Booklist's starred review for KINGS OF MIDNIGHT

(Click for larger image)

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel on KINGS OF MIDNIGHT

Reviewer Carole Barrowman, writing for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, calls KINGS OF MIDNIGHT "terrific." Read the full review here.

Lawrence Block on KINGS OF MIDNIGHT

Legendary crime novelist Lawrence Block has a strict no-blurb policy, which he reiterated eloquently in a recent blog post. However, he's very active in social media and was kind enough to post this complimentary Tweet about KINGS OF MIDNIGHT last week:

@Lawrence Block
It would be hard to overpraise Kings of Midnight, the new book by @wallacestroby: http://tinyurl.com/85ee89w.

Of course, I'm a huge fan of Block's work, especially his Matt Scudder series, and have written about him a bit in the past. He's one of the seminal modern American crime writers. I was more than honored by the mention.

You can find Block on Facebook on his personal page and his fan page. And on Twitter as well (click on the links)

(Photo by Marc Yankus)

"Please, no more Wallace Stroby books"

Star-Ledger/New Jersey Online reviewer Vince Cosgrove offers this plea to his editor as the lead-in to a lovely review of KINGS OF MIDNIGHT.

Of felons and front-end loaders

Talking with veteran Philadelphia journalist and author Mary Walton about KINGS OF MIDNIGHT, Crissa Stone, ATMs and heavy equipment. You can find the link here.

Los Angeles Review of Books on KINGS OF MIDNIGHT

The Los Angeles Review of Books has a rave review of KINGS OF MIDNIGHT, written by Pulp Serenade's Cullen Gallagher:You can read the full review here.

Spinetingler Award nomination

COLD SHOT TO THE HEART finds itself in some good company on the Spinetingler Awards nominee list for Best Novel: Rising Star, along with Megan Abbott, Sara Gran, Craig McDonald and others. It's also a nominee in the Best Cover category. Winners will be chosen by a popular vote, and all are welcome to participate. You can vote here.

Upcoming events

Some events coming together for the upcoming release of KINGS OF MIDNIGHT April 10. More to come soon:

THURS. APRIL 12, 7 p.m.-9 p.m: NEPTUNE PUBLIC LIBRARY, 25 Neptune Blvd., Neptune, N.J.

SAT. APRIL 14, 11 a.m.: EDISON PUBLIC LIBRARY, 340 Plainfield Ave., Edison, N.J. Guest speaker, Liberty States Fiction Writers Group: "Good Bad Guys and Bad Good Guys: Learning to Love Your Characters."

THURS. APRIL 19, 6:30-8 p.m.: THE MYSTERIOUS BOOKSHOP, 58 Warren Street, New York, NY. (212) 587-1011. Official launch party for KINGS OF MIDNIGHT.

SAT. APRIL 21, 4:30-5:30: BOOK TOWNE, 171 Main St., Manasquan, N.J. (732) 722-7255.

THURS. MAY 3, 7 p.m.: MOONSTONE MYSTERY BOOKSTORE:, 12 Bloomfield Ave., Flemington, N.J. 08822. (908) 788-9094.

OCT. 4-7: BOUCHERCON 2012, Cleveland Marriott Renaissance, Cleveland, Ohio.

NOV. 8-11: NOIRCON 2012, Society Hill Playhouse, Philadelphia, Pa.

More to come soon

Shipping soon

KINGS OF MIDNIGHT, the second Crissa Stone novel, available now for pre-order in hardcover (35% off) and Kindle editions, as well as via Nook.

Goodfellas and greed

Six armed men. Eight million in unmarked bills. At the time, it was the largest cash robbery in American history. Over at the official KINGS OF MIDNIGHT page, you can watch the History Channel's excellent behind-the-scenes documentary about the 1978 Lufthansa Heist at JFK Airport, featuring interviews with principals on both sides of the law (that robbery looms large in the backstory of KINGS). "Like" the page for additional updates and exclusive content.

