NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS



01.06.10
I'm delighted to announce that THE AMATEURS was just nominated as the Best Thriller of 2009 by Romantic Times Magazine!

This was a surprise and a thrill — RT sets the standard for that genre, and I'm honored to have my book selected as one of their faves. Congrats also to Jan Burke, Jeffrey Deaver, Jon Land, and Erica Spindler, my co-nominees, and of course a huge thanks to Romantic Times.




12.17.09
Some lovely news of late. First, Chicago Public Radio put THE AMATEURS in their "Holiday Gift Bag", one of ten novels recommended as gifts. Thanks so much to all my friends there! I'm a big NPR geek, so it's always a huge thrill to hear my stuff announced there--especially when I didn't know it was coming.

Second, Mike Ripley of Shots eZine named AT THE CITY"S EDGE his Crime Shot of the Year (Shots is UK-based, and the novel came out there this year rather than last.) Shots, and Mike's column Getting Away With Murder, are two of the best crime resources out there, run by people who really love the genre, so it means a great deal to me. Thanks guys!

Happy holidays, all!




11.23.09
I've had a busy month, with a couple of festivals and signings, plus a research trip to Los Angeles, and of course the holiday this week. It's been a blast, but I'm looking forward to a week from today, the first Monday after Thanksgiving, because it's back to the butt-in-chair-fingers-on-keyboard phase of writing.

That said, I had a great time in Los Angeles. Not least because a cop buddy of mine got me into the police training facility. I spent the whole day answering "Yes!" to questions:
"Would you like to fire a gas-operated Benelli Tactical Automatic Shotgun?"
"Yes!"

"Would you like to jump on the slick track and try to recover from a full-drift spin?"
"Yes!"

"Would you like to learn how to hit a car to spin them out in a high-speed pursuit?"
"Oh, hell, yes!"
That last was especially fun. We ran it a dozen times, and by the end, I was pretty comfortable sending the car I was pursuing into a controlled spin without leaving a mark on either of us. Plus, it gives me great fantasy material the next time someone cuts me off on the highway.

God I love my job.




11.03.09
I mentioned some time ago that there was a star attached to the film version of THE BLADE ITSELF, but that the production company had asked me not to discuss it. Since I read it online today, I guess there's no point keeping quiet any longer. The man in question is Chris Pine, who recently killed as Captain Kirk.

I thought Star Trek was terrific, a well-handled relaunch of a series that, while beloved, was showing its age like an octagenarian at a nude beach. And Pine was a big part of the reason why--he brought both swagger and range to the role, and he's got screen charisma that's hard to beat. I'm obviously quite pleased he's attached.

As far as directors, shooting schedules, release dates and the like, I'm afraid I can't tell you anything. Not because I don't know them. Just because I like the sense of power I gain from withholding information.

I'm kidding, of course. Truth is, that stuff isn't up to me. Fingers crossed!




10.29.09
Some fun things to report on the appearance front. I'll be taking part in Columbia College's Story Week program again this year, and this one is especially close to my heart. Besides a featured reading at Metro—one of my favorite venues to catch a band—I'm thrilled to be hosting an hour-long conversation with author David Morrell, the creator of Rambo, one of the godfathers of the thriller, and a guy who has forgotten more about writing and publishing than I will ever know.

In addition, I'll be taking part in some excellent festivals, including the Midwest Writer's Workshop, where I will be teaching a couple of classes. I'm more than happy to share the tricks I've learned, so if you're an aspiring writer, register now.

Finally, one of the coolest, most fun, biggest bang-for-your-buck conferences is right around the corner: Murder & Mayhem in Muskego. It's an unbelievable value, and a chance to meet some amazing authors. More than that, it's a really good time. I can't wait.




10.02.09
My interview with the television show Cult-Pop is now online; you can check it out here. This was the fourth time I've done the show, and as usual, it was great fun. Thanks to Jim and Jerry for having me again!

In other news, I also broke Page 200 of my new novel yesterday. That's always a happy day; that's about half the finished length, although this current book may run a little bit longer. I don't want to get into it too much yet, but I will say that I'm doing some different things, and that I'm having a blast with it.

On a completely unrelated note, is it just me, or do we not really need a movie version of WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE?




08.21.09
I'm thrilled to announce that THE AMATEURS is a bestseller, #5 in Chicagoland. Thanks, folks!

I was privileged to be on Chicago Public Radio's show Eight Forty-Eight this morning; the interview is here.

A huge thank you to New City Magazine, which put me on the cover of this week's issue. I really enjoyed the interview with editor Tom Lynch — we got the chance to dig in more than usual.

