. . . more to follow as we reconfigure to life as an online-only dealership . . .

“Night Vision“ by RWW

[ PW Starred Review ]:

In White’s intelligent, fast-paced 18th Doc Ford thriller (after Deep Shadow), Doc’s hipster friend, Tomlinson, persuades Doc to help an extraordinary 13-year-old girl, Tula Choimha, recently arrived at a Florida trailer park from Guatemala. Tula, who speaks with God and whose patron saint is Joan of Arc, is determined to find her mother and brother, who came to America months earlier but have disappeared. People who get to know Tula believe she is special, blessed, even a saint—except for the sleazy, steroid-infused trailer park landlord, Harris Squires. Fearful that the discovery of some human remains inside an alligator carcass will implicate him in a crime witnessed by Tula, the paranoid Harris kidnaps Tula and takes off. Doc sets out to rescue Tula, but standing in his way is a menacing gangbanger, Victorino, and Harris’s vicious girlfriend, Frankie. White balances the sordid criminal activities with plenty of intriguing wildlife lore. The bond that Tula forms with her captor adds poignancy.

(dec, 2010) I was pleasantly surprised … when I received the ARC for “Horns,” and it immediately moved to my “on deck” position among the stacks of “to-be-read” books that populate the desk. I loved “…Box,”  and “…Ghosts,” and wasn’t disappointed when I finished Hill’s latest. Another grand slam from a burgeoning master of supernatural suspense. Ig Perrish leads us on a believable Mephistophelian arc from a fully fleshed–albeit horned—mortal, coping with loss: of innocence, of love, of future, to an ironic redemption in the womb of flames.

How’s that for a suitably slick summary? Really, though, how can a reader not get hooked—pun, intended—when your narrator, in the first paragraph, discovers an unaccountable pair of horns adorning his head after a night out? Hill’s skill as a writer lays in making the credibility of his characters and his own authorial voice beyond reproach. With confidence and a wry wit, he crafts a thrilling tale macabre that remains rooted in reality. At once a gripper of a story, “Horns” also dares to explore the larger, all-too-human themes of corruption, evil, and suffering, along with the hopes of salvation and atonement.

Raising the complexities of love, regret, and sacrifice, Hill’s use of musical and literary allusion weaves a devilish motif that creates a mood both diabolical and playful. Unconventional “horror” where the suspension of disbelief is a non-issue. To the point: set aside your current read and pick up “Horns.” You will be hooked. You will be impressed. You will be disappointed when the ride’s over.

Bring Key West to you !

Tom Corcoran has followed the footsteps of his fictional character, Alex Rutledge, to create 400 color pictures for this forty minute DVD. Rutledge, the continuing character in the Corcoran mysteries, shares with the author a love of the camera and a fascination with Key West.

If you appreciate the books of Tom Corcoran, you will enjoy seeing dozens of locations he has chosen for crimes, meetings, meals, romance and law enforcement actions since he began his series in 1998. All of the DVD color photographs were taken since 2007 with digital Kodak, Canon and Nikon cameras. If you enjoy the warm, tropical light of Key West, its unique nautical heritage, classic architecture, foliage, beaches, hangouts, vehicles and streets, you will find it all here.

The  program is backed by the acoustic guitar of John Frinzi and steel pans of John Patti. Their soundtrack perfectly fits the scenery and laid back mood of the island.

but wait! there’s more:

For the true Corcoran fan and collector, we still have First Printings of Tom’s

“Key West in Black and White”

SIGNED by both Tom Corcoran and Randy Wayne White–who contributed the introduction–this fine showcase of Tom’s B&W photography captures the romance of a historic Key West that’s all but disappeared.

Tim Dorsey

“Electric Barracuda”

Wednesday, Feb. 16th: 4:00 pm

Sanddollar Bookstore. 272 Miami Ave. West (@Nassau) Venice, FL. 941.480.1930

While enthusiasts across the world pored over the Voynich manuscript, one of the most mysterious writings ever found – penned by an unknown author in a language no one understands – a research team at the UA solved one of its biggest mysteries: When was the book made?

By Daniel Stolte, University Communications, February 9, 2011

University of Arizona researchers have cracked one of the puzzles surrounding what has been called “the world’s most mysterious manuscript” – the Voynich manuscript, a book filled with drawings and writings nobody has been able to make sense of to this day.

“I GET a lot of trouble from people who just don’t realize Dexter is a highly moral person; there are simply lines he will not cross, no matter what,” Jeff Lindsay says of his antihero.

– [ The Australian ]

Cape Coral’s Jeff Lindsay, the creator of one of the most compelling protagonists in recent years, discusses his work with Sydney’s “The Australian“.

~~Lindsay is a guest of the Perth Writers Festival next month.

Of note: Tom Franklin’s “Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter” may be his break-out novel. It’s a solid, representative piece of Southern Lit and after having met him a few times, we’re rooting for him.

Tana French–who won in 2008 for her debut “In the Woods” is a contender again with her latest, “Faithful Place“, and rounding out the list for Best Novel are previous Edgar winners Harlan Coben, Steve Hamilton, and Laura Lippman.

Siesta Key sleuth Dixie Hemingway returns in this sixth and latest (not-so-cozy)cozy by Blaize Clement.

“Cat Sitter Among the Pigeons”

This time, Dixie is caring for the cat of a prickly old man whose granddaughter shows up with baby in tow. Dixie desperately tries to save this young woman and her infant from murderous con-artists ready to kill in order to hold on to the millions they stole from naïve investors. The villains, though, are not run-of-the-mill criminals; they are among the socially prominent movers and shakers in Dixie’s town.

We have SIGNED first printings in-stock and Blaize was kind enough to sign-up all of our paperbacks as well so now’s the time to get that personal gift for the collector in your life.

4:00 PM

Tim Dorsey

“Electric Barracuda“

Serge Storms, that loveable thermonuclear vigilante and one-stop-Florida-trivia-shop, has been leaving corpses strewn across the Sunshine State for more than a decade. The authorities—especially one tenacious state agent—have begun to notice the exponential body count, and send a police task force to track down Serge. Could his luck finally have run out?

Meanwhile, armed with his perpetually baked sidekick, Coleman, Serge decides to blitz the state and resurrect his Internet travel-advice website—which, of course, must be the finest and the final word on trekking the Sunshine State. To up the ante, Serge concocts a theme vacation for his cyberspace audience. And that theme? You, too, can experience Florida through the eyes of a fugitive.

Off they go blogging along a getaway route through the state’s most remote bayous, back roads, and bars, where the number of cadavers begin stacking up like Serge’s website hits. And in the middle of all his make-believe close brushes, Serge finally wises up to his pursuers and realizes that the manic gumball rally is genuinely on “in the tradition of the great American chase movie.”

So gas up the car, say good-bye to the relatives, and join Serge on the lam as he drives straight for the deepest bowels of Florida to unravel the final mysteries of Electric Barracuda.

Serge also has some personal business to tidy up. His grandfather’s old Miami Beach gang suddenly had their life savings wiped out, and there’s a good bet it was no accident. Too much action for Serge to juggle? Not when it all dovetails nicely into his Secret Master Plan. And especially if it involves Serge’s favorite new obsession: tracking Al Capone’s little-known escapades in the Everglades.