People do bad things. That’s a theme running through all crime fiction – the kindly old gent or the sweet schoolteacher are just as likely to do you wrong as an inked-up criminal or mustache-twiddling sociopath. Crime is brutal.

Crime writers, however, are a delight.

That was on my mind as I went to see authors S.A. Cosby and Jordan Harper discuss “Everybody Knows,” Harper’s novel set in the dark world of Los Angeles entertainment, at Vroman’s in Pasadena this week.

I interviewed Harper and Cosby about “Everybody Knows,” and I enjoyed seeing them together. Both are terrific storytellers, and they were funny, thoughtful and willing to share insights into their writing. (And for a winning crime novelist trifecta, author Attica Locke was also in attendance.)

As well, Cosby’s first novel, “My Darkest Prayer,” has just been republished, and he’s got a new one, “All the Sinners Bleed,” scheduled to come out in June.

Novelists S.A. Cosby and Jordan Harper discuss Harper’s “Everybody Knows”at Vroman’s book store on January 25, 2023. (Photo by Erik Pedersen)

Last month, while working on the Harper piece, Cosby spent more than an hour on the phone with me when he could have easily offered a soundbite and rang off. It was an extremely generous thing to do and a lot of fun, too.

Since crime writers aren’t always the most celebrated authors in the lit world, Cosby told me at one point during the call, “We kind of look out for each other.”

I asked him about the reissue of “My Darkest Prayer.” Though it only came out in 2019, Cosby’s books since then, “Blacktop Wasteland” and “Razorblade Tears,” have become bestsellers. (His career already on the rise, Cosby got an added bump when President Obama included him on his 2022 Summer Reading list along with Jennifer Egan, Antoine Wilson and Jessamine Chan.)

Cosby explained what he’d done for this new edition.

“I smoothed over some things that were a little rough. I mean, when you read the original-original, that’s a guy who is very obviously influenced by Chandler and MacDonald, both Ross and John, and also by Chester Himes, and, you know, to a lesser extent, Mickey Spillane. So, ‘My Darkest Prayer’ has a very rough-hewn feel to it. It’s not a pastiche, but it’s me filtering all those experiences through my own prism. And so what comes out is a book that’s a little rough around the edges – but a book that I’m still ultimately very proud of.”

He recalls something he wrote for his narrator Nathan, which reads in the new edition like this: “The truth is, no one can be fully protected. Safety is an illusion. There is no safety. Just downtime between tragedies.”

“That’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever written; that’s in my first novel,” he says of the passage. “I’m just very grateful that Flatiron gave me the opportunity to not only re-edit it but add a new introduction to it.”

There will be more from that conversation with Cosby in an upcoming column.

As for the event, it felt good being with other readers (roughly half of whom were masked) and getting my books signed. I hope to go to more events at our local bookstores and libraries this year. Let me know if you plan to do the same.

Customers browse for books at Cellar Door Books in Riverside on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Here’s an update on Cellar Door Books in Riverside. Last week, we found out the store’s lease had been terminated just days after hosting a Drag Queen Storytime.

My colleague David Allen spoke with store owner Linda Sherman-Nurick who had been surprised to be given such short notice to vacate the location where the store had spent the last decade.

Allen also heard from Canyon Crest Towne Centre general manager Jeff Lerch, who provided a written statement saying that the move was motivated by “a larger strategic initiative” for the space.

“Rumors are rampant that the decision from the CCTC ownership and management was politically, racially or otherwise motivated and tied to Cellar Door Books’ special events and patrons,” Lerch wrote. “In fact, these rumors are completely and totally unfounded and could not be further from the truth.”

Allen learned that the management is going to give the store another month to find its new home, with a new date of March 31 to vacate.

On Jan. 26, the store posted an update on Twitter asking the public to reach out to the management to urge them to give the store more time, until July 16, which would give Cellar Door six months to relocate and find a good location. More information is here.

According to Allen, Cellar Door appears to be the only locally owned store in the entire Inland Empire that sells nothing but new books.

So finding a welcoming home for it will be a priority for readers in the area.

See the links below for more coverage. Please write to me at [email protected] about what you’re reading, and your comments may appear in the newsletter.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Bookish.

What’s next on ‘Bookish’

The next free Bookish event will be our second annual Noteworthy celebration, SCNG’s salute to 10 Southern California authors whose books made a mark. Expect to hear from our honorees along with host Sandra Tsing Loh, my colleague Samantha Dunn and me on Feb. 3 at 5 p.m.

Sign up for The Book Pages
Miss last week’s newsletter? Find past editions here
Dive into all of our books coverage