KN Magazine: Reviews
"The Girl In Berlin" by Elizabeth Wilson / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
Today’s Killer Nashville Featured Books take me around the world, but they all have two things common: non-stip suspense and brains.
Class differences are once again at play in “The Girl from Berlin,” the third novel set in the 1950s from spy writer Elizabeth Wilson. There is Communist paranoia everywhere, along with defections, and then murder. As one would expect in a tale of espionage, characters are not what they seem. Paranoia will haunt you as you try to make sense of who you can and cannot trust, not only on an international level, but also personal. Be careful of Wilson’s misdirection; she’ll lead you away. This is the third novel from Wilson set in the same 1950s timeframe involving duplicitous characters playing various major and minor roles as the series unfolds.
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an Author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com), business owner (www.AmericanBlackguard.com), and founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com) with over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print in over 14 languages. Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.JefferyDeaverXOMusic.com). Publishers Weekly has named Stafford one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13)
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Killer's Art" by Mari Jungstedt / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
"Killer's Art" by Jari Jungsteadt
Today’s Killer Nashville Featured Books take me around the world, but they all have two things in common: non-stop suspense and brains.
“Killer’s Art” comes to us from one of Sweden’s most popular crime fiction writers Mari Jungstedt. The theft of a painting and the battered and naked body of an art dealer set this mystery in order. This well-crafted police procedural is the fourth in the series and features ongoing characters police superintendent Anders Knutas and reporter Johan Berg and takes place on a Martha’s Vineyard-type island on the Baltic Sea called Gotland where we see the contrast between the glittering art world and the shadowy, savage Gehenna underground surrounding it. As usual with Jungstedt’s books, this is a thriller that will make you care about the characters as you explore those from different economic and erudite worlds.
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford
- Clay Stafford is an Author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com), business owner (www.AmericanBlackguard.com), and founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com) with over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print in over 14 languages. Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.JefferyDeaverXOMusic.com). Publishers Weekly has named Stafford one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13)
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Roots: The Saga of an American Family" by Alex Haley / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
Like most of Americans in the 1970s, I was riveted to the mini-series “Roots.” Also probably like most Americans, I had never read the book even though “Roots” by Alex Haley had won the Pulitzer Prize. That changed last night.
I finished “Roots,” all 688 pages in my hardcover version, though some editions go over 899. I was blown away. Comparing my memories of the mini-series (of which, frankly, there have never been any better unless it was arguably “The Thornbirds” or “Winds of War”), the filmed version (which had 37 Emmy Award nominations – winning nine – among others) does little justice to the novel itself. Translated: the book is better. That should tell you how good the book is.
Getting the controversy aside: There were charges and settlements of plagiarism along with accusations of sloppy and untraceable research against Haley following publication. I’m including this not as a muckraker, but – if I don’t – someone will post this background in the comments section for me as if the rest of us didn’t know and the questionable accusations unto themselves could be accepted as fact. Long story short, it may have been a research assistant’s error without proper attribution (who knows). Such things have happened with no knowledge of the writer. This matter was settled out of court, which means someone made a deal and we’re not really sure what that deal was. I take plagiarism and false claims seriously – as do most – which is why most people now consider this book to be a book of fiction versus a biography or nonfiction. I think it an unfortunate black eye.
After reading “Roots,” there were sections I would like to have had more of. I would like to have known what happened to certain characters (black and white) after the narrative moved beyond them. As I read (and this was before I knew of the legal controversies), I wondered that if this information was taken from census polls and public records, why didn’t Haley include what happened to certain individuals after the narrative left them? For the whites, those records would continue to show where they had lived. For the blacks, it would continue to show who owned them or where they were after their freedom. I would have even been happy with the “oh, by the ways” at the end of the book in a wrap-up section if Haley felt that including what happened to these characters in the narrative was disruptive. Didn’t Haley want to know what eventually happened to Kunta Kinte? Last I read of him, he was running after a wagon. What happened to these individuals up to their deaths would be just as easy to discover as what was included about them in their lives. After noting the controversy, it made me wonder – as did others – about the validity of the research. That being the case, we have to look at this (unfortunately like many biographies of today) as a work of fiction.
Let’s make this Elephant-in-the-Living-Room other point over genealogy, as well, and the reason that most of us who aren’t members of the Whatever Whatevers of Some Revolution find those people who view ancestry research as a given fact rather amusing: Not every child is who their mothers say their fathers are. I personally take birth certificates with a grain of salt. Give me blood tests and now DNA, of which you saw little in the 1800 and 1700’s. Nothing to do with genealogy could be anything more than speculative to begin with. ‘Nough said.
