Sunday Smatterings with a Touch of Mist

So begins what might well be the craziest, “most important” week in publishing: Ted Kennedy’s memoir TRUE COMPASS finally drops tomorrow – well, the print edition, anyway – Oprah names her next Book Club pick on Friday, and some guy named Dan Brown has a new book coming out. And it goes without saying a lot is riding in many corners on THE LOST SYMBOL, so pointing everyone to the massive amounts of advance hype doesn’t seem worth the trouble right now because every outlet under the sun has some variation on this particular theme.

Still, Brown’s interview with Parade (and I find it very interesting they got first crack over everybody else) offers some generalized insight into what it would have been like to follow up the 80-million-copy seller, which may or may not be fleshed out in Tuesday’s interview on the Today Show and, eventually, other places. And this, while an entertaining piece, seems to be a bit of a stretch.

In the Guardian, Laura Wilson rounds up recent crime and thrillers by Sam Millar, Val McDermid, Mandasue Heller and Brian Freeman, while P.D. James has her say on Ian Rankin’s THE COMPLAINTS.

Adam Woog casts his eye over the month’s new mysteries by Peter Lovesey, Val McDermid, Joseph Kanon, and Dick & Felix Francis.

Carla McKay at the Daily Mail reviews new crime fiction by Ian Rankin, Lin Anderson and Brian Freeman.

The Times of London’s Marcel Berlins looks at Agatha Christie’s Secret Notebooks and crime novels by Mark Billingham, Val McDermid, L.C Tyler and NJ Cooper.

Ms. Cooper – better known as Natasha Cooper – reviews THE COMPLAINTS in the Globe & Mail.

Jake Kerridge celebrates the work of Stieg Larsson and especially his creation Lisbeth Salander, but again, I should remind all that she’s not really unique (Carol O’Connell’s Mallory and Robert Eversz’s Nina Zero are subliminal influences) but she sure is memorable.

Also in the Telegraph, Mark Sanderson offers a short primer on how to write crime fiction.

Art Taylor chats with Margaret Maron about her newest Deborah Knott novel SAND SHARKS.

The Canton Citizen talks with Chuck Hogan about working with Guillermo del Toro, his upcoming novel DEVILS IN EXILE, and how he and his wife met cute in high school (seriously, it is a great story.)

Tasha Alexander offers the scoop on her newest historical mystery TEARS OF PEARL to the Tribune local editions.

The Sunday Glasgow Herald looks at how crime pays for a slew of Scottish authors.

Dahlia Lithwick is writing a chick-lit novel in a month, and Laura Lippman offers some practical advice.

Lee Goldberg reads GRIMHAVEN and is justifiably fascinated by the book, which will never see the light of day and is only available to read legally at the Broward County Library’s Willeford Archive.

Dara Horn talks to the Baltimore Jewish Times about her fictional forays and why she doesn’t set out to “write Jewish.”

LA Observed’s Kevin Roderick moderates a chat with Richard Rayner and John Buntin about the noir heart and soul of LA for KCRW.

Jonathan Lethem discourses on the work of J.G. Ballard for the New York Times Book Review.

Ian Banks explains why his new novel, TRANSITION, combines both of his writing personae to the Independent.

After reading this interview with John Banville in the Financial Times, how do people not realize he is funny and has dry wit? When asked what makes him laugh, he replied, “My royalty statements. It was a sardonic laugh.”