Posts

Arthur Ellis Award winner Barbara Fradkin chats with the CBC about her Inspector Green series, setting mysteries in Ottawa and her next projects.

Brian Lindenmuth has a fascinating piece about Black …

Now that it’s Monday, reports are trickling in from more corners. Read perspectives from:

• Jason Pinter
• Sarah Langan (whom I twice saw and managed not to introduce myself to because I’m a …

NYTBR: Lorraine Adams follows the Silk Road with travel guide Colin Thurbon; Jeremy McCarter has his thoughts on Arthur Miller’s final volume of prose; and did someone at the Book Review assign …

Weekend Update to come first thing Monday morning after four days spent intermittently at the Grand Hyatt for Thrillerfest – and perhaps appropriately, this report is bulleted in scattershot …

The Private Eye Writers of America

(PWA) is proud to announce the nominees for the 26^th annual Shamus

Awards, given annually to recognize outstanding achievement in private eye

fiction. The 2007 …

This morning, the 2nd annual ThrillerFest begins, and hundreds of writers, would-be writers, agents, editors, publishers and readers will convene at the Grand Hyatt for panels, parties and of course, …

Lee Goldberg, who’s on the board of the Mystery Writers of America, has revealed new changes to the active membership guidelines:

1) An author of books must have received a minimum advance of …

I wrote about it at GalleyCat already, and John Crace amusingly imagines how Faulks would write a James Bond novel; but I like Maxim Jakubowski’s take on the Guardian blog:

Even though the …

Yup, he likes it:

Boston writer Dennis Lehane is giving big ups to Ben Affleck’s
big-screen adaptation of his 1998 kidnap thriller “Gone, Baby, Gone,”
saying the Cambridge homey has made a flick …

Add Janet Maslin to the list of those who are big Martin Cruz Smith fans.

Patrick Anderson runs out of patience with Bernard Schlink’s second Self novel.

New York Magazine picks thrillers to …

My newest “Dark Passages” column is up at the LA Times, themed around crime novels that feature crime writer protagonists.

NYTBR: Marilyn Stasio reviews new crime fiction by Thomas Perry, …

…reported right here. Ali Karim has more over at the Rap Sheet.

In summary: Peter Temple took home the Duncan Lawrie Dagger for THE BROKEN SHORE. Gillian Flynn snagged both the Steel Dagger and …

But even though this was just reported this morning:

Dan Begley’s MS. TAKEN IDENTITY, in which a failed male novelist

decides to write a chick-lit novel under a female pseudonym, becoming a …

Later today the winners of the CWA Daggers will be announced, and so of course the “genre wars” starts anew with Chris Wiegand’s essay on the Guardian blog. SHOTS’ Mike Stotter …

Reading The Rap Sheet’s latest post doesn’t quite make me want to slit my wrists in protest, but you kind of have to wonder if just a leetle bit of due diligence on the production design …

Over the weekend a nice little teapot tempest brewed in several places, including the RARA-AVIS mailing list and the Rap Sheet blog. It began when Kevin Burton Smith editorialized on what he termed …

First, let me just say that if you’ve never seen The Bad Plus play live, you are missing out on something truly special. Last night’s show at the Highline Ballroom was one of the best …

If anything I’m surprised it took so long to broker (or at least to report publicly):

Linwood Barclay’s BAD MOVE, BAD GUYS, LONE WOLF, and STONE RAIN,

featuring a work-at-home …

Malcolm Lowry reconsidered on the 50th anniversary of his death. (Via.)

Everything you could want to know about Irene Nemirovsky is probably contained in this essay by Benita Eisler.

The Times …

The Bookseller has two publishing-centric features on crime & thriller imprints. Last week, they interviewed David Shelley, who refashioned Allison & Busby’s crime list before moving on …

Via the fertile creative mind of Tingle Alley:

I’m currently preoccupied with imagining a sit-com based around

Christopher Hitchens. Tentatively called “Everybody Pisses Off Hitch,”

it features a …

Just to see if it lives up to whatever hype will follow suit:

 Standup comic and actor Richard Belzer’s I AM NOT A COP, featuring the

author as himself, a TV actor who gets wrapped up in …

First, thanks to those who were kind enough to watch my maiden television appearance Friday evening. Even if the segment had never aired, at least I got a really nice makeup job out of it which made …

My piece on “superhero lit”, featuring interviews with authors Austin Grossman, David Schwartz and Alison McGhee (along with Schwartz’s agent, Shana Cohen) runs in the July/August …

..and you might get something like this:

BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN)  — Peter McGlothin didn’t know what to think when he first got the e-mail with a bounty on his head. …

In March 2006, Doug Preston found out what happened to those who upset the apple cart by looking into the tortured, tangled mess that is the Monster of Florence case. Now he and his co-author, Mario …

Understandable but still sad news out of Paris:

Inspector Maigret and Inspector Clouseau are to lose their legendary,

  evil-smelling home on the banks of the Seine. The Paris Brigade …

First we have the shortlist for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year:

• All Fun and Games Until Somebody Loses an Eye, by Christopher Brookmyre
• Blood and Honey, by Graham Hurley
• …

Jonathan Yardley appreciates Maxine Hong Kingston’s influential memoir A WOMAN WARRIOR in today’s Washington Post.

In yesterday’s Post, Patrick Anderson goes gaga for the prose …

Twenty-five years ago today, a French-Canadian model was brutally murdered in her Gramercy Park apartment. The story played in the tabloids for a few days thereafter, and the New York Times mentioned …

And by sparsely populated I mean “the city has migrated to the Hamptons or elsewhere.” Business as usual, in other words.

And in other news, I’ve lent my voice to the intro for the …

Newly minted Chicago Sun-Times contributor Dana Kaye went to see PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 3 and suffice to say, was disappointed with the end result. The sour taste has her wondering why books deliver …

I think somebody in the Penguin art department is about to get spanked.

The New York Times Book Review‘s shiny new blog, Paper Cuts, hit the ‘sphere earlier this week with a considerable amount of fanfare. And based on early posts like the slideshow of ads, …

The North Andover Eagle Tribune wonders why there’s an upsurge of interest in all things Nancy Drew.

Maine Today chats with Linda Greenlaw, fishing expert turned mystery writer.

The Sacramento …

Finally, it lives.

