and a nice introduction to this part of the country. Not a false step in the story and Box creates great villains and great heroes. Not an easy thing to do.

Sergio Angelini, CALYPSO, Ed McBain
Yvette Banek, THE OPEN HOUSE, Michael Innes
Mark Baker, A IS FOR ALIBI, Sue Grafton
Joe Barone, SIX AND A HALF DEADLY SINS, Colin Cotterill
Les Blatt, MRS.PYM DISPOSES, Josephine Tey
Brian Busby, THE UNREASONING HEART, Constance Bereford-How
Bill Crider, CAST A YELLOW SHADOW, Ross Thomas
Martin Edward, THE TREMOR OF FORGERY, Patricia Highsmith
Curt Evans, THE LISTENING HOUSE, Mabel Seeley
Ed Gorman. ROBERT MITCHUM: BABY, I DON'T CARE, Lee Server
Charles Gramlich, TOR'S DOUBLE NOVEL #8 Hamilton and Brackett
John Hegenberger, TROUBLE AT THE TRIPLE R, Walt Disney's SPIN AND MARY
Rick Horton, BLACK PLUMES, Margery Allingham
Jerry House, WT 50 AND WEIRD TALES, Robert Weinberg
Randy Johnson, TRAP FOR BUCHANAN, Jonas Ward
George Kelley, THE INCOMPEAT NIFFT, Michael Shea
Margot Kinberg, THE WATER RAT OF WANCHAI, Ian Hamilton
Rob Kitchin, A FINE DARK LINE, Joe Lansdale
B.V. Lawson, DEATH WATCH, Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Evan Lewis, MEDICINE SHOW, Bill Crider
Steve Lewis/Dan Stumpf, DIE DAMN YOU, Paul Durst
Todd Mason, HORROR AND FANTASY ANNUALS, 1992
J.F. Norris, WHO KILLED THE PIE MAN, Phillips Lorre
James Reasoner, THE IRON HORSE, William Grant ( James Reasoner)
Richard Robinson, A NUN IN THE CLOSET, Dorothy Gilman
Kevin Tipple/Barry Egang, BEWARE THE CURVES, A.A. Fair
TomCat, DEAD MAN'S QUARRY, Ianthe Jerrold
TracyK, RIDE THE PINK HORSE, Dorothy Hughes