You hear that some writers don't read their reviews. Well...with all due respect...bullshit. What's the old adage about 99% do it and the other 1% is lying? All of which is to say that the first review of
Irregulars was published last week on the fine history website,
The Irish Story, and a really interesting review it is, too. It's very good, mostly, and some of what the reviewer didn't like, I can agree with. Still, waiting around for reviews can be a bit hard on the auld nerves. Firstly, you are hoping for any reviews at all. It's reviews what sell books, for better or worse...
even worse, apparently, though I'd not like to test it out. And of course any reviews you do get, you really want to be positive but then again, bad reviews are part of the job of work that is novel writing. 'It's all in the game,' as the late, great Omar Little once said. But still, you hope they'll be nice. Generally,
Peeler was well reviewed. No real negative ones and some fabulous ones but reviewers are kind to first novels, I think, unless they're six figure deals or written by a glamour model or some such. Second novels, particularly in a series? The gloves are off, I'd say. But I will post the bad with the good on here and here's hoping for the good...
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| I wrote a novel and a hockey game broke out...the gloves are off for the reviewers of Irregulars |
Also, there's a cool blog post re Irregulars over at Peter Rozovsky's brilliant blog,
Detectives Beyond Borders. I've written about his blog before but I'll say it again: there isn't a smarter, funnier or more erudite book blog on the web. The fact that Peter is a stand up guy only helps. Check it out
here.
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Novelist Declan Burke of Crime Always Pays blog
and author of the mega-meta-masterpiece Absolute Zero Cool |
And finally, over on Declan Burke's equally brilliant, Irish Crime Fiction blog,
Crime Always Pays, Declan has included Irregulars on a list of books eligible for Irish Crime Novel of the Year 2013. Now, I've only read two books on that list but am proud that Irregulars is hanging with such a cool crowd. Honoured, I am.
