"Spam & Eggs"

Another article, this time in the Guardian, discusses the recent disclosure by the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) that they will be analyzing the metaphors discovered in communications in order to detect potential terrorist activities and discern their plans. As the author of the article writes:

The spooks’ conjecture is that understanding how humans use metaphors might provide an efficient way of extracting meanings from messages. So the project’s goal, says its programme manager, Heather McCallum-Bayliss, is to “exploit the use of metaphorical language to gain insights into underlying cultural beliefs by developing and applying a methodology that automates the analysis of metaphorical language”. Dr McCallum-Bayliss’s presentation explaining the project makes fascinating reading. “Understanding the shared concepts and patterned behaviours of a culture is a significant challenge,” she writes, “because cultural norms tend to be hidden. Even cultural natives have difficulty defining them. Having a system that could discover and structure cultural beliefs and perspectives would be valuable to novice and seasoned analysts alike.”

As noted in a previous post on this topic, metaphors are the bread and butter of the Denovo detective methodology, especially conceptual metaphors, those that function around basic discoveries of the world made during infancy, such as over/under, in/out, before/behind, and so forth.

It’s nice to see research that has been used to discern commercial viability for new products and analyze customer belief systems for years finally find its way into the intelligence community.

Image via Wikipedia

One of Johnny Denovo’s main tools in understanding and thwarting criminals is the fact that people think in metaphors, and express these metaphors in actions. It’s a subtle insight that isn’t much appreciated outside neurolinguists, qualitative researchers, and neuroscientists, to name a few. But it’s becoming more widely appreciated.

A recent study underscored this fact. It was a study of escalators,  stairs, and relative positioning. The basic question hit at one of those primal metaphors: up-down.

In short, people headed up an escalator were more generous when they reached the top, while people headed down were stingy. People who walked up a short flight of stairs were more likely to volunteer than people who walked down a short flight of stairs. And people who were up above others were more considerate of others than people who were below others by relative position.

“Up” is a metaphor for happiness (upbeat, things are looking up, on the upside) while “down” is a metaphor for disappointment (he’s looking down, there was a downturn, she’s down about her job). Here’s more proof that we think in metaphors, and reveal the basic metaphor set through our behaviors.

Entanglement: A Johnny Denovo Mystery

Another review of “Entanglement: A Johnny Denovo Mystery,” is in, and this one is as glowing as the first. This new review is especially nice because the reviewer in question — someone I’ve never met, unfortunately — has reviewed all three novels, so provides both a nice review of the current novel but also an implicit review of the series to-date:

Whenever I open a new Johnny Denovo mystery I know that I am in for an intellectually stimulating ride, and “Entanglement” was no exception. Filled with word plays and metaphors, Andrew Kent writes in such a unique manner that I really can’t even think of any other author’s style to compare him to. Kent’s novels really make you think and solving the mystery on your own before all of the information is revealed is really a difficult task. If you enjoy an intelligently written mystery, then I definitely recommend “Entanglement” along with Kent’s prior Denovo mysteries “Spam and Eggs” and “The Green Monster.”

Customer reviews are also coming in via email. One receive this morning calls it “the best yet” as well.

I’m especially pleased to see a consistent theme to many of the reviews across the three novels — writing that’s unique, mysteries that are truly non-obvious, and characters who are multi-layered, and dialogue that crackles.

Entanglement: A Johnny Denovo Mystery

A reviewer portrayed by ReaderViews as “one of the toughest” has given “Entanglement: A Johnny Denovo Mystery,” a strong, positive review, praising the writing, plot, suspense, and intrigue of the story:

. . . a finely crafted, highly entertaining and very satisfying book. The dialogue was sizzling, the characters wonderfully intricate, the storyline compelling. Andrew Kent’s writing style is fresh, rich and unique, a cut above. . . . I highly recommend Andrew Kent’s “Entanglement” to anybody who enjoys a well crafted and nicely challenging story, one that keeps you guessing until the very last page and definitely leaves you wanting more.

After many fans returned to get the new book at a recent signing, I was hoping that the third novel would strike readers as a worthy addition to the growing body of Denovo cases. Reading this new review bolstered my confidence.

I hope you enjoy the read!

Entanglement: A Johnny Denovo Mystery

A little over three years ago, when I started writing the first Johnny Denovo mystery, which would ultimately be called, “Spam & Eggs,” I never once thought that by the end of 2010 I would have three novels on the market. At that point, writing one novel — to completion, with a satisfying cast of characters and a cathartic ending — seemed well beyond my skills.

