midweek smatterings

George Pelecanos gets good writeup in the New York Times, what with Motoko Rich’s profile and Janet Maslin’s rave review. Like you needed more reasons to rush out and read THE NIGHT GARDENER when it’s released next week? I thought not.

Lots and lots of new content up at SHOTS, especially an interview with Robert Crais, a launch party report for Peter Robinson’s PIECE OF MY HEART and Chris Simms talking about how the vogue for plastic surgery inspired his new thriller, SHIFTING SKIN.

Tom Nolan rounds up “sinister summer reads” for the Wall Street Journal, including new stuff by John Harvey, Denise Mina, Ruth Rendell & Paul Goldstein.

Eric McMillan provides an overview of Sylvia Maultash Warsh’s Toronto-set mysteries in the Town Crier online.

The Sacramento Bee actually manages to ask Lawrence Block a question he’s never heard before! Pretty rare stuff, I tell you.

Why do so many good novelists make bad playwrights and vice versa? Philip Hensher investigates for the Guardian.

And finally, congrats to Emily Maguire for her Dylan Thomas Prize nomination. If it gets more people to read her fabulous debut novel TAMING THE BEAST (out in September here from HarperPerennial) then that works for me.