So, looking at “Roots” by Alex Haley as a work of fiction…
This book was incredible. It completely opened my eyes on these savage blacks that Europeans rescued from the forests of Africa to bring out of the jungles and try to civilize (isn’t that the misconception). Frankly, I knew of slaves, but never really thought about slaves. Or examined slavery in my own heart or compared it to something in my own experience. I imagine most don’t, including those who say they really do. There is nothing in my life to compare it to. What this book showed me and made me empathize with was a proud and religious people who were taken (as was custom in that part of the world, not just by Europeans, but by other black African tribes and nations, as well) from their homes and families and transported cold-heartedly (in the case of European history) to an unknown world where their pasts, traditions, and sense of who they were was completely denied and suppressed. It showed me a representative story of representative characters who sought nothing more than to just have the choice to walk across a street if they wanted to without having to have a written pass from the massa in order to do it. It showed me the dignity of a previously proud and moral character forced to live in squalor and filth because those who owned him (not putting it in italics because at the time they did own him, just as they might have owned a horse or chicken) viewed him as something less than human. I read “Roots.” I was engrossed in “Roots.” I went to sleep thinking about “Roots.” It is easy to say one is against slavery – which I and most are – but it is another to feel the vileness of it, the indignity of it, the shame of it. I lost sleep over it. Frankly, the treatment of these people made me sick.
To my knowledge, none of my ancestors owned slaves. As far as I know, we were the po’ white crackers the slaves made fun of in the book. But it made me wonder. What is back there in my past? Though I know the skeptic in me will always view my family tree as a work of fiction, it might be worth the contemplation. As abhorrent as I have always viewed slavery, this book actually made me feel it. What else is back there that may shake me to the core?
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is a husband, father, author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com), business owner (www.AmericanBlackguard.com), and founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com) with over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print in over 14 languages. Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.JefferyDeaverXOMusic.com). Publishers Weekly has named Stafford one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13)
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"SNAFU" by Glen C. Allison / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
For years I have been a friend of Glen C. Allison; now, I’m a fan.
Glen has created an incredible series with New Orleans bodyguard Al Forte, a former Navy SEAL. The action continues in SNAFU, the third installment in the series.
I’m a little mousey, mousey, mousey.
How can you not like a man who rescues children? In this case, Forte is asked to find the child of the man who murdered his wife and what he finds is a plot so thick that it goes all the way back to tying the hands of the governor of Louisiana.
Everyone loves New Orleans – ghost stories, old history, gothic architecture, unusual people, water, darkness, smoky rooms – and “Forte” creates a sense of this place. A few times I felt smothered and thought I might need to step outside on the back porch to get some fresh air.
Following the first two novels in the series, SNAFU delves deeper into Forte’s troubled past and bruised psyche. Forte is messed up, but he tries hard to make it right. He’s a hero, but I think there is more. Forte is not cowardly, but jumps into situations, even to the point of making me think he is sometimes on a suicide mission, which – considering his past – could very well be the case. But he doesn’t act alone. Forte works with a great team. I love the characters. The cast is there because what they are doing is important to them, not because they are working a job or filling an author’s function. What they are hoping to achieve is worth dying for.
I’m a little mousey, mousey, mousey.
Running through the housey, housey, housey.
SNAFU is anything but predictable including a most unexpected ending; yet, there was no other way to end it. Some of it reminds me of a Western with the troubled hero riding off into the sunset at the end. Only, in this case, the man has yellow eyes. No doubt, he’ll be back.
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is a husband, father, author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com), business owner (www.AmericanBlackguard.com), and founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com) with over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print in over 14 languages. Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.JefferyDeaverXOMusic.com). Publishers Weekly has named Stafford one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13)
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"A Killing At Cotton Hill" by Terry Shames / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
A retired chief of police is pulled into the investigation of an old friend in a Texas small town in A Killing at Cotton Hill, a debut novel you won’t want to miss.
This review for A Killing at Cotton Hill by Terry Shames has a special meaning to me: the manuscript was a finalist for 2010’s Killer Nashville’s Claymore Award (www.claymoreaward.com). In Terry’s words: “I got a two-book contract for my Texas mystery series. BOTH of them were finalists for the Claymore Award. The first, The Art of Murder (now A Killing At Cotton Hill), was a finalist two years ago. Shortly after the announcement I got an agent I really wanted.” Killer Nashville (www.killernashville.com) does get results and here is the proof.
Samuel Craddock is the former chief of police in the small town of Jarrett Creek, Texas where the current chief of police doubles as the town drunk. When a murder is committed, it is not the real chief of police who is contacted to solve the crime, but Craddock. This launches a whole new mystery series involving this tough and irascible, but all heart ex-cop.
