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Show BOOKS SUNDAY,April 27, 1997 The SaltLakeTribune 05 Greer’s Crime Fiction Is Good Medicine oe BYNICHOLAS A. BASBANES SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE *” One of the greatest satisfactions apprecia- tive readers can experienceis to be presentat Reviews of books of regional interest = ing, and it's little more thai tenth of the way into the book-= Hard to figure out what purpose the remaining nine-tenths of Ohio, he received his A_B. in English from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and his M_D. the creation of a continuing character, a companion in print who will be around for a while to entertain them in a series of well-crafted “appearances. It's a throwback, in a way,to the old days of the serial novels, when masters like Charles Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray kept fans on edge waiting for the next installments of such classies as Oliver Twist and Vanity Fair to appear in monthly magazines. _ . With a highly literary creation like John the novelserve, unless it's for al from Boston University. A professor of pathology, medicine, surgery and dentistry at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, where he has lived with his wife for 20 years, Greer aiso is well-known 2s a short-story writer, and as founding editor of the High Plains Literary Review. In his spare time, he works a 1,500acre cattle ranch he owns 170 miles northwest of Denver. Updike’s Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom, whose tioned here: Duke Eilington Charlie Parker, Wynton Marsalis, Lionel Hampton, Sonny Rollins. Fats Navarro; there’s hardiy~a majorjazz name that doesn't pep up. had been thinking for some time about Even Ralph Ellison's novel J visible Man and Clint Eastwood's traight medical thrillers in the Robin Cook dise jockey who lives in Las Ye- writing novels, and the obvious wayatfirst for a) Sees 20 eee exploits in four magnificent novels between 1960 and 1990 made him arguably the most accomplished continuing character of our ‘time, the interval between books can be as ‘long as 10 years; the passing of Angstrom seven years ago in Rabbit at Rest was mourned by readers around the world. movie “Bird” get mentioned. Moody, a jazz drummer and aad Michael Crichton mode,” Greersaid. To sharpen his writing skills, Greer spent gas, seems more interested in tm- pressing readers with his vast knowledge of jazz than he isda 1988 pursuing a masterof fine arts degree in creative writing at Boston University. When he returned home, he concentrated on short stories, many of which were published ina variety ofliterary magazines. “That enabled Continuing characters, of course, are partic- ularly suited to works featuring police detectives and private investigators, with Adam Dalgleish (P.D. James), Spenser (Robert B. meto get an agent, whichis the most impor- tant first step any writer can take. Parker), V.I. Warshawski (Sara Paretsky), Dave Robicheaux (James Lee Burke), Kinsey As he started writing his first medical thrill- er, Greer made an Millhoné (Sue Grafton), Joe Leaphorn (Tony Hillerman) and Easy Rawlins (Walter Mosley) leading the charge in contemporary fiction. All are worthy descendants of Raymond discovery.“Re- combinant DNA and molecular biology are the kinds of things I work with every day, and I found that bringing this stuff home at night began to bore me. If it was going to bore me,it would bore the reader, so I decided to try my Chandler's hard-boiled hero of the 1930s, '40s and "50s, Philip Marlowe, and the greatest of them ali, Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Not surprisingly, every publishing season “Recombinant DNA and molecular biology are the kinds of things I work with every day, and I found that bringing this stuff home at night began to bore me. If it was going to bore me, it would bore the reader, so I decided to try my hand at a mystery.” has its share of new aspirants. Many arrive with varying measures of fanfare, only to dis- appearin the mists of obscurity. Happily a few candidates, like Denver pathologist Robert Greer’s CJ Floyd, have an immediate impact, and leave readers clamoring for more. Greer'’sfirst book, The Devil’s Hatband, appeared last year, and earned widespread Praise for CJ Floyd, an African-American bail bondsman and bounty hunterwith a bent for action. “CJ is the archetypal lone-wolf private Robert Greer ET eye.” declared Booklist. an influential publishing trade journal. THE west UNDER COVER For Greer, a 53-year-old man of manytalents, the creation of CJ Floyd marks the culmination of a carefully considered entry into commercial fiction. A native of Columbus, as “Daddy Doo-Wop. The title refers eS a now-forgotten practice from the 1950s that enabled organized crime “350 pages, $27.95), Floyd's second adventure, takes a look at the payola scandals of the to contro] a share of the jukebox