Authorspotting

Scottish writer Irvine Welsh is best known for his slang-laced tales of existential debauchery in the damp, booze-soaked climes of his native Edinburgh (the most famous of those being Trainspotting). But his latest novel, Crime, heads farther south, to the damp, booze-soaked climes of Miami. An impromptu virgin visit to Mac's Club Deuce after Welsh's last local reading must have left quite an impression, because the, errr, storied bar is where this book's action kicks off.

After an argument with his fiancée, vacationing Scotsman (and, conveniently, detective) Ray Lennox winds up at the South Beach dive, where he — surprise, surprise — meets two women and embarks on a little coke binge. What is surprising, however, is the turn the plot takes next: Lennox suddenly finds himself the protector of one of the women's daughters, who might or might not be the target of a pedophile ring. Okay, so Crime is not a family tale, folks, but Welsh is at his best when he walks that fine line between farce, social commentary, and prurience. Get your fix this Friday at 8 p.m. when Welsh reads from Crime at Books & Books. Call 305-442-4408, or visit www.booksandbooks.com.
Fri., Sept. 12, 2008