May 18th, 2009
Hello friends:
FYI, the publication date for PORT CITY SHAKEDOWN was June 25, but books have arrived (I got a carton full at home last week, and I think the books look good. ). So you should be seeing related activity very soon. I’ll be making the rounds, reviewers will be telling you what they think of Brandon Blake and friends. Bookstores and online sellers will be getting their orders in.
So I hope you enjoy. And I hope to see you along the way.
After his harrowing adventures in PORT CITY SHAKEDOWN, in PORT CITY BLACK AND WHITE Brandon has achieved his dream of becoming a rookie cop with the Portland P.D. But it’s a tough job for any cop and Brandon is a rookie—with a beautiful girlfriend waiting on his aging cabin cruiser and some serious baggage. With his mentor Kat at his side, Brandon plunges into a world of drug addicts and homeless, scheming grifters and East End hipsters, trust-funders and immigrants, ambitious entrepreneurs and killers from away. When a baby vanishes from the apartment of his crack-addled mother, Brandon and Kat join the all-out search. As they search for the missing baby they begin to unravel of web of duplicity and deceit.
Want a taste? Read Chapter 1.
What the reviewers are saying:
“Gripping … Boyle’s assured writing and non-cookie-cutter lead are big pluses and portend well for future entries.”—Publishers Weekly
“Boyle’s first Brandon Blake novel (Port City Shakedown, 2009) was well received, and this second installment is compelling and nuanced.”—Booklist
“The Brandon Blake Port City series will be a classic, showing the reality of New England coast life — a mix of myth and painful reality.”—Beth Kanell, Kingdom Books
“Genuine dialogue is the most notable strength in Boyle’s writing.”—Aislinn Sarnacki, Bangor Daily News
“Boyle sure can write and he has earned his praise from the late Robert Parker as ‘the genuine article.’” The Free Press
Purchase PORT CITY BLACK AND WHITE
I always ask readers to purchase my books from their local independent bookseller, whenever possible. Purchase through Indiebound.org
Purchase from Down East Books.
Purchase from Amazon.com.
“Robert Parker fans who have yet to discover Boyle will be pleasantly surprised by his suspenseful ninth crime novel set in Maine featuring former New York Times reporter Jack McMorrow. … Boyle has succeeded in creating a likable lead whose sense of responsibility is reminiscent of Spenser as well as supporting characters with depth.” –Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“DAMAGED GOODS is so compelling, it’s like literary crack–I simply couldn’t stop reading.”
–Tess Gerritsen, author of THE KEEPSAKE.
“A terrific thriller with terrifically original characters.”
- C.J. Box, Edgar-winning author of NOWHERE TO RUN
I always ask readers to purchase my books from their local independent bookseller. Purchase through indiebound.org
Purchase DAMAGED GOODS from Down East Books
Purchase DAMAGED GOODS from Amazon
In PORT CITY SHAKEDOWN, the first Brandon Blake novel, Brandon gets a full dose of bad guys. A brawl in a funeral home introduces him to Joel Fuller, a sociopathic hustler. Fuller is fresh out of jail and determined to take Brandon out—after Fuller and his sidekick Kelvin shake him down.
And if Brandon’s present isn’t enough to contend with, his tragic past comes alive. If his mother died when a yacht went down with all hands, why is one of the presumed-dead crew suddenly walking the streets of Portland? Soon Brandon, and his writer friend Mia, realize that the only thing they know is that nothing is as it seems.
Critics have said good things about my books. For those who like to know such things, here is a random sampling:
“Port City Shakedown is one of the best mysteries to come out of the state in recent years.”—Maine Sunday Telegram
“Brandon Blake is a solid series lead … and we get the impression that Boyle has barely scratched his surface here. … Keep your eyes on this one.”—Booklist
“Boyle keeps the legends of this cold and menacing landscape (Borderline) very much alive.”—The New York Times
“Boyle’s snappy prose stops just short of hard-boiled, letting some poignancy slip into his characters’ plights.”—Publishers Weekly
“The dialogue hums and crackles.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Wonderful supporting characters … superb writing. His feel for small-town new England is almost eerily photographic.”—The Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Gerry Boyle is the genuine article.”—Robert B. Parker
“Stunning. … The writing is sharp and evocative.”—The Washington Post Book World
“Features as much sound and fury as a summer movie blockbuster.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Fans of Robert B. Parker’s Spenser novels will love Jack McMorrow.”—Booklist
“Well-realized, believable characters … unusual and suspenseful.”—The Cleveland Plain Dealer
“The author … uses his insider’s knowledge of the newspaper business to give his plot plenty of texture; he also delivers realistic characterizations, diverting subplots and evocative descriptions of rural Maine.”—Publishers Weekly
Rocky isn’t a tough guy. He’s a skinny little kid with crooked glasses, and he shouldn’t be homeless in Portland, Maine. When McMorrow and Roxanne pluck him from under the stomping feet of a gang of street kids, Rocky latches onto McMorrow–and drags him into a world of murder, both old and new. Why is McMorrow protecting Rocky? The cops want to know. Why is Rocky on the run? McMorrow wants to know. Why does death follow in Rocky’s wake? Jack and Roxanne need to find out before they’re added to the list. More »
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Gerry,
It is so good to catch up on your books. I lost track for a bit. I will certainly be watching for the personal appearance dates. Maybe I will luck out and actually be able to attend one.
I can understand your need for a change, but I am glad you haven’t stopped writing about Jack and Roxanne.
Here’s to you!
Regina
Gerry,
Can’t wait to get to know the new guy!
Joan
Hi Gerry,
My husband, Dave surprised me with a great “Mother’s Day” gift…your new book! …I just had to wait a bit for it to arrive….
Gotta say, it was much better than I expected. I really enjoyed all the Jack McMorrow stories and was not happy when I heard you were introducing a new series. (I wanted more of Jack’s adventures!) But it was REALLY good. Difficult to put down! I am an overworked small business owner in Belfast and find reading a great way to ease stress from the day. Plus, I am a former a dispatcher and corrections officer at a County Jail and found it pretty interesting that you named your antagonist “Joel Fuller”, as JOEL FULLER was a real convicted murderer in Maine in the 1980’s.
Check out this link:
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=me&vol=03me107sm&invol=1
Needless to say, we are enjoying your new series and are eager for the next volume. We both were also quite surprised at how swiftly Brandon and Mia “connected”. Seemed to have been a bit rushed for the story. That could have been developed a bit more, don’t you think?
I have got to say that I LOVED your reference to the “door yard”. So “MAINE”! Thanks for that!! We’ve gotta keep those out-o-staters guessing, huh? (Actually, I’m from Northern Maine, and had no idea what a “tourist” was until I moved to the coast in 1980, but we sure knew what the “door yard” was!)
My question was about the references on the inside-the-cover page that said “Oregon”. As in Portland, Oregon? Was that an error? What is that about? I read my books cover-to-cover, so was curious about it and expected references to Oregon as I read the book. Just wondering.
I am thrilled to be one of the first to read your book. Loved it!! Looking forward eagerly to the next!
Sincerely,
Kim