Jeff Johnson of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote a wonderful review of THE AMATEURS. You can read it here. Thanks, Jeff!

Tonight at 7:00, the brilliant Laura Caldwell and I will be appearing at The Book Cellar in Lincoln Square. Rather than a formal signing, it will be a chill, Friday-night mingle. It's a great store, and should be a lot of fun, so come out and have a drink with us before your evening starts!

Finally, while I can't get into specifics, I'm happy to say that things are moving really well for the film versions of my novels. I'll announce more as soon as I can.




08.11.09
Smatterings:
The Chicago Tribune ran a lovely review of THE AMATEURS.

One interview at YuppiePunk.com...

And another at Things I'd Rather Be Doing

I run the new book through the Page 99 Test
I'm hitting the road tomorrow, first Cincinnati, then Milwaukee, then Ann Arbor. Hope to see you at one of them.




08.06.09
THE AMATEURS is out today — buy a copy, save a life.

There was a fantastic review in the Associated Press--made my day. Thanks very much to them for it.

My release party is tonight from 7 - 10 at Sheffield's--hope you'll join me for a celebratory beer. Booze is covered and books will be available for sale.




08.05.09
Pre-Release Day Smatterings:
The paperback of GOOD PEOPLE is now in stores.

Some nice reviews of THE AMATEURS have started to come in; thanks so much to all!

I've got an article on Twittering up at Novelists, Inc, a series on marketing for authors at ADMAVEN, and a new interview at Examiner.Com. Thanks to all of them for having me.

The website StoryCasting has a cool premise — visitors get to "cast" a book. They've got all four of my novels up, so if you've read one, I'd love to see who you think would be the right pick.

I did a radio interview with The Armed Forces Network you can listen to here.

I'll be at Reading Under the Influence tonight, and planning to read a sex scene. Which should be entertaining or uncomfortable or both.



07.23.09
First off, the Ready, Go Contest goes live today. Check out the rules here--the prizes are pretty spectacular.

Second, early reviews for THE AMATEURS are coming in:
"A roller coaster ride of epic proportions."
-BookPage

"Almost impossible to put down...Sakey takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary."
-Romantic Times

"As with any Sakey novel, the mystery resides not in who done it but in the way ethical questions are finally resolved...not that readers won't also be treated to a series of heart-in-the-mouth moments that will have them frantically turning pages."
-Chicago Magazine
I'm thrilled and humbled--thanks, folks!




07.13.09
Got a couple of very entertaining mentions this weekend. The first is about an essay I wrote on David Foster Wallace's INFINITE JEST for the Infinite Summer Program. InfSum has gotten a lot of media attention, including a mention in Newsweek where they referenced my essay.

The second is the Special Guests page for Comic Con Chicago, at which I'll be appearing on August 7th. I'm a geek at heart, so seeing my name and picture, albeit tiny, on a page that includes Billy Dee Williams, Edward James Olmos, and Lou Ferrigno filled me with nebbish pride.




06.30.09
My touring schedule is coming together, as you can see to the right. If you live near one of these events, I'd love to see you.

I'm also excited to announce the launch party for THE AMATEURS, which will take place on August 6th from 7:00 - 10:00 pm at Sheffield's, my favorite bar (recently named one of the 100 Best by Esquire.)

Invite your friends, invite your neighbors, hell, bring your dog. All are welcome.




06.24.09
I'm thrilled and honored to announce that GOOD PEOPLE has been nominated for a Barry Award for Best Thriller of 2008. The award is co-sponsored by two of the finest magazines in the genre, Deadly Pleasures and Mystery News. I'm honored and humbled, as my fellow nominees are all spectacular writers, and it's more than a little disconcerting to see my name in a list with theirs.

Winners will be announced at Bouchercon, the industry's premier conference, which this year runs October 15 - 18 in Indianapolis.

Thanks to the judges and both magazines!




05.12.09
Great news on the film front regarding THE BLADE ITSELF. Though I can't go into details yet, a really exciting actor is now officially attached. I'm looking forward to sharing more, but for the time being, let's just say that he's a talented guy with a lot of buzz, and that I think he'd kill the role.

If you want to be kept in the loop on the film, click here to join my mailing list.




03.19.09
The big news is that my fourth novel, THE AMATEURS, is now officially wrapped. I approved copyedits last week.

The book is about four friends in their early thirties who haven't ended up where they thought they would, and who undertake a dangerous plan to take what they think they deserve. It made both my mom and my wife cry, so that's got to be a good thing.

I'm not sure of an exact release date, but it's looking like early August. If you want a heads-up, join the mailing list and I'll keep you in the loop.




