Unique among current mysteries on the shelf, Reed Coleman brings his character's past back through a bisected storyline--with the reader seeing the crime occur in 1978, and then watching it be resolved twenty years later in 1998. It's a winning combination, as the Brooklyn born and raised author has had his novels nominated for the Edgar, the Macavity and the Gumshoe awards, and has won the Shamus, Barry and Anthony awards. For the fifth book in Moe's story, Coleman has stepped out from the past more than normal. "Empty Ever After is the first Moe book that takes place post-1998. In the previous books, the reader actually finds out some of what lies ahead. Unfortunately for Moe, there's twenty years of living he has to do in between and he never quite sees the train that will run him down--figuratively speaking. This book is set in the year 2000. It's current, but not present, and has more thriller aspects than earlier books. This story is beyond the original arc. It's new territory."

Noir mystery mixed with thriller? Interesting concept, and not very common. The author shared a bit about how he achieved his new direction. "It was an exciting challenge, even though it was difficult to balance the requirements of the two divergent traditions. Obviously, I'm not abandoning hard-boiled, so the book has to work in two directions. There's an early crime that needs a solution, but also a sense of impending doom. Moe has to work hard to prevent it.  It definitely broadened my skills, because it was difficult to remember to keep the excitement level up higher than I usually do in a Moe book. Only the readers will be able to determine whether I've pulled it off."

When asked if "new territory" means the end of old territory, Coleman was suitably mysterious. "In all the reviews to this point, the reviewer has assumed that Empty Ever After is the end of the series. Yet, all I did was sort of wipe the slate clean of all the baggage surrounding the earlier books. Transition isn't necessarily an end. Or is it?"

Brooklyn born and raised, Reed Farrel Coleman is the former Executive Vice President of Mystery Writers of America. His fifth novel, The James Deans, won the Shamus, Anthony, and Barry Awards. It was also nominated for the Edgar, Macavity, and Gumshoe. He was the editor of the anthology Hardboiled Brooklyn and his short stories and essays have appeared in Wall Street Noir, Damn Near Dead, Dublin Noir, Brooklyn Noir 3, Crime Spree Magazine, and several other publications. He also writes under the pen name Tony Spinosa. Reed lives with his family on Long Island.

Contributing editor Cathy Clamp is the co-author, with C.T. Adams, of two USA Today bestselling paranormal romantic thriller series from Tor Books. They were recently nominated for a Career Achievement Award in paranormal romance by RT BOOKreviews Magazine, which will be awarded in April, 2008. Their next thriller, TIMELESS MOON, hits the shelves in March, 2008.