Swann is Back! Check out Charles Salzberg's Latest!

Charles Salzberg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Shamus Award Nomination 
for Best First PI Novel

The Shamus Award is awarded by the 
Private Eye Writers of America (PWA) 
for the best detective fiction genre novels
and short stories of the year. The prize is
given annually to recognize outstanding
achievement in private eye fiction.

For more about Swann's Last Song
go to www.henryswann.com
http://www.henryswann.com/#!__swanns-desk

Swann Dives In


By Charles Salzberg


Would you believe Henry Swann (meet Swann if you want to!) became a cable guy after finishin his last case, in Swann's Last Song?! No Way! I just couldn't see him climbing those stairs to install cable...He said it was the stairs that were beginning to bother him, but later admitted that he began to feel alive again when he began working his latest case... Let's face it, some guys were created to do what they best do, but I guess we'll have to wait to find out in each book...

If you clicked over and read my thoughts on Swann's Last Song, you will discovered that I favored the author's first ending over the published one... Wouldn't you know it, this ending surprised me too! But I'm thinking it was what the author wrote, so I'll have to ask him sometime. because while it surprised me, it worked. One thing we do know by this second novel is that Salzberg will not give us what we expect when a case is closing!

Charles Salzberg is just not going to trap himself into a fixed series format. I can tell that already! Now I love series, but Salzberg will take you to places where you didn't know you wanted to go and that can be cool too!

This time, readers will be taken behind the scenes in the book world...The rare books world of buying and selling...and possible criminal side of it...

Through an old connection, Swann is hooked up with a leading NY lawyer. Immediately, Swann hates the guy, but he's being offered $10 thou for a week's work...and, after all, it's all about getting the money when you work, right? BTW, the lawyer doesn't like Swann either, so they push their way through the arrangements because Swann knows he's taking the case... A Skip Tracer finds people, and Swann is good at it...

And the lawyer's daughter was missing, perhaps hooked up with a boyfriend who had also taken off...Sean Loomis was involved with Marcia Phillips, Carlton's daughter. So Swann figured it was best to start a search for Sean first...starting at Syracuse University:

Sean had worked in the library and majored in English Literature. Everybody praised his knowledge and devotion to the book world, but there was also one incident, after which he had left, insulted that they had suspected him. A rare book had disappeared...but was later found in another library building in regular stacks. The University had not pursued anything legally since the book movement could have been just a prank and nothing was gone.

Talking with students brought up the name of one of his professors, but she wasn't on campus at that time.

After talking with the librarian and an unlikely-looking chair of the English Department, he next traveled to Boston to talk with Dana Simmons, a professor in the department and then on to London. It seemed more and more likely that some type of scam might be happening, so Swann took some time to learn about the book business, which was quite interesting since most readers hate to destroy books and keep them, no matter how old. Finding old books that might be valuable was a business in itself and so readers learn along with Swann not only which books may have some value, but also how some type of forgery might take place...

Pretty straight forward trace activity so far, but then the twists start!

Salzberg has been a professional writer for years...but he has added a little flavor of Mike Hammer and Spenser, my favorite detectives from the past with Swann's own brand of humor...and now with the addition of Swann's voice of the trailers, we can start swooning over his wonderful voice...and can check out more about him on his site!

I loved the increase in pace as the clues began to point directly to who was doing what. The ending was somewhat surprising, but dare I say there was a moral to the story...a lesson to be learned...or perhaps, just a great, satisfying ending! This author adds some great imagery to his books, so be sure to check out his site! And kudos for the beautiful hardback cover directly on the book binding, as well as the paper cover! That probably makes it a future collectible rare book! LOL Enjoy Swann at what he does best and share about his story, so he doesn't have to go out and fix televisions anymore! Highly recommended!

GABixlerReviews


Charles Salzberg is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Esquire, New York Magazine, GQ, Elle, Redbook, Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, The New York Times Arts and Leisure, The New York Times Book Review, the Los Angeles Times Book Review,  the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and various other publications.

