New York Journal of Books

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http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/review/road-closed

"Road Closed is the second crime novel by Leigh Russell, featuring Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel. We were first introduced to Steel in the gritty and totally addictive debut novel, Cut Short, and once again Russell is in top form with this new crime thriller...
Like all good crime and thriller writers, Russell gives us just enough morsels of information in each page-turning chapter to whet our appetites for the bigger banquet at the end of the book. Road Closed is a gripping, fast-paced read, pulling you in from the very first tense page and keeping you captivated right to the end with its refreshingly compelling and original narrative. The rapidly building fan base of Russell and Steel will be on the edge of their seats waiting for the next installment, tentatively titled Dead End."

Reviews

EURO CRIME
CUT SHORT listed in a reviewer's TOP 5 READS of 2009 http://www.eurocrime.co.uk/reviews/Top_2009_Reads.html

Before CUT SHORT was published, someone made a point to me along these lines: 'While you are writing your book, it belongs to you. Once it is published, the reader can say what they think about it.' In effect, you lose the right of reply. This is as it should be. A book must stand or fail on its own merits.

I'm very happy with how my book has fared so far. My publisher is brilliant at their business, producing crime thrillers, but they lack the clout and influence - aka the marketing budget - of the large publishing houses. CUT SHORT has not had the benefit of front-of-store displays, or placement on the 3for2 tables. It has not been bought a place on the bestseller lists, or been promoted by amazon in any way. It is just out there and I'm grateful that enough people have bought it to necessitate a second reprint in six months. In its own small way CUT SHORT has been a resounding success, tiny though it is in the grand scheme of the publishing world.

I have no idea what contribution reviews have made to this success. Most of the reviews of CUT SHORT have been very positive, but it is always a nerve wracking experience knowing that a review is about to be published and waiting to read it.

Here is an extract from a review this week by Michael Lipkin, Senior Editor for a major publishing house in the US. The review appears in Noir Journal and The New York Journal of Books.

NEW YORK JOURNAL OF BOOKS
http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/
NOIR JOURNAL
http://noirjournal.typepad.com/
"As the story races to its gripping conclusion, there’s not a moment when the reader won’t be either fearful for another possible victim, hopeful that the killer will make one fatal mistake, or desperately waiting for Steele to discover that one missing clue.
This is an excellent book—the kind one might read for hours on a winter evening before a roaring fire. Russell pulls the reader into an intense involvement with the characters, the town of Woolmarsh, and the search for the killer.
Truly a great start for new mystery author Leigh Russell."

and another 5 star review on amazon.co.uk today -

Excellent, 9 Feb 2010
By
Cormac Mac "Crime king" (London) - See all my reviews

Cut Short is an excellent first novel. It was recommended to me by a friend who loves the Karl Kane series of books by crime writer Sam Millar. I wasn't disappointed. Steel is a name you will be hearing more of in the future. Buy this book. Steal it. Whatever you do, read it.

CUT SHORT is included in 4 for 3 offer on amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Cut-Short-Geraldine-Steel-No/dp/1842432710/

UPDATE:
Guess what? amazon.com sold out again just after they restocked. More copies on the way...