Them broads are getting uppity again.
Just when we guys thought our little hard-boiled cubbyhole of
manly macho masculinity was safe once again from the
intrusions of them poor deluded dames who think they can
write as well as any man, along comes Megan Abbott's latest,
A HELL OF A WOMAN, which bills itself as an
"anthology of female noir."
Now this is just the sort of book I'd love to sink my
critical teeth into, and let rip.
But NOOOOO!!!! That devious Abbott dame (Queenpin, The Song
Is You, Die a Little) is no patsy. She shows she has what it
takes to make a great femme fatale -- she sucker-punched me
by getting me to contribute, thereby puncturing any chance
I'd ever really, honestly review it.
Granted, my paltry contributions -- two small "appreciations"
of pretty much forgotten hard-boiled women writers -- pale in
comparison to all-new new stories by the likes of Sara Gran,
Vicki Something-or- another, Alison Gaylin, Cornelia Read,
Naomi Hirahara, Zo렓harp, Sandra Scoppettone, Charlotte
Carter, Lynne Barrett, Annette Meyers, Vin Packer and Libby
Fischer Hellman.
Just to rub it in, Pat "Ma" Abbott (no small slouch of a
writer herself) became not just a contributor to but an
advertiser on Thrilling Detective Web Site.
And now, pouring salt in the wound, I'm invited to attend a
couple of signings this Saturday (December 1) in the LA area
-- not as a reader but as a writer. Talk about an offer I
can't refuse. So there's no way in hell now that I could ever
be fair and balanced about this book.
Damn.
Damn, damn, damn...
So, uh, let's cut to the chase. Us members of the He-Man
Women Haters Club are screwed. It's the greatest book ever
written, makes an ideal Christmas gift, and it's perfect for
just about anyone who gives a damn about hard-boiled fiction,
female noir or just quality writing. Hell, it's even got a
few male authors (Traitors, I say!) in there
(Ken Bruen, Al Guthrie, Charlie Huston, Eddie Muller and
Daniel Woodrell) and an intro by Val McDermid, a fairly
dangerous dame herself. I can hardly wait to read it.
So, if any of you Rara-Arians are in the LA area, I'll be at
Mysteries to Die For in Thousand Oaks at 10:30 AM and over in
Westwood at The Mystery Book Store around 2:30. I'll be
joining Meagan, Christa Faust, Naomi Hirahara, Charlie
Huston, Eddie Muller, Cornelia Read, Theresa Schweigel and
Robert Ward to scribble more gibberish on your books.
In such august company, I'm sure I'm only there to cleanse
the palate, or maybe to garner a few sympathy purchases, but
it should still be fun.
Hope to see you there. Jim, if you're out there, please bring
beer.
But watch that Abbott twitch... I tell ya, she's up to
something.
Kevin Burton Smith www.thrillingdetective.com
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