Dead Girl Blues

You might as well know this going in: Lawrence Blocks new novel is not for everyone. Its recounted in journal form by its protagonist and begins when he walks into a roadhouse outside of Bakersfield California and walks out with a woman. And rapes and murders her. But um not in that order. Right. But its what he does with the rest of his life thats really interesting... Lawrence Block has been writing and publishing crime fiction for sixty years. Hes received recognition for lifetime achievement in the US and the UK. His books have won awards and occasionally show up on bestseller lists. Several of them have been fimed. Heres what hes said about DEAD GIRL BLUES: I dont think its terribly commercial. And there are elements that will put off a lot of readers. But see Dead Girl Blues doesnt owe me a thing. I hadnt planned to write it so it doesnt have to bring in money to justify the time I spent on it. The book is its own justification. Ill publish it myself on my 82nd birthday and all of yall can buy it or not buy it read it or not read it and like it or not like it. Ive shown it to some friends whose opinions I trust and they told me that Dead Girl Blues is one of the very best things Ive ever written. And then they added that they could see where it might have problems. So I read it again last week and I realized DGB was exactly the book I wanted it to be. And how often does that happen? And what more could an old man possibly ask for?