First, a big than you to Barry Eisler for the amazing posts over the last few days. Barry, whenever you want to come back and grace this blog with your insight, the door is always open. You are the most welcome guest.
Since Barry has been talking about titles in those last brilliant essays, I thought I'd start this post with the title of a wonderful book I just read. As readers of this blog know, I'm not a reviewer. But when I like something I give it a hand yell. This novel is smart and a page turner and you won't be disappointed.
The author, R.N. Morris has a great backstory up over at my other blog where he describes the inspiration for his terrific novel:
It all started with a misleading blurb. The first time I tackled Crime and Punishment I was a precocious teenager – far too young really. I was drawn to it because the copy on the back of the Penguin Classics edition in my school library described it as one of the world’s first detective novels. It isn’t that at all, of course – it’s much more.
MJ, thank you so much! I really appreciate you inviting me to do a backstory and I'm so glad you enjoyed Axe. Hell, we can even call it Ax if you prefer, I really don't mind. It was my editor at Penguin Press who insisted on keeping the quaint UK English spelling for the American edition. I didn't argue.
Posted by: roger | March 28, 2007 at 04:09 PM