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A LITERARY PALETTE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 stories I’m coming up with and the characters and world I’ve created.” Gleeson’s novels center on five detectives in the PCU division, rotating each as the lead characters in the books. Gleeson notes that the different personalities of each character give each book a different flavor, as Frank Vandegraf is stoic but has a sense of humor that gives his adventures a lighter quality. Other characters are “very serious and dedicated and their books are darker and more serious.” “It’s Her Fault” finds Vandegraf investigating the death of an eccentric university professor who had claimed his wife was trying to kill him, even as she went into hiding after claiming he threatened to kill her. When the detective finds a mysterious note lying on his chest that says “It’s her fault,” he doubles down on his efforts to locate the missing wife, his prime suspect — but when he does, the case takes a bizarre turn. In “The Other Frank,” Vandegraf hears of the unexpected death of his exwife and travels to the tiny rural town of Easton to face the demons of his past. But it’s no respite from the challenging urban crimes of his regular job, and no sooner has he arrived than two bizarre, violent deaths occur, leading him to feel irresistibly drawn to help unravel a web of mystery and intrigue. However, he’s out of his jurisdiction, obstructed by officials, and amidst folk hiding their own secrets. “I’m definitely influenced by Evan Hunter, who was a very prolific writer who wrote 55 procedural mysteries under the name Ed McBain and was an incredible storyteller in a book series called ‘The 87th Precinct’,” says Gleeson. “He had a lot of humanity in his books and definitely influenced how I approach these procedurals. “I also love Donald Westlake, who influenced the more amusing parts of my stories, when I want to be funny or have a whole lot of stuff going on in them,” he adds. “I think of Westlake things, which are really funny or really dark, but could make your laugh your ass off. I’m not concerned with being really trendy or getting dark and noir just to do it. There’s enough dark stuff in police work without pushing it.” A native of upstate New York, Gleeson recalls “confounding my parents and teachers that I didn’t want to be a doctor or lawyer, and they thought I was crazy.” Although they suggested he write and draw as a hobby, he stuck to his guns and wound up studying at the ArtCenter College of Design. He moved back to New York City after graduating, launching a career as a graphic designer and meeting his wife before convincing her to flee the Big Apple’s harsh winters in favor of the California sun. He’s created an eclectic body of work ever since. “I’ve been a staff artist at other studios, and run my own — done design, concept work and all sorts of stuff,” he says. “I worked in films, TV, done toys, worked on theme parks and designed movie posters. I’ve done catalog drawings until I wanted to scream. There are only so many chairs you can draw for a newspaper. Anything I can do I did it, and here I am today still doing it.” Sunday’s event will team Gleeson with his friend and fellow author Odie Hawkins, the self-described “father of the Pan-African occult genre” who has written 37 novels of his own. The two recently teamed up at a Redondo Beach bookstore appearance to discuss Gleeson’s novels, and he hopes that they will be able to do many more events together. “I’m really excited by where it’s going,” says Gleeson. “I’d love to get them in the hands of a lot of people and see if they agree with me. I’m just a storyteller and I like bringing these regular characters to life. They’ve become people. “When you really invest the time in creating characters and situations, they take on a life of their own,” he adds. “I love this side of what I’m doing. I get approached like a different person doing this and that’s really cool to me. Nobody asks me to do the covers on my books and I’m delighted to see what somebody else does with them. I just really enjoy it.” ■ Tony Gleeson will discuss his novels “It’s Her Fault” and “The Other Frank” with Odie Hawkins and sign the books at 7 p.m. Sunday at The Battery Books & Music, 26 S. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena. Admission is free. Call (626) 376-9913 or visit thebatterybooksmusic.business.site. 10 PASADENA WEEKLY | <strong>07.18.19</strong>
