Dare I Call It Murder?: A Memoir of Violent Loss demonstrates remarkable resiliency in the marketplace since its launch in July, thanks to the great feedback and recommendations of the readers, whom I cannot thank enough.
Every time I think the book has run its course and is about tumble over the cliff, it pops back up on Amazon’s best-seller list for Biography/Memoir. Today, it spiked to #64, hanging out with the likes of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Henri “Papillon” Charriere, and Gore Vidal. And it’s now up to 148 reviews, 94 of them 5-star.
Dare I Call It Murder? Amazon best-seller for Biography/Memoir, May 6, 2014
Thanks also to Amazon.com, which periodically sends out recommendations to readers and includes my book as the lead title. In answer to your question, no, I don’t know how this happens. All I can surmise is that it got picked up by one of the Amazon algorithms and the machines take it from there. Probably untouched by human hands (or monkeys). A bit disconcerting, but mechanized marketing rules the roost these days.
You don’t hear me complaining. I am pleased and gratified that people are reading the book and its message about violent loss, grief, complicated bereavement and PTSD.
It did not win the Pulitzer, darn it, but it’s still in the running for the Benjamin Franklin Award, Washington State Book Award, One Book, One San Diego, and San Diego Book Award.
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