All Categories - A.B.PATTERSON

"Between Juárez and El Paso" - a great hard-boiled read by Alec Cizak.

20/9/2018

I'll confess up front that I am already a rusted-on fan of Alec Cizak's work - if you follow my blogs, you'll probably have read my reviews of others of his books.
This novella is one of the Drifter Detective series with a common protagonist, but produced by different authors. This strikes me as an interesting approach, one which I haven't encountered before in my reading (and I haven't read any of the other authors).
However, this offering from Mr Cizak is outstanding. I really enjoyed it from start to finish. Whilst at first feeling quite different on a number of levels from his other work I've read, at the same time it's a classic hard-boiled tale, with a tough and cynical PI, Jack Laramie. The setting is not long after WW2, which Laramie and his client, Shel Eastman, served in together, the effects of that awful experience lingering in their minds and infecting their lives and choices. As always, no spoilers from me, but the tale is gripping and dark. The tough PI works the case, but with dark, tragic events - not unusual for Mr Cizak's work. Plus, as I always love with his work, the social commentary is rich, incisive and damning.
If you like hard-boiled and noir, then I highly recommend this book. And its slightly alternative slant on the hard-boiled genre is a delicious surprise.
Cheers,
ABP

Gender equality in Parliament - here's a radical, and yet simple, solution!

18/9/2018

In the last few weeks, we've seen in Australia a rising debate about the numbers of women in a male-dominated Parliament. And not forgetting, of course, the reported issues of bullying, intimidation and misogyny. Sounds like a truly toxic work environment, to be frank.
Now, I am all in favour of gender equality in our Parliaments, although I'm not under any illusion that suddenly politics will become awash in integrity and decency. I elaborate on that post further below.
This is a reissue of a blog I put out last year on this subject. Given the current interest in the subject, I offer my radical, yet simple, solution again. It would actually be damned easy to have a 50-50 gender split in our Parliament.
Cheers, ABP

June 2017 Blog:
If you follow my blog (as spasmodic as it can be - sorry, working on that!) then you'll know that every now and then I digress away from writing and books, and I have a rant about something in society that gives me the shits. Today is one of those days. Not that I thought of this today, it was on the weekend, but I'm finding the time this evening to blog.

Now, plenty of people have called for gender equality in our Parliaments. And I am so on board with that one. The thoughts I was having the other day, and I've no idea why (but then I often have zero idea why my brain heads off in various directions at times), concerned the issue of bunches of mainly men sitting around (which accurately describes all of our Parliaments in Australia) and making all sorts of laws about how women can, or more often, cannot have control over their own bodies. Let's mention abortion, sex work, tax on tampons, equal pay...and the list could continue. I won't even get started on how religions treat women, since I'm going to confine myself to Parliaments.

Now, whether or not women getting into positions of political power leads to any discernible changes to the way we're governed is probably another subject. I've seen plenty of women in positions of power in government agencies, and they're just as ego- and power-driven as their male counterparts. And quite a few of the women we currently have in our Federal Parliament seem quite indistinguishable in terms of humanity and compassion from their male colleagues (there are, of course, exceptions to this). Then again, there is an argument to say that these women become like this because they have to compete against the overwhelming male contingent. Anyway, this is not my point, as interesting a debate as it is. Maybe in a future blog...

As an aside, I have a personal friend, Fiona Patten, who is a Victorian MP. Fiona epitomizes the huge value that great, committed women can add to politics - 50% Parliamentarians of her humanity and ability, we wouldn't even recognize the place. I dream...

My research online this week: Here in Australia, at a Federal level, our Parliament (both houses) is 32% female. Our Canadian cousins manage 29%, and our New Zealand neighbours come in at 31%. The world average apparently is 23%. Over in Rwanda, they manage 64% - GO Rwanda! Who would have thought? Bolivia achieves 53% (outstanding), and Cuba cruises in at 49% (great effort, have a cigar!).