He is the author of From Set Shot to Slam Dunk, An Oral History of the NBA, and On A Clear Day They Could See Seventh Place:, Baseball’s 10 Worst Teams of the Century, and co-author of My Zany Life and Times, by Soupy Sales, Catch Them Being Good, by Tony DiCicco and Colleen Hacker, Phd., and The Mad Fisherman, by Charlie Moore.

His novel, Swann’s Last Song, was nominated for a Shamus Award for Best First PI Novel.  The sequel, Swann Dives In, was published in October, 2012.  He also has a Swann short story in Long Island Noir (Akashic Books.)  His novel, Devil in the Hole, will be published in July, 2013.

Review: First Song Might Just Have Been Better? Updated with Audible Excerpt!

Swann's Last Song


By Charles Salzberg






I admit I was pulled in by Salzberg's slick interactive promo! I just knew I was going to like the book, except I was saddened by the ending. Now the author will know that this is important. Me, I'm sitting here wondering what my feelings would have been had I first read Swann's Last Song as originally written. You see, I liked it better--it fit with the story and it fit with what I thought the character, who really was known to me by the end of the book, would have done and said. 

You see, the latest, published by Greenpoint Press included not only the entire book, but included the original final chapter as well as an essay published in Writer's Digest. So, in essence, my reaction was the total opposite of earlier professionals who told the author that nobody would accept the book as written. Indeed I was saddened by the book's ending, which was what had been predicted by those who reviewed earlier would have happened if they had not forced the author to, as he said, give in and change the ending.

Does that make me unusual? Or was the book really great as first written, only to be reduced in impact, by the changed final that was forced on the author?

Of course, some could say I was influenced by the essay. Only thing I know is that I was relieved and grateful when I read the real final--because I was then satisfied with the book!

Now if all that doesn't make you curious enough to read the book and make your own decision--and please do share your thoughts with me, but especially the author--let me tell you that the book is truly fantastic! 

Saltzberg refers to a number of  authors that you might think while you read the book. It was the handsome TV Mike Hammer that I pictured in my mind. The case begins as usual. Beautiful woman comes to Swann to find her husband.:  

Only thing is, Swann is not a PI, he's a skip tracer.

But since he normally was offered food stamps to pay for his services, he decided to take advantage of the opportunity, even though he's not quite convinced her reason for coming to him is the truth. And besides, he does go out looking for the missing, even if most of the time, it is to repossess a car... 

Harry Janus, however, had already been found by the police--dead. He had been found in Times Square, probably as a result of a fight with a pimp. Mrs. Janus didn't believe he would be where he had been found and wanted Swann to proceed with his investigation--now he was to find out who had killed him.


Visiting Janus' apartment, since he and his wife had an open relationship, resulted in Swann being hit in the gut, soon out cold. Once he was awake again, he did hear his answering machine which gave him two names, Carole and Horst, both claiming a need for urgent callbacks. From this he moved optimistically forward...


Soon, he was meeting the ex-Mrs. Carole Cheney in sunny California, where he learned that not only was he previously married as Jason Cheney, as in "the" Jason, of "Jason and the argonauts, "a famous rock group from the 70s". (If you haven't yet clicked the first insert above, do so now for a little background rock!)


Before anything else happens, Swann is convinced by Carol to take a plunge--into her bed.

One clue on top of another next takes Swann down Mexico way...and then on to Berlin. Instead of expecting Mrs. Janus' ongoing financial support, he's wondering exactly why she cares who killed her husband! He's been battered and nearly killed, so Swann is grateful for her support, because by now, he is almost obsessed in following the case to the finish and finding the murderer. After all, it is not everyday that you find one individual who has lived four separate lives! Besides, I think he is quite proud of his work so far!

Since I started with the ending of the book, I'll just stop and say I was just as obsessed to follow Swann through his journeys, growing more and more amazed about the man who was so many different people before he was killed. Swann follows the trail and pulls readers along; we have no option but to follow. But I wanted to turn each page!

Still, I do have one question in my mind as I finish the book and my review. Was this really Swann's Last Song ? I hope not. I don't mind his remaining a skip tracer--I just want to meet him again and see how the next case goes. How about it Charles Salzberg? 


Book Received from Author


GABixlerReviews.