Randall Silvis
Author of Two Days Gone
About the Author
Series
Works by Randall Silvis
Heart So Hungry: the Extraordinary Expedition of Mina Hubbard Into the Labrador Wilderness (2004) 31 copies, 1 review
Incident on Ten-Right Road: A Ryan DeMarco Mystery Series prequel novella - And other stories (2019) 2 copies
The Ruin of Us All 1 copy
Hurt People 1 copy
Write My Name in Dust 1 copy
Associated Works
ParaSpheres: Extending Beyond the Spheres of Literary and Genre Fiction: Fabulist and New Wave Fabulist Stories (2006) — Contributor — 65 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1950-07-15
- Gender
- male
- Awards and honors
- Drue Heinz Literature Prize (1984), and was chosen for that award by author Joyce Carol Oates.
- Agent
- Sandy Lu (L. Perkins Agency)
- Short biography
- Randall Silvis is the multi-genre author of eighteen critically acclaimed novels, two story collections, and a book of creative nonfiction named a best-of-the-year book by the Toronto Globe & Mail. Two more novels are scheduled for publication in 2021 and 2022. Silvis was the first Pennsylvanian to win the prestigious Drue Heinz Literature Prize (1984), and was chosen for that award by author Joyce Carol Oates. His work has been published in over a hundred editions in several languages.
A former contributing writer for the Discovery Channel magazines, Silvis is also a prize-winning playwright and produced screenwriter. His work has appeared on best-of-the-year lists from the New York Times, the Toronto Globe & Mail, SfSite.com, Strand magazine, and the International Association of Crime Writers, and has been hailed as “masterful” not only by the New York Times Book Review but also by Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Mystery Scene magazine, and several other review sources.
Silvis has been nominated twice for Pushcart Prizes for his short fiction, and was a two-time Hammett Prize finalist for literary excellence in the field of crime writing. His many literary awards include two National Endowment for the Arts literature fellowships, a Fulbright Senior Scholar Research Award, six writing fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts for his fiction, drama, and screenwriting, and a Doctor of Letters degree awarded in recognition of “a sustained record of distinguished literary achievement.” - Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Sandy Hollow, Pennsylvania, USA
- Places of residence
- Pennsylvania, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- Pennsylvania, USA
Members
Reviews
From the opening paragraph, it is apparent that Two Days Gone is not the typical pulp murder mystery. The language is erudite and thoughtful; as my husband said, Mr. Silvis “uses a lot of big words.” While this might be intimidating to some readers, it means the descriptions are richer, fuller, and more vibrant than in your typical mystery. It means the characters are more fully developed, and your investment in them that much more vested. It means everything about the story is just show more more, and it creates an amazing story.
The Huston family tragedy makes for very difficult reading. Mr. Silvis does not mince words when it comes to the details of the murders, and the fact that some of the descriptions involve violence to children makes it particularly brutal. However, this same attention to detail makes Tom’s suffering palpable. His pain is visceral and raw and furthers the reader’s already considerable discomfort. This may mean it is a trigger book for some, but it also means it is a very real story.
Between the compelling mystery behind the tragedy and the simple beauty of the words, Two Days Gone is a fantastic story, well worth the pain and discomfort some of the scenes cause. Tom’s love for his family is a joy to behold all while furthering the pain of his losses. There is the added interest of Ryan’s research into Tom’s writing process, which is thoughtful and intriguing in its own right without the added insights into Tom’s life they bring. The mystery’s believable resolution furthers the tragic nature of the story, but the novel ends upon a note of hope that lifts the entire story out of its overarching gloom and reminds readers that life is still worth living in spite of the tragedies that befall us. show less
The Huston family tragedy makes for very difficult reading. Mr. Silvis does not mince words when it comes to the details of the murders, and the fact that some of the descriptions involve violence to children makes it particularly brutal. However, this same attention to detail makes Tom’s suffering palpable. His pain is visceral and raw and furthers the reader’s already considerable discomfort. This may mean it is a trigger book for some, but it also means it is a very real story.
