Reed Farrel Coleman

Called a hard-boiled poet by NPR and the “noir poet laureate” in the Huffington Post, Reed Farrel Coleman is the New York Times bestselling author of Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone series. He is a three time Shamus Award winner for Best PI Novel of the Year and a three-time Edgar Award nominee in three different categories. He has also won the Macavity, Barry, Anthony, and Audie awards. Best known for his critically acclaimed Moe Prager Mystery series, Coleman is releasing the first book (Where It Hurts) in a new series featuring retired Suffolk County (Long Island) cop, Gus Murphy.

Brooklyn born and bred, Coleman began publishing poetry in his mid-teens, continued to do so throughout college, and after he began working in the shipping industry. After taking a night class in American Detective Fiction, he quit his fulltime job and began writing his first novel. Where It Hurts marks the publication of his twenty-third novel. He is a former Executive Vice President of Mystery Writers of America, helped found Mystery Writers of America University, and has taught as an adjunct instructor at Hofstra University. He resides on Long Island.

From Coleman's Q & A with Crime Fiction Lover:

Can you tell us a bit more about Where it Hurts, the novel that introduces Gus Murphy?

The book is both an involved crime story and a meditation on grief and loss. Gus is a retired Suffolk County uniformed policeman. He thinks he understands how the world works. He doesn’t want for much or covet what other people have because he has everything he wants: a great marriage, two nearly grown children, a nice suburban house, a good pension and time to enjoy it all. Then it all goes down the sewer when his son John dies playing basketball. His world and marriage are blown apart. The book begins two years after his son’s death and Gus is still lost. In order to occupy himself, he works as a courtesy van driver for a run down hotel by a local airport. His life begins to turn when an ex-con shows up at the hotel and asks for Gus’ help in finding his own son’s murderer because the local police don’t seem the least bit interested. Reluctantly, Gus agrees and what he finds is a web of corruption, drug gangs, and violence. He also finally finds a way ahead for...[read on]

Visit Reed Farrel Coleman's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Hollow Girl.

The Page 69 Test: Where It Hurts.

Writers Read: Reed Farrel Coleman.

--Marshal Zeringue