Jerry Rodriguez . . .

by Sean Chercover

I write this with a heavy heart. I've been away for a week, just returned to learn that Brooklyn author Jerry Rodriguez has died at 46.

Jerry and I met at the Crimespree party at Bouchercon in Madison a couple of years ago. We saw eye-to-eye on a lot of things, bonded the way you do at such conferences, drank together and shared some laughs. After the conference, we kept in touch by email, and eventually telephone.

We liked each other's work and agreed to trade galleys, and he recently sent me the galley for REVENGE TANGO, the second book in his Nick Esperanza series (follow-up to THE DEVIL'S MAMBO). When I get my galleys for Trigger City in a week or so, the joy of that will be somewhat dimmed by the fact that one was reserved for Jerry.

Jerry Rodriguez was a true renaissance man - author of noir fiction, playwright and stage director, screenwriter and film director . . . and more. With all that, he still made time to do good works in the community, helping the homeless, HIV/AIDS patients, and drug addicts at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.

Not enough? Oh yeah, I forgot to mention . . . he did all this - with good humor and a sense of gratitude - while also battling cancer ... undergoing multiple rounds of chemo - carrying on that battle for the last seven years of his life.

He will be missed.

Learn more about Jerry by visiting his website and his MySpace page, and reading the NY Daily News article, and Sarah's post.

Then go out and buy his books.