Chicago Sun-Times

Excerpt from the Chicago Sun-Times: CHANDLERESQUE: Crime novelist Charlie Newton actually deserves the compliment (see the full article here)

"...in CALUMET CITY, an atmospheric shocker about an outwardly stoic South Side beat copy whose secret nightmare past has come back to haunt her, Newton certainly has all the Chandler hallmarks: intricate plotting, an elegant structure laced with violence and corruption, and above all the classic noir tone—urban and nocturnal, stealthy and smoky, grim determination doing its two-step with gallows humor."
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Chicago Tribune

Excerpt from the Chicago Tribune: South Side nightmare: Debut novel set in and around Chicago tops the latest mysteries and thrillers (see the full article here)

"Newton's intimate portrayal of Chicago, especially the city's geographic demarcation ("the Southside says it works for a living, while the Northside pays five dollars for coffee and has maids to open their windows"), is a compelling and fitting backdrop to the dichotomy that is [Patti's] life. CALUMET CITY is an intense and explosive read destined to become a cult classic."

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The Outfit Collective Blog

Excerpt from The Outfit Collective Blog: So You Want To Be Rapture Ready By The Time You Hit Calumet City? (see the full article here)

"Charlie Newton has made up a painful backstory for character Patti, but the hours and hours he spent on the real streets with the real Patti are vivid on the page, and his pitch-perfect noir voice feel's absolutely authentic. The novel is shocking and violent and fast-paced and difficult to put down the same way a rattlesnake is once you have his head pinched."

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International Thriller Writers

Excerpt from Interview with Keith Raffel of the International Thriller Writers organization (see the full interview here)

Q. CALUMET CITY is the first novel of your novels to appear in print, but I understand you've written lots more. What was it like traveling down the road from book one? What did you learn along the way?

A. CALUMET CITY was number six. I'm halfway through number nine as we speak. My road? The typical disaster—ridiculous expectations, sixteen thousand hours of typing, psychiatric sessions with friends, industry rejection on the odd day you got anyone's attention, credit card companies that don't understand the Mamas and Papas did it this way. Learn? Worst—that I'd been a villain with great powers of rationalization. Quite a shock. Best—that God does in fact occasionally protect the bridge jumpers..."