Roger Smith lives in South Africa.  His first book, Mixed Blood, was named one of the best books of 2009, and is now in development for a feature film to star Samuel L. Jackson.  His second book, Wake Up Dead received starred reviews by both Publisher’s Weekly and The Library Journal.  “Roger Smith reaches another level of unrelenting noir, with all the elements of the genre given homage yet wonderfully mutated. Dark and brutal, the novel has a focused poetic style that stays with you long after you finish reading.” - Ken Bruen, author of The Dramatist and Once Were Cops.

Australian David Rollins first introduced us to Vin Cooper in his novel The Death Trust.  OSI Special Agent Vin Cooper is the kind of loose cannon no commanding officer can completely control…or survive without.  A Knife Edge followed, and was nominated for the 2007 Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction.  His third Cooper story brings us to Hard Rain.  All three received starred reviews, and deliver the suspense and drama that will keep your fingers turning pages well into the night.  “With intelligence and humor, David Rollins crafts an all-too-believable story about power, corruption, and cover-up that has shocking international consequences.” -  Nelson DeMille, author of Night Fall and Wild Fire.

“Fresh from South Africa and Australia we have signed copies of both Roger Smith books, and all three David Rollins titles.  These guys are going to be big, and if at some future date you kick yourself for not picking them up at new issue price . . . don’t blame me!” - John Hutchinson, co-owner VJ Books

(Publisher’s Weekly, Mar. 23, by Dermot McEvoy and Michael Coffey )

Familiar voices crowd the top in fiction; in nonfiction, the fundamental rules apply—plus all things Obama

John Grisham’s aptly titled Appeal had the most of it, as far as the novel-buying reading public went, earning the #1 slot on our hardcover fiction list last year—just enough to beat out the beloved Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski, which sold 1.3 million. Our top 15 fiction titles this year look much like last year’s, with the notable absence of Khaled Hosseini, who was top dog in ‘07. The prolific James Patterson racked up three in the top echelon, and Nicholas Sparks, Patricia Cornwell, Dean Koontz and David Baldacci made returns. The new kids on the block, in addition to Wroblewski, were Stephenie Meyer, seamlessly crossing over from the YA genre with The Host, and Glenn Beck, whose Christmas Sweater apparently warmed the hearts of his faithful. (more…)

(jackiecooper.com)

One of Nelson DeMille‘s most popular novels was THE GOLD COAST. Now to the delight of his fans he has written a sequel to that story and titled it THE GATE HOUSE. This book follows up on what happened to John Sutter, the hero of the first book.

Most people read DeMille’s stories for the plots. They are unique and convoluted and hold the readers’ interest from beginning to end. I, however, read DeMille’s books for the humor. THE GATE HOUSE has moments that are laugh out loud funny. John Sutter has a droll wit about him and his statements and asides are phrased in such a way as to make me laugh hysterically. Maybe our senses of humor just match but I laughed through this book from beginning to end. Nelson DeMille should be a stand-up comic.

The story itself concerns John’s return to the North Shore of Long Island. He is staying at the gate house to the Stanhope Estate. He had left this area ten years ago due to the fact his then wife Susan had shot and killed her lover, a Mafia leader. Susan got off on the murder charge but Sutter could not put the past behind him and left.

Now he is back and so is his ex-wife. She is staying at one of the smaller houses on the estate. John knows their paths will cross but he is trying to avoid it for as long as possible. His reason for returning ostensibly is to take care of the estate of one of the Stanhope’s servants. She is terminally ill and has had a life estate in the gate house. John is staying there while he gets her affairs in order.

Eventually John and Susan do meet and things progress from there. There is danger afoot as the son of the man Susan killed wants revenge, which means there is a target on her back. Also Susan’s parents hate John and if the two of them were to get back together Susan would lose her inheritance as possibly would their children.

The book held my attention all the way through but then the end came and it turned me off. Overall I would not put it on the list of my favorite stories. But as for humor, it is one of the funniest books I have ever read. I haven’t laughed that much in ages.

So my score for THE GATE HOUSE is this – for literature 6 out of 10; for laughter 10 out of 10!