Above: The black Ford Econoline van used in the robbery, after it was recovered by police.

The other side of noir

This can't end well: A hardcore noir night, photo courtesy of Cullen Gallagher, writer, reviewer, crime fiction aficionado and master of the brilliant web sites Pulp Serenade and Fires on the Plain. (And check out the framed Chuck Norris picture in the background),

Download a free excerpt from KINGS OF MIDNIGHT

Over at the official Facebook page today, you can read and/or download an exclusive excerpt from Chapter One of KINGS OF MIDNIGHT. "Like" the page for more updates and exclusive content.

The official KINGS OF MIDNIGHT Facebook page

KINGS OF MIDNIGHT now has its own Facebook page, with exclusive content and regular updates and previews. Today, some rare archival photos from the actual Lufthansa robbery at JFK airport in 1978 that provides a backdrop to the novel (and feel free to "Like" the page while you're there, if indeed you do. It's a little lonely there right now).

The Man From Nowhere

This Korean movie from 2010 almost single-handedly restored my faith in Asian action films. A near-perfect melding of character development and stunning action sequences. Exciting and, at the same time, genuinely moving. Thanks to Jeff Wong for the recommendation (click on the "Full Screen" button for optimal viewing).

KINGS OF MIDNIGHT in New York magazine

New York Magazine includes KINGS OF MIDNIGHT in its Approval Matrix this week (click on image for larger size), right alongside Jeremy Lin and M.I.A.

Back to school

After many years, my alma mater is finally willing to acknowledge I went there once upon a time. The Rutgers Today website poses some questions to me about "How to Write a Crime Novel."

Publishers Weekly on KINGS OF MIDNIGHT

The first review of KINGS OF MIDNIGHT is in - from Publishers Weekly - and can be found here.
An excerpt: "As coolly efficient and professional as its heroine, this thriller evokes Donald Westlake’s Parker novels with lean storytelling that pauses only for meticulously detailed descriptions of criminals at work or in conflict."

Meeting Dutch

I'm not much of an autograph guy, but I'm inordinately pleased by this. One of my writing heroes, still going strong at 86. No other American crime novelist has had a career like his.

In the mail today ....

Coming soon from St. Martin's/Minotaur and available for pre-order now.

In Suspense

From the latest issue of Suspense Magazine:

COLD SHOT TO THE HEART by Wallace Stroby

Readers are introduced to an extremely strong lady by the name of Crissa Stone, who is working on building her retirement nest egg. Crissa is a criminal of the first degree and is ‘in demand’ for various robberies. The one thing she’s not interested in is bloodshed.

Crissa never works close to New York, to keep on her toes and ahead of the police by not working with the same people, and to plan her jobs very carefully. Crissa received this education from the man she loved who is now in jail. He will soon be free, so Crissa is doing absolutely everything she can to get money so they can go on a vacation. She needs something quick and lucrative and hears about an illegal card game with a huge amount of money on the table.

On the other side of the coin is Eddie Santiago, known to everyone in the world of crime as ‘Eddie the Saint.’ After spending five years in prison, he has been released and is upset. Eddie took the blame for a crime in order to save his boss, and now figures that the boss owes him. Unlike Crissa, Eddie wants to disappear with the cash and spend his retirement in a nice, balmy place where no one will ever bother him again, and doesn’t care how much blood must be shed in order to attain it.

The robbery goes bad when a member of Crissa’s crew shoots someone who knows Eddie’s boss. Eddie is persistent and knows he will get a larger payday if he can bring his boss the bad guys. What he doesn’t expect is Crissa’s relentlessness when it comes to keeping the cash.

Don’t expect “happily ever after” because it’s not going to happen. But readers who like stories that move super-fast, with characters that have the charm, wit, and skill to become imbedded in their minds long after the book has been read, will love this novel.

Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of “Tallent & Lowery - 13,” for Suspense Magazine