This is a mystery in the traditional sense. It is a small town, yet there are numerous unforgettable characters who would have every reason to kill the woman in question, an old friend of Craddock’s. In solving the crime, Craddock exposes the very real characters of Jarrett Creek, which serves as a great literary device for revealing the setting. Interestingly enough, this is a personal novel for Shames; the character of Samuel Craddock is based loosely upon her maternal grandfather who served the town he lived in off-the-books long after his term of mayor had ended.
Out of hundreds of manuscripts at the 2010 Claymore Awards, this manuscript rose to the top. And out of all the books on your shelves, this will be one of your favorites.
I am so proud of Terry Shames and what is yet to come. This is a great time to discover a new author. One of the backstories I love about this manuscript is that Terry wrote it while floating around on her catamaran. Now that’s the life. Forget Key West and the five-toed cats.
I look forward to many other books from Terry Shames and Seventh Street Books. Terry is a success story, but more than that, she’s a great storyteller and a wonderful lady. Her next book, The Last Death of Jack Harbin, is scheduled to be released January 2014. I can hardly wait.
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is a husband, father, author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com), business owner (www.AmericanBlackguard.com), and founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com) with over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print in over 14 languages. Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.JefferyDeaverXOMusic.com). Publishers Weekly has named Stafford one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13)
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Theodore Boone: The Accused" by John Grisham / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
A young wannabe lawyer finds himself on the wrong side of the law in “Theodore Boone: The Accused” by John Grisham. Read my review.
I grew up reading John Grisham books. Now my son has the same opportunity. We read this one together.
Theodore Boone is the son of two attorneys. He wants to be an attorney when he grows up. And, though he is still a kid, he is already practicing law amongst his friends and even representing llamas in court. In this third installment of this Young Adult series, John Grisham trumps Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. My son and I have read the first three books and we can’t wait to read the fourth. My son can’t get enough of it and neither can the other kids at his school. The library can’t keep the several copies there in stock.
In “Theodore Boone: The Accused,” young Boone finds himself on the wrong side of the law. He gets to feel what it is like to be suspected by the police and, since they are convinced that he has committed the crime, it is up to him and his disbarred Bob Dylan-humming uncle to clear Theodore’s name before it is too late.
What I love first about the series is that you can’t put it down. Secondarily, it teaches legal process to kids in a truthful and fair way. By fair, in this installment, the police who are normally the good guys are characterized as two jerks, my son’s opinion. It’s a good lesson that just because the newspapers say someone is arrested does not mean that they are guilty and sometimes detectives want credit for wrapping up a case greater than they want delayed justice. Just because someone is in uniform doesn’t make them the good guy. (My son and I kept waiting for the detectives to officially apologize for falsely maligning Theodore, but it never came. That’s when my son decided they were jerks.)
John Grisham has made a career out of the legal mystery. In fact, some say he created the genre. I believe, when we are long gone, that what Grisham will be remembered for is Theodore Boone and creating a whole new generation of avid readers. I’ve seen it in my son. I’ve seen it in the other kids at my son’s school. I’ve seen it in myself. These books are hot and, like a Disney film, they transcend numerous generations. My opinion? Theodore Boone is Grisham’s best.
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is a husband, father, author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com), business owner (www.AmericanBlackguard.com), and founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com) with over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print in over 14 languages. Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.JefferyDeaverXOMusic.com). Publishers Weekly has named Stafford one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13)
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Until She Comes Home" by Lori Roy / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
A murder and disappearance destroy the essence of a once-respectable neighborhood in "Until She Comes Home" by Lori Roy.
Until She Comes Home by Lori Roy
Winning an Edgar for your first novel is a hard setup for your second one. It better be good. Lori Roy, author of her Edgar Award-winning debut novel, Bent Road, does not disappoint. This is a spellbinding suspense novel in which a pair of seemingly unrelated murders crumbles the façade of a once respectable Detroit neighborhood.
This is a community that lives for family, church, and work. But – like all of America in 1958 – their world is changing. A black woman is murdered. A white woman disappears. Their neighborhood is falling apart.
The characters in this story are incredibly layered with special attention focused on the characters of a longsuffering pregnant wife, a social butterfly, and a woman who wishes to hide her pain behind humor. As the characters are revealed following the murder and disappearance, jolting elements of their lives will be exposed as their individual façades also come crashing down.
The writing is well-conceived and poetic. As the characters race to find the truth regarding the woman who has disappeared, readers will be second-guessing just like the neighbors all the way to the very end. However, there is no end. Even after you stop reading, the story and the theme of lives forever altered by events will stay with you. You’ll be reflecting on it for days.
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is a husband, father, author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com), business owner (www.AmericanBlackguard.com), and founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com) with over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print in over 14 languages. Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.JefferyDeaverXOMusic.com). Publishers Weekly has named Stafford one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13)
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Tell Me" by Lisa Jackson / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
Who murdered a pregnant teenage girl? Her mother is not talking.
