HEAVEN'S A LIE on the Vodka O'Clock podcast

Thanks to Elizabeth Amber (aka AMBER UNMASKED) for having me as a guest on her Vodka O'Clock podcast. Got to talk about how HEAVEN'S A LIE came about, what shaped it along the way, and what was going on in my mind – and life – when I wrote (I also got to reuse one of my favorite Lawrence Block quotes, around the 38:43 mark).

You can listen to the podcast HERE.

Publisher's Weekly on HEAVEN'S A LIE

"Stroby will win new fans with this gripping tale of one determined woman’s battle against the odds." Publishers Weekly gives a Starred review to HEAVEN'S A LIE. You can read the full review here

Early praise for HEAVEN'S A LIE

My ninth novel, HEAVEN'S A LIE, will be published by Mulholland Books / Little, Brown & Co. April 9, 2021. It's a standalone suspense thriller set entirely at the Jersey Shore in the dead of winter. When a young widow witnesses a fiery car accident outside a Shore motel, she's suddenly thrust into a nightmare of gang violence, guns, and money that she can't outrun. You can find more info and pre-order links HERE.

In addition to that evocative cover, Mulholland has also gathered some kind words from early readers:

"A masterpiece. This is a honed razor of a thriller, a must for fans of No Country for Old Men, that poignantly captures the grit of everyday life in my home state." — Matthew Quirk, bestselling author of THE 500 and THE NIGHT AGENT

"I've been reading Wallace Stroby for years and he never disappoints."— Lawrence Block, bestselling author of the Matthew Scudder mysteries

"Tight, taut, and terrifying. In HEAVEN'S A LIE, the action blisters along at a furious pace." — Kathy Reichs, author of the bestselling Temperance Brennan Bones series
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"Tough and touching...Blue collar grit meets noir, then takes a wild turn down the finders-keepers crime alley.... HEAVEN'S A LIE has primal appeal, a perfect read in this wobbly world." — Joe R. Lansdale, author of Edgar Award-winning THE BOTTOMS and the Hap & Leonard series

"Wallace Stroby is one of the best writers in crime fiction, and he outdoes himself with HEAVEN'S A LIE. A lightning-paced noir tale with shatteringly tender moments, the book had me losing sleep as I rooted for tough, whip-smart, big-hearted Joette Harper— my favorite heroine in quite a while." — Alison Gaylin, internationally bestselling author of IF I DIE TONIGHT

"Vivid characters, nimble plotting, swift pacing, gritty, authentic dialogue, and startling action sequences. This one cements Stroby's place in the top rank of crime fiction writers." – Ted Tally, Oscar-winning acreenwriter of THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS.


"One of the finest suspense novels I have ever read ... (a) stunning talent." – Barry N. Malzberg, author of BEYOND APOLLO.


"Stroby always delivers." – writer/producer George Pelecanos

For all media contacts, Advance Reading Copies, etc., contact Shannon Hennessey at Little, Brown (Shannon.Hennessey@hbgusa.com).

In praise of proofreaders

From the final type corrections on my new novel SOME DIE NAMELESS, out in July from Mulholland Books and Mulholland U.K. This, folks, is why copy editors don't get paid enough.

SOME DIE NAMELESS

My new novel, SOME DIE NAMELESS, will be published by Mulholland Books/Little, Brown in July, with a simultaneous publication in the United Kingdom via Mulholland U.K.

From the jacket copy:

Ray Devlin is retired, living a simple life off the grid in Florida, when a visit from om an old colleague stirs some bad memories – and ends with a gunshot. Soon Devlin is forced to again face a past he'd hoped to leave behind, as a member of a mercenary force that helped put a brutal South American dictator into power.

Tracy Quinn is an investigative reporter at a struggling Philadelphia newspaper decimated by layoffs and cutbacks. Then one day what appears to be a straightforward homicide--a body left in an abandoned rowhouse – draws her and Devlin together, and ultimately enmeshes both in a conspiracy that stretches over twenty years and reaches to the highest levels of the U.S. government.

Before long, they're both the targets of a ruthless assassin haunted by his own wartime experiences. For Devlin, it could all mean a last shot at redemption. For Tracy, the biggest story of her career might just cost her life.

Pre-order links are already available here (pre-orders are increasingly important these days, especially with online retailers, as they help decide placement, promotion, press run and more.)

My dinner with the boys

I guest blog at the excellent Mulholland Books site today, talking about my 2008 dinner with some N.J. mobsters, and the genesis of COLD SHOT TO THE HEART.