01.21.09
The film deal for GOOD PEOPLE made Variety today; check it out here.




12.23.08
I want to give a quick thank you to all the folks that have put THE BLADE ITSELF, AT THE CITY'S EDGE, and GOOD PEOPLE on their "Best Of" lists:
Mysterious Bookshop
The Poisoned Pen
Seattle Mystery Bookshop
NewsOK
Word Nerd
A Case of Murder
The Sun-Sentinel
The Baltimore Sun
The Mystery Bookshelf
Gapers Block
Chicago Public Radio
Thank you all — it's deeply appreciated.




12.19.08
So yesterday I'm sitting in my kitchen editing my new novel when g.g., my wife, yelps from the other room, "BABE! Come here!"

Damned if they aren't talking about GOOD PEOPLE on the radio. Not only that, but it's in Chicago Public Radio's Holiday Book Bag. The piece is here; here's an excerpt:
"The best good guy, bad guy, accident of life murder mystery theft book you’ve read all year. Fast, furious, believable...the tables are turned, and turned again, and turned again. I really recommend this."
Talk about a day-maker. Hell. A week-maker.

Also, I'm thrilled and flattered that reviewer extraordinaire Oline Cogdill named GOOD PEOPLE one of the Best Mysteries of 2008. It's a pretty imposing list, featuring some of my heroes. Thanks, Oline!

And with that, happy holidays to one and all! May they shimmer.




12.15.08
A couple of things; first, I'm thrilled to see that the script for THE BLADE ITSELF made the Hollywood Black List. While the name sounds ominous, it's actually very good news indeed, as the HBL is a list of the most talked-about film scripts. Check it out here.

Second, I did a lengthy phone interview this morning for "Coffee with an Author." The whole thing is available here, or as an iTunes podcast.

Finally, my books are now up on StoryCasting.com, a website that allows readers to suggest which actors they would like to see cast in the movie version of a novel. If you like my work and have thoughts on who should play the characters, drop by and place a vote. I'm curious to see what people are thinking.




12.10.08
My fourth novel is done!

Well, not really. But I'm done with the first draft, at least, which is always a powerful feeling. When I'm writing, which is most of the year, the book is constantly on my mind, and my mood is directly related to how it's going. And as I near the end, even if I feel like the book is strong, I tend to be pretty stressy, or at least what passes for pretty stressy for me. So when I make it to "THE END," it's a wonderful feeling, a total release.

And yeah, I actually type "THE END." My favorite words.




11.24.08
I'm thrilled to say that we have sold film rights for my second novel, AT THE CITY'S EDGE. Here'e the announcement:
"Marcus Sakey's second novel, AT THE CITY'S EDGE, optioned to Hollywood Gang and Film 360 for Ric Waugh (FELON) to direct and Gianni Nunnari (THE DEPARTED, SE7EN) to produce, by Sarah Self at the Gersh Agency, on behalf of Scott Miller at Trident Media Group."
It goes without saying that I'm giddy.





09.29.08
Okay, this is cool. More than.

A couple of months ago I did an interview with the charming Oline Cogdill, a freelance reviewer formerly of the Florida Sun-Sentinel. This piece was for Mystery Scene Magazine, one of the industry's leading publications. So I was pretty geeked, obviously. But what Oline failed to mention was that this was the, ahem, cover story.

I'm giddy beyond words. Thanks to Oline, Kate Stine, Brian Skupin, Teri Duerr, and all the other folks at Mystery Scene. And thanks also to Brett and Kiri Carlson, my friends and the artistes who took the shots.





09.26.08
I recently got copies of the audiobook version of GOOD PEOPLE, and I'm impressed. Brilliance Audio did a terrific job; the book is read by two people, male and female, which lends a lot of depth, and the slight musical flourishes enhance the mood. I really dig it.

If you'd like to check out a sample, click here.

If you'd like to buy a copy, this is the place.



09.02.08
There have been a number of reviews of GOOD PEOPLE lately; one of the most generous was in this Sunday's Chicago Tribune. Check it out here, if you're interested, and see excerpts from the others here.

Meanwhile, thanks to all the reviewers who have taken the time and effort — it's truly appreciated.

And finally, thanks to my friend columnist Mike Ripley for a very funny shout-out...


08.14.08 - Publication Day
Here we go. GOOD PEOPLE releases today. You can find it at bookstores everywhere, or order from:

     amazon.com >
     barnesandnoble.com >
     borders.com >
     indiebound.org >

Or better still, come to my launch party tonight at The Book Cellar in Lincoln Square (4736 N. Lincoln), from 7:00 - 9:00 pm.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go wander bookstores with a stupid grin on my face.


