Books
The Timer Game is now available in Italian!
St. Martin’s has come out with a brilliant cover by David Rotstein for Out at Night.
Lost Webisodes Found!
If you thought it odd that the webisodes ended with episode 17, you’re right!
The missing last 5 episodes—buried in Lawrence, Kansas—have been found. You can see them now by pressing this link.
Warning: webisode 19 is R-rated
Books
Out at Night
Out at Night is now out!
In US bookstores everywhere. It’s the second in the Grace Descanso series.
Here’s a brief description taken from the UK Amazon booksite:
The next installment of Susan Arnout Smith’s gripping detective series starring CSI detective Grace Descanso. Opening just one day after the ending of ‘The Timer Game’, CSI agent, Grace Descanso has to come to terms with the reality of introducing Mac into Katie’s life, as her father. As the three spend time together in the Bahamas, Katie begins to develop a bond with her father. Grace knows that life as she knew it, with her daughter, has come to an end. It is not long before Grace’s personal life is interrupted. Thaddeus Bartholomew, a history professor, is forced at gunpoint to drive to a soy field. As he lies dying, he leaves a message on his answerphone at home in Morse code: find Grace Descans-. Cut off before finishing, the FBI need to know why he asked for Grace. A journey into a world of activism and violence, secrets and lies, ‘Out at Night’ is a breakneck rollercoaster of a thriller, gripping from the first page until the last.
To watch the webisodes that precede this novel, press this link.
Reviews
. . .deftly plotted thriller that picks up where The Timer Game left off. Readers will soon be feeling the chill when they realize how true to life it could be.
Romantic Times Book Club Sandra Garcia-Myer
. . .Smith has created a brilliantly human character in Grace Descanso. Recommended for Tess Gerritsen fans.
Library Journal (9/01/08)
. . .with its chilling scenario about the potential impact of genetically modified foods, this sequel to The Timer Game effectively combines focus on character with high-powered suspense.
Booklist, Michele Leber
The Timer Game
Susan wrote her first book, The Frozen Lady, while working in television in Alaska. Full of sex and violence, it is now mercifully out of print. You can find stray copies in hardback or paperback on Amazon.com. Her husband, Fred, Googled it and came running into the room. “Honey, this is amazing,” he cried. “Somebody reviewed it on Amazon and gave it five stars! And get this! It’s not even anybody we know!”
Between then and now she’s learned a lot about writing and now has a two-book deal with St. Martin’s Minotaur. Her first thriller, The Timer Game comes out in January, 2008, and also will be published in seven foreign countries (so far) including Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom. It’s a creepy psychological thriller that involves a timer and a lost kid.
To learn more about the book, read excerpts and watch the exclusive webisodes, visite the new Timer Game Website.
 US Cover Buy it now. |
 UK Cover Buy it now. |
Reviews
(An) edge-of-the-chair thriller will keep you up until you finish it.
-Armchair Interviews
Read the full review here
"Explosive and terrifying, The Timer Game, an original novel with provocative themes and compelling characterizations, moves along at a pulse-pounding pace. Filled with stomach-churning images and guaranteed to satisfy readers hungry for a fast and furious thriller, The Timer Game is a commendable debut novel from a writer who knows how to write an entertaining, intelligent, and really good medical thriller."
-Tim Davis,
www.bookloons.com
Read the full review here
‘Susan Arnout Smith’s The Timer Game is a gripping thriller with a resourceful heroine. Having mysteriously given up a promising career as a doctor, Grace is now a forensic biologist with the San Diego police and bringing up a five-year old daughter on her own.
After a sinister warning, someone kidnaps the child and taunts Grace with the game she plays with her – finding hidden clues before a timer runs out. If she fails to find each clue, the girl will be killed.
In her frantic race against the clock she discovers that she cannot trust even the people closest to her. The theme is familiar, but there are some original twists and heart-pounding moments before the exciting climax.’
-The Sunday Telegraph
Smith’s writing rises above the mediocre level of many thrillers, and her insights, such as "None of us escapes this world undamaged," strike home. And much of the action takes place on Halloween, which adds a ghoulish touch and heightens the tension.
With an intelligent, literate plot and a fully drawn heroine, "The Timer Game" portends great things from Smith. And readers will want her to hurry.
-Jay Strafford,
Richmond Times Dispatch
Read the full review
Reviews from the Web
TCM-Ca.com posted their review at:
www.tcm-ca.com
and mentioned “Out at Night” in their newsletter:
groups.yahoo.com/group/TCM_News/.
Wordcandy.net posted their review at:
wordcandybooks.blogspot.com
Agwired.com posted their review at:
agwired.com/2009/12/01/book-review-out-at-night/
Aceandhoserblook.blogspot.com posted their review at:
aceandhoserblook.blogspot.com/2009/11/out-at-night.html.
Bookpleasures.com posted their review at:
www.bookpleasures.com/websitepublisher/articles/1525/1/Out-at-Night-Reviewed-By-Amy-Lignor-Of-Bookpleasurescom/Page1.html
Bkwriter.blogspot.com†posted the†essay at:
bkwriter.blogspot.com/2009/11/varied-voices-susan-arnout-smith.html
BookLoons.com posted their review at:
http://bookloons.com/cgi-bin/Review.asp?bookid=11722
PrintedPage.us posted about the book at:
printedpage.us/2009/10/25/mailbox-monday-monday-26th/.†
Jensbooktalk.blogspot.com has now listed the book under her “Upcoming Reviews” sidebar. The book was also mentioned in a post: jensbooktalk.blogspot.com/2009/11/its-monday-what-ya-reading_23.html.
Bookbirddog.blogspot.com posted her review at: bookbirddog.blogspot.com/2009/10/book-review-out-at-night-by-susan.html.
Out at Night was also mentioned at:
bookbirddog.blogspot.com/2009/10/sunday-salon-brrr-chilly-week.html.
Thereís also a Q&A with Susan at:
bookbirddog.blogspot.com/2009/10/susan-arnout-smith-mystery-writer.html.
Mainlymysteries.com posted their review at:
www.mainlymysteries.com/show_review.php?id=774.
Interviews
Listen to Susan Arnout Smith on Radio Amsterdam: The State We’re In
Listen to Susan Arnout Smith’s Interview on The Mike Bullard Show
Trivia
Susan’s first novel is an answer in the Alaskan version of Trivial Pursuit.
Answer: The Frozen Lady.
Question: What is the name of Susan Arnout’s first novel?
That’s actually a trick question, since she changed her name after the novel came out and added a Smith, so The Frozen Lady is not only the first, but the only novel published under the name Susan Arnout.