industry by -1950s by requiring him to investigate the requiring the owners of establishments where death of a once-famous rhythm and blues disc jockey and record company executive known me,” he said. “What I came up with is a character whose slant on things is different from a private eye. I wanted a guy who has his flaws. but a guy who is very principled and whotakes the high roadin matters of right andwrong. om ee so he’s African-A use science and medicine from my piel al background, but only as detail in the backstory. The storytelling, which I enjoy most of music was played to use slugs impregnated with red dye to activate the machines. By Bill Moody: Walker and Company: $21.95 Clifford Brown was a greatjazz trumpet player, killed at age 25 in an auto accident in Pennsylvania in 1956. He was as good, some jazz aficionados believe, as Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Bolden, Miles Da- vis, and other horn-blowing immortals. He didn’t live long Award-Winning Poet Visits Utah This Week That's the premise that drives rhythm to the plot, no individual- ity to the characterizations. Jazz is an art form justly famed for its originality. In other words, it's about as different from Moody's novel as Duke Ellington is from Perry Como. Evan Horne, a jazz pianist mak- ing his third appearance in a Moody mystery, is called from his at Mount Tabor Lutheran Church,175 S. 700 East in Los Angeles hometo Las Vegas to Not the usual background ofa nationally recog- Salt Lake City. “Baca presents a voice we rarely hear, from a perspective we rarely see,” said CEU English instructor Kent Templeton, who helped bring Baca to Utah. listen to the tape that may or not be a Clifford Brown recording. Horne is expert enough thata bigtimejazz collectoris willing to ae- man. An orphan of Apache-Latino descent, Baca was in an Arizona prison more than 15 years ago when he began reading a book in his cell by penlight. Poetry saved his life. “T was in ecstasy,” Baca told Bill Moyers for a PBS. special on poetry. “Because it was thefirst time I had ever found my own thought, and thefirst time I had ever followed my own feeling.” Today Baca, whowill give two readings this week in Utah, is an award-winning poet, author, playwright and screenwriter wi ‘He will read Wednesdayat 8 p.m. at the Student Center on the College of East- Jimmy Santiago Baca ern Utah campus in Price, and Thursdayat 7-30 p.m. BEST SELLERS ere are the best-selling books they appear inter! week's imue of PoblicbersWeekir Iseneel Soebast Bap, be Sy Hie fb Gack in Siar areasbydein Grsham (Doubleday ‘S.The Ranch. by Danielle Steei Delacorte) 4.The Might ‘Crew, by John Sandford (Putom 5,2001:The Pinal Otpwey, by Arthur C 6.feueers, by Robin Cook (Putnam). 7.he Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks Smal Vices by ber Parker (Puna 8,TheCohntineProphey, by James Retin 0.McMaliys Game, by Lawrence Sanders You are invited to join Rich with a passion forlife, Baca’s poems have been widely published. His books include Immigrants in Our Own Land, Black Mesa Poems and Working in the Dark: Reflections ofa Poet of the Barrio. An Albuquerque, N.M., resident, Baca has won the National Endowment Poetry Award, the Pusheart Award. |, the American Book Award and the International Hispanic Heritage Award, among others. Baca aiso is co-writer and co-producer of the 1993 film “Bound by Honor.” (Putnam! 11. Sanctuary, by Nore Roberts (Putnam) 12. Thin Dask Line, by Tami Hoag (Bantam) 13. Evening Class. by Maeve Binchy (Delscorte) 14. Total Control by David Baldacci (Warner) Hardcover nonfiction :Lpegea’s Seton, by Frank McCourt 4ontotbe, by Peter Mass (Barperline Abundance, by Sarah Ban Breath nach (Warner) 4. 6 Weeks to Optimum Health, by Andrew Rake Gawe 5. Conversations With God, by Neale Donald Walsch (Putnam) G. Kits Ace Pansy, by Rosie O'Donnell (Warner) 7. The Gift of Peace, by Cardinal Jovepb BerLoyola Pres) 6. Successls«Choice, by ick Pitino with i 1 9. Personal History, by Katharine Graham Enopt 10.The Zone, by Barry Sears with Bill Lawren r 11. Mastering the Zone, by Barry Sears (Regatbooks) rights to light up anywhere. When an L.A.detective friend of Horne lights a cigar at the L.A. airport and two men object, the detective “giares back at them and holds up his badge. ‘I'll be happy to take your complaint.’The complain- ers back off. Or maybe it’s to give us driving directions around L.A. and Las Vegas. Moody never simply says are made. what hotels are passed But let’s give the guy credit; he is ies and collectors are interested. Interested to the tune of $25,000 or $50.000; maybe $100,000. The type of money Abandoned child. Gang leader. Convict. nized poet, but Jimmy Santiago Baca is an unusual and over Moody has charactersHe pet with his initials on it, record cording of his music shows upin the mid-1990s, as well as a trum- Bill Moody's murder mystery. There is, unfortunately, no improvisation in the