Oline H. Cogdill is the mystery fiction columnist for the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. More than 250 newspapers around the world rely on her reviews. She is also a regular contributor to Mystery Scene magazine and Publishers Weekly. What attracted you to the Mystery/Thriller genre?
I started reading mysteries, crime fiction and thrillers when I was about 9 or 10; started with my mother's collection that she had read when she was a young woman. By age 12, I was checking out these books by the armful at my small hometown library. A memorable event was when, at age 12, I was trying to check out the Ian Fleming novels and the librarian called my mother to make sure it was all right for me to check out these books. It was.From the very beginning what attracted me to these novels was the fact that the plots took you to new places, let you see the world through different eyes, put you in situations that might be outside your experience and, yes, comfort level.
Mystery/thrillers are novels that are the social novel of our day. Not to get too heavy, but no matter whether it is crime fiction or mystery or thriller, the authors are not just giving you an action-packed plot, they are showing us what it is like to live in our society at this time. Look at Joseph Finder's novels. These take place in businesses but they show us the high stakes involved in economics, how a microcosm, in this case a company, can be like a country into itself, complete with laws and ruthlessness. Jeffrey Deaver's novels are packed with action, but his Lincoln Rhyme series shows us what happens when a brilliant man becomes paralyzed.
To get the essence of a country, look at its crime fiction. Chris Grabenstein's Hell Hole was a perfect example of showing us what it means to be a hero and how heroism can be co-opted for political gain. A modern tradition of the thriller is showing what happens to ordinary people swept up in circumstances beyond their control; Harlan Coben, Marcus Sakey, Jeff Abbott, Brad Thor. The list is endless of authors who use this devise to produce some wonderful stories.
How did you get your position at the Sun-Sentinel?
By chance. I had worked at the Sun-Sentinel for about 15 years when I switched jobs to the features copy desk. My real job is a copy editor. I wanted to try reviewing and approached the Books Editor about reviewing mysteries. A one-time column of several paperback reprints morphed into a weekly column that's picked up around the world. When the opportunity came that my reviews could be distributed on the wires, I jumped at it. I wanted to be able to make more readers aware of the good and bad novels.
The Books Editor, who has become a good friend, says he is still amazed how I was able to make a second career out of nothing. My reviews are picked up by the McClatchy Tribune Wires (formerly Knight Ridder Tribune) and are published in some 250 or more newspapers, magazines and Web sites around the world. My reviews appear in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and China, Japan and Australia.
After 29 years, I am leaving the Sun-Sentinel. I took the buyout being offered. But, I will still have my weekly column as well as reviewing other books directly to MCT. I will continue the Sun-Sentinel's books blog at www.sun-sentinel.com/offthepage I also have started to review for two other outlets.
With all of the books you receive, how do you choose which ones to spotlight/review?
Until now, I made the choice to what I would review. I would base it on first local (Florida) interest, whether it was an author from Florida or someone coming to the area for a booksigning. Next, I would try to find new authors, authors who were saying something different and, of course, a handful of authors who are to me must-reads. I still will choose the books I review for the Sun-Sentinel and MCT; but I will be assigned novels by the other outlets.
I try to choose a balance in authors, male and female, locations, etc.
How many books do you read in a given year? Do you read much outside the genre?
Generally, at least 125 novels a year. Now, since I will not be going into the office every day I will read more. This year, I am one of the judges for the L.A. Times Book Prize and am probably going to read about 200 or 250 novels...something like that.
I don't "read" much outside the genre but I do review audiotapes and like to review non-mystery/thrillers sometimes, especially historical and biographies.
What are your "desert island books?"
That changes a lot. More like "desert island" authors - and which author could get me off that island! I would say anything by Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Laura Lippman, George Pelecanos, Jan Burke, Val McDermid, Peter Robinson, Ian Rankin. James W. Hall, Ross MacDonald, Raymond Chandler, Robert Crais. And throw in a couple of authors who I haven't even heard of yet. That would be some crowded island.
What aspects of the genre appeal to you the most?
The fact that there are no limitations to the genre. It has infinite possibilities. This genre can do things that so-called mainstream fiction can't or won't. It can cover issues and situations in a way that is palatable to readers. The worst thing is an "issues" novel that preaches. The best thing is a novel that tackles an issue by showing it terms of our lives. I still think Gone Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane is one of the finest examples of looking at child welfare. His The Given Day, which is part thriller, part historical novel, shows us exactly what it is like to live in 1919 Boston.
Is it difficult to review a book by someone you know?
At the end of the day, the only thing I really have is my ethics and integrity. This is the job and you deal with it. Since I go to the conferences like Bouchercon, and hope to attend ThrillerFest next year, I meet a lot of people. But meeting people, even knowing them, doesn't influence me. I think this is where being a journalist comes in. The objectivity thing. I approach this as if I were covering a newspaper beat. If I covered say education I would meet a lot of people in that field, get to know them and, yes, even like some of them. But when it comes to doing the work, the person isn't as important as the novel. I also do tricks like remove the covers of books. Most times when I am reading I forget whose book it is anyway.
