21 Reasons...

In the next couple of weeks I have a major newspaper reviewing Small Crimes, as well as some potential articles if the freelance writers I've been talking to get their articles accepted. With some downtime right now I'm just kind of fooling around and have put together my 21 reasons why you might want to read Small Crimes, because face it, there are a lot of terrific crime novels out there, and I think it's only fair that I make a case why readers should take a chance with mine. From feedback I've been getting from readers I'm pretty confident that if you like hardboiled noir than you're going to like Small Crimes, but still here's my list of 21 reasons--and in putting together these reasons I only pulled quotes from good reviews. Although all reviews so far (at least the ones I've seen) have been good to great, I'm not about to pull a quote out of a bad or mediocre review to mislead anyone. So here's my case for why if you're a fan of crime fiction you might want to indulge in some Small Crimes:

1) From Publisher’s Weekly’s starred review: "Zeltserman's breakthrough third crime novel deserves comparison with the best of James Ellroy"

2) Booklist also has good stuff to say about Small Crimes: "Small Crimes has plenty of crime, but obsession, hubris, and evil, pure and impure, are at the heart of this vivid noir."

3) Maybe you might want to find out why Ed Gorman thinks Small Crimes is one of the finest dark suspense novels he’s read in the past few years.

4) Same with why Bruce Grossman from Bookgasm feels that Small Crimes is a surefire contender for book of the year.

5) As does why Nathan Cain (who’s blog 'Independent Crime' reviewed Small Crimes) agrees with Bruce.

6) And then there’s the ending, the one which Bill Crider writes is both “stunning and surprising”.

7) Laura Wilson in her review for the Guardian, also calling it a "surprisingly bold ending"

8) David Connett for the Sunday Express agrees also, saying, “Denton is one of the best realised characters I have read in this genre, and the powerfully noir-ish, uncompromising plot, which truly keeps one guessing from page to page, culminates with a genuinely astonishing finale."

9) Thuglit also agrees, making Small Crimes one of their picks, and saying, “...the book ends with one of my favorite final lines in the history of the written word. But don’t skip to it, ya lazy bastid.”

10) Patrick Milliken from Poisoned Pen Bookstore agrees with Thuglit's choice, making Small Crimes one of his hardboiled picks.

11) Then there’s Marcel Berlins at the London Times saying, "Small Crimes is the kind of grim noir novel they used to write in the Thirties and Forties. There are no good guys, only men who are mean, vicious, tough, corrupt and amoral. Action is frenzied and bloody, women easy but vulnerable, dialogue curt and the plot not necessarily convincing. David Zeltserman serves up the formula with enthusiasm and some fine writing.”

12) And Cath Staincliffe over at Tangled Web saying, "The characterisation and mental torment are reminiscent of the insightful psychological thrillers of Jim Thompson. Stunning stuff."

13) And Crimespree Magazine calling Small Crimes a dark masterpiece.

14) And Barry Forshaw over at CrimeTime saying, “This loamy smorgasboard of salvation and revenge has both a violent and comic edge, marking Zeltserman as a name to watch."

15) And Damien Seaman at Shots Magazine saying about Small Crimes, "Not so much a highway to hell as a full-on rollercoaster ride."

16) And Ray Walsh in the Lansing State Journal saying, “Zeltserman masterfully controls the action, offering dark noir fiction in the best Jim Thompson tradition. This is ideal for lovers of tense suspense and violent action.”

17) And then there’s Dark Party Review saying, “That’s the secret to Zeltserman’s fascinating novel about small town corruption and the consequences that follow. Unlike many crime writers today addicted to glamorous, far-fetched shoot-outs, outrageously high-concept plots, and the superhero-like-antics of protagonists, Zeltserman mines the ordinary for the extraordinary...."

18) And Barnes and Noble on their Mystery & Crime page calling Small Crimes, "ultra-noir, funny, and shocking by turns"

19) And then there’s Amazon.com right now discounting new copies to $10.17

20) Small Crimes is being published by Serpent's Tail, one of the world's best independent publishers of crime fiction. I mean, come on, when has Serpent's Tail ever let you down?

21) And finally, Pariah is out in the UK this January, and if Whitey Bulger ends up reading it, there may not be too many more books coming from me…