Brad Parks
Brad Parks | |
---|---|
Born | New Jersey, U.S. | July 13, 1974
Occupation | Author |
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | Ridgefield High School Dartmouth College |
Genres | |
Notable awards | Shamus Award (2010, 2014) Nero Award (2010) |
Children | 2 |
Website | |
bradparksbooks |
Brad Parks (born July 13, 1974) is an American author of
Early life and education
Parks was born in New Jersey and grew up in Ridgefield, Connecticut, where he attended Ridgefield High School. He first started writing professionally for The Ridgefield Press, his hometown newspaper at the time, at age 14, covering high school sports.[2]
Parks attended
Career
Journalism
After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Dartmouth College in 1996, he interned at The Washington Post, and was eventually hired full-time by the paper, which assigned him to their bureau in Manassas, Virginia.[3]
In 1998, he moved to The Star-Ledger in Newark, New Jersey, where he began working as a sports features writer and later as a news feature writer. In 2007, "Crossroads", his four-part series on the 1967 Newark riots, won the New Jersey Press Association's top prize for enterprise reporting.[4]
Fiction
In 2004, Parks began writing fiction in the cafe at a Barnes & Noble as a way to kill time while his wife was studying for her graduate degree.[3] Parks has written some of his novels at a Hardee's restaurant.[5] In response, in March 2018, Hardee's presented Parks with a plaque and declared him its writer in residence.[6]
Faces of the Gone
The inspiration for his first published novel, Faces of the Gone, was a 2004 quadruple homicide in Newark, New Jersey that he covered as a journalist.[7]
In 2008, the novel was acquired by
Eyes of the Innocent
Parks' second book, Eyes of the Innocent, was based on Parks' reporting of the
The Girl Next Door
Parks' third book, The Girl Next Door, delves into the struggles of the newspaper industry and how a contentious union negotiation ends up imperiling a woman described as being like the girl next door. The novel won the Lefty Award for best humorous mystery.[15] In doing so, Parks became the first author to have won the Lefty, Nero and Shamus Awards.[16] The Girl Next Door also received a starred review from Booklist, which called it "... a masterpiece."[17] Library Journal called the Carter Ross series "a refreshing tonic for the mystery soul.".[18] Shelf Awareness gave it a starred review, calling it "perfect for the reader who loves an LOL moment but wants a mystery that's more than empty calories."[19] Kirkus Reviews named it one of the top 100 works of fiction of 2012, making it one of just a handful of mysteries to win that honor.[20]
The Good Cop
Parks' fourth book, The Good Cop, deals with the subject of illegal gun smuggling and starts with the suicide of a
The Player
The fifth book in the Carter Ross series, The Player, delves into the topics of toxic waste and organized crime. It received starred reviews from
The Fraud
The sixth book in the series, The Fraud, chronicles two incidents of carjacking, one afflicting a wealthy man from the suburbs, the other a poorer man from the city. Kirkus Reviews called it, “More deeply felt than Carter’s first five cases: reliable entertainment that’ll make you think twice about your next trip to Newark.” [30] The novel was nominated for a Library of Virginia People's Choice Award in 2016.[31]
Say Nothing
Parks released his first standalone novel, and his first novel published by
Say Nothing has been translated into fifteen languages and sold in dozens of countries worldwide. In 2007, it was named Thriller of the Month by
Closer Than You Know
In March 2018, Parks published Closer Than You Know, which received starred reviews from Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Reviews wrote that it was "another irresistible descent into hell."[38]
Personal life
Parks lives in Virginia with his wife and two small children.