• LIFE • “TEARS OF JOY ARE LIKE THE SUMMER RAIN DROPS PIERCED BY SUNBEAMS."- HOSEA BALLOU STAY CALM ANXIETY OCCURS WHEN SOMEONE HAS A STRONG NEED TO PERFORM BUT FEARS FAILURE BULLETIN BOARD NEWS AND NOTES FROM OUR COMMUNITY P. 13 P. 13 RESTAURANT REVIEW dining &nitelife directory Pasadena Weekly’s Dining Directory is a paid advertisement and is provided as a service to our readers. To advertise in the Dining Directory, call (626) 584-1500. The Price is Right SOME PASADENA FAVORITES OFFER DISCOUNTED MENUS DURING RESTAURANT WEEK BY MICHAEL SPRAGUE Southern California foodies have until July 26 to experience some of the LA area’s most in-demand spots. Thanks to specially priced dineLA Restaurant Week menus, and the online reservation platform Open Table, some top-tier, four-star restaurants open their doors and books giving Angelenos a more accessible route to the culinary world. While Pasadena already has a host of affordable dining spots (looking at you Maquina Taco, 1274 N. Lake Ave., No. 1, Pasadena; (626) 365-1893; maquinataco.com; no alcohol/ major cards accepted)), a number of local restaurants with more dollar icons next to their Yelp listings become an option during this celebration of culinary culture. Here are some of the Pasadena favorites you should check out before the deals disappear and you are stuck counting down the days until the winter dineLA event. Alexander’s Steakhouse It is hard for me to not bring up Alexander’s. They have a spot on my best happy hour list for much the same reason as they are getting a shout out here. Pasadena is fortunate enough to have one of the three Alexander’s locations. For context on just what a culinary heavyweight the Japanese influenced steakhouse is, its Silicon Valley counterpart has a Michelin star. The Pasadena location opened in 2015 after the committee that awards Michelin stars stopped awarding them to Los Angeles-based restaurants. With that context in mind, Alexander’s Restaurant Week menu does come at the highest cost of any on my list at $119, but for a six-course meal that features a beef tataki appetizer, along with a sweet braised pork belly doused in a pork aioli, garlic soy, and pickled daikon. Following the appetizers come the organic greens served with crab, lobster jelly, avocado and honey yuzu vinaigrette dressing. The next two courses are the shrimp chawanmushi and six-ounce New York strip of American Wagyu beef served in a bordelaise reduction with an herb salad accompaniment. The six courses are rounded out by a pistachio cake dessert served with matcha ice cream and a vegetable pistachio crumble. I know Alexander’s Restaurant Week offering hits the wallet harder than some of the other choices, but it is an opening to the upper echelon of the culinary world. Treat yourself to a lengthy, multicourse journey through some truly masterful flavors. Alexander’s Steakhouse, 111 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena; (626) 486-1111; alexanderssteakhouse.com; alcohol served/major cards accepted. Bone Kettle Bone Kettle’s Indonesian-inspired, bone-fueled menu was worthy of a visit from the late Jonathan Gold in 2017 when it first opened. Gold had some words of advice for the Old Pasadena spot CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 Average price per entree $ up to $10 $$ $11–15 $$$ $16-25 $$$$ $25+ BONNIE B’S SMOKIN BBQ 1280 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena, (626) 794-0132 bonniebssmokin.com $$ From Tulsa Oklahoma to Southern Cal. with a touch of New Orleans soul comes Bonnie B’s Bar B Que Heaven. Our 45-year-old traditional recipes are made with love. Try our new sweet pea’s double Fried burger made with our own sauces, soul bowl and homemade peach cobbler. Voted best BBQ & Soul food in Pasadena for our ribs, collard greens and Slim's Mac & Cheese. We are thankful and appreciate Pasadena. CAMERON’S SEAFOOD 1978 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena (626) 793-3474 Camerons4fish.com $$ Since 1984, Cameron’s Seafood has been serving its freshest seafood, and has become a landmark in Pasadena. Cameron’s brings the ocean home with their fresh catch being cooked over mesquite wood grills that burn all day long.Enjoy the very best Seafood, Steaks, Salad & Pasta! Voted Best Seafood in Pasadena Weekly for 27 years! Now you can order on-line: camerons4fish.com. <strong>07.18.19</strong> | PASADENA WEEKLY 11
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