Today, I approved the internal pages and cover for the third novel, completing a trilogy.

Nobody’s more surprised than I am.

From a few basic ideas, the series and characters have taken on a life of its own. I’ve mentioned before that some of the most enjoyable parts of writing these books is when the characters take over the plot, and I find myself describing surprising decisions and transcribing inspired dialog.

And while the trilogy wasn’t the goal, there is a magic about three books. In this case, there is also coincidentally an arc binding all three together — one that emerges in this newest novel, “Entanglement.”

So my bookshelf will have a little section now with three very special books in it — “Spam & Eggs,” which was my first completed novel; “The Green Monster,” which let me amp up the Denovo crowd; and “Entanglement,” which wraps up three cases which, in a way, were also one case.

Will there be another Denovo mystery? I don’t know. But I’m happy there are three.

Entanglement: A Johnny Denovo Mystery

“Entanglement: A Johnny Denovo Mystery,” is now available via the Amazon Kindle. Later this week, it will also be available for the Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, iPad, and other e-readers.

Set only days after the conclusion of “The Green Monster,” the third novel in the Denovo Mystery series finds Johnny on a television soundstage, aware that someone is still at work on a larger plot. But this time, the entanglements of the case prove to be both metaphorical and actual, remote and personal. Nothing seems straightforward.

The book will be available in paperback in mid-November. Author signings are being scheduled, and sales via online retailers as well as directly from the author will be available shortly thereafter.

Early readers of the novel have noted that the story is another page-turner, and is even smoother in its plotting and execution than the other two novels. However, I’ve found that the less said, the better. All I can divulge is that when metaphors become entangled, the conflict can undermine even the most brilliant plans.

I hope you enjoy “Entanglement.”

"Entanglement: A Johnny Denovo Mystery"

Two firm steps toward publication of the third Johnny Denovo mystery were taken this week. First, the text was completed and sent to the publisher. Second, the cover design was completed and approved.

Entitled “Entanglement: A Johnny Denovo Mystery,” the third book in the series picks up where “The Green Monster: A Johnny Denovo Mystery” left off — with the lingering worries about a mysterious fire, an infected detective, and someone still at large.

The cover design was done by Kevin Smith of AndSmith LLC, using a photograph we located using Flickr. The photographer, a woman from Northern Ireland named Nicola McAree, was kind enough to grant us permission.

The blurb on the cover comes from Fred Dylla, who heads the American Institute of Physics. Since the book delves a little into some theoretical physics, I was especially pleased that he agreed to read the book, and that he liked it.

Look for “Entanglement” in late November or early December, just in time for the holiday season.

The cover isn’t complete — the cover blurb hasn’t arrived yet, the spine and back still need some details, etc. But the overall effect is a vast improvement over the cover for the previous book, “The Green Monster: A Johnny Denovo Mystery,” and gets us back on a strong design trajectory reminiscent of the widely praised cover for “Spam & Eggs: A Johnny Denovo Mystery.”

The new cover is previewed below. There may be some last-minute changes, but I’m really pleased with it so far. More about the specific designer and artist will follow as the cover is finalized.

Preview of the cover for "Entanglement: A Johnny Denovo Mystery"

"Spam & Eggs"

“Spam & Eggs: A Johnny Denovo Mystery,” is now available for the Amazon Kindle at the unbeatable price of $0.99. For less than a buck, you can enjoy e-reading the novel that has been praised as:

• a book that in fact puts the writing of a lot of very seasoned and famous mystery writers to shame.
• an impressive accomplishment
• a clever, intellectual mystery that will leave you wanting more
• a masterpiece of deductive challenge, engrossing reading, and engaging entertainment

Enjoy the first Johnny Denovo Mystery at this great price while I work to complete the third novel in the series.

The second novel, “The Green Monster: A Johnny Denovo Mystery,” is also available for the Kindle for only $1.99.

Thanks to Smashwords, both Johnny Denovo mysteries — “Spam & Eggs” and “The Green Monster” — are available for the recently released iPad through Apple’s iBooks store.

The books look great on the iPad, and at $3.99 each, they are a bargain. Both are fast-paced, intricately plotted mysteries that follow the exploits of Johnny Denovo, Mona Landau, Tucker Thiesen, Wei Chou, and others as they unravel cases involving spam emails, murder, bio- and ec0-terrorism, greed, blackmail, multiple personalities, stolen plans, and so much more.

Enjoy these family-friendly mysteries on the latest reading device.