Thriller author Lisa Jackson’s new book “Tell Me” sucked me in and disabled me like a snakebite. Out of nowhere, from the first page of the Prologue, she had me.
The mystery is multi-layered. In Savannah, Georgia, a mother is about to be released from prison. The story questions are numerous. Was she wrongly incarcerated for killing her child, or are they about to release a guilty woman? Who murdered a young girl and shot two other children, paralyzing one? Who is the father of the girl who was murdered? Who fathered the unborn child the teen died carrying? And who is the stalker who keeps appearing? The angle is reporter and detective working together (they’re also engaged, which creates the romantic suspense), but the point-of-view for the most part is shared by the two interchangeably.
This is the third in the Detective Pierce Reed and journalist Nikki Gillette series and joins the over 75 Lisa Jackson novels, many of them New York Times bestsellers.
The cast of characters are related to each other to some degree or other. The snake scenes, which are peppered throughout, will give you the willies. Lisa Jackson has written several books for Silhouette and you can see that in the love scenes, which were a little over the top for me (I think there were 3 of them I could do without), but my wife says those were there for the women in the audience, not the men. For you guys, though, there is enough suspense, thrills, dangers, guns, knives, murders, and whodunit to keep you going, just don’t stay too long in the shower scene.
From the first page, the story is suspenseful and open-ended. The culprit could be anybody. Jackson plays fair, but she’s tricky. Pay attention as you read: the plot is tight. Lisa Jackson wraps it up nicely and, frankly, I read a lot of books, but I didn’t see the tie-up of this one coming. Masterful. Full of energy. A delight to read. I rushed to the ending and then hated myself for getting there so fast. This is one of the best romantic suspense novels I’ve ever read. If on-the-edge-of-your-seat, I-can’t-sleep suspense is what you’re after, Lisa Jackson is the author and “Tell Me” is the book for you.
Now that Killer Nashville 2013 is over, I’m back to reading books again. Looking forward to sharing what I find.
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.killernashville.com). He reviews books daily for Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford and Killer Nashville as one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13) Having over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print, Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.oneofthemiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.jefferdeaverxomusic.com).
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"The Deadly Streets" by Harlan Ellison / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
A collection of stories every short story writer and reader should know about: Harlan Ellison’s The Deadly Streets.
Subterranean Press is the epitome of cool. I have thought so for years. Books such as The Deadly Streets a reissue by Harlan Ellison continue to confirm it. This is a wonderful collection of visceral short stories, all with the take of violence on the street.
This is the second reissue of Ellison’s classic 1958 collection. (The first reissue was in 1975 when Ellison added five additional stories.)
Harlan Ellison is an incredible storyteller and there is not a dud in the mix. I personally consider these stories classics, among them a tied-up man terrified of rats; a boy who wants to kill a cop; a gang that takes care of their own, even their dead; a man who talks too much; a girl trying to hold her own against the rest of a male gang. In all, sixteen thematically connected original and violent stories. Though most are written prior to 1958, the writing, the characters, the plotting, and the situations still hold true. The “daddy-o’s” didn’t bother me a bit and the prose goes down like a teenager in a log flume.
After reading this collection, you philosophically will never view city sidewalks the same, but just as importantly for our Killer Nashville writers, studying these stories is one of the best lessons in learning how to write a short story. Harlan Ellison can write. The stories contained in this volume are one of the best short story writing textbooks you’ll ever find, and one I would encourage every short story writer to study. Have a mental dialogue with Ellison as you go along. He will teach you well.
Tune in next time when I talk about a new psychological mystery series I’ve discovered and why I’m now hooked. (As though I don’t have enough to read.)
Until then, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.killernashville.com). He reviews books daily for Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford and Killer Nashville as one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13) Having over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print, Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.oneofthemiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.jefferdeaverxomusic.com).
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Deadly Harvest" by Michael Stanley / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
I was absolutely intrigued by the idea behind “Deadly Harvest” by the writing duo pseudonym Michael Stanley. I had just come back from San Diego where I learned that rhino horns are no different than human fingernails or hair and that those who kill rhinos thinking their horns produce some sort of medicinal value would do just as well to eat their own hair clippings after a trip to the beauty shop. Still scratching my head at the stupidity of people, I find a book based upon the – I assume – true premise that human remains and body parts are being used for witchcraft in the sub-Saharan portion of Africa. I remember seeing such a “magic” shop on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. No doubt the basis is true.
I was immediately pulled into the story, not just because of the imminent danger of the ten-year-old girl, but by the truth of the writing. I immediately found myself in that world and the relationships so foreign maybe to us here in America, but supported by the stories of missionary friends from Africa I have personally known.
