Tom Piccirilli

Thomas Piccirilli was a prominent American author, known for his works in a variety of genres including horror, thrillers, erotica, fantasy, and hardboiled crime fiction. He was born on May 27, 1965, and wrote both novels and short stories throughout his career. Piccirilli's versatility as a writer allowed him to explore different genres, producing works that were included in zombie anthologies edited by James Lowder.

Piccirilli was a prolific writer, with over 150 stories published in various fields such as mystery, thriller, horror, erotica, and science fiction. His talent was recognized with numerous awards, including being a two-time winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for "Best Paperback Original" in 2008 and 2010. He was also a four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award, a finalist for the 2009 Edgar Allan Poe Award given by the Mystery Writers of America, and the winner of the first Bram Stoker Award given in the category of "Best Poetry Collection".

The author's work received critical acclaim from esteemed sources. Marilyn Stasio of The New York Times Book Review described his novel, THE LAST KIND WORDS, as a "caustic thriller" with "characters [that] have strong voices and bristle with funny quirks." New York Times bestselling thriller writer Lee Child praised Piccirilli's work for its "perfect crime fiction" and "convincing world, a cast of compelling characters, and above all a great story." Publishers Weekly commended Piccirilli's mastery of the hard-boiled idiom and his vivid depiction of criminal corruption in a small Long Island community. Booklist's Keir Graff declared that there's "more life" and "more heartache, action, and deliverance" in THE LAST KIND WORDS than any other novel he had read in recent years. Kirkus Reviews also noted the "soulful, shivery edge" in Piccirilli's portrayal of an unhappy family in the same novel.