tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297930182024-03-23T13:05:24.967-05:00The Outfit: A Collective of Chicago Crime WritersThe blog of Chicago crime writers Libby Hellmann, Barbara D'Amato, Michael Allen Dymmoch, Kevin Guilfoile, Marcus Sakey, Sean Chercover, David Ellis, David Heinzmann, Bryan Gruley, Laura Caldwell and Jamie Freveletti. Come join the conversation!Sean Chercoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00939494866272006802noreply@blogger.comBlogger947125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-74337505946548625962013-02-10T21:19:00.000-06:002013-02-10T21:20:24.402-06:00An Open Letter to Barnes and Noble (redux)
With all the buzz about B&N's plight these days, I decided to resurrect an open letter that four of us wrote to Microsoft last May after they announced they would be B&N's white knight. Every suggestion we made has been ignored. Not that they should listen to us, of course. Then again, our recommendations weren't rocket science. Most authors and readers could have come up withLibby Hellmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693555214699897283noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-40648313497673475822013-01-18T14:51:00.000-06:002013-01-18T15:09:09.555-06:00Writing MurderToday's Guest blogger is S. M. Harding, author of 24 published short stories, photographer, and editor of Writing Murder, a collection of essays by Midwest crime and mystery authors. The handy primer on the art of crime fiction is based on a successful lecture program held at the Mystery Company in Carmel Indiana. (Disclaimer: I am a contributor.)
Michael Dymmoch
This is Michael Dymmochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06424057697796493279noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-86888479197162510912012-11-19T03:00:00.000-06:002012-11-19T03:00:04.012-06:00As Real As It GetsWe at the Outfit are delighted to welcome CJ Lyons, one of the most well known indie authors around to the Outfit. She's got what sounds like a fabulous thriller that was just released. Read on...
Sometimes as writers we create characters who who we wish we knew in real life. Lucy Guardino, my Pittsburgh soccer mom who also happens to be a kick-ass FBI agent, is one of those characters.
Libby Hellmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693555214699897283noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-1357327952274938572012-09-11T00:30:00.000-05:002012-09-11T00:30:03.319-05:00Launch Day!
by Jamie Freveletti
I am pleased to announce that the book I wrote for the Estate of Robert Ludlum is on sale today! Several people have asked me what it was like writing a continuation of a series begun by a legendary writer such as Robert Ludlum and I can say this: Scary, fun, difficult and engrossing, but the things that I thought would be difficult weren't and the scary aspectJamie Frevelettihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15896037129219297451noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-48836142400675938912012-09-06T17:22:00.000-05:002012-09-06T17:22:29.650-05:00A Grotesque Romance
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Michael Dymmochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06424057697796493279noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-16635858532555346062012-08-13T21:09:00.001-05:002012-08-15T11:41:40.344-05:00The end of Izzy McNeil?
False Impressions, the 6th suspense novel in the Izzy McNeil series will be released in a few weeks. The cover shows a piece of art, paint dripping to form the Chicago skyline. The rest of it shows the face (the bottom half anyway) of a beautiful redhead. My publisher and their cover designers had nailed the image—the woman on the cover is, in fact, Izzy in my head, as well in my publisher’s Laura Caldwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06396533460653770101noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-30551457232299477092012-07-06T12:40:00.001-05:002012-07-06T12:40:58.151-05:00Flight Has Flown
There's a very cool write-up of the round-robin short story several members of the Outfit (including yours truly) wrote at the April Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Chicago. We wrote it with audience participation.
Check it out right here.
And just so you know, the story is FREE all month at Smashwords. Use coupon #SSW75.Libby Hellmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693555214699897283noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-45467146527647583132012-06-26T11:03:00.000-05:002012-06-26T14:00:28.620-05:00Ellie's baacckk!!Ellie's baaacckkk!