style. no Nicholas A. Basbanes is a columnist and literary critic based in Massachusetts. about anti-smoking laws. Oywr someone drove from hereto there but instead insists on telling the names ofstreets and the numbers that should do it for ‘devil’ in the Cj Floyd prise of surprises — a medical thriller. Maybe the purpose of the rest of the book is to rant and rave enough to make many records, so when a previously unknown re- somebodywould kill for. titles,” he said. Meanwhile,heis listening to offers from his publisher to produce — sur- sisting that the details of his ndvé] serve a purpose. clearly admires defend their BY MARTIN NAPARSTECK SPE all, is always in the front.” Greer’s third book, to be titled The Devil’s Backbone, will be published next year, “and “He's smart, tough, principled, and complex.” *" The Devil’s Red Nickel (Mysterious Press, hand at a mystery.” Thecreation of CJ Floyd came as a natural development. “It happens that I know little bit about bail bonding, because it interests The Sound of the Trumpet cept his word as proof positive to invest big bucks in the find. When Hornegives his opinion, two collectors go into another room to discuss the purchase, and a shot sings out; Hornetries to go into the room to see what's going on, gets bopped on head, and wakesto find one of the collectors dead. Not too hard to figure out the other collector did the shoot- 12. The Millionaire Next Door, by Thomas T ‘3. The Arthritis Cure. bi Adderly and B Fox _— Marun's 14. Joan Landen's Healthy Living, by Joa Landen and Laure Mori 1S. Locked fothe Cabaet. by Robert B Bich Mass-market poperbacks 1. Becomes Tos. by Mary Higgins Clark (Pocket 2. The Runaway Jusy, by John Grisham (ls land 3. Montana Sty. by Nare Roberts Jove 4 Bedien Prey, by Jub Sandford Berkiey of highways, where right turns good at giving directions. Or maybe it’s to advance what must be his theory that all cops speak alike. He has a Las Vegas detective say. “Whatis it with you and dead musicians, Horne?” And later, he has an L.A. detective say. “Whatis it with you and dead jazz musicians? Or, most probably, it’s to fill up the space between page 33, where every reader will figure out who the murderer is. and page 228 where the murderer confesses. What’s most disappointing about the novel is the flatness ef the style. It’s serviceable, pedestrian, ordinary. Moody seems to be a fan particularly of the jazzof the °50s, and if he had been wili- ingto take a Jesson from that period’s literary counterparts to jazz. namelythe Beat writers, like Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg. William Burroughs, or Lawrence Fer- linghetti, he would have learned that a writer can adapt the rhythms and moods and drive of jazz to the written word. This novel just ain't got no rhythm. Martin Naparsteck is a novel. ist who lives in Logan. 5. inasion, by Robin Covk (Berkley 6. Ly wet Salasees HarperPuper. — 7. Promises, by Beiva Plain (Dell 8: See Row They Ran. ty James Patines ‘Warner; 9. Dr. Atkins’ Rew Diet Revolution. by Kubert G. Atkins (Avan 10. Where the Beart is, by Elizabeth Lowell, Avan! > 11.Ticktock. by Dean Koouts (Ballantine! 12. Mischief, by Amanda Quick (Bantam) 13. Shadows of Steel. by Uale Brown (Berk. ‘ey 14. The Last Don, by Mario Puro (Ballantine y uM John & Marrie Hart 4 on a 12-day cruise throughthe history of ballet visiting the best of the WELLS FARGO ileCaeelee NZeyTe July 29, 1997 Tilbury (London), Kiel Canal, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki Overnightin St. Petersburg, Enjoy traditional cruising in the intimacy of Royal Olympic's gracious, 400 guest mv Odysseus at highly reduced rates Creat Aapistry TO ORDER, PHONE 801 532-1131 or 1-800-GIFTS-US Lieted quai foc her's Bay ectiney Mrs. Hart will walk ws through the history of Let the Waterford “LOVE AND KISSES” BOWL express; your warmest sentiments... Happy Mother's = Day, Best Wishes, Thank You,Congratulations S ballet in the ports on ourexciting Baltix cruise john Hart. CRE wet with England's Sadler's Wells Ballet (later the Royal Ballet) for over SEE WHAT ALL THE NOISE IS ABOUT MAY 6-11 From $1806 pp Plus air add-on & taxes A portion of your cruise fore a be domated to hatlet Wer! artistic director of Ballet West from 1965 te 1997 Marre Hart, gradwated from USIU and performed professionally from 1974 to 1986 when the joumed the staf of Baliet West Shes presently director of KINGSBURY HALL Tickets at the Kingsbury Hall box office and all ArtTix outlets Call jill or Debbie.“ 268-4470 Call 581-7100 or 3 5 5-ARTS thee ree s VOLARSARSAteicracts ballet companies n aJ the British, Russian, Swedish, and Danish Herts Pmoteprapins by Poll fay Rénne, Hamburg, Tilbury . Happy Bisthday. cic We are privileged to have been selected as YOUREXCLUSIVE SOURCE ELITE INTR ODUCTION by Waterford’s Master Irish Artisans Watertued, MonatBlom tard > for this & ’ FELT-BUCHORN sataeChatheet S01-532-1131 or 1-800-GIFTS-US = = : 3 |