Monday, January 07, 2013

What is Elizabeth J. Duncan reading?

The current featured contributor at Writers Read: Elizabeth J. Duncan, author of A Small Hill to Die On.

Her entry begins:
I’ve just finished reading Until the Night by Giles Blunt, whom I consider Canada’s best crime writer. He’s certainly my favourite. The sixth in the John Cardinal series, Until the Night might be the best of the lot. It’s complex, surprising, and above all, superbly well written. It’s literary crime fiction.

In this novel Blunt does the nearly impossible – he pulls together two strands of distinct narrative in a way that stuns the reader. The two narratives involve different points of view, different times, different characters and yet everything makes perfect sense when all the elements collide at the end in an unforgettable climax. Blunt has years of experience writing for television and it shows; his story telling is visual and visceral.

His characters are crisp, sharply defined, flawed and human. They make mistakes; they...[read on]
About A Small Hill to Die On, from the publisher:
The North Wales market town of Llanelen is abuzz when a Vietnamese family moves into Ty Brith Hall. It isn’t long before the family’s business dealings have the townsfolk wondering what’s really going on up at the big house on the hill.

Things take a sinister turn when Penny Brannigan, spending a midwinter afternoon sketching the magnificent views that surround the town, discovers the body of the new family’s teenage daughter. Many secrets lie buried in the shallow grave, along with the girl, who Penny identifies by the snakeskin manicure she received at Penny’s salon. When an elderly woman returns to Llanelen to care for her ailing brother, Penny discovers the truth about another death at Ty Brith Hall, one that hits very close to home. Though Penny's romantic interest, Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Davies, warns her to stay away, Penny can't resist getting involved, and her urge to help will ultimately put her in danger.

Elizabeth J. Duncan's latest offering in this engaging series is filled with memorable characters, great escapes, explosive plot twists, and plenty of Welsh charm.
Visit Elizabeth J. Duncan's website and blog.

The Page 69 Test: The Cold Light of Mourning.

The Page 69 Test: A Brush with Death.

Read--Coffee with a Canine: Elizabeth J. Duncan and Dolly.

Writers Read: Elizabeth J. Duncan.

--Marshal Zeringue