The Labor Day Weekend Update

I couldn’t even begin to catch up on the news of the past week but at least this weekend’s got a heavy dose of mystery, which makes things a little easier for me. Onward:

NYTBR: La Stasio, fresh off rounding up holiday reads last week, returns with her regular crime column, and these are her verdicts: A big rave for Denise Mina’s standalone DECEPTION (aka SANCTUM, and like Fiona, we’re curious about the title change too), with more muted ones for Martha Grimes, Garry Disher, and Chuck Hogan. Otherwise, I love when a reviewer matches up well with the book he or she is reading, and what a neat stroke to have Gregory Maguire review Susanna Clarke’s hot property, JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL. Neil Gordon looks at Lorraine Adams’ debut HARBOR, which is going straight to the TBR as soon as I can get a copy, Jeff Turrentine rounds up some timely short story collections, including one by David Benioff, and Paul Murray gets an approving write-up for his Wodehouse-esque novel AN EVENING OF LONG GOODBYES.

WaPo: Peter Skenazy goes to work rounding up the latest in mystery, including new releases by Gary Disher, Skye Kathleen Moody, Ed McBain and Petros Markaris. Patrick Anderson crosses over into Book World to review Chuck Hogan’s PRINCE OF THIEVES in somewhat mixed fashion (and will then tackle the new Patricia Cornwell on Monday–why, WHY?); Joseph Finder also goes gaga over Lorraine Adams’ first novel; and Monsieur Dirda meets Susanna Clarke–in fiction format, anyway–and comes away very enchanted.

G&M: Margaret Cannon, in her new edition of the crime column, digs new releases by Laura Lippman, Martha Grimes, Tess Gerritsen, Michael Palmer, Julie Garwood and Steve Berry. Otherwise, Martin Levin raves about a first novel that re-examines the Starkweather/Fugate killing spree; M.J. Hyland’s first effort is noted for an engaging heroine and a no-holds-barred approach; Edeet Ravel returns with the second installment in her Israeli-Palestinian trilogy; and David Weaver suggests a refreshing alternative to the whirl and twirl of the Toronto Film Festival, which begins next week.

Guardian Review: Joan Smith looks mostly favorably upon Henning Mankell’s new book BEFORE THE FROST, which stars daughter Linda instead of daddy Kurt Wallander; Maxim Jakubowski is impressed with Laura Wilson’s new psychological thriller (which, alas, disappointed me for a reason I still can’t pinpoint) and Mike Ashley’s anthology of 1920s based mysteries; Joyce Carol Oates, who seemingly writes another novel every week, is profiled at length; and let the hosannahs begin for Robert McCrum’s new biography of P.G. Wodehouse.

Observer: Ah, but who else other than Stephen Fry should review the McCrum biography of Wodehouse? Genius, I tell you, and naturally, one of my all time favorite comedians and writers approves heartiliy. Otherwise, Fry’s comedy-mate Hugh Laurie is the perfect choice to read Alexander McCall Smith’s first academic satire, PORTUGUESE IRREGULAR VERBS, and Liz Hoggard explains why serializations often go for the lurid bits at the expense of the greater whole,

Scotsman and sundry: What do Graham Greene and Isaac Bashevis Singer have in common? You’ll be surprised to find out how much. Alexander McCall Smith switches gears with THE SUNDAY PHILOSOPHY CLUB and is commended; and AL Kennedy takes the hot seat in this week’s Shelf Life.

The rest:

Elmore Leonard is the big interview at the Independent, talking about–what else?–his books, movie adaptations, and demonstrating how he talks of real people like they’d be characters in his novels.

The “Lazarus at Large” column returns to the SF Chronicle, approving of Denise Mina and David Benioff’s new books but less thrilled with Michael Blaine’s second novel.

J.J. Connolly wrote the crime novel LAYER CAKE a few years back, and now that it’s being made into a movie, he’s doing a whole lot better than he did in his shadier days. The Independent meets him.

Douglas Pepper has returned to the fold at McLelland and Stewart, and changes are definitely a-brewin’, as Judy Stoffman of the Toronto Star reports.

Margaret Maron, whose newest Deborah Knott novel is just out, was recently in her home state of North Carolina on tour. The Durham Herald-Sun reports back on a recent event in Pittsboro.

Dick Adler returns with his crime fiction column for the Chicago Tribune, looking at the latest by Catherine Sampson, Philippa Morgan, Liza Ward, Ben Rehder, and Peter Robinson (though his book, THE FIRST CUT, was originally published in 1990 as CAEDMON’S SONG)

The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Michele Ross was so unimpressed with Martha Grimes’ new novel that she essentially tossed it after reading what she felt was an unsatisfying ending.

Chauncey Mabe, the books editor of the Sun-Sentinel, delivers a lengthy piece on Isaac Bashevis Singer, no doubt in time for the late author’s centenary.

David Montgomery reports that Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar novels have been bought for the big screen. Of course, there were prior rumblings of a TV series some years back, but obviously that came to naught. We’ll see what happens this time, but for some reason, I’m not optimistic–or maybe it’s because I have my own image of Win especially (Myron not so much) that I don’t want to see ruined.

The Sunday Herald’s Alan Taylor seems a bit underwhemled with Professor McCall Smith’s two new offerings somehow. Dude, of course the writing sings and the bows are tied up neatly. That’s the point. But some people get complacent in the presence of really good writing, I guess….

The Bumbershoot Festival begins this weekend in the Pacific Northwest, and John Marshall of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer looks at some notable writers and performers who’ll grace the festival stages.

Craig McDonald (aka Ken Bruen’s favorite critic, and yes, we’ll keep saying that as long as we like) reviews Jason Starr’s TWISTED CITY extremely favorably for Columbus This Week.

Remember Dick and Jane? Wish you could surpress childhood memories of having to read these simplistic tomes? Well, now they are back and spiffed up for a new generation. Now, if only the Six Bunnie-Wunnie books were real….

And finally, mourn for the Anna-Amalia library in Weimar. 30,000 books lost in a fire. So tragic.