BOOKLIST ON EL GAVILAN

Booklist has weighed in with its take on EL GAVILAN, my new thriller about illegal immigration and my first standalone novel:


"El Gavilan is a big and broad story, and McDonald effectively uses a just-the-facts-ma’am narrative, fleshing out primary characters via flashbacks. It’s also an evenhanded story that begins with desperate families making a dangerous journey to an uncertain future. Crime fans will find much to like, and readers unfamiliar with the complexities of the issue will be engaged and informed." — Thomas Gaughan

You can read more of the review HERE.



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MYSTERY SCENE REVIEWS EL GAVILAN

Mystery Scene has weighed in with its take on my new standalone thriller, freshly available from Tyrus books, EL GAVILAN.

Mystery Scene reviewer Derek Hill says in part:

"A thoroughly gripping crime story...(Tell) Lyon is thankfully anything but a clichéd cop... Lyon’s ability to hold on to his humanity as he moves from one tragedy into the next makes for a refreshing and fascinating character... Even more impressive is the portrayal of the imposing Hawk. El Gavilan is a dark and difficult journey at times, but it never loses sight of its characters' complexities.”

The full review is available here.


In other news, ONE TRUE SENTENCE, my earlier 2011 release (the fourth novel in the Edgar/Anthony/Gumshoe nominated Hector Lassiter series), has been named to two year's best lists.

Book People says of OTS: "McDonald looks at gun-toting Texas crime writer Hector Lassiter during his Lost Generation days in Paris, when he and his buddy Ernest Hemingway were on the hunt for someone murdering publishers. A bittersweet portrait of artists as young men."

Murder, Mystery & Mayhem also selected ONE TRUE SENTENCE as a top historical novel of 2011.