News & Reviews

WORD: Financial journalist Gericke debuts as novelist with ‘Blown Away’
 
Trust us, once you’ve been in the pressure cooker that is financial reporting you know plenty about killers. Former deputy financial editor of the Chicago Sun-Times Shane Gericke will debut his first suspense novel Blown Away in May 2006 with Kensington, agent Bill Contardi has informed WORD’N’BASS.com.

Set in a Chicago suburb, Blown Away follows a battle between a female cop and a murderer who will end his bloody terror rampage only with her death, according to Gericke.

Serial killer tales have seemingly been told time and again in suspense novels, yet Blown Away has some interesting buzz. We hear that the plot has several unusual surprises. Gericke’s book also appears to empower the female protagonist, which could help find more women readers than the typical suspense novel.

One police officer in San Diego recently gushed about Gericke’s treatment of his subject matter.

"As a veteran cop who’s also female, I approach such thrillers with a jaded eye," said officer Suzanne Huntington. "But Blown Away (is) one of the rare books where the female lead isn’t only a cop, she’s smart, savvy and tough too. Ditto for the SWAT sniper, her best friend and another highly competent female cop. We need more of this!"

Agent Contardi, who handles fiction and nonfiction authors at Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents in New York City, sold Blown Away as part of a two-book deal. The premise of Gericke’s next book is still undecided. Contardi previously was an agent at William Morris for 11 years.

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