VERN SMITH chats to Paul Burke about his crime novel SCRATCHING THE FLINT, editing the anthology JACKED, Toronto, corruption and policing.

SCRATCHING THE FLINT Set in pre-9/11 Toronto, detective noir Scratching the Flint takes place over twelve days during the spring of 2001. Smith's two-tone anti-fraud team of Alex Johnson and Cecil Bolan are back in their first full-length novel to investigate a vintage car theft ring à la MacGyver. When witnesses end up mocked and murdered, proof becomes a relative term to Cecil. Racked with guilt while the system sputters, he covertly assumes the role of not just investigating officer but also that of crown attorney, judge, and executioner, driving the case to a conclusion as brutal as the future.

VERN SMITH is the editor of Jacked, a new crime fiction anthology. He is author of the novels Under the Table and The Green Ghetto. His novelette, The Gimmick-a finalist for Canada's highest crime-writing honor, the Arthur Ellis Award-is the title track to his second collection of fiction. A Windsor, Ontario native and longtime resident of downtown Toronto, he now lives on the outskirts of Chicago.

JACKED Edited by award-winning crime-fiction author Vern Smith, JACKED runs the gamut in crime fiction. From hard-boiled to humorous to gritty noir to straight-up mystery, the anthology promises to please the most diverse and discriminating reading audience. With offerings from heavy-hitters like Matt Witten, Andrew Miller, Meagan Lucas, Eric Beetner, and Allison Whittenberg, and equally impressive contributions by relative newcomers to crime fiction, like Paul Alexander, Zephaniah Sole, and Meredith Craig, JACKED is a debut anthology not to be missed.

Recommendations:
AB Patterson - Harry Kenmore PI: At Your Service (others in series)
Alex Cizak, Andrew Miller, Scotch Rutherford - LA Stories: Three Grindhouse Novellas
Uncle B Publications

Mentioned:
Donald Goines
Clarence Cooper jr
Evelyn Lau

Paul Burke writes for Crime Time, Crime Fiction Lover and the European Literature Network. He is also a CWA Historical Dagger Judge 2023.

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