It always seemed odd that Edward Wright, after gaining critical acclaim for his John Ray Horn series (and a good deal of support from his UK publisher Orion) couldn’t find a US publisher for the …

Jumping off from this weekend’s piece about dedications by Edward Docx, Ed Gorman reflects on what happens when a book is reissued 10 or 20 years after pub date – and the dedications no …

Quite a bit on the me front this weekend. My newest LA Times column checks in (not quite online yet, but soon) with post-⁹⁄₁₁ thrillers to see who’s doing it right; Time Out New York runs …

Michael Connelly talks with Jeff Ayers about turning a serial into a novel and juggling screenplay and novel-writing duties.

Andrew Wilson explains why Justin Evans’ A GOOD AND HAPPY CHILD is …

The Crime Writers’ Association has announced the nominees for the Duncan Lawrie Dagger Awards

DUNCAN LAWRIE DAGGER:

THE FIELDS OF GRIEF, Giles Blunt (HarperCollins)
PEGASUS DESCENDING, James …

Steve Gilliard is dead. The news found its way into my inbox yesterday and two hours later I’d pored through as many online tributes, memories and reactions as I could find and still the news …

The show is over, and I’m finally getting back on my feet. More about BEA at GalleyCat once technical difficulties have been resolved, but in the meantime, lots of links to peruse:

The big book …

I always have good intentions, and this year, as in previous years, this includes a “Girl’s Guide to BEA” that would be comprehensive, witty and informative. But instead, the …

NYTBR: Adam Begley runs off in search of Graham Greene’s Capri; Frank Rich is thrown for a loop by Don DeLillo’s FALLING MAN; Azadeh Moaveni looks for literary life in Iran; and Gershom …

I bring you…well, let’s just say the headline NOT written is pretty damn obvious:

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) — Customs officers at Cairo’s airport have

detained a man bound for Saudi …

For so many, many, many reasons.

Mark Frost talks with the LA Times’ Scott Timberg about using WWII as a backdrop for his newest page-turning thriller.

The Rap Sheet presents part II of its overlooked/unappreciated series. …

To commemorate the 1st anniversary of the Rap Sheet blog, J. Kingston Pierce invited scores of mystery community notables to send in their top “ unjustly overlooked, criminally forgotten, or …

I’ve tried to write and deleted about five different versions of this post over the past month or so, choosing silence because this discussion has already resulted in a great deal of spilled ink …

NYTBR: Marilyn Stasio returns with her crime fiction column, reviewing the latest by Tana French, Kjell Eriksson, Donna Leon and Ruth Dudley Edwards; Susann Cokal compares Tim Willocks’ epic …

Weather, deadlines, a strong desire for gelato are all contributing to a slight blogging malaise round these here parts. I can BSP-a-plenty, starting with my review of Heather McElhatton’s …

The Palm Beach Post profiles Joanna Sinchuk, owner of Murder on the Beach, which moved to Delray Beach 5 years ago after five years in Sunny Isles Beach:

Sinchuk’s favorite outings as a …

Clea Simon has a grand time reading Elmore Leonard’s latest crime novel, UP IN HONEY’S ROOM.

Patrick Anderson wishes the plot had moved faster in Mark Mills’ second novel even if …

The subject header pretty much tells the tale, but here’s the deal memo:

Author of The Blade Itself Marcus Sakey’s four books, following Ben

Sevier to Dutton, for publication beginning …

And before turning to the Sunday papers, the requisite BSP: My newest LA Times Book Review column, focusing on noir fiction’s depiction of artists on the skids, is now up, as is a short review …

You can read about the big publishing news story over at GalleyCat, but let me spell out what this means for the mystery world. With Carroll & Graf and Thunder’s Mouth closing down effective …

Duane Swierczynski scores an interview with Elmore Leonard to mark the occasion of his 41st novel, UP IN HONEY’S ROOM.

Somehow I totally whiffed on reporting the Agatha Award winners, so …

The Rap Sheet brings word that Philip R. Craig, author of the Martha’s Vineyard-set Jeff “Zee” Jackson series as well as three novels in collaboration with William Tapply, died at …

The Wall Street Journal’s Tom Nolan writes about the mini-explosion in the mystery short story as seen by the plethora of anthologies on the market, even if there are only two major magazine …

And I suspect you will, too:

Victor Gischler‘s GO-GO GIRLS OF THE APOCALYPSE, in which an

ex-insurance salesman leads a small band of survivors through a

post-apocalyptic American landscape …

Charlotte Mendelson opens up to the Guardian about writing, being one-half of a literary couple and finding humor in life.

Mark Athitakis offers a David Goodis appreciation for the Washington City …

Because who else could possibly play him? Johnny Depp? I don’t think so. Cinematical feels differently, for what it’s worth.

Oddly enough this news comes in the midst of a semi-obsessive …

Travelling once more so nothing of import till tomorrow but in the meantime, read my latest thoughts on blogging, reviewing and other forms of writing over at LitMinds, laugh at this and gush over …

NYTBR: Note to Tanenhaus & co: structuring the entire issue around things are are ostensibly “bad for you” also invite jokes about the Book Review being bad for you. And indeed, my …

My take on Nathan Englander’s THE MINISTRY OF SPECIAL CASES runs in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer.

As part of the current Chabon-mania in the media this week, the New York Times’ Patricia Cohen went with him to visit the real city of Sitka, Alaska, which served as the model for the fictional …

The blog vs. print debate gets aired in a big way in the New York Times this morning. On balance it’s a good piece from Motoko Rich (with great mentions of Dan Wickett and Jeff Bryant from the …

The Crime Writers of Canada has selected its shortlists of nominees for the 2007 Arthur Ellis Awards:

Best Novel
• Lone Wolf, by Linwood Barclay (Bantam/RHC)
• Every Secret Thing, by Emma Cole aka …

Mystery Ink announces its Gumshoe Award winners for 2007:

Best Mystery: Julia Spencer-Fleming – All Mortal Flesh
Best Thriller: Robert Ferrigno – Prayers for the Assassin
Best European …

As part of the NBCC’s ongoing campaign, the LA Times ran an op-ed from Michael Connelly about the importance of book reviews to his career:

Fifteen years ago, my first book was published in …

Lots and lots of post-LA Times Festival of Books Coverage courtesy Tod Goldberg, Lee Goldberg, Carolyn Kellogg, Callie Miller, Mark Coggins, Brett Battles and more. The winners of the awards were …

NYTBR: Francine Prose has unsettling deja vu after reading THE PESTHOUSE; Claire Messud rejoices in Hermoine Lee’s biography of Edith Wharton; Dwight Garner points out the highs and lows of …

