The Wheelman Goes to Taiwan

Here's the cover of the Taiwanese edition of my novel The Wheelman, which arrived just now. (Click on the cover for a larger view.) I love this so hard, it's not even funny. Hands down, favorite foreign cover. You've got an screaming dude with sunglasses and a gun. A city skyline that looks like a shotgun blast pattern. Nightmare bursts of neon. A black VW bug ready to rumble. And dig that flaming wheel, right in the middle of the title! (At least, I think that's the title.) I'm standing up and applauding, people of Taiwan. Take a bow.

What do you guys think? I mean, this wins the day, right?

The Blonde Goes to France

Here's the cover of the French edition of The Blonde, just out from Rivages/Noir. As usual, I'd love to hear what you guys think of the cover.

Me? I'm loving it. Shots of booze, most likely scotch or whiskey. Stark, elegant design. Moody, too. They even made my long-ass name look somewhat cool. What's not to love about this? So, strangely enough, there are two books out in France right now with my name on them, the other being the French edition of Level 26 (my collaboration with Anthony Zuiker) -- which is already a bestseller over there. I think this means I need to take the Bride to Paris, pronto. Right? (Thanks to Frédéric Fontès for the tip.)

Taipei Back

Today's mail brought the Taiwanese edition of my novel Severance Package. I think it's a winner. The red wine in the glass looks very much like blood, the splashing effect is nicely unsettling. On the inside flap (not shown) there's a hand making a gun shape, complete with smoke curling from the extended index finger. And the interior contains a series of illustration headshots of every main character. Since I can't read Chinese, I'm not sure who is supposed to be who, or what the accompanying copy says... but it looks cool. Here's a sample:

Also: last week I received a copy of the Italian edition of Level 26: Dark Origins, which looks very close to the Dutton version, except that the "Level 26" logo is stained with blood. Kind of a running theme this week, I guess.

Anyway, what do you guys think?

Molly Goes to Japan

The Japanese edition of Severance Package is out from Hayakawa, and they were kind enough to send me a box full of 'em via sea mail. Will you look at that bad ass cover? I love it even more than Hayakawa's edition of The Blonde (and I was pretty fond of that one, too). Even better, the novel's "death list" is faithfully reproduced in the text, cross-outs and everything, and they've included Dennis Calero's fantastic full-page illustrations. Best of all, there's no dude in a raccoon suit. (Just kidding, Newton and Compton!) What do you guys think?

The Right To Bear Arms. No, Literally, Bear Arms

Here's the cover for the Italian edition of Severance Package, which will be published this year by Newton and Compton. Your eyes are not playing tricks; that is indeed a human being in a bear (possibly raccoon?) suit, holding a rifle. The title is Uccidere O Essere Uccisi, which Babelfish tells me is something like To Kill or Be Murdered. (I'm sure, like most things, it sounds more elegant in Italian.) I've been going back and forth thinking this cover is either genius or lunacy... quite possible a little of both. It also puts me in the mind of that infamous "furry" episode of CSI... but let's not go there. Anyway, what do you guys think? Genius or lunacy?

Tough Guys Finnish First

Here's a sweet little promo poster for a new crime paperback line debuting in Finland next month. And the first out of the gate, I'm proud to report, is my own Keikkakuski (a.k.a. The Wheelman). Series editor Juri Nummelin has been working on this line for a few years now, and it's great that it's finally seeing the light of day. The publisher is Arktinen Banaani, which primarily deals in funnybooks and graphic novels.

Also coming soon: Allan Guthrie's Edgar-nominated Viimeinen Suudelma (Kiss Her Goodbye) and Kevin Wignall's Edgar-nominated Kuka on Conrad Hirst? (Who Killed Conrad Hirst?). My own novel, of course, was not nominated for an Edgar, but shhhhhh. Don't tell anybody in Finland.

The Blonde Goes to Japan

This was a nice surprise by mail today: copies of the Japanese edition of my 2006 novel, The Blonde. (Click on the image for a larger view.) The publisher is Hayakawa, who will also be bringing out an edition of Severance Package sometime this year. I really like the cover, with little motion lines off the title words, and a sultry blonde whose eye color rather creepily matches her lipstick. (Maybe a side effect of Proximity?) But I also really like the feel of the book itself, which is a little shorter that American mass market paperbacks, and features better quality paper and a nice little dustjacket, even though it is, indeed, a paperback. I'd happily tuck this into a pocket... if I could read Japanese. What do you guys think?

And That's An Order

Today's mail brought three copies of Letzte Order, which is the German edition of my latest novel, Severance Package. "Letzte Order," according to Secret Dead Blog's in-house team of translators, means "Last Order" (or perhaps "Final Order"), both of which certainly apply. But man, do I love this cover. (Click on it for a larger version.) It has the champagne, as well as a nice hint of blood. (Okay, maybe it's more than a hint.) It carries over the look of my first German edition (The Blonde, a.k.a., Blondes Gift, a.k.a. Blonde Poison). And while there are no sweet Dennis (X-Men Noir) Calero illustrations inside, the folks at Heyne did include their own version of the handwritten "death list," which was fun to see.

And I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a thrill from the line at the bottom: "Vom Autor Des Bestsellers Blondes Gift," which I'm pretty sure means "From the Author of the Bestselling Blonde Poison." (It's true; that book was a bestseller over there.)

What do you guys think? If you spoke German, you'd pick this up, right?

(And for those of you who are new to Secret Dead Blog, here's why I'm Duane Louis in Germany.)

Duane Swierczynski's Keikkakuski

It's not just a tongue-twister; it's the Finnish edition of my novel, The Wheelman, which will kick off a new hardboiled crime line edited by Juri Nummelin. (Next up is Al "Sunshine" Guthrie's Edgar nominee Kiss Her Goodbye.) I absolutely love this cover art by Ossi Hiekkala; check out the reflection in the bumper. And I don't know if Hiekkala's ever been to Philly, but man, this really could pass for a stretch of the Roosevelt Boulevard.

Duane Louis Lives!

Not two days after I post about the 1989 death of my pseudonym "Duane Louis" comes his name on a book cover, for the first time ever. Ah, life has a perverse sense of humor.

This is the cover of the German edition of The Blonde, which has been retitled Blondes Gift. Translated, that means "Blonde toxic" or "Blonde poison." Which is fucking awesome, either way. It will be published this August by Heyne, a division of Random House which also publishes two of my favorite writers, Charlie Huston and Jack Ketchum. (In fact, we all share the same editor, Markus Naegele.) Such great company to be in.

So why the name change? Well, they asked me to. And I don't think it's a huge deal, especially considering that I'm being introduced to a new group of readers. (I also take heart in the fact that fellow Philadelphian Lisa Scottoline is published as "Lisa Scott" in Germany.) If German thriller fans dig shorter names, so be it.

Anyway, this is the first foreign translation of any of my novels, and I couldn't be happier. Even if this Duane Louis chump is taking all of the credit.