Review of Shelter

Anyone paying attention to these pages will know that my mystery novel Shelter has recently been published in the States. Not many people have actually noticed - yet! - but I thought I might draw your attention to this, from someone who has.

fidelioscabinet gives the book a fabulous review, from which I guess the money shot is this:

"I have had a great deal of trouble putting my reaction to this book into words--it's a very plain story that is very complicated; the language it uses appears to be perfectly clear and simple but this clarity and simplicity is the result of great art. To be blunt, this short novel, masquerading as a sort of mystery, could kick any of the clever things that have clawed their way onto the best-seller lists, or into venues like Oprah Winfrey's reading list, in the slats and leave them wheezing and crying because their glitter had been washed off."

*sniggers*

Making more melon jams and pickles...

...and poor Baz doesn't know where to look, because I keep dropping titbits on the floor and he hears that happy noise and comes galumphing in, and they're Not Meat! They are Vegetation, which is Not Fit Food for Cats!! And yet, there is the appalling Mac just tigering them down, and Baz can't really work it out but he's sure he's missing out somewhere...

In other news, I wonder why I can't take "Heartattack and Vine" off the stereo? It's never been my favourite Waits, but suddenly I've gone all adolescent over it, and round and around we go.

Coo

I has fire engines, ambulance and policepersons in squad cars, right outside my windows. This is not so unusual (there's a junction; there are accidents), only I hadn't actually noticed, until I went downstairs to rinse the melon-rinds and refill the wineglass. It takes focus, y'know, all this revising.

(I have cut 5000 words out of the last 16,000. Which is about an ideal ratio, tho' I don't expect to keep it up; but oh, it is hard word. Unwriting takes as much effort, and as much time, as writing does. Word for word, more or less.)