Noir fiction for the modern reader.

My new short story, The Session, just went live on Kindle. Here’s a brief description:

Jeff Dryden is a top recording session guitarist in LA. Makes big money. Has a beautiful wife and a big house. Life is good.

But one night, he’s awakened by a phone call from a record producer who needs him for a session right away. The money is good, so he agrees, but this late-night session will dredge up long-buried memories and dreams, and wind up changing his life forever.

THE SESSION calls together Mike Dennis’ past as a professional musician and his present as a noir fiction author in a harrowing portrayal of a man who can’t quite grab the brass ring.

This is a good story, if I do say so myself. And it’s only 99¢. Come on, what are you waiting for. Go here and pick it up.

CRIME NIGHT 

at the CORK & STOGIE

1218 Duval St, Key West

On Wednesday, November 9, 2011, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. the Cork & Stogie hosts a dark and scream-filled night of crime and punishment when four of Key West’s finest crime story writers read from and discuss their work. Our writer line-up:

Jonathan Woods, author of Bad Juju and the forthcoming 

A Death in Mexico 

“Hallucinatory, hilarious, imaginative noir.” – New York Magazine

“A skilled writer, he…emulates Chandler and Hammett with his own off-kilter view of this world.” – Key West Citizen / Solares Hill

Michael Haskins, author of Chasin’ the Wind and Free Range Institution

“A spicy conch chowder flavored with dashes of small-town politics, Cuban intrigue…and island attitude.” – Florida Keys News Bureau

Mike Dennis, author of Set Up on Front Street and The Take

“Dennis writes true noir.” – Vicki Hendricks, author of Miami Purity

Jessica Argyle, author of Arrest Me (Before I Write Again)

“Very good on the male point of view (even the dead) and excellent on
foreshadowing (“there really was a theme developing, no doubt about
it…”). I enjoyed every minute.” – Mark Howell, editor Solares Hill

From left: Michael Haskins, Jessica Argyle, Mike Dennis, Jonathan Woods

The print version of Setup On Front Street went live today. It’s available on CreateSpace and Amazon now. Price: $12.95 (cheap).

Setup On Front Street is now out. It’s my latest novel, a noir tale from the shadows of Key West. But before you rush to buy a copy…

Here’s the deal with this book. It’s the first in a trio of novels set in Key West. What I want to do is lift the veil off this town and reveal it as a true noir city, on a par with Los Angeles, New Orleans, or Miami. You won’t find any margarita-guzzling goofballs in these pages, no clichéd characters.

People have told me not to do this, that readers actually want all that quirky stuff. They tell me readers want to open a book about Key West and feel like they’ve stepped into a Jimmy Buffett song. Word is, readers won’t accept Key West as having a dark center. Well, maybe they’re right, but I’m hoping they’re wrong. I’ve lived here for the better part of 20 years and I can easily say it’s a noir city. Rest assured you will find no Margaritaville stereotypes between these covers. Just noir, baby!

This is not a trilogy in that there’s no continuing story arc. Each novel is a standalone. But there are recurring secondary characters and locales, and of course, Key West itself is a great character in each book.

Now here’s a brief description:

Key West, 1991. Don Roy Doyle is back in town. Tough and quick-witted, he’s fresh out of prison, where he served three years for a diamond swindle. Now he’s back to collect his share of the proceeds, about $200,000, but the money has vanished.

A local family dynasty which has controlled the island’s politics for generations, a cop with a grudge, the FBI, and the Russian mob all have a stake in the action. They’re convinced Cuba is on the verge of “opening up”, and they all want Doyle gone.

In this tightly-knit town, who can be trusted? And how long can Doyle stay alive?

SETUP ON FRONT STREET takes you inside the world of Key West noir, a world tucked way back in the shadows, where the tourists never go.

The print version is $12.95, the ebook is $2.99. Print will be up in a few days. The ebook is available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Also, if you would be so kind, please go to the CreateSpace Preview Gallery, where there is a gripping excerpt from this novel, and leave a rating. It just takes a second.

There’s an excellent website called whatbookisthat.com, which is primarily a review site. They review many different genres, and I was very pleased when they agreed to have a look at my noir novel, The Take. They gave it an A- and I’m delighted. You can check it out here and when you do, please leave a comment. It will really, really help out.

The folks over at PowderBurnFlash.com have been kind enough to publish one of my very short stories, called Ringtone. It’s there now. Go there and leave a comment. They’ve published some great crime/noir flash fiction and I’m very pleased to be included on their site.

Christopher Bunn has featured a very professional interview with yours truly on his website, Scribbles and Tunes. You can check it out here. And do me a favor. While you’re there, leave a comment, okay? It would mean a lot to me and to Christopher. He does a great job featuring indie authors and we should support him.

And yes, this interview includes an MP-3 of my lone hit record from the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Mary Pat Hyland has posted an excerpt from my noir short story Block over on her fine website, The Hylander Diner. Block is one of the “three stories from the dark side” which can be found in my very noir collection called Bloodstains On The Wall. Check out the excerpt here, then leave a comment. Mary Pat’s one of the “good guys”, and I’d like us to support her and her website.

Then, of course, after reading the excerpt, if you are so totally electrified, you can get the entire book here in either digital (99¢) or paperback ($9.95).

A kind of last-minute thing happened whereby I’ll be appearing on KONK-AM this morning at 10:30 EDT. I’m going to be discussing my books, especially the just-about-to-be-released Key West noir novel, Setup On Front Street. I know, I know, it’s only 20 minutes from now, but you can check out a live video feed of it by going here. If you don’t read this in time, no problem. The shows are archived, so you can watch it later, then have friends over to analyze the show, then post about it on Facebook, then write an essay on it, then see which other kids on your block watched it, then prepare for next April 27 to throw an anniversary party.

Nadine Earnshaw has featured an interview with me on her great website Indie Ebooks, along with a nice excerpt from Bloodstains On The Wall. Check it out, and while you’re there, look over the entire site. She’s got lots of different genres…something for everyone.