I was engrossed in the characters, sympathetic to those in pain, and attracted totally to the characters of both Samantha Khama and David Bengu (also known as Detective Kubu). Kubu is a man of integrity and Khama is a warrior. Both incredible traits and working together they are a pleasure to read.
The story was incredible and I couldn’t stop reading. The detective work was plausible and first-rate. There was no sensationalism about it as is often found in our more commercial thriller crime fiction; the story itself elevated it beyond any commercial fiction formula and I credit the writing team of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip (the authors’ real names) for not feeling they need to take the cheap shot, but for letting the story simply tell itself.
Even with my genuine lack of belief in curses, the witch doctors gave me the creeps. I like it that those who have been harmed become involved in solving the case. So many times in mystery stories, it is all left to authorities. Rage, hate, and revenge are wonderful motivators and I’m glad to see them employed here. I do like the way that the various characters and different points-of-view are worked into the narrative.
This is an incredible book that will leave you thinking about it for days.
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.killernashville.com). He reviews books daily for Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford and Killer Nashville as one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13) Having over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print, Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.oneofthemiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.jefferdeaverxomusic.com).
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Surrendered Love" by Laura V. Hilton / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
This is a love affair. Yes, we do have an occasional trist at Killer Nashville. In fact, several couples and one marriage have been the result of meetings that have taken place at Killer Nashville so, even though the murderous spirit prevails, there is a softer side to most of our attendees. And some of you enjoy reading about love.
I’ve always had an interest in the Amish since many years ago seeing the movie “Witness” starring Harrison Ford. “Surrendered Love” by Laura V. Hilton does not have the bathroom murder, but it does have mystery and the outside cop (though he originally came from Amish Land), the wayward child, and the reluctant, developing relationship between the two main characters. I find this to be more than a love story, though. Hilton has great characterizations and character arcs going for her and she’s obviously done her research. It’s an examination of the old and the new, of stagnancy and growth. There is also that undercurrent theme of “forgiveness,” which always gets me right in the gut.
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.killernashville.com). He reviews books daily for Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford and Killer Nashville as one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13) Having over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print, Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.oneofthemiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.jefferdeaverxomusic.com).
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Love Water Memory" by Jennie Shortridge / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
From the melting watercolors alone on the cover of “Love Water Memory” by Jennie Shortridge, I was pulled in. The writing carried me on downstream.
“Love Water Memory” (all without commas) is a wonderful character study. It was emotional, full of complex relationships, and powerful. From the first page, we know the main character is standing in the San Francisco Bay with no clue as to who she is. From that point forward, we walk with her as she rediscovers her old self and we share with her our opinions of who that self is. Predictably, the old self is not that delightful. The question then becomes: Will she go back to her old ways or will she swim against the current and make different choices. As the book nears the end, the reader will be called upon to make that judgment call. As we go along, though, it is a wonderfully engrossing read as we explore the psychological mystery of who this woman is as well as numerous questions such as: Are we our childhood, or can we rise above it? What is it that attracts one person to the next? Can a relationship and a career choice make you want to forget who you are? How much can one suppress before the heart can finally forget? Can you trust others? More importantly, can you ever learn to trust yourself?
I particularly admired the development of the main character of Lucie. I’ve read and viewed this similar set-up before, but Shortridge does a fabulous job elevating her story above other amnesia/discovery launchpads. She’s definitely a storyteller to watch.
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.killernashville.com). He reviews books daily for Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford and Killer Nashville as one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13) Having over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print, Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.oneofthemiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.jefferdeaverxomusic.com).
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Graveland" by Alan Glynn / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
With his previous works, author Alan Glynn has already proven himself to be a great writer. With “Graveland,” he seals the headstone.
It’s not safe to be a powerful executive in New York. In a world of crooked deals and underhanded companies, “Graveland” is a credible, fast-driven, plot-twisting story of multiple characters who eventually come together in one spell-binding plot. It is a complicated story, which is what I like.
It’s hard to write too much without giving away the plot. That must have been what the publisher was thinking. When I read the publisher’s synopsis on the book itself, I can’t say that I was as impressed as I might have been, but going on that knee-jerk reaction would have been a mistake. Now I see why the synopsis was so general because I’m finding myself in the same boat. You don’t want to give anything away and, yet, having you skip this because of a less-than-informative synopsis would also be a mistake.
Here’s what I can offer: It is the story of crooked deals, unscrupulous companies, pitiless drive, conspiracy theories, and unrelated murders. Maybe. The story is credible in this world of Haves and Have-Nots. Author Alan Glynn is Irish and I have to wonder at his take on New York and America. Kind of makes me ponder in the mindset of Robert Burns: “O wad some Power the giftie gie us To see oursels as ithers see us.” This book definitely weighs in the balance the conflict between the welfare of many and the greed of a few. Highly recommended.
