Last minute links

First of all, a big hearty thanks to Mr. Starr for keeping the joint jumping this week. It was so much fun to be hanging out in the backblogs.

As for me, I’ll dip my toe a little bit in the blogging water today, and then afterwards, I’m well and truly gone next week, obviously following the same coincidental path and some other folks. More on that a little later, but first, a bit of catch-up:

The Booker Longlist. I kind of think it’s a little too safe, but there are the requisite surprises (Susanna Clarke?) and no doubt the shortlist (where the betting line is firmly in place) will cause a few heads to be scratched–especially if say, David Mitchell, Colm Toibin, or Alan Hollinghurst are not included…

Keeping the Jamesian vibe going is David Lodge, who is the big Friday interview at the Independent.

Also at the Indy, [

Boyd Tonkin looks at Greek crime writer Petros Markaris]6, whose first mystery THE LATE-NIGHT NEWS has just been published in English in the UK. Interestingly, I just finished the American edition (published here as DEADLINE IN ATHENS) and really took to it and the protagonist, homicide detective Costas Haritos, although he’s not exactly an enlightened man. But he is funny.

At 87, Jon Cleary is considered to be Australia’s grandfather of crime writing. But just after winning the NEd Kelly Award, he’s leaving the genre–because as he tells the Age’s Jason Steger, he’s “run out of ideas.” The kicker was when he started making notes about a serial killer and got upset because it’s so cliched.

Dave Reichert, the sherriff known mostly as the guy who was involved in the Green River Killer case, has written a book about it and is profiled by the Seattle Times. Anyone want to hazard a guess as to who the “Pulitzer Prize-winning ghostwriter” is? The name can’t be revealed b/c he’s under contract to a different publisher…

Whoa! the LA Times almost lured Michiko away! But in the end, the takeover attempt didn’t work and she’s staying put with the Grey Lady. (link from Jim Hanas, guest-blogging at Moorish Girl.)

For all that John Mortimer is exceedingly popular with his Rumpole stories (which, of course, launched the famous TV series) he’s never actually written a novel with the barrister as the star. That is, until now, as he tells the Berkshires network.

The New Yorker will run a short story by Japanese novelist Yoko Ogawa, translated by Stephen Snyder.

Another rave review for Michael Collins’ LOST SOULS, which is one of the finest examples of a literary thriller I can think of, even if I have said this before a zillion times.

Walter Zacharius, the CEO of Kensington Publishing, has turned to the other side, authoring a new book called SONGBIRD based on a young Jewish girl he knew during WWII.

Another day, another roman a clef starring a supposedly bitchy editrix: this one, by Stephanie Green, is the result of a three week writing binge that novelizes her time at Star Magazine working for Bonnie Fuller (whom, we hear, is just incredibly detail-oriented and stressed out but because she’s a powerful woman in a powerful position, ergo, she’s a bitch! We love how that works. Oh, and it’s the fifth item.)

I am so behind on the tumultuous saga of Abigail Vona (although this, no doubt, can help me get up to speed) but the Telegraph tries to help, profiling the 20 year old whose twisted tale resulted in Ian Spiegelman getting fired from PAGE SIX.

And finally, I’m guessing some people think Aldo is a lucky, lucky man. And then next month, he’ll be meeting this fine young author as well.

UPDATE: Aldo, so Defamer’d. So best.