Author event: launch of BOUND, Vanda Symon's new Sam Shephard book

Last week I was fortunate enough to get an advance review copy of a terrific new book that comes out in a couple of weeks; BOUND by Vanda Symon. Now, since I stumbled over THE RINGMASTER in the Papatoetoe Library in late 2008, I've been a fan of Symon's Sam Shephard novels. However, that wouldn't stop be saying if I didn't think the latest was up to scratch (eg I liked CONTAINMENT, the third in the series, and thought it was a very good novel that lots of people would enjoy, but for me I didn't think it was quite as good as OVERKILL and THE RINGMASTER, which were excellent).

So, I was curious to see how I would feel about BOUND: would it maintain the high standards of the overall series - the personality-packed characters and narrative, the visual storytelling and nice touches of humour amidst the mystery - or like some other ongoing series that started so well (cough, Patricia Cornwell, Linda Fairstein, Kathy Reichs) would it show signs of beginning to fall into a bit of a ho-hum pattern where what made the series special is worn away over time and some reader start bandying about words like 'formulaic'?

I can't say too much here, as I will be writing a newspaper/magazine review and feature about Symon and BOUND in the very near future (which will of course be shared with you all here on Crime Watch) - but I will say that I read the book in a little over 24 hours, that I was hooked and completely engaged by the characters and the storyline the whole way through, and that in my opinion, as good as I thought OVERKILL and THE RINGMASTER were, BOUND is the best book in the series thusfar.

My advice? Go and buy this book. If you've already tried the Sam Shephard series, I'd be astonished if you didn't love BOUND. If you haven't yet had the pleasure, then now's a great time to start.

And for those of you living in or visiting the lower part of the South Island, Vanda Symon, her publishers Penguin, and the University Book Shop have invited all Crime Watch readers to the official launch party for BOUND, at 6pm on Wednesday 2 February 2011. See the image for further details. RSVP to bronwynw@unibooks.co.nz.

Comments welcome.

Vanda Symon's BOUND a book to read in 2011, says Sunday Star-Times

In this week's issue of the Sunday Star-Times, one of New Zealand's biggest and most influential newspapers, Books Editor Mark Broatch (who wrote an excellent feature on the rise of New Zealand crime fiction last year) looked ahead to some of the books he thinks will be well worth reading in the coming year.

Along with a list of bestselling international crime fiction authors that Broatch notes will have new books available in 2010, he also singles out modern day Kiwi crime queen Vanda Symon's upcoming fourth Sam Shephard tale, BOUND. You can read the Sunday Star-Times article here.

BOUND is also one of my 'most anticipated' crime fiction releases of 2011. Sam Shephard has become one of my favourite protagonists over the first three books of the series, and I think Vanda Symon has a great writing style. You can read my review of THE RINGMASTER here, listen to Graham Beattie's review of CONTAINMENT here, and read my review of the first Sam Shephard tale, OVERKILL, here.

I'll be trying to get my hands on a copy of BOUND as soon as I can this year, that's for sure.

Here's the publisher's blurb: "A brutal home invasion shocks the nation. A man is murdered, his wife bound, gagged and left to watch.

But when Detective Sam Shephard scratches the surface, the victim, a successful businessman, is not all he seems to be. And when the evidence points to two of Dunedin's most hated criminals, the case seems cut and dried... until the body count starts to rise.

Meanwhile, Sam is in big trouble again…"

You can read an extract of BOUND here, or by clicking on the book cover above. The book is due for release in New Zealand and Australia on 31 January.

Have you read any of Vanda Symon's crime novels? Are you looking forward to BOUND? What do you think of Sam Shephard as a character? Of Dunedin as a crime fiction setting? Thoughts and comments appreciated.