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.killernashville.com). He reviews books daily for Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford and Killer Nashville as one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13) Having over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print, Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.oneofthemiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.jefferdeaverxomusic.com).
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Lifetime" by Liza Marklund / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
Author Liza Marklund has been called the “Queen of Scandinavian crime fiction” and once you read “Lifetime,” her latest book, you’ll see why. Marklund has over 9 million copies of her books in print in over 30 languages along with a major movie deal. Liza Marklund’s writing pops like a Super Aegis 2 machine gun.
Following the theme that people are not always what they appear to be, former tabloid journalist Marklund starts the story with a police officer finding one of their own naked in his bed riddled with bullets with his spaced-out wife rocking on the floor near him. There is also the main character, newspaper reporter Annika Bengtzon, running with her children away from a house that is burning down. Both of these set-ups are certainly strong enough to get your attention. As the novel progresses, the wife of the police detective appears to be guilty of his murder and the disappearance of their only child, but reporter Bengtzon doesn’t believe it to be true and sets off on a one-woman, tenancious mission to prove the wife’s innocence.
Newspaper woman Bengtzon’s life is falling apart. The new case seems to give her life meaning when all other meaning seems to be leaving it. She is a strong-willed woman – not always likeable – and, because she is strong, much is piled upon her. And she can take it. All this creates an intriguing depth of character as author Marklund juggles personal and professional crisis. The mystery plot closes nicely, but the personal tribulations will make you long for the release of the next novel. And plot-twist endings are always nice.
Unsung hero Neil Smith does a great job translating.
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.killernashville.com). He reviews books daily for Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford and Killer Nashville as one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13) Having over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print, Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.oneofthemiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.jefferdeaverxomusic.com).
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Candlemoth" by R.J. Ellory / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
“Candlemoth” was R.J. Ellory’s first novel, published in 2003 in the U.K. This is its first release in the United States. Since originally publishing “Candlemoth,” Ellory has gone on to become an international bestseller.
“Candlemoth” is set in the American South, which is an interesting choice for a debut novel from an Englishman. Ellory did his research weaving the story of death-row convict Daniel Ford with the events that have taken place over the past 50 turbulent years in the U.S. From reading the book, I’d say Ellory probably knows more about American history than most Americans.
History, though, is not what the story is about. It’s about Ford’s death-row conviction related to the death of Ford’s best friend, Nathan. With the execution date only 30 days away, Ford begins to relive how he got to where he was. It is a story of friendship, betrayal, prejudice, and coming of age. It is a story of murder and the meaning of justice. The central question I had running throughout, of course, was more personal: did Ford really brutally behead his best friend Nathan or was something going to twist in the end? You’ll have to wait until the very end for that answer.
What I loved best about “Candlemoth” is how everything ties together. Historical references are made for which there seems to be no relation to the story, conspiracy theories are introduced that, while interesting, don’t seem to have anything to do with anything. And then, it all blends together and makes sense in a story that is tight, suspenseful, and – most importantly – human. This book is a great start for what has already become a brilliant career.
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.killernashville.com). He reviews books daily for Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford and Killer Nashville as one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13) Having over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print, Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.oneofthemiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.jefferdeaverxomusic.com).
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Writing a Killer Thriller" by Jodie Renner / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
It’s quick, pithy checklist of great advice for writers of any genre (including thrillers). A great how-to and reference book for writers.
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.killernashville.com). He reviews books daily for Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford and Killer Nashville as one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13) Having over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print, Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.oneofthemiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.jefferdeaverxomusic.com).
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"The Cutting Season" by Attica Locke / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
I enjoy surprise endings and how the murder mystery element is used to bring us into a larger world. It is an African American perspective of Southern history over the last 100 years beginning with a gruesome murder in Louisiana from an author (Locke) attracting the extremely deserved literary spotlight.
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.killernashville.com). He reviews books daily for Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford and Killer Nashville as one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13) Having over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print, Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.oneofthemiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.jefferdeaverxomusic.com).
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Low Pressure" by Sandra Brown / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
While a child, a woman’s sister is murdered. When she writes about it as an adult, she attracts a stalker. I’ve been a Sandra Brown fan for years and this one does not disappoint. Filled with danger and tension, it is one of those that will keep you on the edge of your seat. A great study for writers on plotting.
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.killernashville.com). He reviews books daily for Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford and Killer Nashville as one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13) Having over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print, Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.oneofthemiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.jefferdeaverxomusic.com).
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"The Woman He Loved Before" by Dorothy Koomson / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
I love it when I don’t know who is telling the truth. A dead former wife and a much-loved new one. Maybe. It starts out as a perfect love story and goes from there. Should you be terrified of the “perfect man”? Read on.
