Review: Harlan Coben’s Six Years in the Washington Post

As I write in my Washington Post review of the new novel Six Years, Harlan Coben has long since established himself as the master of a certain kind of tale: the story of “a life suddenly unraveling, the past summoned back into a swiftly shifting present, secrets peeling back to reveal more secrets.” In this novel, college professor Jake Fisher seems to have the chance to reconnect with a lost love—if only he could prove that she actually exists! This latest outing displays clockwork precision in that regard, and while some aspects of the book defy reality, the overall effect is still both mesmerizing and surprisingly affecting. See my full review here. — Art Taylor

Upcoming Event: Short Story Panel, Saturday, March 30

I’m very pleased to have been invited to participate in a short story panel, “The Long and Short of the Short Story,” hosted by the Central Virginia Chapter of Sisters in Crime on Saturday, March 30, at 11 a.m. The panel features Leone Ciporin, Meredith Cole, and me, and takes places at the Henrico County Public Library, Glen Allen Branch, 10501 Staples Mill Road, Glen Allen, VA.

Here’s some quick info on the other two panelists:

In July 2012, Leone Ciporin’s story, “Invisible Women,” was published in The Hook, a Charlottesville weekly, after being selected by John Grisham for third place in The Hook‘s fiction contest. Her story, “A Grain of Truth,” is included in the mystery anthology, Chesapeake Crimes: This Job is Murder, published by Wildside Press in May 2012. She has also had four mini-mysteries in Woman’s World magazine. Leone is a member of both Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. She lives in Charlottesville and is active with WriterHouse there.

Meredith Cole won the St. Martin’s Press/Malice Domestic Best Traditional First Mystery competition with her book Posed for Murder. The book was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel. Her second book, Dead in the Water, continued the adventures of Lydia McKenzie in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Her short stories have appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and the anthology Murder New York Style. She is one of the featured authors in Making Story: Twenty-One Writers and How They Plot, which offers writing advice to aspiring authors. She is a member of both Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, and she teaches writing at the University of Virginia.

Folks interested in attending should RSVP to Heather Weidner at heatherandstan@verizon.net by Friday, March 29th for room set-up purposes. And attendees are welcome to bring their own lunch and beverage. — Art Taylor

Derringer Award Finalist: “When Duty Calls” from Chesapeake Crimes: This Job Is Murder

I’m so pleased that my story “When Duty Calls,” recently nominated for an Agatha Award, has also been named a finalist for the 2013 Derringer Awards! My story falls in the Long Story category, and there’s a a great slate of finalists in all areas this year (including good friends David Dean, Toni L.P. Kelner, and Doug Allyn in the Novellette category). As always, I’m simply honored to be included in such distinguished company. And for those interested in reading the story itself, it’s temporarily available on my website here. — Art Taylor