Snakes Can't Run
by Ed Lin
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GENRE: FICTION/Mystery & Thriller
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BLURB:
Set in New York City in 1976, Snakes Can't Run finds NYPD detective Robert Chow still haunted by the horrors of his past and relegated to tedious undercover work. When the bodies of two undocumented Chinese men are found under the Brooklyn Bridge underpass, Chow is drawn into the case. Most of the officers in his precinct are concerned with a terrorist group targeting the police, but Chow's investigation puts him on the trail of a ring of ruthless human smugglers who call themselves the snakeheads. As Chow gets closer to solving the murder, dangerous truths about his own family's past begin to emerge. Steeped in retro urban attitude, and ripe with commentary on minorities' roles in American society, this gritty procedural will appeal to fans of George Pelecanos and S.J. Rozan.
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EXCERPT
When I came back to the apartment, Paul surprised me by saying, "I was worried about you!"
"But Mom, I'm a big boy now," I said, taking off my shoes.
"Seriously, Robert. Don't get into a car with any of the association guys--KMT or Communist! It's bad news!"
"I can protect myself, Paul. I'm a big boy with a big gun." I patted the revolver on my back to reassure myself.
"Look, Robert. You know those associations hire gangs 9on a freelance basis to guard gambling halls and prostitution houses.
"Of course I know! You think you know more about it than me?"
"Well, what happens if the gang is unhappy about the amount it was paid? Do you want to be sitting in the car when there's a hail of bullets? Even if there isn't gunfire, do you want to be a passenger in a car that's photographed as it idles outside a massage parlor?"
"Don't tell me how to do my job! I was interviewing someone regarding my case!" I sulked off to the fridge. A year ago I would have been popping open a beer. Now I pulled out a can of Yoo-Hoo. "Want one?" I asked Paul as I propped the door open.
He shook his head. "Weren't you the one who warned me about getting too close to associations when I was working at the gambling joint?" he asked.
"That's different, Paul, and you know it. You're just a kid that they would take advantage of. They wouldn't try to mess with me."
"How do you think Internal Affairs would feel about you associating with them?"
"I've got nothing to hide. I'm not scared of anything."
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GUEST POST
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GUEST POST
My Top Five
Crime/Mystery Films
5) Intimidation
(1960, dir. Koreyoshi Kurahara)
An incredibly
compact (65 minutes!) film noir that bites hard and doesn’t let go. Revenge of
the passed-over middle manager, if you will.
4) Heathers
(1988, dir. Michael Lehmann)
Breezy in the way
that high school felt and yet also mortifying and dangerous.
3) Double
Indemnity (1944, dir. Billy Wilder)
Way different
from the James M. Cain book. Edward G. Robinson was never more touching.
2) Touch of Evil
(1958, dir. Orson Welles)
Only watch the
1998 restoration that put it back as close as they could to what Welles wanted.
That opening three-minute continuous shot gets a lot of attention, but the
performances of Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh are top-notch.
1) The Naked Gun
(1988, dir. David Zucker)
It’s a laugh-riot
but there’s still a mystery behind it. Screwball? More like goofballs, and the
best-ever.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Ed Lin, a native New Yorker of Taiwanese and Chinese descent, is the first author to win three Asian American Literary Awards and is an all-around standup kinda guy. His books include Waylaid and This Is a Bust, both published by Kaya Press in 2002 and 2007, respectively. Snakes Can't Run and One Red Bastard, which both continue the story of Robert Chow set in This Is a Bust, were published by Minotaur Books. His latest book, Ghost Month, a Taipei-based mystery, was published by Soho Crime in July 2014. Lin lives in Brooklyn with his wife, actress Cindy Cheung, and son.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/robertchow
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ed-
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
Website: http://www.edlinforpresident.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ed-
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
Website: http://www.edlinforpresident.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/
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GIVEAWAY
Ed Lin will be awarding a limited edition print copy of the book to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Thanks for hosting!
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