08.13.08
I was interviewed on Chicago Public Radio's Eight Forty-Eight this morning. If you're interested, you can listen to the whole program here. My segment begins at about the 45 minute mark.

I'm an NPR nerd, so it was a real pleasure. Thanks to Gabriel Spitzer and Shawn Campbell for making it happen.


08.06.08
Big news — my agents just closed a deal on the film rights for GOOD PEOPLE. Here's the deal report from Publishers Marketplace:
Film rights to Marcus Sakey’s forthcoming novel GOOD PEOPLE to The Film Department, on behalf of Tobey Maguire and Film 360, by Sarah Self at the Gersh Agency on behalf of Scott Miller at Trident Media Group.
I couldn't be more excited about the team that bought the rights. I've been a fan of Tobey Maguire since I saw him in DECONSTRUCTING HARRY a dozen years ago, and the screenwriter they have lined up is absolutely dynamite.

It's shaping up to be a very good August.


07.14.08
It's my great honor to announce that my first novel THE BLADE ITSELF won the innaugural year's Strand Critic's Award for Best First Novel. More information on the award is available here.

I'd like to thank the critics who selected my novel—reviewing books is hard, thankless work, and I for one am damn grateful they're out there.

In particular, I'd like to thank The Strand Magazine and its editor, Andrew Gulli, a tireless proponent of the genre who is as desperately in love with it as anyone I've ever met.


06.17.08
The first review of GOOD PEOPLE came out yesterday, in Publisher's Weekly. It was a starred review, and very complimentary indeed:
What would you do if, like Chicagoans Tom and Anna Reed, you stumbled on $400,000 that seemed heaven sent? After reading Sakey’s masterful third crime thriller, you’d probably leave it untouched. In increasing debt from failed attempts to produce a child, Tom and Anna can’t resist taking the money they discover hidden in their deceased tenant’s apartment. After the initial euphoria, the Reeds find themselves dealing with a deadly drug dealer who wants something they don’t have, a vengeful robber looking for the money they do have and a suspicious cop who knows they’re holding out on him. Sakey, who excels at taking ordinary “good people” and forcing them to meet terrible challenges, ratchets up the stakes, creating ever more diabolical traps and ever more desperate escapes until the final shattering conclusion. Having topped his previous two novels (At the City’s Edge and The Blade Itself), Sakey may have trouble equaling this stellar performance.

06.04.08
I'm stunned and honored to announce that my first novel, THE BLADE ITSELF, was nominated for both an Anthony and a Barry. They'll both be awarded at Bouchercon this fall. Thanks so much to everyone who voted for me, and congratulations to the other nominees, a pretty astonishing list.


05.28.08
Good news just keeps getting better. As many of you probably know, I'm a big fan of Dennis Lehane. We've met once and emailed a bit, and he's always been really generous, so when I got advanced copies of GOOD PEOPLE I sent him one in hope he might be willing to blurb it.

He was.
"GOOD PEOPLE is gleefully dread-filled, mercilessly tense, and moves with the speed of something fired from a sawed-off. Based on his first three novels, one can't help but feel that Marcus Sakey is exactly the electric jolt American crime fiction needs."
   –Dennis Lehane, author of MYSTIC RIVER and THE GIVEN DAY
It's hard to explain how much of a thrill this is to me. Kind words about my work are always nice to read. But to get them from an artist I've admired for years, well..it's a hell of a thing.



05.23.08
Happy news comes in multiples, apparently. My second blurb for GOOD PEOPLE hit this morning:
"GOOD PEOPLE is an exceedingly dark, disturbing, and timely tale. Comparisons to Scott Smith's A Simple Plan are probably inevitable, but Marcus Sakey's third novel stands on its own — as does Sakey's prodigious talent. Some readers may be able to distance themselves from the escalating horror in this book, but the honest ones will admit that we're all just a few lousy decisions away from conning ourselves into believing that we can have what we want, when we want it, at no cost to anyone. GOOD PEOPLE is a visceral reminder that the bill always comes due."
   –Laura Lippman, bestselling author of ANOTHER THING TO FALL
For my money, Laura is one of the finest writers working today, so I'm more than a little floored.



05.20.08
I got the first blurb for GOOD PEOPLE today, and it's pretty humbling:
"A killer of a book. If you could read it with one eye closed, you'd feel safer — edge of the reader's seat stuff, and yet a wondrous streak of compassion tears your heart out. This is the novel that truly launches Sakey into the majors. Magnificent."
   –Ken Bruen, Edgar-nominated author of PRIEST
If you don't know his stuff, Ken is an astonishing writer, and I urge you to check him out. His upcoming novel, ONCE WERE COPS, is truly remarkable.



For previous news, visit the archives