Barnes Storming

Paul Goat Allen reviewed The Blonde in the latest Barnes & Noble "Ransom Notes" newsletter. And his verdict?

Like Swierczynski's previous works (Secret Dead Men and The Wheelman), his latest is a frenzied, surreal, gore-splattered exploration into the dark side of humanity's psyche -- from our self-absorbed dreams to our twisted obsessions and addictions. The Blonde is wild, fast, and breathtakingly bodacious -- an absolute bombshell of a read.

Have I mentioned that when it comes to chain bookstores, Barnes & Noble fulfills me in a way I didn't know I could be fulfilled?

And check out one of this month's "spotlight" books--Ken Bruen's American Skin, which Allen calls a "visceral, visionary masterwork" and an "instant noir cult classic." I couldn't agree more. The opening chapter is National Lampoon's Vacation as directed by Sam Peckinpah. I've never read anything like it.