Clay Stafford
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.killernashville.com). He reviews books daily for Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford and Killer Nashville as one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13) Having over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print, Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.oneofthemiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.jefferdeaverxomusic.com).
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"Fighting For Common Ground: How We Can Fix the Stalemate in Congress" by Olympia Snowe / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
Why Washington Political Thrillers Aren't Real to Me and Why I Want to Write One / Author/filmmaker & Killer Nashville founder Clay Stafford
I’ve reviewed numerous Washington political and legal thrillers and mysteries over the past twenty years. After reading Fighting for Common Ground: How We Can Fix the Stalemate in Congress by Olympia Snowe, I came away feeling that many of the fiction authors I’m reading haven’t done their research or – perhaps even more disappointing – they have chosen to avoid genuine conflict in favor of commercially “safe” but superficial stories. It is good advice not to discuss politics or religion, as our own Killer Nashville Executive Director Beth Terrell reminded me, but a writer of political thriller set in the United States must cross the line on at least one of these. Unfortunately, in terms of setting, most political writers are not creating a realistic world, which is vital to any work of serious fiction. One can still have a plot, but it has to be set somewhere. Why not make it real? Very few in America are elected without Political Party support, that massive machine that every government itself has failed to regulate. Yet with all that power, how can writers fail to include the monster behind the machine?
Two disclaimers: 1) I have no Political Party affiliate, and 2) What I am writing below comes from the possibilities I see for setting from reading the above mentioned book. Olympia Snowe is a longstanding and respected Republican Senator. She has to walk the fine line between telling the complete truth as she knows it while at the same time not being offensive, but – as we know – a good fiction writer is not worried about being offensive. What I write below is what I got between the lines and, if you are a political fiction writer, what I’m about to give you is a truckload of conflict for your next book. On a positive note because I don’t want to give the impression that doom is irrevocably upon us as Americans, Snowe also writes about how to take America back. Though common ground doesn’t always work in the best interest of a fiction writer, fighting for this sort of unity would also make for a great story goal and would be adorned with its own conflicts towards completion (think about one of my favorite Jimmy Stewart man-against-the-machine movies Mr. Smith Goes to Washington).
First of all, let’s talk about Snowe and why she’s the expert to go to. A self-professed “skunk at the lawn party,” she’s a die-hard out-of-place Republican and has been an energetic participant in world-changing events from 1978 to present. Her political platform is based upon limited government, lower taxes, individual freedoms and responsibilities, and a strong national defense, which – frankly – I’ve heard from politicians on both sides of the spectrum. Only difference is that, unlike the Political Parties and most politicians of both parties currently in office, she actually does believe in them. She’s been an advocate for women business owners and mothers, minorities, and has – herself – had a tremendous uphill battle as a female Republican in what has traditionally been a male-dominated profession. Still another great source for story conflict.
Now, here is the situation and where writers can begin to see the possibilities (if you haven’t already) of including an actual political setting in their political thrillers. According to a recent poll cited by Snowe, sixty-six percent of Americans think their representatives don’t have a good understanding of the issues. Politicians have the lowest approval rating, below lawyers and bankers. Most Americans seem to think that public service has left politics, and maybe it has. But is it the politicians or the Political Parties? Like in the days in Germany before WWII, to play in the system, regardless of your personal opinions, you had to publicly become a Party man. Writers who want to write political thrillers set on any continent would be well advised to include the “machine” either in a positive or negative force.
Read these facts from Snowe’s book and tell me what you think. Common sense bills are bashed because unrelated agenda is attached, as in the failure of the Violence Against Women Act. Both Parties have a voting record of being unwilling to support the Balanced Budget Amendment, though in their press releases they spout the opposite. What about the GOP’s opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment? Or Senators and Congressman of both Parties being on record for opposing laws benefiting women and blacks in general. Or why is it that approval of scientific research has been geared towards men only (voted on by predominately male representatives)? How can issues such as abortion (through misinformation miles removed from reality coming from non-medical personnel) become more important to Political Parties than the living and real welfare of the citizens both Parties give voice to protecting. (Hot issue in our home state because we have a formally-married representative who is anti-abortion who is on court record as telling his marital affair girlfriends who became pregnant by him that they should have an abortion, but the Political Party supporting him won’t do anything about his conduct because he is an active supporter of the Party. Great conflict? You bet! It’s a soap opera.) Two-faced? Liars? Idiots? Far from it. They are brilliant snakes in the grass. How about this one? Theoretically intelligent apes acting as Senators come up with non-scientific theories of “legitimate rape” and if a woman gets pregnant during rape, “it was something God intended.” What if this were to happen to a character’s daughter? Or an actual representative from Tennessee? Is this the true meaning of “American Taliban”? Are these the unscientific-minded people who should really – based upon Party platforms – be overseeing and approving the content of our children’s schoolbooks? We are, after all in Tennessee, the home of the Scopes Monkey Trail. Not my kids. My preferred source for scientific information is a scientist, but these political characters do come with their own baggage, conflicts, and entertainment value. If there is anything I’ve learned from watching WWE with my son, it is that great villains make for great stories.
