Gotta have links

Especially as they’ve piled up over the week, so the concentration will skew towards the crime side this time around:

Although I’ve got plenty to say about the newly revamped NYTBR, I’ll limit my scope appropriately to how Marilyn Stasio’s latest column was a complete and total disappointment. A huge write-up for Ian Rankin’s WITCH HUNT that neglects to mention it was previously published in the UK 11 years ago under a pseudonym? Reviewing Alexander McCall Smith when the daily paper had it already? Robert B. Parker for the umpteenth time? And dammit, only three books? What’s going on here? I just have to look at my mounting pile of galleys to know there were tons of worthy books neglected…but I shan’t beat that drum again. It’s getting rather battered.

Margaret Cannon’s column, OTOH, is more densely populated with reviewed authors, and she even frames it around Bouchercon, which begins in a mere day and a half (well, two, but let’s be honest: the drinking starts Wednesday afternoon, and we all know what really counts.) Getting nods are S.J. Rozan, Mark Billingham, Val McDermid, Quintin Jardine, Michael Koryta, Lindsey Davis, Barbara Fradkin and Lorna Schutz Nicholson.

At the Guardian, Matthew Lewin’s thriller roundup blesses Paul Johnston, Stephen Coonts and Karin Slaughter but is less kind to James Barrington

Newsflash: Edinburgh, contrary to popular belief as espoused by various crime writers, isn’t exactly the murder capital of the UK. Six murders this year, and all solved. Still, this article offers a pretty good roundup of the big names and the up-and-comers (like a certain Sunshine)

More Scotland: Alexander McCall Smith (who began his signing at Partners & Crime last Saturday by good-naturedly taking the piss out of S.J. Rozan, which I found to be very amusing) reads from his latest book, THE SUNDAY PHILOSOPHY CLUB, on NPR.

The Baltimore Sun catches up with Richard Marinick, whose debut novel BOYOS I still haven’t obtained, and considering how much good press it’s getting, well, I want a copy. Charlie Stella’s excellent review isn’t making my woes go away, either.

The Boston Globe digs the newest novel by Jim Fusilli, their former mystery critic.

The Flint Journal-Review goes British in their recent review column, giving good notices to Simon Kernick and Margaret Murphy for their latest efforts.

Oline Cogdill read Liza Ward’s OUTSIDE VALENTINE and had much the same reaction as I did. This is quite the debut novel, as I’ve said before.

Speaking of people agreeing with me, Ron Bernas of the Freep was not so thrilled with the Kellerman double act of DOUBLE HOMICIDE.

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The Houston Chronicle interviews Jacqueline Winspear]11, whose star is seriously on the rise (as evident by her spiffy new deal that I reported in the post below)

After reading this Boston-area article on Dennis Lehane, I think it’s fair to say that his next book won’t be out for a looooong time. And honestly, that’s fine by me.

Wait? Wasn’t Lynda LaPlante just interviewed in depth last week? Oh, I see, different paper. This time, it’s the Sunday Herald that gets the profile du jour.

Hey, Book Babes, do me a favor: can you keep away from my turf, just a little bit? Although then again, since I’m not much for cozies, maybe you can have them.

Evidently Lucy Maud Montgomery’s diaries of her final years show her to have been a deeply unhappy person. Can’t say I’m surprised, though more details will come to light when an intensive biography about her is published in the next year or two.

And finally, it’s oh so much fun to watch Kirkus defend itself in the wake of the new Discoveries program, where you can ante up some cash to get a good review if you’re one of the evil bastard stepchildren, er, self-published type.