2009 – The Year of the Small Crime Press

After New Pulp Press and Switchblade made their debuts into the crime fiction market, who could have known that 2009 would shape up to be the year of the small crime press?

But over the summer the announcement that Alison Janssen and Ben LeRoy were leaving Bleakhouse to form Tyrus Books surprised many. Their intent is simply stated:

We publish crime fiction: stories dealing with crime and its repercussions. We want not only an affecting story and honest characters, but also lyrical writing and attention to craft.

Which is what they were doing before, and they have a great track record, so, readers of the world, they are worthy of our attention. Some of their plans are already known, as The Deputy by Victor Gischler will be published by them.

Now, as the summer ends, we find two more startup announcements, and it really does feel like the year of the small crime press.

The first announcement is of the formation of a new crime fiction UK imprint called maXcrime that will be headed by Maxim Jakubowski. Like Tyrus, we have to wait until 2010 for their titles to start coming out, but it looks worth the wait.

“Nine maXcrime titles will be published in 2010, all mass market paperbacks priced at £7.99, in what is described as a “commercial” but very varied list, covering hard-boiled, historical, cosy, women-oriented crime and crime in translation.”

Their launch title will be Hit by Tara Moss, who is a huge seller in Australia but doesn’t have US or UK distribution yet. The March launch will also see a crime novel by Mike Hodges. Some later titles will include Italian serial killer novel The Girl with the Crystal Eyes by Barbara Baraldi and Old Dogs by BSC fave Donna Moore.

The second announcement is simply known as The Outfit.

Their first title is going to bring another Australian to our shores, Peepshow by Leigh Redhead.

Who are The Outfit? Let them tell you:

Here’s the score. The Outfit has the handle on tough guys and even tougher girls. Even the book business needs its own plunder squad.

Formed by Prime Books head-honcho, award-winning editor Sean Wallace, and the Point Blank Press co-founder J.T. Lindroos, The Outfit has their plans, artillery and blueprints ready for the big takeover.

Their breakout title is the award-winning Australian hardboiled debut PEEPSHOW by the criminally under-appreciated Leigh Redhead. The Weekend Australian called it the ‘best new [crime] novel of the year’. The follow-up featuring our smart and sexy stripper slash private investigator Simone Kirsch, CHERRY PIE, is scheduled for 2010. Redhead — yes, really — has not worked as a private investigator, but she has been a cook on a prawn trawler from Cairns to Cape York, stripped at the Crazy Horse and Club X Bar in Melbourne, written five novels, and currently teaches English in Vietnam.

“I couldn’t believe this series had not been picked up for US publication,” says Lindroos. “It’s entertaining, smart and tough, and Leigh obviously knows what she’s writing about. There’s a lot of outstanding downunder crime fiction that just isn’t getting the exposure it deserves and we’re planning give it some.”

The Outfit will chase the inaugural title with a long-lost novel by Edgar Award winning author Frank McAuliffe. SHOOT THE PRESIDENT, ARE YOU MAD? is the final book to be published in McAuliffe’s series featuring the rapscallion Augustus Mandrell. The reason for the long delay in getting the book published? McAuliffe submitted the manuscript to his publisher just prior to death of JFK, and the book was cancelled. The Outfit is about to correct that mistake.

“We’ll handle four to six titles a year, making sure all the books are smart and entertaining. Don’t expect a 500-page tome. We like short and sharp. Like an icepick. Every book we publish will be a really good read.”

Not too long ago after reading The Low Road by Chris Womersley, I commented online that Australia seemed to have a pretty vibrant fiction scene and someone needed to start bringing those titles here. I’m glad to see that is happening.

Beyond the obvious one of a great book, one of the keys to success for me when it comes to a small press is original cover art. The Outfit delivers:  check that cover out.