Between the compelling mystery behind the tragedy and the simple beauty of the words, Two Days Gone is a fantastic story, well worth the pain and discomfort some of the scenes cause. Tom’s love for his family is a joy to behold all while furthering the pain of his losses. There is the added interest of Ryan’s research into Tom’s writing process, which is thoughtful and intriguing in its own right without the added insights into Tom’s life they bring. The mystery’s believable resolution furthers the tragic nature of the story, but the novel ends upon a note of hope that lifts the entire story out of its overarching gloom and reminds readers that life is still worth living in spite of the tragedies that befall us. show less
Tom Huston, respected and beloved author and professor, is missing. His wife and three children have been brutally slain, and the police are searching for Huston as their prime suspect. Ryan DeMarco is lead detective on the case, and will stop at nothing to uncover the truth. DeMarco isn’t above playing a bit loose with the law, and if something niggles at him, he won’t give up searching, even if that means existing on coffee and little sleep to chase down clues. The author does an show more excellent job of portraying a driven cop, tormented by his own losses, trying to right the wrongs of the world when he can’t even fix his own life. This well-written thriller is peopled with flawed characters whom you like because they are flawed. Though the language is rough and the killings gory, or maybe because of it, the author makes you feel the pain his characters endure. Wonderfully told from beginning to end, this novel sets the tone for a promising new series. show less
Silvis is easily the best literary mystery writer you're not reading right now, the most overlooked by a long stretch. Silvis' narratives are wholly driven by the characters and not the plot, character studies of the men and women involved in the work of murder investigation - focused on their lives as they are shaped, in both positive and negative ways, by the work they do. In this fourth installment, Ryan DeMarco is helping his partner recover from a violent and life-changing loss, and show more they decide to put their minds into the work as therapy. The work this time is a particularly brutal murder of three people in the Pennsylvania woods. There's not a lot of whodunit here, but a lot of 'how are we going to prove' what we know. Along the way, DeMarco begins to construct a family life to fill the void left by the loss of his own years earlier. The literary quality is high, as is to be expected from Silvis, and the readability is off the charts. If you're not reading Silvis, you're missing out.
5 bones!!!!! show less
5 bones!!!!! show less
Ryan DeMarco and Thomas Huston had formed a sort of friendship while Huston was doing research for a novel, and now suddenly Huston is a suspect in the murders of his entire family.
The shifting perspectives for most of the book is something I'm not usually a fan of, but it worked here. It was far heavier in DeMarco's perspective, I supposed as to keep the 'whodunnit' alive. I understand why Silvis didn't just stick with the single perspective the whole book, but he probably could have made show more it work.
Silvis' banter between his characters was witty and believable, and pleasant to read.
The mystery of the story was well done. I really enjoy books that have me thinking I know what happened/who did it, but keep me second guessing myself at the same time, and Silvis accomplished that here. Did Thomas Huston murder his wife and kids? Did one of his fellow professors fly into a jealous rage and kill his family for revenge?
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Two Days Gone, though reading about young children dying is always hard for me to do. 3.5 stars. I would definitely read more by Silvis. show less
The shifting perspectives for most of the book is something I'm not usually a fan of, but it worked here. It was far heavier in DeMarco's perspective, I supposed as to keep the 'whodunnit' alive. I understand why Silvis didn't just stick with the single perspective the whole book, but he probably could have made show more it work.
Silvis' banter between his characters was witty and believable, and pleasant to read.
The mystery of the story was well done. I really enjoy books that have me thinking I know what happened/who did it, but keep me second guessing myself at the same time, and Silvis accomplished that here. Did Thomas Huston murder his wife and kids? Did one of his fellow professors fly into a jealous rage and kill his family for revenge?
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Two Days Gone, though reading about young children dying is always hard for me to do. 3.5 stars. I would definitely read more by Silvis. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 27
- Also by
- 2
- Members
- 1,047
- Popularity
- #24,609
- Rating
- 3.7
- Reviews
- 62
- ISBNs
- 90
- Languages
- 2