(UPDATE: This book has been postponed to spring 2008 and will now be a trade paperback.)

We've talked about this guy a few times in the Book forum, but I wanted to point you in the direction of his new thriller, Severance Package, due out in October. Swierczynski is the author of the terrific Secret Dead Men, The Wheelman, and The Blonde.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on a fun promo of Severance Package--the first 50 pages staple-bound on pink paper with the title "Termination Notice." The premise is full of wacky potential: A Philadelphia corporation (actually a CIA front) is closing down, and the manager is obligated to call a Saturday meeting, during which he plans to lock down the building and kill all his employees. We get to know each of the half-dozen employees in that adrenalized Swierczynski style. After those first 50 pages, I can only imagine the mayhem that will ensue. I can already tell that this is gonna be one crankin' thriller.



I rarely feel this much excitement about an author, so forgive me for gushing about him here. Swierczynski is writing truly exciting crime thrillers that you don't want to put down. The books are quick, potent reads that often make you laugh out loud.

Definitely keep an eye out for Severance Package, and since you have some time, consider hunting down The Wheelman and The Blonde, which are still widely available.

Can't wait for this, & I'm total agreement, very few authors nowadays have me truly excited for a new release, Swierczynski, Charles Cumming (who also has a new book coming out soon that I can't wait for), & maybe a couple more. Very cool that you got a preview of this book.

From Swierczynski's blog...

*********************

Severance Package is being delayed. Until late spring/early summer 2008. Yeah, I know. I'm bummed, too.

If you were able to snap up an ARC of the would-be hardcover, you're one of the lucky few--those suckers are about to become as rare as hen's teeth. If you were one of those who received the cool 50-page "pink slip" excerpt, and were eagerly awaiting more... all I can say is, mea culpa, man.

Why oh why, you ask? Well, there's one simple reason: St. Martin's is retooling it as a trade paperback original. And that means launching it from scratch, starting this August. (The production/publicity machine takes a while to reboot.) I truly believe this is a smart move in the long run, otherwise I would have slit my wrists by now. Truth is, I've long thought my stuff is better suited for paperback. Far more readers are willing to take a $12 chance on something that looks potentitally cool than spend $25 on something that very well may be a dud. I should know--I'm one of them. (Yeah, I buy hardcovers. But only when I absolutely have to.)

So yeah, you have to wait until May or June of next year to read Severance Package. This sucks.

However, this November brings The Crimes of Dr. Watson, my first interactive mystery for Quirk Books. (I say first because I'm in talks now to do another one, which would be released next July.)

And this November also brings the trade paperback of The Blonde, which will include a bonus novella sequel, "Redhead."

And if all goes well, my next novel will be released in October or November 2008, just six short months after Severance Package.

Finally, I've also been working on a few projects I can't talk about now, but will see the light of day in 2008. It's killing me not to be able to tell you, but I've been sworn to secrecy.

In short: you've going to have Swierczy out the ass in 2008.

See? Not so bad.

(If anyone needs me, I'll be out in the garage.)

Bummer on the delay, but sounds like we'll get some worthwhile new material to hold us over.

You've always got cool stories like this to tell. On one hand, I'm terribly happy for your lucky book finds. On the other hand, I'm terribly jealous and angry that the rarest of my book finds is valued at $3.50.

Right on, m'man. Right on.

Well, that's not me talking, that's Swierczynski from his blog. But actually, I did manage to get ahold of one of those excerpts--and one of those ARCs.

(Homer)Tee hee(/Homer).

Nicely done -- I never even got an ARC, although I did get the excerpt (which I threw away -- who wants to read 50 pages of a book?).

I lucked out on the ARC, really. Every once in a while, my local used bookstore gets an infusion of ARCs from some employee at the B&N next door, sells 'em for five bucks. So that's how I found this one. Also got Palahniuk's Rant that way.

I thought that excerpt was a cool marketing tool, at least. Nice little artifact.

The guy from B&N sells ARCs at the used bookstore? Damn, that's a pisser.

That makes sense, though, as the early round of galleys usually go out to booksellers, before they make their way to reviewers (like me).

I finished Severance Package last night. Man, what a quick, fun read. I would say that The Blonde remains my favorite of Swierczynski's four novels, just for its humor and its giddy "out-there-ness," but this new one, while a bit slighter, is well worth your time, once it finally arrives.

I preferred The Wheelman to The Blonde, although I've spoken to a couple of people who agree with you.

One thing I always like about Duane's books is that they're only 60k words or so, so they make for quick reading.