Sifting Through Sunday Smatterings
Ian Rankin’s new novel THE COMPLAINTS is just out in the UK, that means a whole lot of media coverage. See Jonathan Brown’s profile in the Independent, Marcel Berlins’ review in the Times, and…news of an authorized biography of Rankin which John Blake will publish.
Oline Cogdill looks at Charles Todd’s newest historical mystery A DUTY TO THE DEAD, which kicks off a new series.
The Guardian’s John O’Connell reviews recent thrillers by Shannon Burke, Philip Sington, Thomas Perry and George Dawes Green, and it seems he thought RAVENS would be a different book than it actually is.
Margaret Cannon rounds up new crime fiction by Stieg Larsson, Bernhard Schlink, Stephen White, Boris Akunin, Eugene Meese and Greg Iles in the Globe & Mail.
Also in the Guardian, Michael Moorcock praises Jedediah Berry’s genre-bending THE MANUAL OF DETECTION and Audrey Niffinegger extols the enduring virtues of Wilkie Collins’ THE MOONSTONE.
Tom & Enid Schantz have their say on recent mysteries by Rennie Airth, Charles Todd and Peter Lovesey.
Peter Rozovsky examines the first entry in Fred Vargas’ excellent Inspector Adamsberg series, THE CHALK CIRCLE MAN.
Jack Batten reviews Linwood Barclay and Janet Evanovich in tandem in his newest Toronto Star column.
Bloomberg’s James Pressley has his say on THE SALATI CASE, Tobias Jones’ first foray into crime fiction
Stephen Amidon hoped for more with Robert Ward’s TOTAL IMMUNITY, and the disappointment shows in his review in the Washington Post.
The Wall Street Journal questions Dan Chaon about his new novel AWAIT YOUR REPLY, which I adore more as time has passed since I finished reading it.
Henning Mankell gives the Scotsman a sneak preview of what he claims is Inspector Wallander’s last case.
Nancy Pearl spotlights “mysteries you’ve missed along the way” by Jedediah Berry, Alan Bradley, Jane Haddam, George Dawes Green, Val McDermid, China Mieville, Eliot Pattison Josephine Tey and Edmund Crispin for NPR’s Morning Edition.
Clea Simon talks with Joseph Finder about his new thriller VANISHED in the Boston Phoenix.
Marcus Sakey is profiled in New City Chicago for his latest crime novel THE AMATEURS, and also in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
The Deseret News meets Gerald Elias, concertmaster and now mystery writer with his debut novel DEVIL’S TRILL.
The Charleston Gazette talks with veteran crime writer Robert Walker and his recent bride Miranda, also a recent entrant into the mystery writing field.
Robert McCrum looks at the secret spying life of British writers.
The Independent asks 15 leading literary figures their opinion of Martin Amis now that his 60th birthday approaches, and judging by her answer, Germaine Greer totally had a fling with the guy a million years ago that went predictably sour. (UPDATE: yup, I was right. And Warren Beatty, too?!)
And finally. one of the greatest writers in the Western genre, Elmer Kelton, has died at the age of 83. Tributes roll in from Bill Crider, James Reasoner, Lee Goldberg, Kathleen & Michael Gear, and Glenn Dromgoole.