Sunday Smatterings All Warmed Up

Oline Cogdill chats with Robert Crais about his new Joe Pike novel, THE FIRST RULE, which she also reviews, as does the LA Times’ Paula Woods.

In the Guardian, Laura Wilson raves about Belinda Bauer’s BLACKLANDS and John O’Connell has his say on new thrilers by Sam Eastland, T.S Learner, Joseph Wambaugh and Peter Temple.

The G&M’s Margaret Cannon rounds up new crime fiction by Barbara Nadel, Russel McLean, Charles Todd, Sam Hayes, and Michael Slade. Also in the paper, Andrew Taylor weighs in on PD James’ TALKING ABOUT DETECTIVE FICTION.

Another week, another article about the enduring appeal of Scandinavian crime fiction. This one, a long and thoughtful treatise, comes from Laura Miller in the Wall Street Journal.

Speaking of the WSJ, they are chock-a-block of bookish feature pieces this weekend, what with a profile of a somewhat transformed Joyce Carol Oates, a Q&A with It-Lit-Boy Joshua Ferris, and Katie Rosman’s “Death of the Slush Pile” article, a decade off but still a useful reminder that it takes a hell of a lot of nerve, drive and determination to be published, whatever methods one chooses.

The Austin-American Statesman’s Jeff Salamon talks with Charlie Huston about his new speculative novel SLEEPLESS, writing about L.A., and his dialogue-dash tics.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review talks with the pseudonymous Noah Boyd about his “debut” novel THE BRICKLAYER. Boyd’s real name? Paul Lindsay, the author of six novels published between 1992 and 2000.

Bob Cornwell catches up with Peter Temple to discuss the Australian author’s newest crime novel, TRUTH.

The New Jersey Star-Ledger praises Wallace Stroby’s GONE ‘TIL NOVEMBER, his first crime novel in far too many years.

Maggie Barbieri discourses to the Hudson Valley Journal News on her mystery-writing career and staying cancer-free.

Charlaine Harris makes the interview rounds in Australia now that TRUE BLOOD is airing there – and sales of her books are skyrocketing.

Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next novels have turned him into a bona fide star – and launched Swindon’s literary festival, as the Times of South Africa finds out.

The NYT’s Motoko Rich looks at recent examples of “layoff lit”, including the book version of Alexandra Penney’s Bag Lady Papers originating as a series of articles at The Daily Beast.

I’ve been remiss in praising Katharine Weber’s TRUE CONFECTIONS, but Jincy Willett’s NYTBR review pretty much says what I would have said.

Jackie Collins claims her teenaged self had an affair with Marlon Brando. She also has a new book out.

Whatever happened to Richard Colvin Cox? 60 years later and still no one really knows.

And finally, R.I.P. M.R.D. Meek, whose Lennox Kemp legal novels entertained many masses for over two decades. She was 91, and actually died on November 27, but no one bothered to write an obituary until the Times of London did so on Saturday.