What's New
The Shipkiller, my old favorite and my first big thriller, is out in a new world-wide Spanish edition--El Cazador de Barcos. Peter Hardin's beloved wife drowns when their sailboat is run down by the giant oil tanker Leviathan. Unable to prove what happened alone on an empty ocean, Hardin arms another small sailboat to sink Leviathan.
I wrote the cover artist Roberto Hernandez to thank him "for the most arresting SHIPKILLER cover I can recall of the many--including many fine ones--made over the years around the world. Your supertanker is so spine-chilling that at my first sight of the book I scrambled to jump overboard."
Roberto Hernandez replied "In all my life as a sailor and marine artist, I never imagined that one day I would wake up and find your email in my inbox, sharing your kind words . . . . about the cover design of your great book, which I was fortunate enough to read when I was a teenager. Your book had such an impact on me that it was no surprise that my life was dedicated to the ships. I have been an oil tanker Captain and First Officer on ultra-large crude carriers. And believe me when I tell you, every time I boarded these vessels, I always remember your book. I eagerly hope that this new edition will bring more readers. It's a story that never gets old. We live in complicated times, and it's important to find the Peter Hardin within ourselves."
And if that wasn't joy enough, the the Spanish editor Tomy Pelluz emailed, "I also first read it when I was young, and it deepened my love for sailing. Years later, I had the opportunity to sail on a Sparkman & Stephens Swan in the North Sea, and I remember how often we spoke on board about The Shipkiller. As you surely know, your remarkable book has changed the lives and careers of many people."
And he gave the new edition an a extremely generous shout out on the cover. "La novela náutica más leiída después de Moby Dick, "which a good friend translated for me as "The most widely read nautical novel after Moby-Dick." That sent me straight back to another re-read of Moby-Dick in a mood to hear the famous first line, "Call me Ishmael," in an entirely new way, as a conversational tone, a warm invitation to read a grim, dark epic as a story told by a cheerful soul eager to be enchanted by his fellow members of the human race.
Justin Scott
The Sister Queens, an historical thriller starring William Shakespeare snared in the rebellion against the Queen of England, published by Severn House, ISBN# 9781448312740 (Hardcover).
Forty Days And Forty Nights by Amber Edwards & Justin Scott, a novel of the Mississippi River, published by University of Louisiana Press (ISBN# 1946160768).
Amber Edwards, Justin Scott’s wife, made award-winning documentary films for thirty years before deciding to write a thriller. Justin decided he could not
go wrong joining forces with a seasoned story teller. They had a ball.
Press Release by UL Press - click here
Newtown Home Perfect Spot for Couple in the Arts by Frank Rizzo
Best-selling suspense novelist Mary Higgins Clark invites you on a tour of Manhattan's most iconic neighborhoods in this anthology of all-new stories from the Mystery Writers of America.
"...There were three that definitely grabbed me more than the others: Evermore by Justin Scott (this my favorite), Copycats by N.J. Ayres, and last but not least, The Baker of Bleecker Street by Jeffery Deaver..."
Hope Sloper (NetGalley)
"...But particularly enjoyed Justin Scott's take on a mystery with the element of time travel. A modern day bank robber ends up partnered with the very alive Edgar Allan Poe who is having trouble publishing a best seller in today's market that will make him eligible to win the award that bears his name. It's a fast paced shoot 'em up full of ironic commentary on what authors have to deal with & Poe gets all the best lines ("Do not expect me to be frightened by an armed robber. I'm accustomed to agents & publishers..."
Sandy Sandilands (NetGalley)
The Mystery Writers of America is launching the MWA Cookbook, edited by Kate White.
Justin Scott has contributed his recipe of "Captain Will's High Latitudes Vodka Gimlet" to the Mystery Writers of America's. A Mystery Lover's Cookbook. ("Captain Will" is Will Spark, the heroic villain of the Paul Garrison thriller Buried at Sea.)
Justin Scott and Clive Cussler signed 1000 books and answered questions for a live audience at Poisoned Pen Bookstore and for people we streamed to on line.
Justin Scott and Clive Cussler signing the just-published The Bootlegger at the 
Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale for a long, long line of Isaac Bell readers who tend to be as friendly as they are lively. The annual ritual is bracketed by Cussler and Scott pounding away at the new Bell in Cussler's Arizona office.
The Cutthroat by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott is #1 New York Times Best Seller List.
Rampage re-issued Hardcover and E-Book format by Pegasus Books.
A Woman in the Sun by Justin Scott in a short story anthology based on paintings by Edward Hopper In Sunlight or in Shadow.
"... Best anthology theme I ever heard, was my immediate reaction when Lawrence Block told me his idea for a collection of short stories inspired by Edward Hopper paintings. Hopper paintings are stories—better yet, they pose the beginning of a story, or the end, and sometimes both. Larry even had a terrific title—In Sunlight or in Shadow—and a bold publisher willing to reproduce the paintings in full color. I made it clear I would be delighted for a chance to contribute. (Having inspired me to start writing, many decades ago, the poor devil had little choice but to invite me.) It turned out to be the most interesting writing job. I chose “A Woman In The Sun,” a full length portrait of a naked lady in a beach house.
Edward Hopper, A Woman in the Sun,
Whitney Museum of American Art
I studied it for many days, repeatedly, as I would when writing an historical novel in order to absorb the common details recorded in a hundred year old photograph. All of a sudden, I thought I saw where she was going...."
Justin Scott
#1 New York Times Best Seller List, The Gangster by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott:
#1 Hardcover Best Sellers
#1 E-Book Best Sellers
#1 Combined Print and E-Book Best Sellers
"...Clive Cussler and Justin Scott bring 1906 to life in vivid technicolor descriptions in THE GANGSTER. Detective Isaac Bell, star employee of the Van Dorn Agency, is charged with..."
Judy Gigstad (Bookreporter)
Isaac Bell is back in a thrilling new adventure — the ninth in his series.
"...New York City, 1906. The Black Hand, a criminal syndicate composed largely of Italian immigrants, has the city in a tight grip of fear. Isaac Bell, of the Van Dorn Agency, is tasked with putting a stop to their crimes (which include, but are not limited to, extortion and kidnapping). But Bell soon begins to wonder: Is the Black Hand a cover for a darker, more subtle form of crime? A series of murders—the victims are all highly placed in society—leads Bell to the shocking truth. As usual, this latest Bell thriller combines a vivid historical environment with a top-notch story and enjoyable, realistic characters. Bell, the detective whose nimble intellect often gets him out of tight situations, is one of Cussler’s most engaging protagonists . . . and the Isaac Bell novels lead the way in terms of quality..."
David Pitt (Booklist)
The LOS ANGELES TIMES called The Man Who Loved The Normandie (originally published in the USA in 1981 as "Normandie Triangle") "A big ... brilliantly plotted novel of World War II espionage."
Kindle eBook available on Amazon.
The short story Evermore by Justin Scott was published in an anthology Manhattan Mayhem, edited by Mary Higgins Clark, celebrating the Mystery Writers of America's 70th anniversary.
The short story Take Off Your Clothes by Justin Scott was published in the Private Eye Writers of American anthology, called Fifty Shades of Grey Fedora, and edited by Bob Randisi.
The Janson Option comes out in paperback.
The Empty Eye of the Sea appeared originally in the UK. Kindle eBook available on Amazon, eBook available in iBooks store.