Snakes Can't Run
by Ed Lin
GENRE: FICTION/Mystery & Thriller
BLURB:
Set in New York City in 1976, Snakes Can't Run finds NYPD
detective Robert Chow still haunted by the horrors of his past and relegated to
tedious undercover work. When the bodies of two undocumented Chinese men are
found under the Brooklyn Bridge underpass, Chow is drawn into the case. Most of
the officers in his precinct are concerned with a terrorist group targeting the
police, but Chow's investigation puts him on the trail of a ring of ruthless
human smugglers who call themselves the snakeheads. As Chow gets closer to
solving the murder, dangerous truths about his own family's past begin to
emerge. Steeped in retro urban attitude, and ripe with commentary on
minorities' roles in American society, this gritty procedural will appeal to
fans of George Pelecanos and S.J. Rozan.
Excerpt:
When
I came back to the apartment, Paul surprised me by saying, "I was worried
about you!"
"But
Mom, I'm a big boy now," I said, taking off my shoes.
"Seriously,
Robert. Don't get into a car with any of the association guys--KMT or
Communist! It's bad news!"
"I
can protect myself, Paul. I'm a big boy with a big gun." I patted the
revolver on my back to reassure myself.
"Look,
Robert. You know those associations hire gangs 9on a freelance basis to guard
gambling halls and prostitution houses.
"Of
course I know! You think you know more about it than me?"
"Well,
what happens if the gang is unhappy about the amount it was paid? Do you want
to be sitting in the car when there's a hail of bullets? Even if there isn't
gunfire, do you want to be a passenger in a car that's photographed as it idles
outside a massage parlor?"
"Don't
tell me how to do my job! I was interviewing someone regarding my case!" I
sulked off to the fridge. A year ago I would have been popping open a beer. Now
I pulled out a can of Yoo-Hoo. "Want one?" I asked Paul as I propped
the door open.
He
shook his head. "Weren't you the one who warned me about getting too close
to associations when I was working at the gambling joint?" he asked.
"That's
different, Paul, and you know it. You're just a kid that they would take
advantage of. They wouldn't try to mess with me."
"How
do you think Internal Affairs would feel about you associating with them?"
"I've
got nothing to hide. I'm not scared of anything."
Interview with Ed Lin
What inspired
you to write Snakes Can’t Run?
I’ve been paying close attention to the continuing
conversation about immigration and documentation in this country. My book is
set in 1976 in New York’s Chinatown, but the essential arguments haven’t
changed much. My cop narrator is on the hunt for snakeheads: human smugglers.
Can you tell us
a little bit about the next books in the Robert Chow series or what you have
planned for the future?
Well, for now, the Chow books end with the third, One Red Bastard. I have a series with
Soho Crime set in Taipei that I’m pretty psyched about. I’m working on the
third one of that.
Can you tell us
a little bit about the characters in Snakes
Can’t Run?
I tried to think of it as a Golden Harvest classic
good vs. bad showdown. There’s little middle ground and characters are either
evil (the stingy, tip-stealing guy who runs the giant dimsum restaurant) or
innocent (Chow’s girlfriend). But even the good guys have to resort to getting
their hands dirty every once in awhile.
You know I think we all have a favorite
author. Who is your favorite author and why?
My favorite dead author is probably Charles Willeford.
His books burst with an appreciation and celebration of life and the absurd,
it’s impossible not to be incredibly moved by them.
If you could time-travel would you
travel to the future or the past? Where would you like to go and why would you
like to visit this particular time period?
Just visiting, not a permanent move, right? I think
I’d want to get a peek at the New York City subway map and schedules five years
from now. I want to know if things are going to improve or not, because I have
personally been a victim of the awful subway situation this summer. I was stuck
on that train that lost power and famously had to be pushed into the next
station by the train behind it. Ugh!
Do you have any little fuzzy friends?
Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?
I don’t currently, but I had dogs as a kid. I still favor German Shepherds
because they’re smart and have a sense of humor.
Thanks for
taking time out of your busy schedule to visit with us today.
It’s an honor and a pleasure.
AUTHOR
Bio and Links:
Ed
Lin, a native New Yorker of Taiwanese and Chinese descent, is the first author
to win three Asian American Literary Awards and is an all-around standup kinda
guy. His books include Waylaid and This Is a Bust, both published by Kaya Press
in 2002 and 2007, respectively. Snakes Can't Run and One Red Bastard, which
both continue the story of Robert Chow set in This Is a Bust, were published by
Minotaur Books. His latest book, Ghost Month, a Taipei-based mystery, was
published by Soho Crime in July 2014. Lin lives in Brooklyn with his wife,
actress Cindy Cheung, and son.
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Giveaway:
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