So, how could we achieve gender equality in the Australian Parliament? My solution is radical, but so bloody simple. I'm going to put it in terms of the House of Representatives (for overseas readers, this is our lower house, where government is formed), but the principle could be applied universally.
Now, our House of Reps has 150 seats, so 150 constituencies across Australia elect 150 MPs. And in the House, currently, 29% of those MPs are female. Now, we occasionally hear ideas about quotas and the like. The problem with that is that you may end up getting an MP to meet an artificial quota, rather than electors voting for the candidate they perceive to be the best for the job, in their eyes. And the latter is what democracy is supposed to be about, notwithstanding the corruption of democracy by the political party system - again, maybe a future blog...

So my radical but simple idea is as follows:
We don't want more MPs, so keep it at 150. However, merge the current constituencies into 75, and have 2 MPs elected from each, 1 male and 1 female. So whichever constituency you live in, you front up on polling day and are given 2 ballot papers - 1 to elect your male MP and 1 to elect your female MP. Et voila! Gender equality in Parliament - 75 male MPs and 75 female MPs. And all elected by the people, not pushed up via quota systems. Sure, the party political system will try to control this too, but, hey, at least there will be gender equality in our Parliaments. It has to be worth a try?!!!

Food for thought, my friends

Cheers,
ABP.

Thrilled to be delivering another Westwords workshop for young people!

14/9/2018

I'm delighted to be doing a crime writing workshop for young people again, as a guest for the wonderful Westwords program - a program to encourage creative writing interest and skills in young people around western Sydney.
Last year, I delivered crime writing workshops on behalf of Westwords for some young guys at Granville Boys High School. I certainly enjoyed the experience - something completely new for me. And I hope the lads found the chats equally as enjoyable - they sure had plenty of questions about my cop background with my crime writing!
And so I was thrilled to be invited to deliver another workshop which will happen next week. And a rather larger group this time!
I'll be spending 2 hours chatting crime writing with about 90 year 11 students at Arthur Phillip High School in Parramatta.
Think I'll need to be on my game for this class! So, we'll be chatting over the crime genre, getting into more detail around the hard-boiled school (of course!), and doing some short writing exercises. And I'll even be sharing a couple of bits of Harry's World with them - at least some bits which are okay for a not-quite-adult audience! If you've read Harry, then you know exactly what I mean.
Again, it's great to be encouraging an interest in writing, especially crime, with young people.
Cheers,
ABP
And here's the link to the Westwords website: www.westwords.com.au

COPS WRITING CRIME - 2 new members of The Squad!

8/9/2018

I've found two new members for The Squad. This now takes us to 130 in number, with a new British cousin and a new American cousin joining The Squad!
That's 130 cops and ex-cops (and some PIs) who have taken to writing crime fiction. You won't get more realistic crime tales than those from this Squad!

So, we have joining us today:
1. Colin Campbell - Campbell served with the West Yorkshire Police for 30 years. He has written numerous crime novels since then.
2. Laura Burke - Burke joins our handful of PIs turned crime fiction writers. She worked for 20 years as a PI in the USA. She has written numerous novels across genres, with plenty of crime fiction in the mix.

Our Squad now consists of:

60 American
37 British
9 Australian
6 Canadian
4 New Zealanders
3 Finnish
2 Dutch
2 Swedish
1 French
1 Bahamian
1 Norwegian
1 Italian
1 Czech
1 Russian
1 Hungarian

I'll keep adding more as I come across them, and if you know of any others please feel free to drop me a line.

Check out The Squad:
Also: Cops Writing Crime

And please remember, my list is only for CRIME FICTION - not all the true crime and/or memoir writing by cops and ex-cops that's out there (as good as so much of that is).

Cheers,
ABP

COPS WRITING CRIME - A new British cousin for The Squad.

22/8/2018

And my research project continues!!!
I've found a new member for The Squad. This now takes us to 128 in number, with a new British cousin joining The Squad!
That's 128 cops and ex-cops who have taken to writing crime fiction. You won't get more realistic crime tales than those from this Squad!

So, we have joining us today:
1. Alan Craig - Craig served with the Scottish Police, I believe in the Fife area. He's just published his debut crime novel.

Our Squad now consists of:

59 American
36 British
9 Australian
6 Canadian
4 New Zealanders
3 Finnish
2 Dutch
2 Swedish
1 French
1 Bahamian
1 Norwegian
1 Italian
1 Czech
1 Russian
1 Hungarian

I'll keep adding more as I come across them, and if you know of any others please feel free to drop me a line.

