From Publishers Weekly
The late McBain had a great idea when he got together 10 top crime writers to produce new novellas for a fat anthology called Transgressions, and the folks at Audio Renaissance have been equally smart at choosing some of the book's best stories for listening pleasure. This production does justice to two very different pieces. In Deaver's "Forever," the reliable Fass brings to life Talbot Sims, a detail-obsessed suburban cop whose love of statistics helps solve an apparent murder/suicide. Fass is less successful at catching the tougher homicide detectives, but his Sims is such an interesting, persnickety character that listeners will hope for a full-length adventure about him. In McCrumb's "The Resurrection Man," MacDuffie does a superb, well-rounded job at recreating a nineteenth century South Carolina community of men and women with distinctive "gullah" accents whose lives revolve around death and healing. These novellas are ideal for listeners who might not want to get involved in a complete novel, but still need a little crime in their audio lives. (Other Transgression audio volumes include Chasing Shadows by Walter Mosley and Joyce Carol Oates; Price of Desire by Ed McBain, Anne Perry and Donald E. Westlake, and Terror's Echo by Lawrence Block, John Farris and Stephen King.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Reading an anthology is a bit like listening to a musical sampler (what record collectors once lovingly called a mix tape); it's always tempting to have your favorite bands cued up one after another, but sometimes you're not in the mood to change moods every few minutes. These 10 brand-new novellas offer longer grooves than short stories, but it's still a valid concern: Can fans of Anne Perry also shake it to Ed McBain? Maybe it's the relief of not having to carry a book by themselves, or maybe it's the fun of trying a rarely used format, but these big-name authors write like the pressure is off. In "Walking around Money," Donald Westlake sidles his thief, Dortmunder, through a deadpan-hilarious tale that should also serve as a Zen how-to for budding writers; in "The Corn Maiden," Joyce Carol Oates offers an impressionistic tabloid thriller about a mean girl who abducts a slow classmate for ritual sacrifice; in "Archibald Lawless, Anarchist at Large," Walter Mosley profiles an irresistible, offbeat hero through a journalism student who answers a want ad for a "scribe"; in "Keller's Adjustment," Lawrence Block's reliable assassin finds himself having existential thoughts about golf communities after 9/11. So how's the mix? It's as if it were made by a good friend who knows just what you like--and even remembers that you like to be surprised once in a while. Keir Graff
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"This duet of masterfully written novellas by two respected authors belongs on your listening soundstage along with your favorite audiobook gems....Don't miss this exquisitely produced effort..." AudioFile (Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
Novellas from Transgressions by Jeffery Deaver and Sharyn McCrumb
“Forever” by Jeffery Deaver: Talbot Simms is an unusual cop—a statistician with the Westbrook County Sheriff Department. When two wealthy couples commit suicide one right after the other, he suspects it isn’t suicide, but murder. He must find who was behind it, and how they did it.
“The Resurrection Man” by Sharyn McCrumb: During America’s first century, doctors used any means necessary to advance their craft-including dissecting corpses. Sharyn McCrumb brings the pre-Civil War South to life in this story of a man who is assigned to dig up bodies to help those that are still alive.
“Forever” by Jeffery Deaver: Talbot Simms is an unusual cop—a statistician with the Westbrook County Sheriff Department. When two wealthy couples commit suicide one right after the other, he suspects it isn’t suicide, but murder. He must find who was behind it, and how they did it.
“The Resurrection Man” by Sharyn McCrumb: During America’s first century, doctors used any means necessary to advance their craft-including dissecting corpses. Sharyn McCrumb brings the pre-Civil War South to life in this story of a man who is assigned to dig up bodies to help those that are still alive.
About the Author
ED McBAIN’s writing career has spanned almost five decades, from his first novel, The Blackboard Jungle, in 1954 to the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds to his most recent novel, The Moment She was Gone. He is the first American ever to receive the Diamond Dagger, the British Crime Writers Association's highest award. He also holds the Mystery Writers of America's prestigious Grand Master Award. His most recent 87th Precinct novel was Money, Money, Money. Ed McBain, also known as Evan Hunter has lived in Weston,
Connecticut with his wife Dragica for the last five years.
Connecticut with his wife Dragica for the last five years.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
JEFFERY DEAVER
Jeffery Deaver has had a rapid and much-deserved rise to the top of the bestseller lists. His novels have always been riveting reads, especially those he wrote about Rune, a woman living and working in New York City. Seen through her eyes, the urban landscape is a wondrous—and sometimes frightening—place indeed. Fans of his work know that this is to be expected, or he can take the most commonplace career or event—news reporting, marriage—and turn it upside down with one of the surprising plot twists that have become his trademark. These days, he writes such bestsellers as Praying for Sleep, A Maiden’s Grave, Hard News, and The Bone Collector, featuring the brilliant quadriplegic detective Lincoln Rhyme and his assistant Amelia Sachs. The Bone Collector was the basis for the successful movie of the same name starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. His readership expands with each new novel, and with each new short story he writes. His most recent novels are The Cold Moon and The Twelfth Card.
Copyright Acknowledgments
From AudioFile
This collection features novellas edited by Ed McBain, each with an unconventional perspective on death. Jeffery Deaver's FOREVER, featuring cop/statistician Talbot Simms, is a wonderful, albeit long, mystery. The attitude and tone Robert Fass gives Simms is masterful. Sharon McCrumb's THE RESURRECTION MAN is a penetrating examination of 1850s' Southern life, when medical schools illegally acquired cadavers for study. Carrington MacDuffie provides McCrumb's engaging piece with a complete cast of characters. MacDuffie captures the sound and flavor of the South, embodying each character with a genuine and memorable style. The only negative is that the audiobook contains just two of the ten novellas that appear in the hardbound edition. D.J.S. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
