Dark and, at times, amusing fiction from award-winning author Dave Zeltserman

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

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.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Ed Gorman on Killer


The third book in my 'man out of prison' noir series, Killer, isn't out in the UK until Jan. 7th and the US until May, but that hasn't stopped Ed Gorman from writing a very eloquent review for it.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Already on one best list...

Killer's not out until next year (January in the UK, May in the US), and it's already on Paul Brazill's Best Crime Fiction in 2009 list. Talk about jumping the gun, but still pleased to see this book connecting with readers.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

The Boyos Are At It Again

Pariah is getting a lot of love over at Barnes a& Noble. Not only was it named a notable book for 2009 over at Barnes & Noble Review, but right now Pariah's getting a lot of exposure over on their Mystery & Crime Fiction page, with them writing:

"If you like your crime so hard-boiled you need to bring a chainsaw to breakfast, if you like your morbidity wrapped in a witty and satirical package, if you like your noir (or neo-noir, okay) so black that the pages feel sooty -- then Dave Zeltserman is tops."

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Book Critic Chauncey Mabe on Pariah

"Twisted, propulsive and hilarious"--that's what book critic Chauncey Mabe calls Pariah in adding it to his best books of 2009 (read too late to make his original list) and in also naming Pariah as one of the best crime novels of 2009.

Chauncey also last year reviewed Small Crimes for the Sun-Sentinel, and you can read his review here.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Independent Crime & Pariah

I'd like to thank Nathan Cain for including Pariah on his best of 2009 list over on Independent Crime, saying of Pariah: "Pariah, was great. It was pretty much perfect in every respect. You can't ask for more than perfection, can you?"

Thursday, December 17, 2009

How Cool is This?

I don't know how long this is going to last, but if you go to Barnes & Noble.com, and go to their Mysteries and Crime Fiction page, the first book shown for their new releases is Pariah.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Pick of the Week

It was a good weekend for Pariah, making the Washington Post's Best Books of 2009 (second year in a row for me--Small Crimes made it in 2008), honorable mention on a BN Review Best of the year list, and this in the Sunday Boston Globe.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Washington Post Best Books


Washington Post Best Books of 2008: Small Crimes
Washington Post Best Books of 2009: Pariah

Friday, December 11, 2009

Caretaker of Lorne Field


Overlook Press will be publishing this July, 2010.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Pariah on the Web

Pariah's received a couple of nice recent comments on the Web. According to Vince Keenan, "There’s dark, and then there’s dark", and you can Vince's review of Pariah here. Author Paul Tremblay (whose The Little Sleep and No Sleep Till Wonderland I've enjoyed immensely) says of Pariah: "Pariah is at turns brutal, violent, and a funny, scathing satire of our celebrity obsessed consumer culture and publishing industry. Really couldn’t put the book down, I poured through it in one day". You can read all of Paul's thoughts on Pariah here.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Nice mention on today's Shelf Awareness

Under Books & Authors they have for Paperbacks:

Pariah by Dave Zeltserman (Serpent's Tail, $14.95, 9781846686436/1846686431). "Dave Zeltserman returns with a tale of the South Boston mob so harrowing it places him alongside contemporary masters Robert Crais and James Ellroy. One of the few writers whose tales are both brutal and beautiful, Zeltserman is a rising star of crime fiction."--Alex Green, Back Pages Books, Waltham, Mass.