J. J. Viertel is the pseudonym used by the father-son writing team of Jack and Josh Viertel who live in Maine and New York. When they aren’t writing crime thrillers together, they each have their own careers: Jack creates Broadway plays and musicals and Josh creates organic farms. Josh is a fly fisherman and bow hunter and Jack is a scuba diver and barbecue chef. In addition to writing, they play the blues together.
Browse Related Books
“I loved every bit of The Glass Eel: It’s part The Overstory, and then also a bit Mare of Eastwick, with a wondrous female lead. It is so absorbing to feel oneself there [on the Maine Coast] and surrounded by these very gritty people. I liked them so much. [The Viertels] write about [the natural world]—the tiny changes—the exquisite complexity and beauty of it all—all mashed over and tragically corrupted by man’s greed and ignorance. The battle between nature and human greed is beautifully and horribly well realized. The book is great. It’ll make a helluva film, too!”
– Emma Thompson
"This is a quality thriller about the stuff tourists don’t see—real people with real lives, some good, some bad, with the best of them in real danger. Highly recommended.”
– Lee Child, internationally bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series
“The Glass Eel meets all my standards for fiction: an engrossing and highly imaginative plot; vivid characters; the revelation of a world completely unknown to me; and a narrative style that pulled me right along. Two bonuses: stunning nature writing and hilarious lines that lighten the plot at absolutely critical moments.”
– Daniel Okrent, prize-winning author of The Guarded Gate
"Viertel writes beautifully about the natural world and how even small disruptions can upend a finely tuned ecosystem.”
– New York Times
"Tantalizing . . . three-dimensional characters and an immersive setting enhance this fascinating crime tale. The Viertels are worth keeping tabs on.”
– Publishers Weekly
"An offbeat, atmospheric thriller with a whodunit at its core.”
– Kirkus
"J.J. Viertel uses a wonderfully wide, compassionate lens to examine the Maine lives, human or otherwise, that tourists don’t usually think about. I was genuinely surprised that this was a debut: the writing and style of this thriller are so assured! Hopefully, it will only be the first novel of many to come.”
– Criminal Element
“Now here’s a world I knew nothing about, but thanks to this wonderful novel I’m completely engrossed in the lives of the characters who inhabit the fisheries of Maine. The Viertels bring them brilliantly to life—I can still taste the saltwater. What a triumph!”
– Lawrence Wright, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Plague Year
"The Glass Eel is a vivid portrait of the New England underbelly and a gripping story about life and crime on the coast.”
– Dwyer Murphy, author of The House on Buzzard’s Bay
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
.
Watch your inbox for the Children Bookseller Newsletter
If you would like to receive the Children Bookseller email, please check below. Or visit our preference center to select the newsletter(s) you prefer.