Now you can read (or re-read) the award-winning suspense series featuring Ellie Foreman, a single mother and video producer in the Chicago suburbs. Meet Ellie’s father Jake, her daughter Rachel, her boyfriend David, Fouad, Susan, and others. Think “Desperate Housewives” meets “24.” With the emphasis on "24." Heavy on suspense and quite dark, none of the four novels are Libby Hellmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693555214699897283noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-57565734214124061942012-05-18T16:47:00.001-05:002012-05-18T16:52:05.601-05:00The Jury Is In
Ask this question to anyone who works at 26th
and Cal (the hub of Chicago's criminal legal world and the busiest court system
in the nation)--How often does a criminal defendant get together after trial
with his jurors? You'll probably get a
laugh. The answer will likely be 'almost never.' But the case of Jovan Mosley,
and the dedicated jurors who decided whether he was guilty of murder, Laura Caldwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06396533460653770101noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-81954821516240568222012-05-10T09:45:00.000-05:002015-11-09T15:07:45.169-06:00Farewell to the Outfit?A must read (and slightly zany) article in Chicago Magazine this month:
The Mob's Last GaspLibby Hellmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693555214699897283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-51609734733671135872012-04-26T16:37:00.000-05:002012-04-26T16:43:02.055-05:00Got Drugs?
April 28, 2012
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled another
National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day which will take place on
Saturday, April 28, 2012, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
This is a great opportunity for those who missed
previous events, or who have subsequently Michael Dymmochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06424057697796493279noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-65824864657643570982012-04-19T12:23:00.005-05:002012-04-19T12:26:41.666-05:00Kindle Fire GiveAway!by Libby HellmannInterested in winning a Kindle Fire? If so, come on over here to find out more. The contest is running now. Thanks.Libby Hellmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693555214699897283noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-60040198875255248142012-04-16T18:41:00.004-05:002012-04-16T18:47:44.104-05:00Virtual Book Chat Reminder -- A Bitter VeilAcckk... It's almost here! On Tuesday, April 17, at 6 PM (Eastern time so plan accordingly), Libby Hellmann will be talking about A BITTER VEIL, the state of publishing, and anything else that's on your mind during a 45-minute video chat online! Shindig Events is a brand new service that allows up to 500 people to interact together. And it is so easy to use that even her 92 year old mother will Libby Hellmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693555214699897283noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-36925036907843211322012-04-10T17:52:00.002-05:002012-04-18T21:01:01.338-05:00Thrillers and Romance-Oil and Water or Does Danger Add that Certain Something?
by Jamie Freveletti
The Romantic Times Convention is in Chicago this weekend and The Outfit members will be there enjoying every minute. I've never been to an RT Convention, and having it in Chicago is a wonderful opportunity to attend. Of course, I got to thinking, does a Thriller writer belong there? It seems as though thriller writers don't write romance and often,Jamie Frevelettihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15896037129219297451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-29511148744477964762012-04-04T18:29:00.019-05:002012-04-04T21:05:47.191-05:00"Sing, Sing, Sing" -- A Chicago Storyby Libby HellmannI first came to Chicago in the fall of 1977. At the time I was looking for a job in broadcast news (Which turned out not to be, but that’s another story). I’m still not sure who told me about it, but I stayed at the Belden Stratford, an apartment-hotel in the middle of Lincoln Park, which at the time, housed one of the best Mandarin restaurants in Chicago, the Dragon Inn. (I Libby Hellmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693555214699897283noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-38894193592531894492012-04-04T16:58:00.004-05:002012-04-17T14:46:05.252-05:00Chicago is a Small Town: Doggie StyleChicagoans say it often—Chicago is such a small town. The big-city-that—sometimes-feels-like-a- hamlet is of the reasons authors like to set books here. It isn’t outside the realm of possibility (in fact, it’s squarely inside) to have a character run into someone she knows on the El train (or at least someone who knows someone she knows). Who knew it was true for dogs as well?Today, Shafer was Laura Caldwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06396533460653770101noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-27013660993446180132012-02-19T10:18:00.000-06:002012-02-19T10:20:37.174-06:00Poetry with an Edge: It's not only hearts and flowers
by Jamie Freveletti
I'm headed to a poetry slam this week and was thinking about the poetry I love; the nice and not-so-nice. I must admit, most of my favorite poetry is of the not-so-nice category and that which has hidden meanings.
I'll never forget reading Keats' Ode to a Grecian Urn and being a tad...bored. The lovers chasing each other into infinity is an interesting Jamie Frevelettihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15896037129219297451noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-75329663131548282592012-02-05T10:05:00.000-06:002012-04-18T21:12:56.470-05:00Mystery and Motive: Some Criminal Minds
By Jamie Freveletti
I was reading the newspaper and getting my daily dose of stories about mayhem, brinkmanship and near world annihilation when I paused and took another look. Wait, Russia is defending Syria? Why?
