Michael Kardos

Michael Kardos’s debut thriller The Three-Day Affair has received starred reviews from Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and Publishers Weekly, which named it one of the best books of the fall. He’s originally from New Jersey and currently co-directs the creative writing program at Mississippi State University.

A few weeks ago I asked the author what he was reading. His reply:

I recently read two novels set in freezing cold Communist Russia. The first, Tom Rob Smith’s Child 44, was recommended to me by my editor, Otto Penzler. Child 44 is a multi-layered, sprawling (yet tightly plotted), engrossing thriller featuring thousand-mile manhunts, paranoid government officials, and lots and lots of snow.

The other novel, David Benioff’s City of Thieves, I plucked from the shelf of a bookstore in the Atlanta airport. I’ll admit it: I thought the cover was neat. Then I read the synopsis on the back and liked that, too, so I paid for the book, walked to my gate, and started reading. By the end of the prologue (long before the boarding started), I was completely hooked. The novel is a wonderfully told coming-of-age/suspense/comedy/drama, taking place during the German siege of Leningrad, about a boy forced to risk his life in an attempt to save it. I’ve been recommending it to everyone.

To shift gears completely, I’m currently reading Kevin Moffett’s very engaging story collection Further Interpretations of Real-Life Events. I’d been meaning to read his work for a while. Funny, sad, smart stuff.

Visit Michael Kardos's website.

--Marshal Zeringue