Saturday, February 14, 2009

Earl Emerson By Lezah Williamson

Swank Home

Swank’s tblog Home

Swanktrendz Myspace Home

Lately I've had a hankerin' for all things Seattle, and my jones didn't let up at all once I started reading my latest Earl Emerson novel. Now, in case you've never heard of him, Earl Emerson is a Seattle-based writer (he actually resides in North Bend, Washington, where they filmed Twin Peaks, for all you fans of the quirky out there) and has a day job as a lieutenant with the Seattle Fire Department.

Emerson's the author of two series, the Mac Fontana books and the Thomas Black mystery stories; it's one of his Thomas Black books that won the Shamus award (Poverty Bay was the first novel of the Regan era to deal with the topic of homelessness). Early in 2009, the first Thomas Black book in ten years, Cape Disappointment, is being released.

The book I'm currently reading, though, is the 2002 thriller, Vertical Burn. It's all about life in the world of the modern-day firefighter. Just the information alone is interesting, but Emerson strings along a pretty good story on top of that. Add to that the rush of familiarity you get when he mentions places you've been to, and you end up with a great way to spend a dreary winter weekend.

No comments: