Don Winslow's new book is Broken, a collection of six short novels, several of which revisit characters and scenes from some old favorites.From the author's CrimeReads Q&A with Dwyer Murphy:
Murphy: Three of the novellas have dedications: “Crime 101” to Steve McQueen; “Zoo” to Elmore Leonard; and “Sunset” to Raymond Chandler. They’re all interesting to consider, but the McQueen dedication jumped out at me most. It’s such a palpable part of that story.Learn about Winslow's hero from outside literature.
Winslow: Look, McQueen was the absolute embodiment of California cool. He still is, since he lives on in film. When I think about that era of the mid-Sixties, I don’t think about the hippies as much as I think about Steve McQueen and cool cars and the early surf music. So writing about Highway 101, it was great fun to think about what would it be like if you had a thief who was modeling himself on Steve McQueen? And what if the cop gets it? A cop who’s very un-Steve McQueen like. Lou Lubesnick, the name of which I got from a guy who used to sit around Solana Beach Coffee Company. I bring him back in the next couple of stories just because I like him. He was fun to write. But there’s also this real guy, Ron Lubesnick, whom I met sitting at those tables at the SBCC. Who grew up dirty poor in Chicago selling hot dogs in his mother’s stand and is now a millionaire living in one of those condos. Who is one of the nicest people I ever met even though we disagreed about everything. Those conversations the guys have in “Sunset,” about the to-go cups, those are...[read on]
--Marshal Zeringue