Part of Series
Stephen R. Donaldson is one of America's acclaimed storytellers. But in the 1980s, he published three novels about private investigators Mick Axbrewder and Ginny Fistoulari, as paperback originals under the pseudonym "Reed Stephens." In 2001, Tor published a fourth novel about these characters, The Man Who Fought Alone, this time in hardcover under Donaldson's own name. Now Donaldson has returned to the first three novels in the sequence, rewriting and expanding them. The Man Who Killed His Brother was the first, and this is the second of the three. Mick "Brew" Axbrewder is a P.I. who's seen better days. Deeply into alcoholism, some time back, he accidentally shot and killed a cop. Worse, the cop turned out to be his brother. Even worse, in a case not long after that, his partner Ginny Fistoulari blew off her own left hand, protecting him and others. Now Mick works mostly as hired muscle for Ginny. They don't talk much. But their latest client's story doesn't add up. They're going to have to start working better together. And Brew's going to have to face some of his own worst fears.
Author
Stephen Reeder Donaldson is an American fantasy, science fiction, and mystery novelist; in the United Kingdom he is usually called "Stephen Donaldson" (without the "R"). He has also written non-fiction under the pen name Reed Stephens. EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION: Stephen R. Donaldson was born May 13, 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio. His father, James, was a medical missionary and his mother, Ruth, a prosthetist (a person skilled in making or fitting prosthetic devices). Donaldson spent the years between the ages of 3 and 16 living in India, where his father was working as an orthopaedic surgeon. Donaldson earned his bachelor's degree from The College of Wooster and master's degree from Kent State University. INSPIRATIONS: Donaldson's work is heavily influenced by other fantasy authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Roger Zelazny, Joseph Conrad, Henry James, and William Faulkner. The writers he most admires are Patricia A. McKillip, Steven Erikson, and Tim Powers. It is believed that a speech his father made on leprosy (whilst working with lepers in India) led to Donaldson's creation of Thomas Covenant, the anti-hero of his most famous work (Thomas Covenant). The first book in that series, Lord Foul's Bane, received 47 rejections before a publisher agreed to publish it. PROMINENT WORK: Stephen Donaldson came to prominence in 1977 with the The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, which is centred around a leper shunned by society and his trials and tribulations as his destiny unfolds. These books established Donaldson as one of the most important figures in modern fantasy fiction. PERSONAL LIFE: He currently resides in New Mexico. THE GRADUAL INTERVIEW
