Eoin Colfer to read from Plugged in Brookline Tuesday

- from the Irish Emigrant, Monday Sept. 12th, 2011

By Aileen McElroy

Best-selling Irish author Eoin Colfer.

Irish author Eoin Colfer, who wrote the bestselling Artemis Fowl series, will be in Boston Tuesday to promote his new novel Plugged, released in the US this month. Plugged deviates from the young adult fantasy genre of fairies, aliens and such, which has thus-far yielded sales of more than 12 million copies for the author.

Colfer’s debut novel in crime noir can be found on adult fiction shelves, and has already garnered praise from the New York Post, the LA Times, the Irish Times and the Guardian.

Contacted at his Wexford home, where he lives with his wife and two children, the 46-year-old author shared responses he has received to his new crime caper as he readied to embark on a US tour.

“So far the reviews and public reaction have been really good,” he said. “People are surprised, and that is the best result I could hope for.”

As with his Artemis Fowl series, Plugged brims with humor. Colfer’s fans can expect the same wit and hilarity in Plugged as is found in his young adult literature.

“I don't expect people to take anything from Plugged other than a couple of hours of chuckling, hopefully in a public place where they will be trying to hold the laughter in,” quipped Colfer.

“Sometimes people just laugh on the inside, so I won't be offended if they keep a straight face while reading.”

Plugged stars the affable Daniel McEvoy, who has served in the Irish Army and has recently landed a job as a bouncer at a sleazy strip club in New Jersey. After his girlfriend is found mysteriously murdered, Daniel finds himself way over his head in a corrupt underworld, suddenly dodging bullets as he becomes entangled with crooked cops and the New Jersey mob.

“It is a fast-paced, ‘Walter Mitty, everyone is a little weird’ kind of book, and I would love to see people buying into that weird vibe for a few minutes on the train to work,” said Colfer.

After reading excerpts of Plugged at the Brookline Booksmith this Tuesday, Colfer will spend a bit of time in Boston before continuing his US tour.

“I’m looking forward to visiting Boston again, especially as this time I will have a couple of hours to stroll around and get my bearings. I like to walk cities that I visit and as a sea-side dweller myself I might even get a chance to take a ferry to Cape Cod,” said the Wexford man.

Eoin Colfer reads from Plugged at 7 pm on Tuesday, September 13 at the Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard Street, Brookline. For more information visit brooklinebooksmith.com or eoincolfer.com.