Tuesday 20 January 2009

Michael Connelly at No Alibis!


No Alibis are very pleased (not to mention excited) to inform you that one of the world's leading crime fiction novelists will be visiting us later this year. Michael Connelly will be joining us to discuss his latest novel, THE SCARECROW, on the evening of Friday 15th May.

As you can imagine, we expect demand for tickets for this event to be immense, and that we're likely to require a venue much larger than the usual cosy atmosphere of No Alibis.

In order to gauge demand for this event, we would like to ask you to register your interest (don't worry, we know circumstances change, and May is a long way off, but we're just trying to get an idea of the numbers). Simply go to http://www.noalibis.com/ and enter your details using the form below the Michael Connelly entry, if you think you'd like to attend.

We will send out emails to interested parties, and update the website as we have further information, and when we decide on a venue closer to the date.

Roll on May 15th!

Michael Connelly was a journalist and crime reporter for several newspapers before writing his first novel in 1992. He is the author of more than 10 books, including those in the best-selling Harry Bosch series. His other books include The Lincoln Lawyer (Little, Brown, 2005), his first legal thriller, and the recently published Crime Beat: A Decade of Covering Cops and Killers (Little, Brown 2006). An original Harry Bosch novella began being serialized in The New York Times Magazine’s “Funny Pages” in August 2006, and the installments of the story continue through this November. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Edgar, the Anthony and the Macavity. Mr. Connelly lives in Florida.

About THE SCARECROW: Jack McEvoy is at the end of the line as a crime reporter. Forced to take a buy-out from the LA Times, he's got 30 days left on the job. His last assignment? Training his replacement, a low-cost reporter just out of J-school. But Jack has other plans for his exit. He is going to go out with a bang - a final story that will win the newspaper journalism's highest honor - a Pulitzer prize. Jack focuses on Alonzo Winslow, a 16-year-old drug dealer from the projects who has confessed to police that he brutally raped and strangled one of his crack clients. Jack convinces Alonzo's mother to co-operate with his investigation into the possibility of her son's innocence. But Jack's real intention is to use his access to report and write a story that explains how societal dysfunction and neglect created a 16-year-old killer. But as Jack delves into the story he soon realises that Alonzo's so-called confession is bogus, and Jack is soon off and running on the biggest story he's had since The Poet crossed his path twelve years before. This time Jack is onto a killer who has worked completely below police and FBI radar. His investigation leads him into the digital world of data collocation services where server farms are watched over by techs who liken themselves to scarecrows - keeping the birds of prey off their clients' data. But Jack inadvertently set off a digital tripwire and the killer - the Scarecrow - now knows he's coming...


NO ALIBIS BOOKSTORE
83 BOTANIC AVENUE
BELFAST BT7 1JL
david@noalibis.com
ph. 02890-319601
fax. 02890319607

6 comments:

adrian mckinty said...

Thats quite a coup for young David there. I'd love to go and to go also to the post reading high tea which I assume wont be at Abbakebabra (though thats good enough for the likes of you and me Ger).

If someone could pick me up a signed copy of The Poet I'd be much obliged. I'd ask Torrans to do it but he's still got that Ciaran Carson he promised me in his vice-like grip and its been about 3 years now.

Still sounds like a terrific event and everyone should go. I'll bet Mr C has some good Clint Eastwood stories and the like...

Gerard Brennan said...

Adrian - Abrakebabra... mmmmmmm. It's been too long since I've had a taco chip.

I'll get you that copy, if you remind me closer to the time. Can't promise you the Ciaran Carson if Daveid's not willing to give it up, though.

Piece of trivia -- T'was Mister Carson who got Ian Sansom the Queen's Writer in Residence gig. So he's contributed to the Northern Irish crime fiction scene twice in my reckoning. The first time being (to the best of my knowledge) inspiring your Belfast Confetti chapter in DIWMB.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

gb

adrian mckinty said...

you aint wrong.

taco chip - dont tell Colman he's having weight issues.

Gerard Brennan said...

Adrian - Will keep the taco chip on the DL.

gb

adrian mckinty said...

Ger

Not necessary but if you could ask Dave to put one aside for me I'd dig it.

And if you really feeling up to it gave Dave a Benny Hill baldy slap, he loves it, honest.

Gerard Brennan said...

Adrian - Whatever works for you. Just make sure you remind me.

As for the slap... seems a harmless enough wee jape to me.

How's that deadline treating you, BTW?

gb