And possibly in chronological order, but not really:

• Boy, there were a whole lot of tuxedos this year. I wonder what the proportion was of rented versus bought.
• Dave White has wicked cool ARCs and …

Just got home. Definitely entertaining and one of the better Edgar Awards in recent years. Will have more to say tomorrow that is likely more coherent than what I said at the time. And so, the winners …

I wasn’t able to attend the Symposium (damn deadlines) but Anthony Rainone makes mention of it in his Edgar Week post, and by all accounts I heard that the panels were uniformly terrific – …

…may still be true, or it may not. There’s a new edict handed down by the MWA Board:

Mystery

Writers of America (MWA) requests

that cell phones, cameras and all other electronic …

Or what I must call it: the Party of Constant Interruptions. About two hours in, it got to be a bit a joke as I would be in conversation with someone, another person would come up, apologies all round …

Mystery Writers of America and St. Martin’s Minotaur have teamed up for a new debut crime novel prize which will be formally announced later this week. The contest will award publication and a …

Publishers Weekly’s annual mystery feature is now up, focusing primarily on writers whom they call “debut” authors even though Andrew Gross is on novel number 6, at least, and …

There may not have been a Weekend Update but that doesn’t mean there won’t be links:

Crime fiction roundups from Marilyn Stasio, David Montgomery, Margaret Cannon, Oline Cogdill, Susanna …

It’s the end of April and for mystery lovers, that can only mean it’s Edgar Week. And so, like last year and the year before that (with much of the language repeating because as I said …

Having stumbled through the door (with sunburn in tow) I’m still catching up on all book-related news, but please do check out the National Book Critics Circle blog today as they have kicked …

Travel and other weekend-related pursuits have delayed the Weekend Update to either Monday evening or never. But look for whirlwind Edgar Week coverage throughout the rest of the week. See you soon.

My interview of Victoria Redel about her newest novel, THE BORDER OF TRUTH, is in this week’s Time Out New York.

Or in other words, the anthology formerly known as Fuck Noir will see the light of day – as EXPLETIVE DELETED:

Crime writing is a dirty business—dealing in death, isolation, ruin and …

I was wondering when Lionel Shriver would write something about Virginia Tech, and her essay on Monday’s horrendous crime appears in today’s Guardian:

Why do they happen? If it does not …

The Bookseller profiles Anthony Cheetham and his startup publisher Quercus, which in three and a half yeasr has built up quite the list of crime fiction titles:

The backbone of the new imprint is …

Of course this story bothers me. The worst mass murder in American history is going to bother almost everyone (and for those not bothered, well, I bloody well hope they don’t see today’s …

Library Journal’s annual springtime mystery feature focuses on smaller and upstart presses like Bleak House Books, Capital Crime Press and MIRA, along with established mystery-centric publishers …

Now that it’s live (and the news has leaked softly in various places) I can now reveal that I will be penning a monthly column on crime fiction, “Dark Passages,” for the Los Angeles …

Before turning to the rest of the weekend’s links, the ghostwriting theme is explored in greater depth by Kerry Lengel at the Arizona Republic, who interviewed me (as well as David Montgomery …

Newsweek’s Malcolm Jones got John Banville and Donald Westlake together at the latter’s Manhattan apartment to talk about alter egos, crime fiction and lots more.

RIP, Kurt Vonnegut.

Another excellent LA Noir writeup courtesy the Pasadena Weekly.

The Hampstead & Highgate Express talks to Michael Marshall about his newest thriller, THE INTRUDERS.

The RBA …

************From the Lipstick Chronicles comes word that one of their contributors, author Elaine Viets, suffered a stroke last night at 9 PM. The good news is that she’s expected to recover and …

LA Noir and its editrix, Denise Hamilton, get a stellar writeup in the LA Times today. And I agree, one would have thought the anthology would appear sooner but waiting for the right editor was a …

Because it makes total, total sense:

NYT bestselling author and two-time Edgar winner T. Jefferson Parker’s

LA OUTLAWS, moving to Ben Sevier at Dutton, in a major deal, for seven

figures, …

Because I’d rather save my snark for more deserving targets, you know? And I really do suspect it is, once more, a case where two lines distill away all the best elements of the book:

TV …

A Second Avenue Subway Line? Finally?! Are there pig droppings emanating from the sky?

So instead I implore you to read the Washington Post Magazine’s article on a very interesting experiment: can one of the world’s greatest musicians cut through the fog of a DC rush hour? …

At the Washington Post, Bob Thompson pays necessary attention to the publication of Roberto Bolano’s THE SAVAGE DETECTIVES, while Patrick Anderson, in the course of reviewing R.N. Morris’s …

Obligatory Passover-related comment: I will be quite content if I never see turkey, smoked turkey, mashed potato kugel, matzah and passover desserts for a long, long time.

NYTBR: Marilyn …

Although I’m not contractually bound to link to everything related to Laura Lippman (unlike a certain someone‘s Faustian bargain with Jonathan Ames) it behooves me to point out that …

The mystery community was saddened by the news that Donald Hamilton, creator of the Matt Helm novels, died in his birthplace of Sweden last November – though the news only got out in early …

The Sunday Telegraph has a lengthy interview with Lee Child and a spotlight on six top thriller writers in the UK, but the most intriguing part of the piece had to do with the bylined journalist in …

It’s the home stretch. More cleaning, more cooking, more free-fall into OCD territory. Ah, Passover. So links will be quick and posts will be scarce until Thursday, most likely. But for now: …

My review of Matt Rees’ THE COLLABORATOR OF BETHLEHEM appears in today’s edition of Newsday.

Today’s theme is best embodied by the fact that I’ve been cleaning for Passover just before getting out of town for said holiday. Redundant? Masochistic? Somewhere in between? Ponder that …

Laura Lippman, who moves up to #10 on the New York Times bestseller list, is interviewed by both Duane Swierczynski and Regis Behe.