Bibliography
- Faces of the Gone (2009,
- Eyes of the Innocent (2011, ISBN 978-1250002280)
- The Girl Next Door (2012, ISBN 978-0312667689); Winner, 2013 Lefty Award
- The Good Cop (2013, ISBN 978-1250005526); Winner, 2014 Shamus Award; Winner, 2014 Lefty Award
- The Player (2014, ISBN 9781250044082)
- The Fraud (2015, ISBN 9781250064400); Finalist, Library of Virginia People's Choice Award
- Say Nothing (2017, ISBN 9781101985595); Winner, Library of Virginia People's Choice Award
- Closer Than You Know (March 2018, ISBN 9781101985625)
- The Last Act (2019, ISBN 9781524743536)
- Interference (2020, ISBN 9781542023399)
- Unthinkable (2021, ISBN 9781542024952)
References
- ^ "Mystery Reviews | March 1, 2014". Archived from the original on 2014-11-29. Retrieved 2014-07-24.
- ^ "Parks returns to Ridgefield with new novel - Connecticut Post". Ctpost.com. 2011-02-18. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
- ^ a b "US1 Home". Princetoninfo.com. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
- ^ "Microsoft Word - 2007 Editorial Results - Daily.doc" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-05-01.
- ^ "A novel to-go: Staunton writer says Hardee's is his 'sanctuary'".
- ^ "Franchise News".
- ^ New Jersey (9 December 2009). "Author bases novel on a crime in Newark". NJ.com. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
- ^ www.xuni.com. "Author Brad Parks". Bradparksbooks.com. Archived from the original on 2013-05-30. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
- ^ "The Private Eye Writers of America and The Shamus Awards". Thrillingdetective.com. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
- ^ "Wolfe Pack Nero Award Recipients chronologically". Nerowolfe.org. 2012-10-27. Archived from the original on 2013-05-14. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
- ^ "Middlesex author wins Nero Award". Ssentinel.com. Archived from the original on 2016-02-03. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
- ^ "Mystery, January 2011". Libraryjournal.com. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
- ^ Nolan, Tom (2011-01-28). "Book Review: Mysteries Chronicle - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
- ^ "Newark Is Destination For Trouble". Fredericksburg.com. 2011-01-30. Archived from the original on 2011-08-28. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
- ^ "Mystery Fanfare: Left Coast Crime Awards 2013". Mysteryreadersinc.blogspot.com. 2013-03-23. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
- ^ "Parks hits 'trifecta' of crime fiction authors". Ssentinel.com. 2013-03-27. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
- ^ Girl Next Door, by Brad Parks. Booklist Online. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
- ^ "Mystery Reviews, March 1, 2012". Reviews.libraryjournal.com. 2012-02-27. Archived from the original on October 23, 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
- ^ "for Readers for Tuesday, March 20, 2012". Shelf Awareness. 2012-03-20. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
- ^ Wright, John C. (2013-04-15). "Best Fiction Books of 2012". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 2013-05-11. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
- ^ Good Cop, by Brad Parks. Booklist Online. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
- ^ "Mystery Reviews | March 1, 2013". Reviews.libraryjournal.com. 2013-02-01. Archived from the original on June 13, 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
- ^ Parks, Brad. "The Good Cop". RT Book Reviews. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
- ^ https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g-Sjy-RORd8VYQy-Ojw639zyr0LA?docId=ce50ea424c5441699b8dd9509124ecc3. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) [dead link] - ^ "Mystery Fanfare: Shamus Awards 2014". 2014-11-15.
- The Village Green
- ^ "Thriller Author Brad Parks".
- OCLC 1330888409.
- ^ "RT Book Reviews".
- ^ THE FRAUD by Brad Parks | Kirkus Reviews.
- ^ http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/litawards/2016_nominees.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ISBN 978-1101985595.
- OCLC 1330888409.
- ^ "Mysteries: 'Say Nothing,' 'In This Grave Hour,' 'The Outsider' and 'The Loving Husband'". 25 March 2017.
- ^ "Author Brad Parks to bring new book tour to Kilmarnock Thursday | Rappahannock Record". 5 April 2017.
- ^ "Suchergebnisse für "brad parks"".
- ^ "Finalists and Winners of the Library of Virginia Annual Literary Awards".
- ^ "CLOSER THAN YOU KNOW by Brad Parks".