Further down in the article I saw a possible reason: "Syria is Moscow's rare ally in the Middle East, home to a Russian naval base and a customer for its arms." Jamie Frevelettihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15896037129219297451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-15296235362729811412012-01-26T15:33:00.001-06:002012-01-26T15:33:55.724-06:00E-Reader Owners Watch Your Wallets: Plagiarism Abounds
by Jamie Freveletti
If you haven't read the recent Fast Company article about rampant plagiarism on Amazon, check it out. Turns out that some entrepreneurial souls are uploading plagiarised material and swiping the cash from under the noses of the legitimate authors. While the article focuses on erotica books, I presume it is occuring elsewhere as well. I was surprised by the Jamie Frevelettihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15896037129219297451noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-34084357643444532742012-01-19T15:27:00.003-06:002012-01-19T15:30:07.889-06:00Writers' Conferences --Tips and Tricks
by Jamie Freveletti
I’ve been asked to comment on writers’ conferences. I’ll be
attending a few conferences and I always enjoy them. I began attending as an
unpublished writer and now attend as part of the industry, but I still enjoy
just listening to the panels and talking books. Writing conferences are the
something I didn’t attend as a reader. I would attend signings periodically,
but had Jamie Frevelettihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15896037129219297451noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-12372535837663675242011-12-17T11:34:00.004-06:002015-11-09T13:50:30.503-06:00Second City to None in Books...I am amazed and honored to report that TOXICITY was among the books cited by the Chicago Tribune in their list of favorite 2011 Chicago authors’ books!
Several other OUTFIT authors were also listed, including Laura Caldwell, Dave Heinzmann, Jamie Freveletti, and of course, rising TV star, Marcus Sakey. And Luis Alberto Urrea, Keir Graff, Michael Harvey, and Melanie Benjamin, also some fine Libby Hellmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10693555214699897283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-10734007382171443522011-11-26T12:35:00.011-06:002015-11-09T13:49:58.032-06:00Jon Cornbleet on the Peterson VerdictBy Kevin Guilfoile
Justice has been a long time coming for members of Chicago's Cornbleet family. It's been five years since Hans Peterson drove here from New York and brutally tortured and murdered their dermatologist father in his Michigan Avenue office.
After a year-long manhunt and an even longer extradition battle, Hans Peterson was convicted this week by a French court in Guadalupe andKevin Guilfoilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08239157460247794910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-67651002900880749142011-11-25T16:45:00.002-06:002011-11-26T13:37:19.815-06:00Hans Peterson Verdict: Life in Prison
A sentence was promised by the weekend and the French courts delivered.
Hans Peterson has been sentenced to life in prison plus 22 years without possibility of parole for 22 years.
More later.
(For more background on this story look at this and here, or you can really go in-depth with this excellent Chicago Mag article from 2007.)Kevin Guilfoilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08239157460247794910noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-42335528983286570102011-11-23T08:26:00.004-06:002011-11-25T14:20:35.892-06:00The Trial of Hans Peterson: Tuesday's TestimonyBy Kevin Guilfoile
(For more background on this story look at this and here, or you can really go in-depth with this excellent Chicago Mag article from 2007.)
Another update from the Guadalupe trial of Hans Peterson, killer of Chicago dermatologist Dr David Cornbleet.
This report contains a pretty thorough summary of yesterday's testimony, including that of Peterson's French mother and the Kevin Guilfoilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08239157460247794910noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-6109763099956169222011-11-21T11:20:00.014-06:002011-11-23T16:45:17.090-06:00The Prisoner Who Now Stands Before YouBy Kevin Guilfoile
On October 24, 2006, Hans Peterson drove a rented car from New York to Chicago and walked into the Michigan Avenue office of dermatologist David Cornbleet. His intention was to torture the 64-year-old physician with a knife and blowtorch.
Torturing and murdering someone, even someone more than twice your age, turns out to be more difficult than it seems. Dr. Cornbleet fought Kevin Guilfoilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08239157460247794910noreply@blogger.com16