USA Today’s Carol Memmott rounds up new mysteries by Lippman, …

Today’s op-ed by Stanley Fish, the Davidson-Kahn professor of law at Florida International University, is behind the New York TimesSelect Wall, so I’ve decided to reprint it in full and …

The San Mateo County Times profiles San Mateo County Deputy District Attorney Al Giannini, who has provided legal advice and guidance to John Lescroart for 17 years and almost 19 books:

For 17 …

The lack of posts here yesterday are best explain by this and this. And so, here are the links that have piled up:

Somehow I missed Marilyn Stasio’s column over the weekend, where she reviews …

Glory be, there are a lot of Mac users and admirers in the mystery community. No surprise, and thanks to all for the suggestions, but it looks as if my laptop-buying days will be delayed a while yet, …

Which, actually, isn’t the problem plaguing my computer, now in the shop until further notice. Instead, it’s an overheating issue (or lack of cooling, or fan defect, or whatever excuse du …

Jiro Kimura reported over the weekend that Lelia Kelly, author of three legal thrillers published by Kensington, died last week at her Atlanta residence of
complications from breast cancer. The …

The Boston Globe meets William Landay, who relates why he left prosecution behind for full time writing of such wonderful books as THE STRANGLER.

Steve Allan has a couple of excellent interviews up …

Doesn’t the subject header pretty much say it all? But here’s more information as passed on by Janet Rudolph:

Left Coast Crime 2009 will take place March 7- 12, 2009 at
the Waikoloa …

As announced on Saturday during ITW’s inaugural Brunch & Bullets luncheon in LA, the nominees for the Thrillers are:

Best Novel:

False Impression, by Jeffrey Archer (St. Martin’s Press) …

First, it’s a two-fer from me this weekend as I review Barbara Gowdy’s HELPLESS for the Los Angeles Times and Michael Lowenthal’s CHARITY GIRL for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

NYTBR: …

The last thing I want to do is get into another installment of the Genre Wars, but it seems the discussion is on many people’s minds of late, what with the National Book Critics Circle’s …

If it seems like a hectic week at the offices of 175 Fifth Avenue, that’s because it is. At the same time the company brought in Jason Pinter to its editorial ranks, it also prepares to say …

Jason Pinter is moving to St. Martin’s Press. Yay!

Which also translate into Things To Look out For in 2008. First up is another prosecutor getting in on the novel-writing game:

Assistant District Attorney and then chief of Boston’s gang unit …

If there are two books making the review rounds in a big way this week, they are CHRISTINE FALLS by Benjamin Black aka John Banville, and THE POST-BIRTHDAY WORLD by Lionel Shriver – as they …

And first, hope you all remembered to push your clocks forward as part of this “energy saving” initiative that’s really meant to confuse North America even further and forfeit an …

The International Association of Media Tie-In Writers has announced the shortlist for their first annual Scribe Awards, honoring excellence in licensed tie-in writing for books published in 2006. …

…except that this really, really sucks.

Yesterday’s Publishers Marketplace deal roundup had a curious entry:

Kimberly Scott’s first novel, UNDERTOW, a legal thriller set in Boston,

and the first in a series, originally …

Today is the launch of the 3rd Edition of the Blog Short Story Project, edited by Bryon Quertermous and Dave White. Gerald So has the running tally of contributors, including Patti Abbott, JT Ellison, …

Longstanding readers of Confessions may have noted my tongue-in-cheek reporting of every deal between Scott Miller of Trident Media and editor Ben Sevier, then with St. Martin’s Minotaur. After …

Obligatory BSP alert: My latest column for the Baltimore Sun runs this week, featuring reviews of new releases by James Hall, Matthew Klein, Terri Persons, Boris Starling and Lisa Lutz. I also review …

With David Fincher’s movie ZODIAC, based on Robert Graysmith’s book, due in theaters this weekend, the publicity machine is in overdrive. The Washington Post talks to the author about his …

I am so pleased to see this deal reported over at Publishers Marketplace this afternoon:

Blogger Mark Sarvas’s HARRY, REVISED, about a guilt-ridden,

down-on-his-luck widower, who tries to …

The hand is healing, and I can type more or less, just slower than usual. Now to the links:

The Palm Beach Post reveals all sorts of random trivia about James Patterson, like how he writes in …

Shattered bathroom window glass early on a Saturday morning trying to shut it so I would not freeze. Four stitches in my left hand and a tetanus shot after a quick visit to St. Luke’s. Oh yeah, …

(This is part three and the last of a critical roundtable that began on Tuesday.)

Jerome Weeks: As I noted in my Newsday review, to be fair, Mr. Anderson himself points out the staggering number of …

Now that I’m back in New York, I can finally catch up on some links that have been piling up of late:

Although I’m bummed that I haven’t received a copy yet and almost everyone I …

Aside from founding and running January Magazine (host of the fantastic Rap Sheet) Linda Richards is a damn good writer in her own right. After three books featuring financial whiz-turned-sleuth …

(This is part two of a critical roundtable that began yesterday.)

Sarah Weinman: My thoughts may be a bit jumbled but I’m going to try to incorporate

initial feelings and others’ …

When I got an ARC of Washington Post critic Patrick Anderson’s new book THE TRIUMPH OF THE THRILLER, I not only knew that I would read it and likely have plenty to say on the topic, but that …

NYTBR: Mayra Montero’s literary crime novel is the cover review, and a fine choice it is; Luc Sante makes some great critical points about Patrick Anderson’s thriller critique; Rachel …

In transit all day, but here are a couple of me-related items of potential interest:

Hours after my piece about the Google UnBound conference ran last month, AfterTV.com’s Andrew Keen (the …

From the Orange County Register:

A public memorial tribute for Barbara Seranella, the popular Orange

County mystery writer who died Jan. 21, has been scheduled for 1 p.m.

Sunday at the Irvine …

Well this is certainly news any crime buff dreads:

SAN FRANCISCO — Call in the coppers, get Sam Spade on the case: The Maltese Falcon’s gone again.

In

a missing-bird caper reminiscent of the …

Martina Cole may not be the biggest-selling novelist in Britain, but she certainly comes close. Her publisher, Hodder Headline, now affixes her novels with the “#1 bestseller” tag before …

Ed Gorman points to this remarkable website by John Fraser where he discourses on all matters related to thrillers.

Arundhati Roy will be publishing her first novel in a decade.

While Maureen Dowd …

Thank you for all the birthday wishes – it’s been a fantastic day so far and I suspect it will stay that way and then some.

More tomorrow.

To start things off, my review of Chris Bohjalian’s THE DOUBLE BIND appears in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer. It’s a mixed take, warranted because of what I thought was one story …

Jonathan Lethem’s essay in Harper’s on appropriation, influence and culture. (Via Maud.)

