Ready, set, Weekend Update

Before I get to the links, I wanted to extend a hearty congratulations to two of my favorite people in the mystery world, Bonnie Claeson & Joe Gugliemelli — who will be next year’s recepients of the Raven Award for outstanding contributions to the mystery genre, as given by the Mystery Writers of America. I was at Black Orchid when the announcement was made Friday evening (after a unanimous vote by the MWA board) and it was a wonderful moment, richly deserved. They’ll get the official prize at the Edgars next spring.

I also want to wish a speedy recovery to Peter Robinson, who suffered a mild heart attack at the Calgary Writers’ Festival earlier this month.

Onward:

NYTBR: Marilyn Stasio takes a look at the latest in the genre by Magdalen Nabb, Morag Joss, Nicholas Kilmer and Guillermo Martinez; Elizabeth Royte plots the perilous journey of publication for her latest effort; and Fatema Ahmed applauds the debut short story collection by Yiyun Li.

WaPo Book World: Bob Ivry rounds up the latest in booze-tinged literature; there’s yet a new biography of one of history’s most enigmatic queens, Isabella; Ron Charles is very nearly bowled over by Tom Bailey’s assured debut novel; and Richard Lipez’s mystery column examines new releases by Morag Joss, Magdalen Nabb, Mitchell Bartoy, Archer Mayor and Jon Evans.

G&M: Clayton Ruby looks at a weighty history of the criminal trial; William Deverell may well be Canada’s version of Damon Runyon, if Chuck Konkel is to be believed; Robert Williamson is glad that Kate Mosse’s LABYRINTH is no DA VINCI CODE; and Peter O’Brien kind of wishes that Ian Rankin’s debut novel had stayed out of print.

Guardian Review: Jeanette Winterson talks about troubled childhoods and archetypal myths; Ian Jack mulls over literary prizes and their associated controversies; Ian McEwan celebrates the arrival of Peter Schneider’s novels from Germany to English soil; and Patrick Ness is glad that Kitty Fitzgerald’s PIGTOPIA is truly a novel for adults after all.

Observer: Peter Conrad can’t get enough of the first three installments of Canongate’s new Myths series; Asne Seierstad follows up the muy-controversial THE BOOKSELLER KABUL with…a dissection of modern Serbia? And Henning Mankell’s fourth Inspector Wallander mystery, THE MAN WHO SMILED, is finally available in English.

The Times: Ben McIntyre recovers from the Frankfurt Book Fair, while Erica Wagner dissects Cheltenham; Margaret Atwood explains why she found the myth of Penelope so damn fascinating; Danuta Kean looks at the phenomenon of big sales following a Booker win;

The Scotsman: Ian Rankin packs up his old house and looks ahead to his next pursuits; Michel Houllebecq takes the mantle as France’s most translated — and controversial — contemporary writer; Simon Louvish has written a new biography of Mae West that looks like an absolute must-read; snd Lynne Truss talks about the latest crusade she’s begun: to stop people from being so bloody rude.

The Rest:

Oline Cogdill proves to be a big fan of Sujata Massey’s latest mystery, THE TYPHOON LOVER, offering up an interview as well in the same newspaper edition.

Also in the Sun-Sentinel from a few days back is a profile of local author Bob Morris, currently plugging his new crime novel JAMAICA ME DEAD.

Dick Adler’s crime column at the Chicago Tribune looks at new releases by Michael Kronenwetter, Ruth Rendell, Nicholas Kilmer, Sean Rowe, Christine Kling, Stephen King, Chandler McGrew, Paul Levine and Lynn Hightower.

Les Roberts brings back his mystery roundup for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, reviewing the latest by Christine Kling, Zoe Sharp and Robert Greer.

Steve Hockensmith’s debut novel, HOLMES ON THE RANGE, won’t be in stores till February (though the galleys are floating around, and the signs look good that SMP will actually promote this well), but the advance buzz begins with this long interview with MetroActive.

Regis Behe at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review talks to Christopher Lehmann-Haupt about the genesis of his summer camp-set thriller, THE MAD COOK OF PYMATUNING.

Evan MacNamara chats with the Kansas City Star about his new mystery, A SUPERIOR POSITION, and why he has to get up so early to write his next one.

The Chicago Sun-Times’ Debra Pickett can’t stop raving about Nancy Bush’s chick lit mystery debut CANDY APPLE RED. I guess I should probably find out for myself if it’s as good as this hype…

Sometimes it’s better to review a book months after publication to let the hype die down. Newsday’s Laurie Muchnick did just that with Andrea Levy’s SMALL ISLAND, and found she loved it as much as the awards promised she might.

The Hindu, India’s National Newspaper, catches up with Umberto Eco to talk novels and academia, as well as everything in between.

With all the reviews of the first three “Myths” books I’ve linked to here, it’s only fair to include Canongate publisher Jamie Byng’s explanation in the Sunday Herald for why these archetypes still linger thousands of years later.