Check out The Squad:
Also: Cops Writing Crime

And please remember, my list is only for CRIME FICTION - not all the true crime and/or memoir writing by cops and ex-cops that's out there (as good as so much of that is).

Cheers,
ABP

"I-5" - A compelling and insightful crime story of sexual slavery.

13/8/2018

This was my first encounter with the work of Summer Brenner. I took an interest when I happened upon this title as it involved crime and sex, two of my favourite story themes. It also involves sex trafficking, an area I did some work in in my final months in the police back in the day, so I always like to read about vice matters.
The level of insight which Brenner achieves in her work here must surely have come from some direct interviewing of girls caught up in the revolting and cruel world of sexual slavery. The characterization of the lead girl, Anya, is as absolutely compelling as it is tragic. And the insight into other personalities in the cast is equally perceptive, not that you're likely to have much empathy for most of the others.
My only reservation reading this was the present tense narrative, a writing style that I always find somewhat annoying, but that's just my personal taste. Here, it certainly didn't detract a jot from what was a riveting read with twists and turns aplenty. As always, no spoilers in my reviews, but you won't see the ending before it hits you.
But aside from the solid, tight plot, which keeps you entertained, for me it was the poignancy of the characters, especially Anya, and the clear understanding of the psychologies in the sexual slavery world, that made this a truly memorable read.
Cheers,
ABP

COPS WRITING CRIME - another Canadian cousin joins The Squad!

11/8/2018

Many thanks to Phil from Canada who looked at this project and then very kindly emailed me with a new member to add - fantastic! And if you go through our Squad of Cops Writing Crime (crime fiction only) and can think of any others, please let me know.
So Phil's nomination now takes us to 127 in number, with a new Canadian cousin joining The Squad!
That's 127 cops and ex-cops who have taken to writing crime fiction. You won't get more realistic crime tales than those from this Squad!

So, we have joining us today:
1. Sean Slater - (a pseudonym) - Slater is still a serving officer with the Vancouver Police and he has already written a range of crime novels.

Our Squad now consists of:

59 American
35 British
9 Australian
6 Canadian
4 New Zealanders
3 Finnish
2 Dutch
2 Swedish
1 French
1 Bahamian
1 Norwegian
1 Italian
1 Czech
1 Russian
1 Hungarian

I'll keep adding more as I come across them, and if you know of any others please feel free to drop me a line.

Check out The Squad:
Also: Cops Writing Crime

And please remember, my list is only for CRIME FICTION - not all the true crime and/or memoir writing by cops and ex-cops that's out there (as good as so much of that is).

Cheers,
ABP

"Sunk Costs" - another excellent noir tale from Preston Lang.

10/8/2018

I've become a huge fan of Preston Lang's work - he consistently delivers superb hard-boiled and noir crime fiction. And this latest release is no exception.
Sunk Costs sees Dan, a wandering con man, getting picked up hitchhiking by a female driver. To quote: "...all Dan's instincts told him she was dangerous". Yeah, always good to listen to those gut feelings, but then we wouldn't have had the great story that follows. No spoilers here, but hapless Dan, on the quest for cash like all con men, ends up messing with not one, but two, decidedly treacherous femmes fatales! Yes, Lang is a master at depicting the base instincts of people scrabbling around the lower end of the social heap, and his characterization here is wonderful as always. You're never quite sure where to land your sympathies with Lang's motley crews, and that's part of the fun of reading him. And it's noir at its best - the ugliest parts of society, but they are all out there, they really are.
If you love your hard-boiled and noir crime, then Sunk Costs is a definite candidate for your reading list!
Great work again, Mr Lang.
Cheers,
ABP

Bookmarks for pulp fans - hard-boiled quotes from "Harry's World"!

31/7/2018

BOOKMARKS from Harry's World

I wanted something book-related to celebrate Harry's World, so what better than bookmarks?!!!

A custom-made colourful collection of high-quality card bookmarks quoting some of those delicious hard-boiled one-liners from Harry's World. What better to accompany you in all your reading travels?!
Adults only, of course!
There are 12 quotes in the collection (see below image), with both the PI silhouette version and the sexy girls silhouette version (think of those twins!). A set of 12 will comprise all the quotes, with 6 PI versions and 6 sexy girl versions. Or if you really want to go hard, you could have the complete batch with 24!