Are thrillers on the decline?
I think that the quality of novels gets better every year. And I think we will continue to see some amazing work being produced in the next few years. And I want to be there to record it and tell readers who to seek out.
What do you see as pitfalls of the genre?
There are authors who seem to think that a bunch of action and some gratuitous violence is all that's needed for a good thriller. But that can't make up for sheer talent, for taking action, violence and shaping it into a cohesive, exciting plot.
Contributing editor Jeff Ayers is the author of VOYAGES OF IMAGINATION: THE STAR TREK FICTION COMPANION Pocket
Books-November 2006. He frequently reviews thrillers for Library
Journal and regularly interviews authors for LJ, the Seattle
Post-Intellgencer, and Writer Magazine.
By chance. I had worked at the Sun-Sentinel for about 15 years when I switched jobs to the features copy desk. My real job is a copy editor. I wanted to try reviewing and approached the Books Editor about reviewing mysteries. A one-time column of several paperback reprints morphed into a weekly column that's picked up around the world. When the opportunity came that my reviews could be distributed on the wires, I jumped at it. I wanted to be able to make more readers aware of the good and bad novels.
The Books Editor, who has become a good friend, says he is still amazed how I was able to make a second career out of nothing. My reviews are picked up by the McClatchy Tribune Wires (formerly Knight Ridder Tribune) and are published in some 250 or more newspapers, magazines and Web sites around the world. My reviews appear in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and China, Japan and Australia.
After 29 years, I am leaving the Sun-Sentinel. I took the buyout being offered. But, I will still have my weekly column as well as reviewing other books directly to MCT. I will continue the Sun-Sentinel's books blog at www.sun-sentinel.com/offthepage I also have started to review for two other outlets.
With all of the books you receive, how do you choose which ones to spotlight/review?
Until now, I made the choice to what I would review. I would base it on first local (Florida) interest, whether it was an author from Florida or someone coming to the area for a booksigning. Next, I would try to find new authors, authors who were saying something different and, of course, a handful of authors who are to me must-reads. I still will choose the books I review for the Sun-Sentinel and MCT; but I will be assigned novels by the other outlets.
I try to choose a balance in authors, male and female, locations, etc.
How many books do you read in a given year? Do you read much outside the genre?
Generally, at least 125 novels a year. Now, since I will not be going into the office every day I will read more. This year, I am one of the judges for the L.A. Times Book Prize and am probably going to read about 200 or 250 novels...something like that.
I don't "read" much outside the genre but I do review audiotapes and like to review non-mystery/thrillers sometimes, especially historical and biographies.
What are your "desert island books?"
That changes a lot. More like "desert island" authors - and which author could get me off that island! I would say anything by Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Laura Lippman, George Pelecanos, Jan Burke, Val McDermid, Peter Robinson, Ian Rankin. James W. Hall, Ross MacDonald, Raymond Chandler, Robert Crais. And throw in a couple of authors who I haven't even heard of yet. That would be some crowded island.
What aspects of the genre appeal to you the most?
The fact that there are no limitations to the genre. It has infinite possibilities. This genre can do things that so-called mainstream fiction can't or won't. It can cover issues and situations in a way that is palatable to readers. The worst thing is an "issues" novel that preaches. The best thing is a novel that tackles an issue by showing it terms of our lives. I still think Gone Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane is one of the finest examples of looking at child welfare. His The Given Day, which is part thriller, part historical novel, shows us exactly what it is like to live in 1919 Boston.
Is it difficult to review a book by someone you know?
At the end of the day, the only thing I really have is my ethics and integrity. This is the job and you deal with it. Since I go to the conferences like Bouchercon, and hope to attend ThrillerFest next year, I meet a lot of people. But meeting people, even knowing them, doesn't influence me. I think this is where being a journalist comes in. The objectivity thing. I approach this as if I were covering a newspaper beat. If I covered say education I would meet a lot of people in that field, get to know them and, yes, even like some of them. But when it comes to doing the work, the person isn't as important as the novel. I also do tricks like remove the covers of books. Most times when I am reading I forget whose book it is anyway.
Are thrillers on the decline?
I think that the quality of novels gets better every year. And I think we will continue to see some amazing work being produced in the next few years. And I want to be there to record it and tell readers who to seek out.
What do you see as pitfalls of the genre?
There are authors who seem to think that a bunch of action and some gratuitous violence is all that's needed for a good thriller. But that can't make up for sheer talent, for taking action, violence and shaping it into a cohesive, exciting plot.
Contributing editor Jeff Ayers is the author of VOYAGES OF IMAGINATION: THE STAR TREK FICTION COMPANION Pocket
Books-November 2006. He frequently reviews thrillers for Library
Journal and regularly interviews authors for LJ, the Seattle
Post-Intellgencer, and Writer Magazine. 
