with Stephen White
We were dismayed to recently learn that crime novelist Stephen White has decided to bring his long-running series of "Alan Gregory" thrillers to an end. But that end is not quite here yet, with the next book in the series, Line of Fire (Dutton, August 2012 hardcover, large print paperback, audiobook and ebook formats), being published this week. And we are thrilled to be able to give away a copy of this book to one of our readers, courtesy of the publisher (details below).
Here's what Stephen has to say about his decision to close the chapter on the Alan Gregory books …
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Line of Fire is, literally, the beginning of the end, the penultimate book in the Alan Gregory series. The book that follows Line of Fire — once written, it will be number twenty — will bring the series to a planned conclusion.
Photo provided courtesy of
Stephen White; photo credit Reid Wilkening
Why am I ending the series? The easiest honest answer is that it's a good time to do so; I prefer to end the series too soon rather than to extend it too long. The complicated answer, also honest, is that publishing is changing in ways that are as unpredictable as they are exciting and revolutionary.
The uncertain dynamics of the modern book world have the potential to interfere with something I have long taken for granted — the ability to publish an eventual conclusion to the series in any and all current formats: paperback, hardcover, digital display and audio.
Why is that important? Although the numbers are increasing with each title, fewer than a third of the readers of my most recent book read it in a digital display format. A significant factor in choosing to end the series now has to do with my resolve not to extend the series beyond a horizon where I am confident that longtime series readers, especially those wary of publishing's digital transformation, will be able to enjoy the conclusion in their preferred format.
I had a choice to make. I could continue to write the next book(s) in the series while ignoring the variables in publishing's evolving calculus, or I could embrace a fine opportunity that few writers of long series are given: the chance to plan an ending on my terms. After consideration, and with the support of my longtime publisher, Dutton, I chose to write the conclusion to the saga of Alan Gregory and friends.
The ride is not over. There are two books yet to read. I have one new series title to write after Line of Fire. But, for the first time, I can see the end from where I stand. Or sit. The decision may be bittersweet, but it is not at all reluctant. It is the right thing to do at the right time.
My sincere thanks to all of you who have helped me enjoy the opportunity to make a living writing these Boulder stories. Not a day goes by that I am not grateful for the privilege.
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Line of Fire
Stephen White
An Alan Gregory Mystery (19th in series)
Publisher: Dutton (August 2012)
Clinical psychologist and Boulder resident Alan Gregory is finally beginning to feel settled, hopeful that a long period of upheaval in his private life is behind him. He refocuses his energy on his clinical psychology practice, where a beguiling new patient is challenging his values. The interlude of calm doesn't last, of course: Alan's dear friend Diane is showing signs of a long-simmering emotional collapse, and Alan's greatest fear — the exposure of his most dangerous secret — has become something he can't ignore.
A new witness has surfaced, causing authorities to reopen their investigation into the suicide death of a woman named J. Winter Brown. When Alan and his equally culpable friend Sam Purdy inadvertently disclose details of their involvement in her death to a desperate drug dealer, any confidence they felt about riding out the new investigation evaporates. The trail that leads back to Alan and Sam, once cold, has turned white-hot.
With his vulnerability mounting daily, Alan begins to fear that his mesmerizing new patient may be the catalyst that can cause everything he treasures — his marriage, family, friendship, and future — to implode. As the authorities close in, the story hurtles toward a conclusion that will set the stage for the most unexpected of outcomes: the final act of the Alan Gregory saga.
For a chance to win a copy of Line of Fire, courtesy of the author, visit Mystery Book Contests, click on the "Stephen White: Alan Gregory Thrillers" contest link, enter your name, e-mail address, and this code — 4923 — for a chance to win! (One entry per person, US residents only; contest ends August 13th, 2012.)
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