Lee Goldberg changes his mind

In what was the biggest dustup in the lit ‘sphere in ages, Lee Goldberg confessed he was underwhelmed by Ken Bruen’s THE GUARDS, and all hell broke loose. But, as he explains, he’s altered his thinking just a little bit:

Author Jason Starr  suggested I try Bruen’s HER LAST CALL TO LOUIS MACNIECE.   I did. And I loved it.  I devoured it in one sitting. It’s everything THE GUARDS wasn’t. Fresh. Surprising. With a narrative engine that growls like a Pontiac GTO.  It’s a darkly funny,  nasty reimagining of the pulp noir formula.  It’s equal measures  Harry Whittington, Charles Willeford Elmore Leonard and Roger Corman… set in the UK.  Now I see what all the excitement is about. I wish I read this one before THE GUARDS.  I’m  sure this won’t get as much play in the blogosphere as my critical comments did… but I’ve just got to say, WOW. I can’t wait to read the rest of his stuff… except, maybe, for his sequels to THE GUARDS.

Methinks Lee will probably dig some of the earlier books like RILKE ON BLACK or THE HACKMAN BLUES and hopefully, the Brixton books (the last two of which may be my favorite of Bruen’s novels.)