Forecast: A Wicked Snow

Today marks the release of fellow Killer Year member Gregg Olsen's A Wicked Snow. (It seems rather appropriate that the forecast for the Pacific Northwest today includes blustery snow.)

In A Wicked Snow, Southern California criminal investigator Hannah Griffin teams up with FBI agent Jeff Bauer to catch her mother, a notorious serial killer who pulled off the greatest vanishing act in history.

I've had a chance to read Gregg's marvelous debut novel, and this is a must-read. But don't take my word for it:


"A WICKED SNOW is a tightly-plotted, gripping police procedural made even more terrifying by Olsen's straightforward storytelling and eye for detail. Gregg Olsen's riveting debut is an outstanding addition to the suspense genre."
--Allison Brennan, New York Times bestselling author of THE PREY, THE HUNT and THE KILL

"As good as it gets."
--Lee Child, NY Times bestselling author of ONE SHOT

"Wickedly clever! Gregg Olsen delivers a finely-crafted, genuinely twisted tale of one mother's capacity for murder and one daughter's search for the truth. A WICKED SNOW does not disappoint."
--Lisa Gardner, New York Times Bestselling author of HIDE

"A WICKED SNOW is a compelling story, tightly woven, that kept me riveted to the final page."
--Susan R. Sloan, bestselling author of BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

"With A WICKED SNOW, Gregg Olsen delivers an irresistible page-turner. The suspense builds and builds. A WICKED SNOW grabs you on page one, and never lets go until the heart-pounding finale."
--Kevin O'Brien, USA Today bestselling author of LEFT FOR DEAD

"Olsen's A WICKED SNOW is a top-notch thriller. Unpredictable plot twists, realistic characterization and an authentic portrayal of police procedure makes it a powerhouse of a book. You will not put this suspenseful page-turner down. Look out Michael Connelly, Lee Child and all the other excellent writers of crime fiction. Gregg Olsen is about to add his talented voice to the genre."
--Donna Anders, bestselling author of AFRAID OF THE DARK

"Gregg Olsen's A WICKED SNOW keeps the reader guessing and gulping from the very first page. Part John Grisham, part James Patterson, part Dean Koontz, Olsen knows the dark currents that can flow beneath family secrets, and has crafted a very nifty brain-teaser of a thriller."
--Jay Bonansinga, bestselling author of FROZEN, THE KILLER'S GAME, and TWISTED

About Gregg
New York Times bestselling author Gregg Olsen is the author of eight books, including the Western Writers of America Spur Award finalist, The Deep Dark : Disaster and Redemption in America's Richest Silver Mine (Crown Publishers). As a journalist and true crime author, Olsen has been a guest on Good Morning America, CBS Early Show, Entertainment Tonight, CNN, Fox News, 48 Hours, and other national and international programs. The Seattle native lives in rural Washington with his wife, twin daughters, five chickens, and obedience school dropout cocker spaniel Milo. A Wicked Snow is his fiction debut.

A Wicked Snow was selected as a feature alternate for The Book of the Month Club, Literary Guild, Doubleday Book Club, and Mystery Guild.

Have a great day, Gregg!

Chris Well: Learning Curve: KILLER Q&A: GREGG OLSEN, PT 1

Be sure to check out Chris Well's interview with Gregg Olson!

Chris Well: Learning Curve: KILLER Q&A: GREGG OLSEN, PT 1

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In other news, I continue to bang my head against the last half of that last chapter. I've had about four false starts that I abandoned once I realized what I was doing.

First there was the Deus Ex Machina ending, which not only do I never like when I encounter it in other novels, but was also a complete and utter betrayal of everything I'd done with my character to that point. Axed.

Then there was the Lifetime Movie Channel ending. Weepy and maudlin, though somehow impossible to look away from. Also just didn't fit with what I'd been doing either. Axed.

After that came Captain Obvious. You know, the one where you're reading along and you finish the chapter before and you think, "Well, I hope in the next chapter X doesn't happen, because that is so obvious." And then X happens and you throw the book through a plate glass window. Baleeted!

Finally there was the Dr. Auric Thunderball ending. "Do you expect me to talk, Goldfinger?" "No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die!" Ten pages of confession, all the while you're thinking (along with Scott, Dr. Evil's son), Just. Shoot. Him. Axed.

The good news is I got all that out of my system. Then I had an idea at midnight last night, so of course I got out of bed (where I had only been for 30 minutes), and slogged down to the computer and tapped out a page or so. I might be on the right track at last. Unless I read the page in the next little bit and realize I'll hafta axe dumb ending number five.

I'll be leaving for Left Coast Crime tomorrow, and my goal has been to have this damned chapter done before I leave. The whole rest of the novel is through a second draft, so this is it. But today will be busy. I'm going to grab some time between packing and getting a haircut, but I have a feeling I'll be working on the chapter early next week yet. Still, so close...

If you happen to be going to Left Coast Crime too, be sure to say hello!