Skinner, Quinton 1968–

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Skinner, Quinton 1968–

PERSONAL: Born 1968; children: Natasha, Gabriel. Education: Graduated from University of California at Santa Cruz.

ADDRESSES: Home—Minneapolis, MN. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Villard, 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.

CAREER: Writer.

WRITINGS:

NONFICTION

(With Martin Huxley) The Day the Music Died, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Casualties of Rock, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2001.

Do I Look like a Daddy to You?: A Survival Guide for First-Time Fathers, Dell (New York, NY), 2001.

FICTION

(With Eugene Golub) Protokol, Alliance Press, 2002.

Amnesia Nights, Ballantine Books (New York, NY), 2004.

14 Degrees below Zero: A Novel of Psychological Suspense, Villard (New York, NY), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS: Quinton Skinner is the author of nonfiction about the music world as well as fictional thrillers. His Casualties of Rock is a companion volume to a television series that appeared on the VH1 network. The book "focuses only on death, with special sections on addictions, arrests and mental breakdowns," according to a Publishers Weekly contributor.

In his novel Amnesia Nights, Skinner tells the story of John Wright, a man who is suffering from amnesia. Wright finds himself living alone with 400,000 dollars and a bag of photographs hidden away in a wall. He thinks he may have murdered his girlfriend, Iris, and stolen the money, but his memories are confused. The story takes place over seven days as Wright tries to sort things out. In the meantime, detective Solomon Ford, hired by Iris's wealthy father, is on Wright's trail. A Kirkus Reviews contributor commented that the novel has "plenty of reader stickum."

14 Degrees below Zero: A Novel of Psychological Suspense tells the story of single-mother Jay Ingraham, whose boyfriend Stephen goes jogging one day and is later found dead in a nearby Minnesota river. Although authorities are initially unsure of whether or not Stephen's death is a murder, Jay begins to suspect that her father, who has formed a strong bond with her since his wife died and did not want Stephen in her life, may have had something to do with the man's death. "Because of the emphasis on psychological motivation, this novel is character driven rather than plot oriented," wrote Andy Plonka in a review for the Mystery Reader Web site. Mary Ann Grossman, writing in the Duluth Tribune News, commented that "what gives '14 Degrees' such depth is Skinner's smooth transitions between points of view. The reader is given each character's thoughts and feelings hellip; in alternate chapters. So we feel we know these people and can sympathize with all of them." A Kirkus Reviews contribuor wrote that the "well-rounded characters make big footprints in the Minnesota slush."