Dr. Sleep

How do you write a sequel to a horror classic?  The answer is, you don't.  Instead, Stephen King checks in to see what Danny Torrance has been up to all these years, and the results are vintage King.  I was lucky to get an exclusive copy of Dr. Sleep before it was published, and all I'm going to say about the book is that there's a reason why writers like myself and Lee Child call Stephen King America's greatest novelist.

My Favorite Quote About Marriage

I'm a big fan of Justin Halpern's books.  For those of you who don't know who this comic genius is, he wrote the books Shit My Dad Says (the book and not the TV show, which he also wrote but let's not go there) and the newly released I Suck at Girls.  Both feature Justin's father, a guy who has absolutely no filter when it comes to advice.  I just finished I Suck at Girls and not only found it hilarious but found what I think is the best quote/advice about marriage, from Justin's father.

Scene: Justin has broken up with his long-time girlfriend, Amanda.  They've been together for three years, and Justin thinks she's "The One."  They haven't spoken for almost two months when she calls and wants to speak to him.  So Justin goes to his father for advice about the love of his life, and his father says:

"Human beings do dumb shit.  You do dumb shit.  She does dumb shit.  Everyone does dumb shit.  Then, every once in a while, we have a moment where we don't do dumb shit, and then we throw a goddamn parade and we forget all the dumb shit we did.  So what I'm saying to you is, don't to something, or not do something, to punish someone because you think they did something dumb.  Do what you want to do, because it's what you want to do.  Also, bring me a grapefruit from the kitchen and some salt and pepper."

Do yourself a favor and read these books.  You'll laugh your ass off, I promise.

Falling and Books To Die For

I'm excited to tell you of two projects.  The first is a piece I wrote for the upcoming Books to Die For: The World's Greatest Mystery Writers on the World's Greatest Mystery Novels.  If you are, like me, a book geek, you'll love this anthology of crime writers talking about the crime, mystery and thrillers.  Being from Boston, I picked what I feel is the definitive book of my city: Dennis Lehane's Mystic River.  If you haven't read that book, shame on you.

The second is a Malcolm Fletcher short story called Falling, which UK fans can download on their Kindle from amazon.co.uk.  I'm working on trying to get it on the US Amazon site.

Speaking of e-books, a number of my US fans have asked whether or not some books will be available on the Kindle, Nook and iTunes.  I'm currently looking into a few things and will let you know as soon as they become available.

Thanks to everyone for their kind reviews and comments regarding The Killing House.  It's much appreciated.

Okay, back to working on the new Darby, which may be called Lone Wolf (that's the working title, at least).    

And in the Creepy Department ...

Conversations you never - ever - want to have with your nearly seventy-year-old mother:

"I need you to get a book for me, Christofaa."  (This is "Christopher" as said by a thick Boston accent).  "I can't find it any-where-ah." (anywhere).

"What's the title?"

"Fifty Shades of Grey.  Have you heard of it?"

"Yeah," I say, a sick feeling in my stomach.

"It's a best-sell-ah!"  (bestseller)

"Listen, Mom, I don't ... The subject matter is ... well, it's a little racy."

"Oh, I heard all about it - about all the wicked kinky sex and bondage. ... Christofaa?  Are you alright?  What's that sound?"

"I just threw up.  In my mouth."

My Top 10 Thrillers

This past week, I was having drinks with a writer I admire enormously - William Landry, author of The Strangler and his new bestselling book, Defending Jacob.  We got to talking about books we admire, as all writers do, and it got me thinking to one of the questions I'm often asked: What are your favorite books?

I've decided to stick to thrillers, as (a) they're what I write, and (b) the goods ones - the really, really good ones - are few and far between.  Defending Jacob made my list, and I'm not saying that because Bill's a friend.  His book, which has been riding the bestseller's list for weeks, is that rare combination of an amazing story with amazing writing, characters and an ending that I'm still thinking about days later.  It really is that good, and you should read it.  If you don't, you're missing out.

Here's my top 10 thrillers, in no particular order.  Each one of these books share a single distinction: I couldn't put them down.  Everything else in my life - my family, my own writing, sleep - fell by the wayside in order to finish reading.  Do yourself a favor and read them.

• The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris.
• Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
• Pale Horse Coming by Stephen Hunter
• The Killing Kind by John Connolly
• The Standoff by Chuck Hogan
• You're Next and The Kill Clause by Gregg Hurwitz
• The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow
• Defending Jacob by William Landry
• Misery by Stephen King
• Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

New Darby Book

A lot of you have been asking me if there's going to be a new Darby book.  The answer is yes.  She's not going anywhere.  I'll keep writing them as long as the interest is there from readers.

Later this fall, you'll see a book featuring Malcolm Fletcher from my first book, Deviant Ways, and the second Darby book, The Secret Friend.  It's called The Killing House (you can find out more about it on the website's front page).  I'm not going to lie to you: It wasn't a fun book to write.  Every once in awhile a writer tackles a book that somehow ends up tackling him again ... and again ... and again.  I went through this oh so wonderfully fun process with The Missing, and I went through it with The Killing House.  This is where a good editor becomes invaluable - and I was so fortunate to have a great one by my side, a woman who has helped guide me through all the Darby books, the wonderful Mari Evans.  All that hard work and all those restless night paid off, and I'm really excited by the results.  One of my early readers, a bookseller, called it the best thing I've ever written.  I hope you'll feel that way too.  It was a lot of fun writing about Malcolm Fletcher.  I have more stories with him in mind.

Back to Darby: all the work on The Killing House pushed off the fifth Darby book, but rest assured, I'm back with her - and Coop.  I don't want to tell you too much - things have a way of changing - but it's not going to be a sequel to The Soul Collectors.  At the moment Darby's currently lost in the middle of the Colorado mountains during a snowstorm, and she's trying to figure a way out.  I don't have a title yet, so if anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to send them my way!

I've made a promise to myself to blog once a week to keep you all updated as to what's going on with Darby and everything else in my writing life, so stay tuned.  

And, as always, thanks for your support and kind words.

Cheers,

Chris

News On Upcoming Book

For all of you fans who have been asking, I wanted to the name of the new book is called The Killing House.  It features Malcolm Fletcher in the lead role.  I'm planning on doing a series with him.  I'll be posting the cover art soon along with a publishing date, but for now, I wanted to give you what they call the jacket blurb from the upcoming U.K. edition:

RULE #1: DON'T SCREAM

Four years ago, Theresa Herrera's ten-year-old-son Rico was abducted from his home.  The police found little evidence and the case went cold.  Theresa's husband has told her to move on, but she won't give up hope.

RULE #2: DON'T CALL THE POLICE

Today a mysterious woman invaded Theresa's home and told her that Rico is alive.  Theresa talks on the phone to a young man who is, without question, her son.

RULE #3: DON'T RUN.  DON'T FIGHT

The woman promises to reunite Theresa with Rico only if she will follow the rules.  But it is the last rule that fills Theresa with horror ...

RULE #4: KILL YOUR HUSBAND AND YOUR SON WILL LIVE ...

Malcolm Fletcher - a former FBI profiler and now the nation's Most Wanted fugitive - arrives in Colorado to help Theresa and her husband find their son.  But his arrival coincides with a dangerous and shocking twist in the case.

Barely surviving his first encounter with a suspect, Fletcher embarks on his own secret investigation, with the police just behind him every step of the way.