Better Red Than Dead

From the "Gee, I Wish I Reviewed Mysteries for Money" file comes the trade paperback edition of Duane Swierczynski's "The Blonde."

For those coming in late, this volume contains the full, unexpurgated text of the chase-thriller/sci-fi spy adventure that reads like Cornell Woolrich on a nitrous oxide bender. Plus, it includes "The Redhead," a bonus novella that serves as nasty little coda to the main event.

I like the idea of paperbacks that provide added value, though I must say that I now wish I had been able to read "The Redhead" the minute after I finished "The Blonde" in hardcover. My middle-aged mind loses track of a lot of plot details over the course of 10 months.

Like Stuart MacBride, Swierczynski is someone I discovered more or less through serendipity and am now willing to follow pretty much anywhere. If you haven't tried him yet, start with "The Wheelman."