See Nelson Demille signed books at www.vjbooks.com

(from a customer)

 “Dear John, I recently acquired an autographed copy of Dark Watch by Clive Cussler, but it was inscribed to the original owner. I know that inscribed books are usually worth much less than a regular autograph, but is there any sort of exception to this rule?” (Will, Portland)

(Publisher’s Weekly, Nov. 10)

More than a decade after The Gold Coast explored the lives of the rich and powerful on Long Island’s moneyed North Shore, DeMille returns with his 15th novel, The Gate House.  The book was launched with 661,000-copy printing and lands in the top spot (PW’s HC Bestsellers/ Fiction list) in its first week in the stores.  PW’s review was mixed.” The plot more than takes its time getting to its violent and predictable resolution, but DeMille devotees should have plenty of fun along the way.”

Get your copy of The Gate House today from www.vjbooks.com!

(jverse.com, Nov. 16, Jeff Carlson)

Here’s a freak twist of fate for you. I can see Alan Jacobson’s house from my front yard. He lives on the street across from us, and, through bad fortune, is also much closer to the new construction than I am. The 5000 sq. ft. monster-mansion is basically done… but the shack on the next property down the hill has also sold, and someone else is knocking it down as well as cutting out a lot of brush and trees. Welcome to the war zone! Chainsaws! Bulldozers! Hammers in the sky!

In the meantime, Alan is writing kick-ass, bestselling, twists-and-turns (more…)

“The Gate House” by Nelson DeMille Hits #1 on the New York Times Best Seller List

(wwww.readitnews.com, Nov. 10, Anthony Jones)

The Gate House, the new thriller from Nelson DeMille, debuts at #1 on the New York Times Best Seller List. The Gate House is the sequel to DeMille’s 1990 bestseller The Gold Coast, which also featured characters tax attorney John Sutter and his now ex-wife Susan Sutter.

After her affair with a Mafia don ended in fatal result, the new book follows the Sutters who become the target of the Mafia don’s son. The Gate House is DeMille’s first #1 on the New York Times Best Seller List since 2004’s Night Fall. It is his third overall #1 book on the list as well.

Vince Flynn’s latest political thriller, Extreme Measures, moves down a spot to #2 this week. Extreme Measures is the latest thriller centered around counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp who teams up with his protégé, Mike Nash, to fight a terrorist cell.

The Brass Verdict, by author Michael Connelly, moves down to #3 this week. The novel teams two of Connelly’s most successful characters, defense attorney Mickey Haller and detective Harry Bosch, who come together to solve the case of a Hollywood murder while encountering danger themselves.

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks, a romantic story of an Iraq soldier who goes in search of the smiling woman he only knows from a photograph, moves down a spot to the #4 position.

The latest Danielle Steel novel, A Good Woman, debuts on the New York Times Best Seller List at #5. This makes Danielle Steel’s 74th best-seller. In A Good Woman, a woman loses her family to the Titanic sinking, leaves for France during wartime and returns to the New York she once left behind. The book also marks Steel’s third bestseller just this year. She also released Rogue and Honor Thyself earlier in the year.

Oprah’s Book Club pick The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski is at #6 this week, while Bones, by Jonathan Kellerman, is at #7 this week. Bones, the 23rd book in the Alex Delaware series, finds the L.A. consulting psychologist on a case where four female bodies are found all with their right hands missing.

Rough Weather by Robert B. Parker is at #6, Testimony by Anita Shreve, and Wicked sequel A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire round out the top 10 for the fiction list.

On the Non Fiction list, the story of the kitten left in the return slot of an Iowa library and the lives of everyone it touched, Dewey, is #1 once again on the New York Times Non Fiction List. The book, written by Vicki Myron and Brett Witter, has been described as the feline answer to Marley & Me.

Little changes on the Non Fiction list this week with Against Medical Advice by mystery writer James Patterson, along with Hal Friedman, moving down a spot to #2 this week. The book tells the story of a family’s struggle to get treatment for their son’s Tourette’s syndrome.

The Snowball by Alice Schroeder, the story of the life of billionaire Warren Buffet, is at #3 this week. Bill O’Reilly’s latest, A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity, moved up to #4 this week.

The only notable debut on the list came in at #10, with Philip Norman’s take on the life of John Lennon appropriately titled: John Lennon.