In Australia: 1 x set of 12 goes for just $3.00 (incl. GST & postage).
For overseas: 1 x set of 12 goes for just A$5.00 (incl. airmail postage).
Just drop me a line!

See my new merchandise page: Also: MERCHANDISE

For my author buddies!!!
If you're one of my author buddies (you know who you are from the Twitter universe, the anthology worlds of Switchblade and the like, and my Cops Writing Crime project) then you can have a set for FREE - just DM me with an email address and I'll drop you a line to find where your letterbox is at! Especially as many of you are in North America, my free offer means anywhere at all (except perhaps the International Space Station!). You know how to find me, fellow authors!

Cheers,
ABP

"Invisible Women" - my review of one of the best true crime books I've ever read.

31/7/2018

I don't read a great deal of true crime - I guess having investigated it for a hefty chunk of my career, reading it doesn't attract me as much as it does many people.
I got on to this title from chatting with one of the authors, Ruth Wykes, for one of her current book projects. Combined with my last year and a half as a detective being in the Vice Squad, the subject of murdered sex workers was immediately of interest to me.
This book is simply excellent. It is horrendous to read of one murder after another of these women, generally street-based sex workers and therefore some of the very most vulnerable women in society. The authors, Kylie Fox and Ruth Wykes, tackle this difficult subject with skill, writing in an informative and objective way, but displaying great compassion. A book like this, in less adept writing hands, could all too easily become a feminist-style polemic, but Fox and Wykes avoid this pitfall, and instead deliver a very readable, although incredibly sad, collection of accounts of the lives and brutal deaths of 65 sex workers around Australia since the 1970s. The appalling violence in these deaths, almost exclusively perpetrated by males, is spelled out, as it should be to illustrate its horror. The fact that only about half of these murders have ever been solved is also highlighted, with the point being clearly made that society as a whole, and the media and the cops in particular, often regard the lives of sex workers as somehow less valuable than other people. This, of course, is the central tragedy in the lives of these women and girls. Along with the perils of drug addiction, which walk hand-in-hand with sex work for many. Fox and Wykes have the breadth of understanding to see the true tragedy of the drug problem: that it is a health and welfare issue above all, rather than the crime problem that the Establishment in our society dictates it should be. As an ex-cop who has believed in drug legalisation, combined with harm-minimisation strategies, for a very long time (and whilst I was still in the police), these accounts of the dead women so strongly underscore taking a radically different approach to drugs in our society. If drugs had been legally available to these women, many of them would not have been street-based sex workers, and therefore many of them would probably still be alive, enjoying their families and friends and a much better life. There is a very sad irony here: the conservative forces, usually male-dominated, which control Australian society and create the moral taboo around sex work (despite so many of them being customers of the industry), are also the same forces who insist on prohibition of drugs (some of them are major beneficiaries of the drug trade, too). And the authors here manage to capture the hypocrisy of those in power with the corrupt links between police, politicians and the sex industry.
On a final note, there was an added poignancy for me with this book: one of the murdered girls, Clare Garabedian, was a street-based sex worker in Perth when I was working vice there in the late 90s. I met Clare several times, another very young, drug-addicted human tragedy; someone whose life could potentially have been so different. I remember when she was murdered. Fortunately, those who killed her were caught and brought to justice.
I can't recommend this book enough. All credit to the authors for their delivery: they have illustrated all the brutal and tragic aspects of these 65 cases, made many valid points of social commentary, highlighted the hypocrisy and failings in our society, and yet none of these aspects have been overplayed. Rather, the lingering effect of this book for me is the sheer humanity of it - this book is about many themes, but overwhelmingly it is about 65 people, women and girls, who tragically are no longer with us.
ABP

"I Let You Go" - superb crime thriller from ex-cop Clare Mackintosh.

