some news

A bunch of news to report

Fellow Boston area writer, Paul Tremblay (The Little Sleep, No Sleep Til Wonderland), and I will be traveling down to New York on Feb. 9th for a reading together at the Mysterious Bookshop. More information on this later.

podcast/audio versions of Small Crimes and Pariah are now available from Audible.

Fanucci Editore has just published Piccoli crimini (Small Crimes) in Italy, and will also be publishing Pariah.

German rights to Pariah and Killer have been sold to Pulp Master.

Julius Katz and Archie will live on! I've heard back from Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine that they'll be publishing my followup story, 'Archie's Been Framed!', which as the title suggests, everyone's favorite microchip hardboiled PI will be framed for murder!

Book release dates this year in the US:

Killer -- May 1st
The Caretaker of Lorne Field -- July 8th
Outsourced -- October 1st

And for some unofficial news, I've heard that the finishing touches are now be made on the Outsourced script and that they'll soon be going out for directors!

Pariah -- Boston Globe

Story of a Southie thug rises above crime noir in ‘Pariah’

Pariah received a strong review today in the Boston Globe

Pariah -- Kingdom Books

Beth Kanell over at the wonderful Kingdom Books in Vermont has posted a terrific review of Pariah over on their blog. Below is a sample from it:

"...you'll need to cruise the rest of this crazy, funny, amazing book at high speed. What Donald Westlake started with his caper novels, Zeltserman has dragged kicking and screaming -- and laughing -- into the 21st century. Boston is never going to look the same again."

My Ransom Note to the Op

Barnes & Noble is running these cool ransom notes on its site--short one page articles written by crime fiction writers on a wide range of subjects. They now have up my ransom note about why the Continental Op is my favorite character in crime fiction.

So who's your favorite and why?

Roger and Me, the sequel

Over on Crime Culture, author (Mixed Blood, Wake Up Dead) Roger Smith grills me on my books, crime fiction and other matters, and then I turn the tables on Roger.

A tip of the cap to Allan Guthrie for setting this up.

A review, and interview, and another best list

Book critic Chauncey Mabe reviews Pariah, where he says among other things:

Take Dave Zeltserman’s Pariah, an entry in what I think of as the Whitey Bulger sweepstakes. Fictions based on the fugitive Boston Irish mobster to date include George V. Higgins’ 2000 novel At the End of the Day and the Oscar-winning Martin Scorsese film The Departed. Zeltserman, writing in the pitch-black comic tradition of Jim Thompson or Charles Willeford, deserves to stand in such exalted company.

Fellow crime writer and all around good guy, Paul Brazill interviews me about Killer and other matters.

Finnish writer, editor and crime reader, Juri Nummelin, has Pariah topping his best reads of 2009.

A Sparkling Review for Killer

RobAroundBooks offers a sparkling review for Killer, where he summarizes his review as follows:

In a Nutshell: Superbly written with a real twist in the tale, Killer is a novel which will appeal to lovers of crime fiction and the general readers alike. As a reader who usually ‘crosses the road’ to get away from crime fiction, Zeltserman has single-handedly convinced me that I should rethink my long-established custom of shying away from the genre.

Killer reviewed by the Aberdeen Press and Journal

The Scottish newspaper, The Aberdeen Press and Journal, gave Killer a terrific review this past Satuday, summarizing the book as follows:

"With graphic imagery and exciting twists, this novel is impossible to put down and has a surprising ending. A brilliant read."

Killer reviewed by The Drowning Pool

"To put it simply, Killer is a brilliant character study that will rip the literary rug right out from under the reader's tightly-curled toes."

You can read Corey Wilde's eloquent and thoughtful review of Killer here.

Thanks are in order!

I'd like to thank every reader, critic and book reviewer who took the time to read Pariah. I know there's a ton of choices out there and I'm very grateful when a reader is willing to give one of my books a try. It's gratifying as a writer when your book connects strongly with a reader, and it was extremely gratifying to see Pariah make these best book lists:

Washington Post Best Books of 2009, saying, 'A doozy of a doom-laden crime story that not only makes merry with the justice system but also satirizes the publishing industry."

Barnes & Noble Review Best Books of 2009 Notable

Bookgasm's best crime novel of 2009, with Bruce Grossman saying, 'Taking the top spot for the second year in a row is Zeltserman, in the follow-up to last year’s SMALL CRIMES. To say this surpassed that is an understatement. It’s a great ride from a writer who is truly becoming the crime voice of Boston. Screw you, Lehane.'

Independent Crime's Best Books of 2009, with Nathan Cain saying, 'Pariah, was great. It was pretty much perfect in every respect. You can't ask for more than perfection, can you?'

Book Critic Chauncey Mabe's Best Books of 2009 and Best Crime Novels of 2009, saying of Pariah, 'Twisted, propulsive and hilarious'

Crime Thriller Writer Roger Smith's Best Five Crime Novels of 2009

Vince Keenan's Best Books of 2009

Lazy Thoughts from a Boomer, Best of 2009--both Pariah and Small Crimes

Hard Feelings, with David Szulkin making Pariah his crime novel pick of the year.

BSC Review, with Pariah making Keith Rawson's Top 10 crime novels, saying, 'Darker than dark and grittier than a mouthful of graveyard dirt, Pariah is Zeltserman’s strongest novel to date and is so much more than a simple gangster novel. Pariah is a true page turner that solidifies Zeltserman’s position as one of the very best novelists working today.'

Also at BSC Review, with Pariah making the Nerd of Noir's Top 10, saying, 'With Small Crimes and now Pariah, Dave Zeltserman is shaping up as one of the most fearless writers in crime fiction. Reading Pariah, the reader gets that glorious, horrifying sensation that literally fucking anything could happen. By the time you get to the fuck-the-world finale, it’s clear that Zeltserman could give a shit about playing by the rules.'

And Killer, while not out until next year, still making Paul Brazill's Best Crime Fiction of 2009 list.