Crime Always Pays: On Flesh And Blood And Ink

Praise for Declan Burke: “A fine writer at the top of his game.” – Lee Child. “Prose both scabrous and poetic.” – Publishers Weekly. “Proust meets Chandler over a pint of Guinness.” – The Spectator. “A sheer pleasure.” – Tana French. “A hardboiled delight.” – The Guardian. “Imagine Donald Westlake and Richard Stark collaborating on a screwball noir.” – Kirkus Reviews (starred review). “The effortless cool of Elmore Leonard at his peak.” – Ray Banks. “Among the most memorable books of the year, of any genre, was ABSOLUTE ZERO COOL.” – Sunday Times. “The writing is a joy.” – Ken Bruen. “A cross between Raymond Chandler and Flann O’Brien.” – John Banville.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

On Flesh And Blood And Ink

Those crazy kids and their rock ‘n’ roll tattoos, eh? Norn Iron scribe Gerard Brennan displays an admirable level of commitment to his books in getting FIREPROOF punched into his arm, which may well be the most quixotic gesture I’ve seen this year, given its combination of flesh, blood and ink. For the full story, clickety-click here …
Has anyone else ever tattooed themselves with their own books? Or with any literary reference? I’ve got one of Wile E. Coyote, which isn’t very bookish, although I do think that Wile. E is the very essence of Beckett given his ‘fail, fail better’ modus operandi …

2 comments:

Padraic Stack said...: Not quite a literary reference but a reference to books. Maybe more a joke about death and ownership.

I have a version of this ex-libris plate: http://is.gd/Fw1xPq; November 27, 2012 at 12:03 PM
Declan Burke said...: Nice one, Padraic. Very literary indeed ...!; November 27, 2012 at 1:04 PM

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BOOKS TO DIE FOR, ed. John Connolly and Declan Burke, (“as good a collection of short essays on crime fiction as one is likely to find” - Washington Post) won the 2012 Agatha Award for Best Non-Fiction at Malice Domestic.

SLAUGHTER’S HOUND, (“the most perfect noir novel” - Sunday Times; “a hardboiled delight” - The Guardian), is shortlisted for the Goldsboro Last Laugh Award at Crimefest 2013. It was also shortlisted in the crime fiction category for the Irish Book Awards 2012.

BOOKS TO DIE FOR, ed. John Connolly and Declan Burke, is shortlisted for the HRF Keating award at Crimefest 2013. It is also shortlisted for the Anthony Awards at Bouchercon 2013.

ABSOLUTE ZERO COOL (“A cross between Raymond Chandler and Flann O'Brien” - John Banville), won the Goldsboro Last Laugh Award at Crimefest 2012.

For a biography, click here.

Agent: Allan Guthrie, c/o Jenny Brown Associates.

Email:
dbrodb[at]gmail.com

LATEST REVIEWS

THE BIG O

“If Elmore Leonard met Jim Thompson down a dark alley at midnight they might emerge a week later with thick beards, bloodshot eyes and the manuscript for
THE BIG O.” – Eoin Colfer

“Imagine Donald Westlake and his alter ego Richard Stark moving to Ireland and collaborating on a screwball noir and you have some idea of Burke’s accomplishment.” – Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Burke has married hard-boiled crime with noir sensibility and seasoned it with humour and crackling dialogue … fans of
comic noir will find plenty to enjoy here.” – Booklist

“Declan Burke’s THE BIG O is full of dry Irish humour, a delightful caper revolving around a terrific cast.” – Seattle Times

“Burke has [George V.] Higgins’ gift for dialogue, [Barry] Gifford’s concision and the effortless cool of Elmore Leonard at his peak.” – Ray Banks

“The writing is a joy, so seamless you nearly miss the sheer artistry of the style and the terrific, wry humour.” – Ken Bruen

“Carries on the tradition of Irish noir with its Elmore Leonard-like style … a high-octane novel that fairly coruscates with tension.” – Irish Times

SLAUGHTER’S HOUND

“Everything you could want - action, suspense, character and setting, all floating on the easy lyricism of a fine writer at the top of his game.” - Lee Child

“Fans of Ken Bruen in particular, and noir fans in general, should get on board for this exceedingly bleak ride … Relentlessly brutal actions, rampant corruption, and scamming are all described in prose both scabrous and poetic.” – Publishers Weekly

“Burke has always been known for black humour, and he has found a wonderful new outlet for it in Harry Rigby.” – Booklist

“Declan Burke sets the scene for the most perfect noir novel … The only way Harry Rigby could be more like Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe would be if he rode around in a 1930s Chrysler and called all the women ‘dames’ … In the very American realm of hard-boiled crime fiction … few of his peers over the Atlantic can hold a candle to him.” - Sunday Times

“Many writers of crime fiction are drawn to the streetwise narrator with the wisecracking voice – Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett have a lot to answer for – but only a handful can make it credible and funny. Irish writer Burke is one who has succeeded spectacularly well … From the arresting opening image to the unexpected twist at the end, this is a hardboiled delight.” - The Guardian

“SLAUGHTER’S HOUND starts with a body diving from a building and a car exploding, and the action doesn’t let up until the last line. But what sets this novel apart is its tone: it’s dead-pan and sardonic, and although it’s often very, very funny, this is a grim and gritty read.” - Marian Keyes

“SLAUGHTER’S HOUND has everything you want from noir but what makes it special is the writing: taut, honed and vivid … a sheer pleasure.” - Tana French

“That wry and sardonic authorial voice, married to a particularly idiosyncratic command of dialogue ... marks Burke out from what is rapidly turning into an unstoppable juggernaut of new Irish crime fiction.” - Barry Forshaw

“It’s not easy to bring something new to the private-eye novel but Declan Burke rises to the challenge with panache … Proust meets Chandler over a pint of Guinness, with a large spliff on the side. Burke is an author who takes risks, makes you laugh and writes like an angel with a devilish sense of humour.” - The Spectator

BOOKS TO DIE FOR

“Books to Die For is a must-have for readers and writers alike.” - Boston Globe

“An essential anthology for crime-fiction fans.” - Wall Street Journal

“Burke and Connolly’s hefty compendium is no mere kill list but something subtler; a way of discovering great crime novels from the past through essays by more than 120 modern masters.” - Financial Times

“Part celebration, part list of required reading … it is that rare breed of anthology of interest to both the initiated and the newcomer. Indeed, like the ideal mystery novel itself, this is a page-turner with an addictive quality.” - Irish Examiner

“Delightful … it serves as both a primer on the evolution of the genre and an escort into its remoter corners.” - Kirkus Reviews

“A sumptuous exploration of some of the best mystery authors of our time that showcases their passion for writing and their heartfelt tributes to their fellow writers. It is a resource readers will want to keep for decades.” - Miami Herald