Friday, January 29, 2010

What is Kris Neri reading?

The current featured contributor at Writers Read: Kris Neri, author of High Crimes on the Magical Plane, a funny urban fantasy, and other mysteries, thrillers and short stories.

Part of her entry:
I don't read many historical novels. I don't know why — I did enjoy history classes in school. I suppose I convince myself I'm simply too contemporary a person, but it takes an exceptional historical novel to hold me. Jeri Westerson's historical mysteries, Veil of Lies and Serpent in the Thorns, engaged me well enough that, after reading the first book in the series, I had to read the second. Both books feature Crispin Guest, a nobleman who found himself on the wrong side of the King Richard debacle, and who was stripped of his rank and wealth and tossed out onto unforgiving medieval mean streets. He makes his living now as a Middle Ages private investigator, solving sticky problems for those who can pay him the meager sums he earns. Often hungry, always dressed in rags, Crispin still operates according to an unflinching moral code, even if it seems a luxury he can no longer afford. The best historicals depict characters who typify their time and place, yet still reflect a...[read on]
Among the praise for High Crimes on the Magical Plane:
"HIGH CRIMES is delicious; a funny, pell-mell romp of an adventure rife with psychics, FBI agents and clowns."
--Diana Gabaldon, NYT Bestselling author of the Outlander and Lord John series

"...Ms. Neri's latest effort is a swirl of fantasy. From the little household gnomes to humans who turn out to be the opposite of first glance, her tale is chock full of fun. She's taken ordinary, mundane things and transformed them into a parallel universe that one would love to revel in forever. Her imagination is without bounds; her characters are weird in a scintillating way; and her plot is one exciting adventure after another. Samantha is the typical Valley Girl with a twist, and Ms. Neri has transformed a tired genre into a new and refreshing experience. Who would have thought that debauchery could become the new ethic? But under Ms. Neri's able hand, her reality turns into a new counter culture. This reviewer will anxiously await MAGICAL ALIENATION, her next Samantha Brennan and Annabelle Haggerty installment."
--Shelley Glodowski, Senior Reviewer - Midwest Book Reviews

“HIGH CRIMES ON THE MAGICAL PLANE is a lighthearted but perceptive story of what happens when a fake psychic with panache meets a genuine goddess with no flair whatsoever. That goddess is, moreover, an FBI agent. They’re united in the attempt to locate actress Molly Claire, who’s apparently been abducted by clowns. You’ll enjoy the unlikely twists and turns in this novel, and both characters are delightful.”
--Charlaine Harris, NYT Bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse series
Visit Kris Neri's website and read her blog posts at Femmes Fatales.

Writers Read: Kris Neri.

--Marshal Zeringue