29/7/2018

I came across Clare Mackintosh during my research for my Cops Writing Crime project (which you can find elsewhere on my website – I call us “The Squad”). I have decided to try and read more of my cousins in The Squad, as I love realistic police/crime writing.
Mackintosh’s debut novel was the second read for me this year from The Squad, and “I Let you Go” delivers in spades. This is quite simply a tremendous crime thriller – one of those it is difficult to put down, even as the clock ticks past one in the morning! The story is well-crafted and keeps you guessing with plenty of suspense and twists. Mackintosh’s depiction of the psychology of domestic violence is chillingly on the money, and her characterization is excellent across her cast. As you’d expect, her police characters are realistic and all-too-human, and she delivers an engrossing cross-section of society.
I loved this book – it’s a 5-star read – and will definitely be buying her next one which is now available.
Cheers,
ABP

"Manifesto Destination" - a superb hard-boiled dystopia from Alec Cizak.

28/7/2018

If I had to name my favourite two genres, then they would be hard-boiled crime and dystopias. As a writer, I wouldn’t have initially thought of blending the two together. However, that is just what Alec Cizak does in Manifesto Destination, and boy does he do it well.
Elmore Johnson is a classic hard-drinking PI who’s a sucker for the dames, but also, like any good PI character, he’s got an inherent sense of justice, and that’s what he goes looking for. I won’t give any spoilers here, but Cizak’s weaving of a tale of corporate conspiracies and social control combined with the PI quest is beautifully executed. Throwing in corrupt cops and a healthy dose of the porn industry really propels us into classic hard-boiled and noir territory. And the whole corporate nightmare scenario doesn’t take very much of a leap of imagination whatsoever – like all the best dystopias, it’s not too far in the future and it’s entirely believable, as scary as it is. As I’ve come to expect from Cizak (I’m now a rusted-on fan, I’m very happy to admit!), his prose is wonderful and there are some delicious lines that have been copied into my quote books. Try the following as a sample. The PI: “When I was bored, which tended to coincide with the lack of a bottle…”. The dames: “The illusion I allowed myself in Amber’s arms the night before worked like morphine on the soul”, and “Her voice dripped through my ears like honey and molasses eased over warm flapjacks in the middle of winter”. And society: “I couldn’t help but wonder if life might have been a little bit better before corporations decided they had a right to run the whole goddamn world.”
I really love Cizak’s work, and I’m looking forward to getting his latest release which is due out anytime soon. I’ve previously reviewed one of his other novels and a collection of his short stories, so you can see them in my blog archive. He’s also the editor of the superb Pulp Modern magazine anthology.
If you love your crime hard and gritty and dark, read Mr Cizak!
Cheers,
ABP

COPS WRITING CRIME - 4 more members join The Squad! Now 126 of us!

27/7/2018

I keep finding more candidates for our Squad as I do my research. Today I've added 4 more cousins. This takes us to 126 in number!
That's 126 cops and ex-cops who have taken to writing crime fiction. You won't get more realistic crime tales than those from this Squad!

So, we have joining us today:
1. Péter Tarjányi (HUNGARY) - our first Hungarian cousin to join us! He served with the Hungarian Police in their counter-terrorism area.
2. James Hawkins (UK) - served for many years with the police in the UK and also worked as a PI in Canada.
3. Lewis Hastings (NEW ZEALAND) - Hastings (a pseudonym) served with the Nottinghamshire Police in the UK and then moved to New Zealand, serving with the police there.
4. John Plimmer (UK) - served for many years with the West Midlands Police.

Our Squad now consists of:

59 American
35 British
9 Australian
5 Canadian
4 New Zealanders
3 Finnish
2 Dutch
2 Swedish
1 French
1 Bahamian
1 Norwegian
1 Italian
1 Czech
1 Russian
1 Hungarian

I'll keep adding more as I come across them, and if you know of any others please feel free to drop me a line.

Check out The Squad:
Also: Cops Writing Crime

And please remember, my list is only for CRIME FICTION - not all the true crime and/or memoir writing by cops and ex-cops that's out there (as good as so much of that is).

Cheers,
ABP

"Switchblade" Issue # 5 - This anthology gets darker and finer every time! It's a must read for crime connoisseurs.

26/7/2018

Oh, yes! Another volume of hard-boiled and noir that should be on every crime connoisseur’s shelf, and looking well-read! All the pieces are really good, as we've come to expect from Switchblade. I've highlighted my personal favourites, but must stress at the outset that I loved them all.
Lisa Douglass opens the volume with a superb piece of noir poetry, “The Hidden”.
Then we’re into the 12 short stories, all a damned fine read.
“A Good Week’s Work” by Rob Pierce: Card games, money, guns, greed and doublecrossing. Not every one can walk out a winner, that’s for sure.
“Nasty Habits” by Alec Cizak: And habits don’t come any nastier than paedophilia. To use a quote from this piece: “A toucher. Lower than a chunk of petrified dog shit loitering between Satan’s toes.” Well, in this town, you really, seriously need to be careful what you ask for. And what you actually get? Dark, violent justice here. It’s great writing by Cizak, and definitely one of my top choices from this excellent Switchblade collection.
“Discretion” by Court Merrigan: Giving a blow-job without your hubby watching can be a problem. But with your hubby watching – this is one violent and twisted tale – excellent!
“Play Your Hand” by Danny Sophabmisay: An adultery case for a nasty PI with a gambling problem. What could go wrong? So much, and it’s so well written. A sample: “…he stopped to put a song on the jukebox. ‘Come on Eileen’. It was a bold choice for someone whose wife had been covered in frat semen.” My first taste of Sophabmisay’s work, but one of the highlights here for me.
“Chemo Queen” by Tom Barlow: Everyone has secrets, some are just much dirtier than others. And what do you get when two con artists go up against each other? A hell of a story.
“Daughter of Diamonds” by Jack Bates: Competing women, hungry for diamonds, and a gun thrown into the mix. Our man here is in serious trouble.
“The Comforter” by Rick Risemberg: The comfort of revenge, one you never see coming. What happens when you mess it up with organized crime.
“Crossing Lines” by Tony Genova: When you’re paid to transport bags, don’t let your curiosity get the better of you. The bags are closed for a reason.
“China Township, MI” by E.F.Sweetman: A sociopathic college dropout, discreet package deliveries, and a neo-Nazi guy wanting a blow-job. Yep, the motto is not to run out of petrol. This piece by Sweetman, my first read of her work, is right up there for me.
“These Hills” by Chris McGinley: Misery and addiction in Appalachia, poaching, death, musings on heaven, and a preacher who says he’s never going to get there. This is a bitingly dark look at a small town.
“Vanishing Girl” by Robb T. White: Strippers, spiked drinks, rapists, clueless cops, and serial killers. A nice girly joint, this one, and a terrifically twisted noir tale. And this is up there with my favourites, too.
“Bad Dog” by Timothy Friend: Canine noir? Yes, and the bite is well worth the bark. This is an out-there POV shift that works beautifully.
Then we round the issue out with three flash fiction pieces.
“The Big Blind” by David Rachels: A card game with the ultimate high stakes.
“Lama Todd” by Preston Lang: Religion, fraud, and a lovely twist. Mr Lang is one of my favourite indie crime authors.
“Lights of San Francisco” by Tom Andes: Delicious double deals, and then say goodbye to those lights.
Switchblade’s editor, Scotch Rutherford, again excels himself with his curation of superb hard-boiled and noir crime writing. This anthology really has grown into a haven of some of the best indie crime writing around, and it’s a crime reader’s wet dream!
Can’t wait to get my hands on Issue #6.
Cheers,
ABP

COPS WRITING CRIME - Another American cousin joins The Squad!

6/7/2018

Today I picked up the name of another American cousin to join our Squad. This takes us to 122 in number!
That's 122 cops and ex-cops who have taken to writing crime fiction. You won't get more realistic crime tales than those from this Squad!

So, we have joining us today:
1. Brian Thiem (US) - served for nearly 30 years with the Oakland PD. He also served in the US Army.

Our Squad now consists of:

59 American
33 British
9 Australian
5 Canadian
3 Finnish
3 New Zealanders
2 Dutch
2 Swedish
1 French
1 Bahamian
1 Norwegian
1 Italian
1 Czech
1 Russian

I'll keep adding more as I come across them, and if you know of any others please feel free to drop me a line.

Check out The Squad:
Also: Cops Writing Crime

And please remember, my list is only for CRIME FICTION - not all the true crime and/or memoir writing by cops and ex-cops that's out there (as good as so much of that is).

Cheers,
ABP