Dave White’s rant about why authors blog more about marketing and promotion and less on …

Since there’s been some chatter in the backblogs about it, I suppose it’s my duty to point y’all to Jeff Cohen’s intrepid interview of yours truly at Mystery Morgue and the …

A few days ago, Hard Case Crime officially announced its impending publication of DEAD STREET, a previously unpublished novel by The Mick. As the Rap Sheet found out a few months ago, the book was …

Patrick Anderson praises William Landay’s THE STRANGLER highly, though feels it isn’t quite to the level of MYSTIC RIVER.

The Dallas Morning News talks to Deborah Crombie, a Texas author …

I’m trying hard not to keep a close watch on the latest developments of the Shawn Hornbeck/Ben Ownby case, but it’s difficult. The news is to be expected, but it’s no less shocking …

Marilyn Stasio makes an appearance in the regional section of the New York Times, talking about all manner of protagonists (the full list of those namechecked by Stasio can be found here) who make …

And to start things off is February’s Baltimore Sun column, featuring my reviews of new books by Val McDermid, Mayra Montero, Guilio Leoni, William Landay and Bob Morris.

Also, a hearty …

For me, the answer is neither, but I daresay most of the mystery community will be split between Seattle and Chicago for Left Coast Crime and Love is Murder, respectively. Expect lots of updates of …

My review of Asa Nomani’s THE HUNTER runs in this week’s issue of Time Out New York, while I try to make head and/or tail of the publishing industry battle with Google over at my …

It’s a rehashed topic, but the Guardian’s Julie Bindel at least gives the question of “what attracts so many women to writing – and reading – gruesome crime novels” …

One of my favorite writers, critics and people, Craig McDonald, has scored a two-fer of a book deal:

First there’s the fiction:

Journalist Craig McDonald’s HEAD GAMES, based on the …

Yes, I admit it: the first thing I did upon waking this morning (and preparing the requisite number of GalleyCat posts) was read the entire text of Vanessa Grigoriadis’s New York cover story on …

Ned Bauman comments on the recent choice of Jed Rubenfeld’s THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER by Richard & Judy and wonders what other great thinkers could make excellent sleuths:

The supreme …

And continuing the BSP-ish theme that has taken over the blog most recently, I’ve cracked a brand-new market on the book reviewing front: the Los Angeles Times, where my take on two recently …

My review of David Hiltbrand’s DYING TO BE FAMOUS is in the Philadelphia Inquirer, while my take on Richard North Patterson’s EXILE runs in the Washington Post.

3 AM Magazine talks with Soft Skull publisher Richard Nash about the company’s origins, the AMS bankruptcy and independent publishing.

E. Howard Hunt, one of the Watergate notables, has died. …

Words fail me. They truly do. How can Barbara Seranella, one of the toughest, strongest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, be gone? But the bald truth is that after years of struggle with …

After leaving St. Martin’s Press in October to go to Touchstone/Fireside, Ben Sevier is moving once more. As of January 30, he’ll be a Senior Editor with Dutton, which has a nice stable of …

And at the moment, it’s no fun living in Fago, Spain:

It is a whodunnit that could have

come straight from the pages of an Agatha Christie novel – the village

where every single …

Jim Huang’s The Mystery Company reopens today in a brand-new location that’s way more visible to prospective shoppers after life “tucked away” in a strip mall.

Vikram Chandra …

And continuing award nominations week, we’ve also got the National Book Critics Circle finalists as announced last night at Housing Works in SoHo – and while overall, there’s lots …

[Mystery

Writers of America]1 is proud to announce its Nominees for the 2007 Edgar

Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction,

television and film published or produced in …

Or to put it mildly, let the debates begin….

First off, I believe this is the first time in a very long time – perhaps ever – that six nominees have been listed for Best Novel. And …

The North American Branch of the International Association of Crime Writers has announced the 2007 Hammett Prize nominees, and they are:

GHOST DANCER, by John Case (Ballantine)

THE PRISONER OF …

Earlier this month, I reported that the author of KOCKROACH, one Tyler Knox, was really the pseudonym for William Lashner, the author of the Victor Carl legal thriller series. Over the course of the …

I like good stories. Especially stories of people who persevere and keep writing even when things aren’t looking so good on the “getting published” part. So I’m especially …

David Montgomery’s recent spate of posts on over-praising reviews are well worth reading, as they touch on a particular issue that I’ve been grappling with more of late:

A large …

At least, according to this brand-new study:

Scientists have discovered a novel way to live longer – to add two years to your life, just win a Nobel Prize.

Researchers found that the …

Want to know why Martha Grimes disdained touring for years? It’s because she suffered from spasmodic dysphonia, a disorder that made it unbelievably difficult for her to speak. But now, as USA …

If not for understandably mitigating circumstances, I probably would have spent the entire holiday weekend clicking refresh at Steve Huff’s True Crime Blog to find out the latest on what’s …

NYTBR: William Vollmann shows exactly how to write a good critical review with his take on Anthony Swofford’s debut novel; Marilyn Stasio focuses her mystery attention upon Theresa Schwegel, …

My entertaining instincts are on hyperdrive this long weekend, so the Update will appear – at some point – on Monday. Happy Martin Luther King Weekend.

 

Granted, I’m not totally buying John Sutherland’s argument that HANNIBAL RISING owes a lot to the fanfic that came before the finished book, but it’s an entertaining piece …

David Hiltbrand went to GoodisCon and came back with this Philly Inquirer report, with quotes from Duane Swierczynski, Herbert Gross, and other attendees.

William Boyd, Stef Penney and John Haynes …

For those wondering, I didn’t smell the odor, but I also didn’t venture lower than 96th Street, so that might explain it. And now the culprit may be pinpointed:

NEW YORK (AP) — The …

You won’t get any argument from me about this – it’s excellent news:

The Crime Writers’ Association has awarded its Cartier Diamond Dagger for 2007 to the outstanding British …

It may have the worst headline accompanying a story I’ve seen in some time, but the G&M’s interview of Fred Vargas is well worth a look.

After the phenomenal success of JARHEAD, …

First up is the my first Baltimore Sun column for 2007, reviewing new crime fiction by Chuck Hogan, Jesse Kellerman, Dana Stabenow, Sarah Graves and Frank Turner Hollon.

NYTBR: Hmm, on December 17th, …

Right before New Year’s, I read Tyler Knox’s KOCKROACH, which flips the Kafka premise and opens with a cockroach waking up to discover that he has transformed into a human being. What …

Yesterday somehow got away from me, but I’m more than making up for it today (check back later for some literary detective work.)

As of this Sunday, Eddie Muller will be the San Francisco …

And so, here we are in 2007, and how is it that two days into the new year I’m already behind? The more things change…the more the links pile up:

Jonathan Yardley offers his own take, and …

I was going to prepare some big long spiel about all things 2006 – the good, the bad, the reading, the writing, the personal changes. Because there was much good, some bad, a hell of a lot of …

The Wall Street Journal’s Lauren Winner has an interesting piece on a growing trend towards the clerical mystery, made especially popular by Julia Spencer-Fleming and Katherine Hall Page. So why …

Goddamnit, the Godfather is gone. Others have pointed out the irony of him dying the day that DREAMGIRLS – with lots to offer, but especially Eddie Murphy’s turn as a Brown-esque singer …

But first, my latest review, of Robert Wilson’s Spain-set thriller THE HIDDEN ASSASSINS, appears in the Washington Post Book World. And my end of year column for the Baltimore Sun is also up, …

If not for Graham Powell’s indispensable site, I would not be able to keep up with my favorite crime blogs. A great service deserves recognition.

To family, friends, loved ones, assigning …

Today is getting away from me (vacation, I hear you calling in the distance) and so instead, I’ll open the floor to comments with the following question:

Which five books are you most looking …

When Murder Ink opened its doors on the Upper West side in 1972, it paved territory that had never been paved before by being the first independent mystery bookstore. In 34 years, the store – …

The Boston Globe talks with M.T. Anderson, National Book Award winner of the super-fantabulous OCTAVIAN NOTHING.

Can a bookstore survive and thrive in downtown LA? Metropolitan Books certainly thinks …

At Murderati, Mike MacLean touches on a very pressing subject for debut and veteran author alike: where should you start your career?

“You’ve got to start out with a hit, right off the bat." …

Happy Chanukah, for those who celebrate Judaism’s most famous minor holiday. I’ve already had enough latkes and sweets to last me till the end of the year. By which point I suspect …

As announced on DorothyL (which explains why it took me so damn long to post this because I get D-L news 10th-hand) the nominees for the Left Coast Crime 2007 Lefty Awards for Best Humorous Mystery …

OK, is it me, or is the publicity shot that accompanies Mosley’s interview with Radar online – a photo that predates his upcoming novel, KILLING JOHNNY FRY, by several years – seem …

And just when you thought the Scandinavian crime fiction boom had hit its peak, maybe not:

K.O. Dahl’s THE FOURTH MAN, the first of four new crime thrillers, to Peter

Wolverton at Minotaur, …

After listening to Richard Powers endure her inane questions on Fresh Air yesterday, I think Terry Gross might be a greater scourge upon the radio literary scene than Michael Silverblatt. And that is …

WKRP in Cincinnati will be available on DVD next year! Jaime – who’s been following this story for as long as we’ve been adults – has the scoop, and a message to prospective …

It seems somehow appropriate that John Williams’ review of the UK edition

of THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES 2006 (I know, it perplexed me too,

but here’s why: Quercus is the UK …

Though Elizabeth Stromme lived in the Los Angeles area, she was unusual in that her novels – written in English – were first published in French. That changed in 2003 when JOE’S …

By the end of the day, Plots With Guns will cease to exist in any format. Although Anthony Neil Smith and his trusty crew of Crimedogs shut the joint down back in ’04, the archives remained, …

NYTBR: Dwight Garner’s “Inside the List” column is All Pynchon, All the Time; Cynthia Ozick explains how Leo Baeck changed her writing life; Uzodinma Iwaela applauds a new book by …

MWA has announced that 2007’s Raven Recipients are Kathy Harig, owner of Mystery
    Loves Company (Baltimore, MD and Oxford,
    MD), and Mitchell Kaplan, owner of Books …

Better late on this than never, but a hearty congratulations to Tess Gerritsen for scooping up the Nero Wolfe Society’s annual award for her 2005 novel VANISH. Gerritsen was in New York Saturday …

I am immediately skeptical of studies that attempt to assign behavior patterns to concrete topics, but even if these findings are more amusing that informative, it’s worth a read:

Not …

In recent weeks I have made a wonderful discovery. An Edgar-award-winning author who writes psychological thrillers with the same depth and punch as Ruth Rendell and Minette Walters with the kind of …

Today marks the last publishing event of 2006 – HANNIBAL RISING’s pub date. The first review, courtesy the LA Times, is up already, and Maxim Jakubowski describes what Murder One was like …

Like most everyone I’ve been paying some attention to the horrifying poisoning death of former KGB/FSB spy Alexander Litvinenko. Will it be solved? I suspect not, but if Raelynn …

Before getting to the update, check out my latest review at the Philadelphia Inquirer, where I have much to say about Fred Vargas’s SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR (released after HAVE MERCY OF US …

ITW’s sent this message around to a number of crime fiction blogs and I’ll do my part to spread the word: “The deadline for ITW award submissions has been extended to December 15th, …

It’s that time of year. Christmas music playing in coffee shops and department stores. Christmas trees are already for sale on the Upper West Side (and presumably, elsewhere.) And the best-of …

As the fourth installment of Xiaolong’s Inspector Chen series hits stores, he talks with Newsweek’s Barbara Koh about modern China, comfort food and the fruits of his most recent Shanghai …

As reviewing ethics is one of my all-time favorite topics (those who attended the panel I moderated at Bouchercon can attest to this) Sharon Burnside’s article in the Toronto Star is of …

It isn’t often that an interview makes me gasp aloud, but Mark Sarvas’s interview with Jonathan Lethem did exactly that. Here’s why:

TEV: Who’s the best author we’ve …

Which is my tongue-in-cheek way of saying that Katherine Neville has written a sequel to her bestselling debut novel, THE EIGHT – seventeen years after the book’s publication:

Katherine …

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine was essentially variations on a theme of eating and watching movies. Lots and lots of movies. Borat is uneven, at times wildly funny and other times …

A few days ago I finished Scarlett Thomas’s THE END OF MR. Y, a novel that expanded my brain not unlike Richard Powers’ THE ECHO MAKER (and not just because both books deal with …

Charles Shields, who may be familiar to some readers for his biography of Harper Lee that received considerable acclaim when released earlier this way, sends word of a new project: the first …

Jay McDonald’s author interview series at Bankrate.com continues with George Pelecanos, who talks about starting with low advances, working two jobs until THE NIGHT GARDENER finally – …

Dave Zeltserman sends word that the Psycho Noir issue, featuring the likes of Patti Abbott, Kaye George, John Basoff, Craig Corey, William Tanner, William Boyle, Richard C. Rogers, Raymond Embrack, …

Ah, that’s what I get for splitting town early. Posting will resume sometime today, once I get my timezone bearings and computer mishaps clear themselves up.

For the hell of it (it’s the weekend, I get bored easily) I inputted my name in Google’s Book Search. Here are some goodies I found:

My master’s thesis.

An old (and now outdated) …

NYTBR: Let’s start off with Rachel Donadio’s rather witless, poorly-thought-out, boring essay on literary feuds. Oh, where shall I begin? The fact that this piece has been done before, but …

As broken by the folks of CrimeSpree, the rumors are, indeed, true – the folks of Killer Year have pulled off a marvellous move, as the “class of 2007” authors comprising the group …

Thanks to Marshal Zeringue, you can now find out what books have Tuckerized me. Graham Powell is angling for similar honors:

_Please kill me in your next book, story, whatever. Make me the …

The semi-serious writeups are here, but since formal dress brings out my irreverent side, here we go:

1. Jonathan Lethem & Christopher Sorrentino + British and Irish accents respectively = Mark …

I could say I have no words, but that’s not true.

As I attempt to cram about 10 hours of work into three hours, some quick links:

John Kenyon chats with George Pelecanos about his musical influences, Steve Wynn, and why he gave up playing the …

That’s because this week is all National Book Awards, all the time. It’s also the first year that I’ve read almost all of the fiction shortlisted (ONLY REVOLUTIONS excepted) and I …

But first, my new column at the Baltimore Sun (I have to get used to them running earlier in the month) which features new releases by Joseph Wambaugh, Katherine Hall Page, Laura Joh Rowland, Peter …

The New York Times gets a peek at Nelson DeMille’s home, a 10,000 square-foot Tudor-style dwelling.

How do you arrange your books? The Guardian’s Sarah Crown is ever frustrated by the …

As evident by the late date stamp on this post, I’m running way behind on stuff. And the ridiculous lack of publishing news isn’t helping.

Dems take House, possibly Senate.

Britney dumps …

Have a mystery set in the Southwest? Looking to get it published? Then this contest might be the one for you:

WORDHARVEST Writers

workshops and Thomas Dunne Books will present a new annual award …

And now, back to the literary and mystery news you’re all here for:

Laura Lippman and Duane Swierczynski got together for a wide-ranging interview about ambition, the need to set aside time to …

Being a permanent resident of the United States enables me to do almost everything I want. But the one thing I most desperately want to do today is denied me.

I cannot vote.

There is nothing I can …

Remember when James Ellroy was known for being a good crime writer and only that? I know, those days are long gone, and he’s been doing the Delusions of Grandeur act for quite a number of years …

The Crime Writers of Canada’s annual awards will be adding a new category beginning next year – and in doing so, takes its cue from the CWA’s Debut Dagger (so much so that I think …

NYTBR: Marilyn Stasio’s column looks at recent releases by Michael Connelly, Robert Ward, Fred Vargas & Elizabeth Ironside; Peter Dizikes wonders if the paradox of having “too many …

Today, like this week, promises to be crazy, and since I’ve been posting at a mad clip at GalleyCat of late, there’s lots to be found there. But because I can’t help myself, I found …

Like many folks in and around the publishing industry, I spent a chunk of time yesterday reading through the publicity horror stories that Bella Stander’s been posting on her blog. Some are …

Justine Picardie already has plenty of acclaim in the literary world as author of several non-fiction works and of one novel, and more Du Maurier-specific, wrote introductions to the Virago editions …

Speaking of jaw-dropping news, Ben Sevier is leaving St. Martin’s to join Simon & Schuster, as

a senior editor at Touchstone/Fireside.  His last day in the office

will be November 8. Since …

Word comes over the transom that _Alfred Hitchcock’s

Mystery Magazine_ and The Wolfe Pack, the official Nero Wolfe society,

will sponsor a new annual writing prize, the Black Orchid Novella Award. …

Excuse me as I pick my jaw up off of the floor….

Janet Evanovich and Stephen J. Cannell’s new hardcover adventure

series, in a major deal, in a two-book deal, to Jamie Raab at Warner, …

My review of Michael Largo’s FINAL EXITS: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of How We Die is up today at the Philadelphia Inquirer.

It’s irreverent and fun with lots of facts and some serious …

And one reason for me to feel that way is because my newest review runs today in Newsday, of Elizabeth George’s all-backstory, all-the-time novel WHAT CAME BEFORE HE SHOT HER.

NYTBR: A.O. Scott …

The latest permutation in what’s often been a simmering debate in the crime fiction world – why do several female crime writers write such graphic violence? – took place some days …

And I can’t imagine a better choice, as Christa Faust reports on her blog that her new novel, MONEY SHOT, has been sold to HCC and is scheduled for release in February 2008. “Everyone who …

Now that former Dallas Morning News book critic Jerome Weeks has started blogging up a firestorm at his new address, Book/Daddy, he’s riffing on top ten lists, literary thrillers and the like. …

The New York Observer’s Ron Rosenbaum may have killer flu, but at least it got him to get rapturous over Philip Kerr’s spy novels.

What did Sena Jeter Naslund think of the Marie …

Bankrate.com’s latest author interview is Janet Evanovich, talking about leaving romance behind, her investment habits (conservative and steady) and what she would do differently this time out: …

Or maybe it’s the Department of Obvious:

Decaf coffee is often not totally caffeine-free, a new study shows.

In fact, while these beverages have far less caffeine than a cup of

regular …

Really, words fail me:

ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) — The two men accused of plotting with

a secretary at Coca-Cola Co. to steal trade secrets from the world’s

biggest soft drink maker and …

Which is both late and abbreviated, natch.

NTYBR: Marilyn Stasio focuses her review attention upon Arnaldur Indridason, Archer Mayor, Julia Spencer-Fleming & Robert B. Parker; Henry Louis Gates …

If I were still living in Toronto, I’d be attending the International Festival of Authors, which kicked off its 27th year last night with a reception feting the 100th anniversary of notable …

Which is to say, the Rap Sheet blog is kicking some serious ass of late. Ellroy guest blogging, Robert Crais talking about Ross MacDonald, Ali Karim’s frenzied writeup of the CWA Short Story …

Even though I’ve already said how much I adored Richard Powers’ THE ECHO MAKER, there’s a whole lot more where that came from thanks to a roundtable discussion organized by Ed …

Thanks to the mad skillz of Tribe, there’s a lengthy interview with Michael Langnas, the editor-in-chief of Murdaland Magazine. He talks about current crime fiction, the response to the …

As we catch up on the latest in mystery/thriller acquisitions. First up, SMP gets a new author in a pre-empt:

Bill Floyd’s debut novel BEHIND THE DARK, about the wife of a serial

killer …

In what has to be a kind of genius move, J. Kingston Pierce has strongarmed James Ellroy into guest-blogging at the Rap Sheet. What better way to introduce himself: “’m James Ellroy, the demon …

So when Tayari Jones posted the results of her recent photo session with Marion Ettlinger, something about the photograph rang a bell, but I couldn’t figure out why.

Then I realized it’s …

Which are my words, but also those who I’ve discussed this deal with:

David J. Schwartz’s SUPERPOWERS, dubbed “The Incredibles” meets THE

AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER …

And as for why it’s belated…let’s just say there is nothing more amusing than watching a gaggle of 13 year old girls dressed up for the prom dancing to a remix of “Sweet …

So yesterday morning, I put up a one-line mention of Stephen King being named the Mystery Writers of America‘s newest Grandmaster. I thought it was odd that the St. Paul Pioneer Press had run …

At the Vancouver Province, medical thriller writer Daniel Kalla (whose newest novel, RAGE THERAPY, is in bookstores now) is penning a serial for the paper. He wrote the first and will write the last …

First, for those who checked up on me, thanks – I was nowhere near the building.

But as it turns out, one mystery writer was:

Mystery writer Carol Higgins Clark, daughter of author Mary …

So how often has the winner of the Edgar Award for one book been nominated for the National Book Award for his next?

Probably, oh, zero times. But Jess Walter gets to be the first, as he won the …

Done in a rush because somehow I’m ridiculously behind already…

Next year’s Mystery Writers of America Grand Master is…Stephen King.

Edward Wright has won the Ellis Peters …

Boy, good things are happening for Jim Huang. First he gets to co-chair the 2009 Bouchercon, and now his bookstore, The Mystery Company, is planning a big move, according to the Indianapolis Star: …

While Jan Burke is away on tour promoting her newest novel, KIDNAPPED, she’s given me the keys to the Crime Lab Project blog until the end of this week. It’s a chance to indulge the …

For some people, writing novels is a kind of wish fulfillment. They give their protagonists all the traits they wish they had, make them better looking, more intelligent, stronger, faster, what have …

And first up is my new column for the Baltimore Sun, which ran earlier than I was expecting. It features reviews of the latest by Brian Freeman, John Katzenbach, Gillian Flynn, Carol Lea Benjamin and …

I could blame this essay on Bouchercon, or on Ed’s post as a result of the convention. But really, the idea has been germinating my head for a while, mostly as a variant on the theme of …

The newest edition of the Philadelphia City Paper’s Books Quarterly is online, and it’s worth checking out, not just because yours truly profiled debut author Jonathan McGoran, writing a …

The University of North Carolina, Greensboro is the lucky recipient of Edgar award winner Margaret Maron’s papers, albeit not permanently:

Mystery writer Margaret Maron has loaned her papers …

I want to like this book. I hope it lives up to the premise:

Laurie Graff’s SHIKSA SYNDROME, about a Jewish woman who takes lessons on how to act like a gentile in order to attract Jewish men …

First off, I had quite a lot to say about Jess Walter’s THE ZERO in the Philly Inquirer, and about the Lee Siegel affair in the Denver Post.

The Asian-American Press talks to Sujata Massey …

And if so, the answer is probably best found here.

I’m keeping this brief for Kol Nidre looms large tonight, but this year’s BCon was unusual for me for a variety of reasons:

• I hardly …

I realize linking to last year’s edition is phenomenally lazy of me, but really, most of the points don’t change from year to year. The crucial difference – at least for me – …

On occasion – okay, frequently – it occurs to me that the level of content here has dropped over the last few months, maybe even longer. No apologies, no excuses, but perhaps some of that …

At Penguin Most Wanted, Dick Francis explains how his newest novel, UNDER ORDERS – the first after a six-year hiatus – came to be.

Patrick Anderson deems John Katzenbach’s THE WRONG …

I’ve been asked to spread the word that for those in need of a hotel room, because of cancellations there are still slots available at the Hilton Madison Monona Terrace. For a limited time, of …

After being in the works for quite some time, the folks at Killer Year have relaunched their website and blog and hooked up with ITW for a more formal arrangement that includes mentoring, blurbs, …

…because I’ve eaten far, far too much of it this weekend. OMG. Addictive.

My newest column for the Sun is online and includes reviews of new books by Sujata Massey, Tess Gerritsen, Kim …

And since my weekend will be taken up with synagogue attendance, feeding friends in plentiful quantity and generally being in a Rosh Hashanah kind of mood, I want to wish all of you a Shana Tova …

And the finalists are:

Louis Bayard, THE PALE BLUE EYE (John Murray)
Nick Drake, NEFERTITI: THE BOOK OF THE DEAD (Bantam)
Jason Goodwin, THE JANISSARY TREE (Faber & Faber)
C.J. Sansom, SOVEREIGN …

As David Montgomery already pointed out, there’s a nifty video for Michael Connelly’s ECHO PARK, which will be out in a few weeks, is vintage Connelly, and has a throwaway reference to one …

Guess what I’m going to have in my head now. The disco version is particularly appalling.

It’s making the rounds, so I figured I would do what I could to spread the word:

**

BOUCHERCON NEEDS VOLUNTEERS!**

Now is the time for all good volunteers to come to the aid of the …

Because it’s a crazy busy day already and it’s only getting much more so…

OK, it’s a crosspost, and I said all I wanted to say about the new Hannibal book at GalleyCat, but it …

Ah, it’s been a while since I rounded up deals of note. First, there’s Perri O’Shaugnessy jumping ship from longtime publisher Bantam Dell to new waters:

From Perri …

I have to agree with Jenny D on this point in that I, too, can’t really imagine what it must be like to write about a character for seventeen books and then be thinking about killing him off. …

When I saw the Telegraph’s feature on Amanda McKittrick Ros, I cackled. Yes, cackled. Because this is a writer who came up with fabulous lines like “I will marry you, Lord Raspberry” …

NYTBR: Although I don’t think it’s a Fiction Issue by design, it sure feels that way. There’s Neil Gordon reviewing John Le Carre’s new spy thriller; Charles Taylor being …