Seamus Scanlon

14 Articles

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PREMIUM

Jack of Spades: A Tale of Suspense

As this tour de force reveals, Oates is a master of bleak literary fiction and its (sometimes) poor relation, crime/noir fiction. Examining and delineating insanity, obsession, paranoia, alcoholism, manipulation, and murder, not to mention book collecting and writer's block, this tale of suspense makes for another high-caliber Oatesian outing, displaying flair, noir sophistication, and King-like flourishes. [See Prepub Alert, 11/24/14.]
PREMIUM

Belfast Noir

Great writing for fans of noir and short stories, with some tales close to perfection. It made this reviewer nostalgic and hopeful for his beautiful, brash, beastly Belfast.
PREMIUM

Prison Noir

Kudos to Johnny Temple and the Akashic team for another milestone in the Noir series (83 and counting). There is need for Prison Noir II. Authentic, powerful, visceral, moving, great writing.
PREMIUM

A Private Venus

Brave and beautiful, these novels are highly recommended for fans of literary noir; Scerbanenco's appellation as godfather of Italian Noir is not hyperbole.
PREMIUM

The Contractors

Hunsicker has written a very good thriller, all the better for addressing serious issue of narco-trafficking and privatization of law enforcement. His complex story line is plausible, very well paced yet also easy to follow. Characters both major and minor are well drawn and memorable, and the action sequences are convincing and compelling. The only drawback is the rather inappropriate humorous tone that detracts from a well-crafted novel of suspense.
PREMIUM

Never Fuck Up

The stories of the three disparate men intersect in a convincing fashion for the most part, while the Palme conspiracy is a weighty subject meriting a full novel. The retribution that Niklas wants to exact for violence against women in Swedish society is gripping and convincing. Marked by harsh and brash writing, authentic voices, and convincing scenarios full of thugs and thug talk, this engaging novel will appeal to readers who like their crime fiction gritty and dark.
PREMIUM

The Old Turk's Load

Breaking new ground in crime fiction with his unusual protagonist, Gibson gets a gold star for deftness, great writing, lethal encounters, mayhem, murder, and bleak black humor.
PREMIUM

The Rage

For authenticity, narrative, plot, writing skill, the gritty noirish crime milieu setting, and the post-Celtic-Tiger-Ireland toxicity, Kerrigan's latest well deserves its CWA Gold Dagger Award for Best Crime Novel of the Year.
PREMIUM

As Close As You'll Ever Be

Excessive bloodletting, almost to the point of satire, evokes the flavor of Tarantino's Kill Bill films and the sense of transgression of J.G. Ballard's accident-fetish novel Crash. Scanlon illuminates the intertwined relationship among victims and perpetrators of violence. This collection is an ode to the human truth found in violent desperation. Highly recommended.
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