Smatterings, the Birthday Edition

The Houston Chronicle’s Sandra Breiting profiled David Thompson over the weekend, getting further scoop on Busted Flush Press.

Marilyn Stasio has her say on the latest in crime by Ariana Franklin, Jim Kelly, Leighton Gage and Adrian Hyland.

Oline Cogdill is further impressed with James O. Born’s new series protagonist, Alex Duarte, making his second outing in BURN ZONE.

Eddie Muller peppers his SF Chronicle column with his thoughts on new books by Eddie Bunker, Loren Estleman and Cornelia Read.

The Boston Globe’s Clea Simon continues to be a fan of Denise Mina’s singular heroine Paddy Meehan.

Tom & Enid Schantz’s mystery column for the Denver Post looks at new releases by Sharan Newman, Deanna Raybourn and Jacqueline Winspear.

Patrick Anderson is wowed by Jonathan Barnes’ spooky tale THE SOMNAMBULIST.

The Iceland Review has a take on Arnaldur Indridason’s newest novel HARDSKAFI, which won’t be out in English-language translation for at least a year or two.

PW’s Sara Nelson visits with Laura Lippman in Baltimore.

The Connecticut Posts finds out why Karen Olson is living vicariously through her series heroine Annie Seymour.

The Scotsman discovers why Catriona McPherson took 20 years to write her first novel after discouragement early on.

Giancarlo De Cataldo describes his role in the Italian crime fiction wave to the Telegraph.

Kathryn Fox details her switch from GP to crime novelist to the Melbourne Age.

The Times profiled James Patterson, now the UK’s most borrowed author, trying to understand his particular brand of thriller creation.

Linda Richards pays her respects to romantic suspense pioneer Phyllis Whitney, who passed away a few days ago at the age of 104.

Is Donald Ray Pollock the next New American Voice? The WSJ’s Jeff Trachtenberg investigates, and while I thought a couple of the stories in KNOCKEMSTIFF were absolutely standout, I’m withholding judgment until Pollock produces the novel he mentions at the end of the article.

The second-last paragraph of Carolyn Kellogg’s review of ULTIMATE BLOGS cracked me up. And is so, so true.

Julia McKenzie is the new Miss Marple.

The Coen brothers are slated to adapt THE YIDDISH POLICEMEN’S UNION for the big screen.