Here’s what I got from reading Snowe’s book (not what she explicitly wrote): 1) Political Parties are historically more interested in their Parties than in America, 2) Political Parties have historically more interest in their own preservation than in the U.S. Constitution, and 3) governing now is based upon reelection, not the best interests of America. All three could make daring undercurrents in a political story.
You see, it is not so much the politicians; it is the Parties themselves, which don’t seem to appear in ANY of the books I have reviewed. They are the missing character. I don’t even have to have the Parties identified by name, but their oppressive presence has to be there. Behind almost every snafu in American politics or integrity, hasn’t it been traced back by Senate, court, or journalistic investigation to decisions made, not by a politician, but by decisions on an unelected Party level? Experts on political history will back me up. If the politicians don’t follow Nazi-like to the Party line, in the next election, the Party will eat its own. By their own demands, centrist moderate politicians (such as Snowe) cannot be so IF they wish to be supported by their Political Party, the machines. Just recently we saw it in the fiasco of the development of the national health laws when even the House and Senate are separated from the president and from their own Parties per Snowe. You see this in watching Political Parties implode from within, politicians jumping ship, politicians being attacked by their own Parties at reelections. It is not so much that politicians no longer listen to those they represent, but in order to stay the course and maybe do some good, even the best politicians walk in fear of being one-term servants from the wrath of their own Party. How’s that for a conflict-riddled subplot? Reading Snowe’s book, you see why so much money is spent on attack ads: because the Parties and the hand-tied candidates themselves either want the attention off themselves or have nothing of merit to promote. All this makes me salivate thinking of the storylines that could come from all of this. When the tax code alone is 72,000 pages long and the U.S. borrows 40-cents for every $1 it spends while people here in the U.S. are starving, freezing, out-of-work, unable to afford an education or medicine, and the politicians are bickering in pettiness and accomplishing nothing or sending millions of dollars overseas that could be spent on Americans, I see conflict galore, I see Jimmy Stewart, I see characters with motives for good or ill, for greed and altruism. However, this reality and setting is not what I read about in the setting-barren American political thrillers and mysteries I review. Robert Penn Warren’s novel “All the King’s Men” is the closest one I’ve read to touch on the Machine behind the candidate. Incidentally, it won the 1947 Pulitzer Prize. That should tell you something. Political Parties are not what the story is about, but their presence is there, even in character reference.
Snowe takes sidebars that are just as interesting as her main points, which are all story ideas themselves, such as how divorced from real people Congress has become, how someone gets into politics, how government and Political Parties really work without the spin, how to impeach a president, how the U.S. Senate and House has lost its independence and has become the equivalent of the Party-controlled (puppet-controlled?) British parliament, how Tea Parties have ruined rather than helped America, and much, much more.
Before reading this book, I knew politics were in major dysfunction, but I never knew how badly nor what a great field this would be for storylines. If you are writing stories set in national politics today, this book is vital for your research. You walk away with the feeling of how a moderate centrist willing to work in a bipartisan capacity toward a solution that would benefit the majority of Americans has no place in either Party. There’s your underdog. Obviously, the wheel is broken. That’s a grand thing for a fiction writer. Writing about conflicts in context helps people see them more clearly. It is the responsibility of writers to include something in their work that elevates it to make people think, to make people lobby for changes, and to portray it accurately, not slant it like the conservative or liberal media organizations we are bombarded by and brainwashed to trust like a bunch of Pavlov dogs or, even worse, to make it so watered down like so many books I read so that it just becomes another mystery or thriller set in Washington. A writer who can get the facts straight before he or she writes a Washington political or legal thriller might find, with the pen being mightier than the sword, that he or she actually changes the way government works and has readers and critics cheering on his or her behalf. What better kudo than to say, “I wrote a bestselling book AND I also saved America.” The Cold War is over. Now, it seems, the enemy is within. That being said, this all makes me want to go write my own political thriller.
– Clay Stafford is a husband, father, author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com), business owner (www.AmericanBlackguard.com), and founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com) with over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print in over 14 languages. Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.JefferyDeaverXOMusic.com). Publishers Weekly has named Stafford one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13)
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
Submit Your Writing to KN Magazine
Want to have your writing included in Killer Nashville Magazine?
Fill out our submission form and upload your writing here: