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The Ann Arbor News has a nice interview with Doug Allyn, known primarily for his prolific short story output but occasionally — as now — he does write a novel, too:

Crime …

So in the midst of guest-blogging fervor, I completely overlooked the whole Booker Prize Longlist thing. Though if you’re reading most of my litblog brethren, you already know that it’s …

And the new issue of Thrilling Detective is finally live, with the usual mix of awesome stories, kickass interviews and other choice goodness as delivered to your web browsers by Kevin Burton Smith …

Today would be an excellent day for being cranky: it’s hot out, I’m fasting (well, for the morning, anyway, we’ll see how long this lasts) and did I mention it’s hot out? But I …

Last night I went to see LENNON: The Musical.

I think this picture (crappiness due to my camera phone skillz) just about sums things up.

I suppose I’m cheating a bit as Clea did submit a rather provocative essay for the blog a few weeks back. But I liked it so much that I thought to bring her back. Her current book — and …

I don’t mean to prop up that one short table leg, but why do we read what we read when we read it? Why do we choose different books at different times? (I’m assuming that none of us devote ourselves …

Browsing: Barry Eisler has the third installment of his guestblog on book marketing posted today on M.J. Rose’s publishing blog, Buzz, Balls & Hype. “Smart writers understand that writing is …

Since Sarah noted the rock-chick angle, thought I’d ponder aloud: Posted late last night after coming from a grand set by the Knitters, who do a bunch of old X songs. Who’d have thought “Burning House …

Hi everyone!

Thanks for Sarah for letting me sit in (again). Any excuse to hide in my air-conditioned office and cruise the web is welcome. And before anyone makes a crack about cat writers in the …

There are hardboiled writers. There are noir writers. There are demented writers whose work you can’t quite classify. And then there’s David Bowker.

I discovered his work a few years back …

This is possibly a  bit childish of me, and Jennifer Jordan is probably going to send me another picture of a kitten as a punishment, but what the hell.  Anyone who’s read my books …

In a case of life imitating bad art, I’ve started working as a TV writer. In my novel ‘I Love My Smith & Wesson’, a really low-concept unthrilling caper-mystery if ever there was one, my alter-ego …

Hi. David Bowker here. Sarah the whiplady asked me to blog, so here goes. I’m spending a lot of time at the moment trying to think of an idea for a bestseller. I’ve always rather liked the idea of …

Or at least, I really hope so:

Actor, writer, comedian Harry Shearer’s NOT ENOUGH INDIANS, about a down-and-out town that applies for Native American tribal status and the misadventures …

I’m about halfway through reading Brian Freeman’s debut thriller IMMORAL (which will be out in a few weeks from St. Martin’s and has been heavily hyped since BEA) and wondered how …

Last night I went to see THE ARISTOCRATS, a movie I have been dying to see since word got out about how good it was last January, at the Sundance Festival. And after watching it, I believe the …

The Christian Science Monitor wonders what’s happening outside the confines of the US and UK when it comes to mystery fiction — and to their surprise (though not mine) there’s lots …

I was just about to post about the Washington Post’s apology for Marianne Wiggins’ review of John Irving’s new novel on my own, but David Montgomery beat me to it. In a nutshell: …

The Manchester Evening News chats with Jeffery Deaver, crime writer and dedicated foodie.

Clea Simon reports on the latest effort by James Lee Burke for the Boston Globe.

Patrick Anderson shines a …

I’m blaming this on Mercury being in retrograde or something — but in any case, the templates and fonts are being worked on, two new guest bloggers will take the reins this Wednesday and …

So as some of you fine folks have pointed out, publicly and privately, I’ve been messing around with the templates around here a little bit. Hope you like this version, and that it’s …

First off, many thanks to Harry and Barry for spearheading the joint this week — and stay tuned next week for two more guests…

While I was away, the Quills — which seems to be …

Hi everyone, it’s 10:30 and time for this exhausted guest correspondent to call it a night. I’m back home, back in my underwear, and fixing to pour a bit of that John Rain-approved …

Really, Barry Eisler needs little introduction — he’s not only in demand for his panel, moderating, writing advice and cover boy skills, but if you’ve not read his four thrillers …

Okay, y’all (how’s that spelling?) asked for more politics (or at least that’s what I wanted to hear), so…

I’ve been thinking about what happens when a society goes to …

Good morning everyone, glad to be here as Sarah’s guest. Sarah, thanks for the great intro. I laughed at the coverboy line — anyone who could see me now, blithering, bed-headed and bleary …

This week I kick off what I refer to as the Backspace Blog Week — called that because my first two guest hosts participated in a panel I moderated at the first Backspace Writers Conference, held …

Looking to take a road trip this fall?  Maybe with a literary bent?

Make plans now for the 10th Annual Texas Book Festival, running from October 28 to the 30th in Austin, the live music capital …

Donate $100 to novelist-turned gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman and get an signed, first-edition action doll.  I wonder if it smells like cigar smoke.

Am I the only one out there (other than Ken Bruen) who has read Christopher Cook’s excellent noir novel, Robbers?

Seems like every time I mention the book, all I get back is blank stares. This piece …

Anybody who has ever heard Barry Eisler speak knows about the non-fiction book he touts, On Killing : The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society, by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman.  …

Many thanks to Sarah for letting me clog up the Internet today.  I promised her to be witty, brief and on topic.  (One out of three ain’t bad.  You decide which it is.)

I know …

Normally I try to keep the PSA quotient here low, but when Jan Burke sent word of the current status of the Crime Lab Project, it was a no-brainer to do what I could to help by spreading the word: …

The newest issue of Hardluck Stories is now available for perusal. As guest-edited by Neddal Ayad, the stories have a distinctly odd bent to them, as befitting a “Weird Noir” issue.

And …

Another day, another article about the chick lit mystery trend. Hey, it’s hot, and certainly blogworthy, but I suppose it might have worked better if Amy Rosenberg didn’t have to rely so …

Especially when your clients ink contracts like this one:

Dan Fesperman’s THE PRISONER OF GUANTANAMO, to Sonny Mehta at Knopf, in a two-book deal, by Jane Chelius of the Jane Chelius …

Sally Gardner suffers from extreme dyslexia, but as she tells the Guardian, she didn’t let that stop her from writing novels.

The Independent’s Mark Timlin rounds up new crime fiction …

The dog days are truly here — it’s the first day of August and I slept in late. The city’s getting cooler but people are still leaving whenever possible. And as for this blog, …

Is it me, or are the author profiles getting weirder and weirder? Now here’s Kate White, editor of Cosmopolitan and writer of several enjoyable mystery novels, talking about…her pet …

Is it just me who giggles slightly at the name the CWA has bestowed upon their Ur-award for the alleged all-time greatest crime novel that has ever won the Gold Dagger? I’ve made a Handel joke …

And where has the summer gone, anyway? I suppose because each blisteringly hot day melts into another and another that I’m kind of surprised it’s almost August.

Anyway, the latest …

Now this is a topic to have some fun with. We start over at Paul Guyot’s place, as he talks about how a character is assumed to have depth by having a quirk or gimmick that no one else has, like …

Meetings, lunches, deadlines — well, you get the drift. There should be something up earlier this afternoon but in the meantime, flights of randomness:

Kathy Reichs seems to be everywhere in …

Though I doubt it will address the latest allegations and tidbits, David Pirie has written a new documentary about the “real” Arthur Conan Doyle, and he tells the Scotsman all about it. …

One would think, in this age of short attention spans and constrained lives, that people would be more receptive to the short story — or any shorter piece — than they are. But a new outfit …

And that alphabet letter, I suspect, will be sponsoring this series for a few more installments to come:

Jeff Lindsay’s DEAR DADDY DEXTER, which continues Darkly Dreaming Dexter’s …

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that yesterday’s post provoked lots of chatter, and that I’m not exactly done with the topic.

The expectation, I believe, is that when a mystery …

And because writers are an obsessive lot — phoning Ingram, checking Amazon, comparing their recent advances to others, wondering what the hell royalty statements really mean — I thought …

In truth, Naomi Alderman’s debut novel — sold first to Viking UK and slated for publication there in March — is more a coming of age tale, but I’ve my reasons for the subject …

The world of the paperback original is often a murky one. There are times when it’s easy to see why certain books — or certain writers — are consigned to the mass market stacks, even …

So the reports from the recently completed Harrogate Crime festival are streaming in, and all seem to converge towards a single conclusion: yet another successful weekend

Russel MacLean attended for …

So say you write a spoof of the presidential administration and send it into a contest. Then it wins. Then controversy ensues. What to do?

Allan Laing, writing for the Glasgow Herald, rounds up …

So my first instinct upon reading this is to remember my absolute distaste for Patricia Cornwell’s witch hunt of Walter Sickert to “prove” he was Jack the Ripper. But then …

On July 19, Eddie Bunker, the ex-con turned crime novelist, died from complications of a recent surgery at St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, CA. He was 71. Not surprisingly, news of his death has …

And before I get to all the links and stuff, a huge congratulations to Mark Billingham, winner of the very first Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award (given to the UK public’s …

The full grid has been posted, (no direct link, just click on “Panels” in the drop-down menu) and a few things spring to mind:

By not listing the Shamus Award location and …

Another one that’s making the litblog rounds, and for good reason: this advice column is utterly STOOPID. A woman writes in about her bad marriage and suddenly it’s a platform to rant …

Meetings, real work, blah blah blah. And would the temperature please drop a little bit? Please?

Think Pottermania has made everyone happy? Uh, not if you’re Ottakars, which blames a 6-7% drop …

Why does this news make me happy? Read on:

Former Director of the Forensic Biology Department of the Office of the

Chief Medical Examiner of New York City Robert C. Shaler’s WHO THEY

WERE: …

So a number of folks have already asked me how last night’s reading went. To be honest? Kind of a blur, which is odd considering my penchant for rigorous post-performance post-mortems (“it …

After only two years, the Harrogate Crime Festival has become the go-to event in the UK. And for good reason: the organizers run a tight ship and understand that they must cater to both authors and …

Peter Spiegelman, whose second novel DEATH’S LITTLE HELPERS is just out, talks to the NYT’s Alison Leigh Cowan about making the switch from the world of finance to the world of fiction, …

Jiro Kimura (who’s been on semi-hiatus for a while) reports that Philip Nicholson, best known for writing as A.J. Quinnell, died at his home in Malta on July 10 at the age of 65. His debut …

It’s well over 90 degrees out and so my brain cells are dying right and left. No wonder I keep cackling at the continuing saga that is Jude Law cheating on his gorgeous fiancee, Sienna Miller, …

Tod Goldberg has further details, and it’s utterly amazing that after her body rejected one liver, another exact match was found. She underwent surgery yesterday and is in recuperation, but no …

I’ve just made up a new rule: if an agent makes a deal with a particular editor three or more times, they are officially in BFF mode. Examples: Darley Anderson & Kate Miciak.  Simon …

Others have weighed in more eloquently (and likely less eloquently as well) but for the 2 people who haven’t at least heard about it, I think the NYT’s “Modern Love” column has …

It is so, so difficult to find book news today that isn’t Potter-related. Which isn’t so bad, I suppose, if it gets people to hang out in bookstores more often, but I wonder if it would be …

And along with the second report by Rebecca Pawel, Denise Hamilton checks in as well!

Pawel goes first, reporting on what transpired over the course of the week:

I think it´s best to start this …

Thanks to incredible efforts by co-chairs Ruth Jordan and Judy Bobalik, Bouchercon will be held in Charm City in 2008. Though the official website isn’t ready yet, the BCon 2008 blog is — …

Though I suppose, in a few months’ time, I will probably stop resisting and read the book in a couple of gulps, but this was a scene in a nearby bookstore:

I walk in and see piles of Harry VI …

I suppose it had to happen sometime. I move back to New York, start circulating in the publishing and blogging worlds, and next thing I know I’m taking part in my first public reading in years*. …

It seems that anonymous agent blogs are the new new thing — there’s Brooklyn-based Miss Snark, and now Agent 007 has come along to dish the dirt about what it’s like to be an …

Ah, you gotta love bomb scares. Especially ones where people stand around, looking confused, unsure if they are allowed to get into the building or not. Best line overheard, uttered by one of the NYPD …

Texas has produced a long line of top crime novelists — James Lee Burke, Jim Thompson and Joe Lansdale, to name a few. But as Jerome Weeks reports for the Dallas Morning News, add Milton …

The mystery community has known for some time that Barbara Seranella, well-acclaimed author of the Munch Mancini novels, has been on the wait list for a liver transplant and has been hospitalized for …

The trend in mystery these days has definitely gravitated towards more character-driven work. And while I and many others welcome this, what then of plot? Is it being sacrificed because readers give …

The Spaniards sure know how to throw a party, and this week — which brings back the annual Semana Negra writing festival devoted to all manners genre fiction, crime and otherwise — is …

A.J. Jacobs annoyed reviewers everywhere* with his last book, THE KNOW-IT-ALL. Now, he’s baaaaaack, and this time, it’s biblical:

KNOW-IT-ALL author AJ Jacobs’ THE YEAR OF LIVING …

Because someone else beat me to it:

Recent Columbia MFA grad Elisa Albert’s WHEN YOU SAY YOU’RE A JEW, a

short story collection that details with black humor the modern-day

dilemmas of …

After Frank Prial did his best to be snippy, James Grady comes back with a more balanced take on Evan Hunter’s legacy:

McBain’s cops resembled the real America, not the Dragnet …

There once was a girl named Helena. A young lass, a smart one, toiling day in and day out at a Major League Publishing House (think of the initials “R” and “H.”) The problem …

I’m not sure how I feel about this, frankly — a new version of Inspector Morse sans John Thaw, who has the misfortune of being dead? Well, no matter what I think, filming is now underway. …

James Hynes, whose latest novel KINGS OF INFINITE SPACE has been bugging me to read it for a while now, writes about his recent reading — for the very first time — of ANNA KARENINA. Aside …

Lee Goldberg (with additional commentary by his brother, Tod) point out just how much of a train wreck Eugen Weber’s occasional mystery column for the LA Times truly is. The words used are …

Like Ed Gorman, I get the feeling that the weekend piece in the NYT by Frank Prial on Evan Hunter (aka Ed McBain) seems just a bit, I dunno, pointed? But judge for yourself with comments like these: …

After reading this article about what bookshops, retailers and others will do just to get people to buy Harry VI, I have that song from DUCK SOUP in my head…

And speaking of Pottermania, Owen …

Normally I reserve enthusiastic praise around here for books, but after seeing PRIMO, Antony Sher’s one-man show adapted from Primo Levi’s Holocaust memoir “If This Was a Man” …

Over at the Lipstick Chronicles, I have my say about the so-called gender divide in the crime fiction genre (for those keeping score: Laura Lippman’s take went up Tuesday and Wednesday, and …

The man beloved to millions of crime fiction fans under his real name and as Ed McBain passed away yesterday afternoon. He was 78. The cause, as a New York Times obituary written by Marilyn Stasio …

So all I will say is that my thoughts and prayers are with the city of London on this horrible day.

And the Scary Prescience award goes to Greg Rucka.

But then, maybe it’s just me:

Anonymous’s ACADEMY X, told from the perspective of a hapless high-school English teacher, a comic novel about the world of New York’s elite …

Now this is a marketing strategy to embrace. Always on the lookout for innovative ways to raise awareness for books, M.J. Rose — marketing doyenne, blogger, and primarily the author of books …

In short order I’ve become  a big fan of the stylings of Miss Snark, a literary agent with lots to say. Currently on her mind is why the vast majority of non-fiction books aren’t …

The other side of the pond’s been doing a nice job ferreting out great information from top authors. Tangled Web recently caught up with Lee Child when he was doing his UK tour for ONE SHOT and …

Or all I have to say is: thank GOD New York didn’t get it:

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – There were cheers in London’s Trafalgar Square when the city was named the site for the …

The debate continues. The Litblog Co-Op (of which I am a proud member) releases its Minority Opinion on the inaugural selection, CASE HISTORIES and discusses, in part, some of the controversy …

Is it me, or are notorious criminals making an even bigger name for themselves than they used to? There was Dennis Rader — BTK of course — confessing his crimes with relish in open court. …

The lovely ladies of the Lipstick Chronicles have kicked off a weeklong feature that spotlights a pressing question in the mystery world: is it true that guys get more attention and respect, and if …

Is it weird that I’m actually happy to be back at work? Maybe because by the time the fireworks rolled around, I just wanted to get the hell home. Or maybe it’s the run of mediocre books …

Never mind that Steve Paulson’s profile for the Independent on Sunday bears more than a passing resemblance to one from a few years ago in a major US-based magazine, but it does offer the …

the Observer’s Hepzibah Anderson wonders if bloggers can really make or break books. Or at least, does so for the benefit of the paper:

Exactly what sells books

remains mysterious, but one …

Delayed, of course, because who’s actually in town this weekend? Hardly anyone I know, that’s for sure.  So enjoy the fireworks, the BBQ grills and just the general “not at …

Weekend update delayed till Monday morning.

Email being positively spastic and has eaten everything sent since Friday morning, so if you sent me email, re-send to sarah DOT weinman AT gmail DOT com. …

On the one hand, you have to hand it to James Patterson. He wants to give back to the reading community by giving money to those who find “original and effective ways to spread the excitement of …

There’s been a lot of talk about what to do with book tours. Some folks love to do it; others think it’s a waste of time. What seems to be a consensus is that it needs to be rethought, and …

Maggie Topkis, one of the founders of the mystery bookshop (and my old working haunt) Partners & Crime launched a new imprint last week at the bookstore to bring back underappreciated gems into …

The Telegraph went a little hogwild with crime fiction over the last few days, what with roundups by Susanna Yager as well as David Isaacson and Jake Kerridge. Also, Susan Hill is interviewed about …

This interview is a little different from what I’ve done before. I originally intended to interview Sandra Scoppettone to coincide with the publication of her latest novel (the marvellous THIS …

Good lord, I don’t know how J. Kingston Pierce does it but he’s assembled yet another fine edition of reviews, news and more in the world of crime fiction. Yes, the Rap Sheet is back and …

Mostly because of the working title of the opening book in this new two-book deal:

Ellen Crosby’s THE MERLOT MURDERS and UNTITLED second mystery, set at a

family-owned vineyard in Virginia …

Earlier this year I wrote about how much I loved James Preston Girard’s work, especially THE LATE MAN, which I consider to be one of the best crime novels I have ever read. And while I’d …

The National Film Theatre’s annual Crime Scene Festival makes its return to the South Bank, and for whatever reason, the literary content has dropped considerably since the time I went. But no …

For whatever reason, the train wreck that is the dissolution of Terry McMillan’s marriage fascinates me greatly. Oh my lord. And you know the soap opera’s going to continue for months to …

I mean, what to make of this new deal?

Whitney Shroyer, Letitia Walker, and Michael Traister’s THE SECRET

LIVES OF SOCK MONKEYS: Daily Life at the Red Heel Monkey Shelter,

capturing an …

Frequent readers will know how obsessed I have been over the years about BTK. Imagine my shock — but not necessarily surprise — to read that he’s plead guilty to ten counts of murder …

Well kids, it’s that time of year again, the time when TPTB at Bouchercon hand down their panel assignments to 400+ lucky folk. I always equate this process to arranging tables at weddings and …

Poor Norman Mailer. He isn’t writing anything much of note anymore so he has to resort to incoherent blogging or bashing reviewers, as Page Six reveals:

NORMAN Mailer has finally gone …

This week, it seems, is all about John Twelve Hawks’ THE TRAVELER. Remember that book? The one with the ridiculous marketing campaign and mundo hype? Well, Janet Maslin loves it. I mean …

The news had been slowly trickling out that the option on Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels had been picked up once again by a major studio. But what wasn’t reported was [who actually bought …

Of course, now I have that damn song in my head, but if you’re going to torture your brain, why not with Cole Porter?

Anyway. Damn heat. Let’s move to the links, shall we?

NYTBR: So …

Maybe it’s because I have been so insanely busy that I’ve managed to acquaint myself with antibiotics again, a joyful exercise I can recommend to absolutely no one. Or maybe because I …

Looks like Andrew Vachss has managed to be super-prescient in his new novel TWO TRAINS RUNNING, which deals with late 1950s Southern crime and corruption — a topic that’s made headlines …

What would you write if nobody knew it was you who wrote it? That was the question that gripped Marc Parent a few years ago, and the result is an intriguing new collection just out from Random House …

Paul Guyot got things started by talking about how cool it is to share ideas with writer friends, but now the discussion has turned a little thorny, thanks to a question posed by his friend Alex …

Kermit (but call him Kim) Roosevelt’s debut novel IN THE SHADOW OF THE LAW is getting a ton of attention. Not just because of his background and pedigree, but because he’s written a legal …

It almost amuses me how Edward Wyatt’s profile of Janet Evanovich and her family marketing machine doesn’t really get to what’s likely the bottom line: that as the marketing hoohah …

The International Festival of Authors has announced their lineup for this fall and as Rebecca Caldwell reports, it skews very young. Look for the session with Jonathan Safran Foer to fill up quickly. …

I suppose it had to happen, but it still strikes me as somewhat odd:

Lisa Rogak’s THE MAN BEHIND THE DA VINCI CODE, a biography of author Dan Brown (including "his first calling as a …

Looking for crime reporting with a healthy dose of snark? Then check out Blottered, featuring an assortment of shady types casting their net over the murky world of criminals of every type. I’ll …

There’s been a fascinating discussion all weekend over at Mark’s that began when he posted a lengthy excerpt from James Wood’s most critical review of Nicole Krauss’s THE …

Doug Johnstone hates blurbs and he’s happy to tell anyone in the near vicinity just how much:

This irritation comes in two incarnations. Firstly there is the

uncredited puff by someone in the …

The Octagon Library at the University of London is doing a most unpopular thing: disposing of rare books, some that might even fetch good money on the open market…

Nancy Pate, the Orlando …

Although in truth, I.J. Parker’s books are not exactly that, but they do feature an intrepid detective in Akitada and are set in the 14th Century. She talks with the Japan Times about why she …

So I think I’m going to steal TMFTML’s tag line and declare that this blog, too, is keeping summer hours for the next little while. Truth is, when I’m not working or writing, …

Mark Bazer is mad as hell and he can’t take it anymore. He’s decided to go with the open letter option, bringing his gripes to the masses. Why? Because he wants a paperback copy of THE DA …

I’ve lost track how long Houston’s Police Laboratory has been in trouble.  Certainly since my grad school days, when we students were silently warned to ignore any job ads originating …

It’s easy to see why this new deal could inspire some controversy down the line:

SF Chronicle best-selling author of The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green Joshua Braff’s PEEP …

Because what other explanation can be given for Chrissie Hynde’s bizarro fangirl act?

Rock legend Chrissie Hynde is such a huge fan of British author Martin Amis, she got drunk and …

Yes, it’s that time again. The time when a whole host of writers take the same story germ and do as they please. Last time, Dave White & Bryon Quertermous recruited fourteen folks in all to …

As the stories roll in, the links will go live next to each participant’s name:

Alina Adams: “Hitting the Fan“

Ray Banks: “Outbid“

Gwenda Bond: “Unflappable …

Based on this story, it ought to be something like LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE: THE AMAZING AND TRUE STORY OF DONNA GOEPPERT:

BETHLEHEM, Pennsylvania (AP) — Some people seem to have all the …

Rebecca Caldwell reports that the Chapters on Bloor & Bay, once the chain’s flagship store, is being replaced by Winners. Well, duh. It always struck me as odd that I could bookstore-hop …

I’ve been hopelessly remiss in not pointing people to  the Lipstick Chronicles, a kickass new blog from the minds of the Book Tarts: Susan McBride, Harley Jane Kozak, Nancy Martin and Sarah …

Giles Blunt, whose Algonquin Bay novels are fast becoming among my favorites, has switched US publishers for his next books:

Giles Blunt’s BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS, the fourth novel in the …

Either this piece is ridiculously breathless, or I’m just adding my own interpretation to the mix:

"Boy Vey! The Shiksa’s Guide to Dating Jewish Men" throws "shiksa love" – …

To go along with the Old Peculier Shortlist (see today’s earlier post) Yorkshire Today’s Sarah Freeman catches up with sponsor Simon Theakston, who explains why he’s so passionate …

The finalists for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year have been announced:

LAZYBONES, by Mark Billingham (Little, Brown)
THE MURDER EXCHANGE, by Simon Kernick (Transworld)
THE …

A few weeks ago I went on at length about how much I adore crime fiction in translation. Now the Observer’s Louise France picks up on this and asks around as to why European crime novels are so …

As Bloody Words, Canada’s largest mystery convention, comes to a close, the news of the Arthur Ellis Winners has become available:

Best First Novel
Jon Evans, Dark Places (HarperCollins …

I think it’s fair to say that this past week — my very first as a Young Professional in the City — has been all about endurance (or maybe it’s to do with the nasty cough I …

It’s been great fun sitting in for Sarah the last three days.  Hope the change hasn’t resulted in any nasty nitrogen bubbles going amuck in your cerebral arteries.

I’ve tried …

Just wanted to finish off a theme that’s developed over my last three days here…

Back to the Orange Prize honoring the best female writers of the year.  We’ve already addressed …

I am hesitant to usurp Sarah’s role as chief “book critic” around these here parts.  For one thing, the thought of writing an actual review stirs up enough stress to trigger a case of Biblically …

It could always be worse. – Just a reminder –

Meanwhile, James Patterson sits atop the London Times Best seller list.  Where’s a good fatwa when you need one?

Good news first… Over at Deadly Pleasures news that the Maccavity Nominations have been released:

Best  Novel

The Killing of the Tinkers, by Ken Bruen  (St.  Martin’s …

“Coming this summer, the Thriller Book Club, formed in conjunction with DearReader.com, will let readers sample, by e-mail, the opening chapters of ITW authors’ books. Each weekday, club …

As Anakin Sywalker once said,

“Nooooooooooooooooooooo!” …

New York Daily News’ Lloyd Grove says: “Fresh from copping a plea to faking her own abduction, “Runaway …

As some have noted, Lionel Shriver changed her name when she was fifteen – there must be a story there.  Maybe it’s buried in the pages of her book.  Go figure.  Meanwhile …

Back from the Red Cross – a pint low.  (Can the wisecracks, Rickards!)

Sarah, ever alert, has alerted me so that I might alert you.

Just saw this deal at Publishers Marketplace posted …

Very busy today.  My wife has only two faults. (BTW I clock in at 46 serious character flaws – believe me after 27 years of marriage, these numbers have been documented.)  Anyway one of her …

To me, like most writers of my experience level, editors are mysterious beings.  I look at them like I looked at girls when I was fourteen, with an unsettling mixture of lust and loathing through …

Now that I have your attention with the misleading headline cribbed from Shriver’s plot.

And probably a little late to this.  Lionel Shriver won the Orange Prize today (now yesterday in …

I have sinned.  I’ve been blogging for most of the last six hours or so and have negleted to mention another unsung hero.  My good friend and fellow Dagger shortlistee, Bryon …

Lists — at least those not given to me by a certain redhead to insure that I return from the Piggly Wiggly with something other than white sugar or it’s refined, value added, artificially …

Since, here in the pixel covered hallowed halls of “Idiosyncratic Mind,“we are concerned with the art of writing and all the wealth, fame, and spiritual serenity it conveys upon its …

Sarah, in her infinite wisdom  (Is she not, after all, a C-List Blogebrity  and thus privy to arcane knowledge denied those of us who remain intimidated by the “internets,” doomed to stare …

There’s something vaguely ironic in how the subject of my previous post — a buzzed-about author named Twelve (Hawks) writing under an obvious pseudonym — gives way to my next guest …

So I’ve caught a really strong whiff of the buzz that Doubleday, especially editor Jason Kaufman, is trying to drum up for its Next Big Thing. THE TRAVELER, the “debut thriller” by …

NYTBR: So it goes without saying that the most talked about review of the weekend was Curtis Sittenfeld’s snobbish takedown of Melissa Bank’s new novel THE WONDER SPOT.  So …

BEA madness delayed posting of this till today, but here are the nominees for this year’s edition of the Private Eye Writers of America’s annual awards for the best in P.I.:

BEST P.I. …

My thoughts about most of the mystery/suspense panels appear over at BEA Lunch. I would have liked to get to some of the author signings but alas, I seemed to have been chained in that tiny little …

By design, today was more of a “take it easy” day. No rushing from panel to panel, party to party. A bit more down time. And a lot of walking. Lots and lots of it.

But then, this is …

Jesus, what an insane day. And the book room opens tomorrow so Javits, which is already too big and crowded, will only get worse.

Anyway, in a nutshell, because others did a better job of …

If I’d been better prepared I would have done something similar to my “Girl’s Guide to Edgar Week” for BEA but instead, some bullet points:

• Pre-show articles courtesy of the …

Uh, hi. I’m sorry, do I have some sort of “blog” or thereabouts? I think I’ve rather forgotten what with this whole moving to another country business. Never mind unpacking an …

For those of you who are wondering who I am and what I’m doing here, I’m guest hosting this blog for today at Sarah’s invitation. See her post, below. And thanks for the warm …

Writing “The Resilient Writer: Tales of Rejection and Triumph from 23 Top Authors” (Persea Books) involved lining up more than 23 famous writers to interview. I expected a lot more …

So in looking at the interview lineup for the month of May over at the Kacey Kowars Show, one isn’t quite like the others:

May 2: Caroline Leavitt
May 9: Lee Martin
May 16: Michael Connelly
May …

In honor of Memorial Day Weekend, and the prospect that the only way my endless packing will actually cease is by brute force (don’t even ask how many books I’m taking — the answer …

So my first instinct upon seeing this linked on Publishers Lunch was to immediately rack my brain for ideas in order to enter ASAP. Because every Manhattan-bound girl could use an extra 20 grand. But …

As editor in chief of the Philadelphia City Paper, Duane Swierczynski has to come up with his WTF column each and every week. But sometimes, he gets wonderful ideas that are summarily killed by his …

Mobylives points to this new essay by Robert Gray (of the Fresh Eyes bookseller blog) writing about why it’s vital for Americans — well, anyone really — to read books in translation: …

First up, in keeping with the theme of his latest novel, THE CLOSERS, Connelly’s recent op-ed in the LA Times touches on why cold cases are just as important, if not more, as fresh ones.

On the …

It’s fair to say that one of the hottest trends in the genre at the moment is the hybrid commonly known as the “chick lit mystery.” What makes this combination so appealing to a …

Please do check out the Litblog Co-Op site later today as Reagan Arthur, senior editor at Little Brown, will discuss her role in bringing Kate Atkinson’s CASE HISTORIES to publication in the US. …

Yes, I’m late to this party but what the hell. The pictures say it all.

Although I think Mr. Mapother wasn’t subtle enough in his declaration of luuuuuuuv for his lady.

Also, Paul Guyot …

It’s all Jaime’s fault; an end-of-weekend conversation somehow devolved into one of our all-time favorite subjects: the merits of Canadian-born YA writer Gordon Korman’s early work. …

Tod Goldberg’s latest manuscript is out to editors and he’s finding new ways to drive himself crazy over the process:

Today, my agent sent me a list of editors who currently have my new …

If you’re going to interview a famous author, as the Telegraph does here with Umberto Eco, can you not open with him doing vocal exercises. Now I’m going to have this image of Eco saying …

Crime Spree editor Jon Jordan writes about what he likes and doesn’t like about Advance Readers Copies — commonly known as ARCs:

Things that help:

Information on the author; this can …

Maybe it’s a slow day, or maybe I’m easily amused, but whatever the case, this collaboration between TMFTML and Lindsay Robertson will no doubt inspire many new variations. Some of my …

So first: yes, I sat down last week and read through THE WASHINGTONIENNE. Well, I started out with good intentions but eventually I did have to resort to skimming, bouncing around between pages and …

If gut reactions are anything to go by:

Author of SLUGS and NECESSARY EVIL, Shaun Hutson’s SHAPESHIFTER, the

first Iron Maiden graphic novel, done with the full cooperation of the

band, to …

Gwenda points to this article in yesterday’s Washington Post, which picks up on what’s become a rather disturbing phenomenon in the judicial process: jurors expecting forensic evidence to …

In keeping with the continuous schedule, various new items have been added over the last little while but I’m only catching up with them now. Aside from two new short stories by Ed Lynskey and …

I must admit that I read the PM blurb for this new deal and my eyebrows went way, way up:

Toni McGee-Causey’s BOBBIE FAYE’S VERY (very very very very) BAD DAY,

the misadventures of one …

If you live in the UK and you want cold, hard facts about current news, where do you go, the library? Uh, no. Not when there are tabloids to read…

How do the cops, especially police chief Bill …

Hey, stop that, it’s not as silly as it sounds. There are only 2 more Harry Potter books to go and no doubt she’s chomping at the bit to write for grownups, so why not crime fiction?

HER …

Perhaps the most famous Israeli crime novelist has died at the age of 57, after a nine-month battle with cancer. Her most recent book featuring Israeli police detective Michael Ohayon was published in …

NYTBR: Marilyn Stasio leads off her column with a glowing review of the latest Inspector Brunetti novel by Donna Leon, then looks at new releases by Chris Knopf and Maureen Jennings before explaining …

Since Ellis Weiner and Barbara Davilman’s first book together, YIDDISH WITH DICK AND JANE, proved to be such a success, they are going back to the well:

Ellis Weiner and Barbara …

Looking for a place to live is a trying, difficult exercise in any city. But somehow, it is even more frustrating and exhausting to do so in Manhattan, where the ongoing mentality about those eager to …

Recently I received what might be the most speechless-inducing email I’ve ever received:

Hello Sarah.

 

I found your blog online.  I have a manuscript that fits into the …

Although the current debate about the Litblog Co-Op seems to center around whether Kate Atkinson’s CASE HISTORIES is “too well-known” a novel to be picked, it’s important to …

A novel, or a short story? Sometimes we want to read one or the other, but as Philip Hensher explains, the line between the two forms is blurring more and more.

New York-based “prosecutor …

The nominees for the annual awards given by the membership of Bouchercon have been announced:

Best Novel

Bruen, Ken — The Killing of the Tinkers (St. Martins/Minotaur)
Katzenbach, John …

First up, Best Novel:

Unlike other categories (as well as normal procedure) there’s a ton of overlap between the nominees here and the Edgars, with repeats by Laura Lippman, T. Jefferson Parker …

Issue 6 of Crime Spree, run by the effervescent and ever-influential Jordan clan, has just shipped and it’s got a pretty fantastic lineup. As a preview, they have the Spanish and English …

And as usual, their new issue grabs you by force and makes you beg a whole lot before letting go. Seriously, good stuff prevails as Charlie Williams explains how he went through a seriously blind …

I wish I knew why this fascinates me so much. Then again, maybe not so much, because the fact that the Mr. T comic is only days away from release totally caught me off guard till I found the link on …

One of the things I’d hoped to do more of was keep an eye on what’s happening in the Canadian mystery world. With my impending move it maybe a bit more difficult to do so, but here are …

I rather question the wisdom of this deal on several levels:

23 year-old British journalism student Richy Smith’s YOU CAN GET

ARRESTED FOR THAT: An American Crime Spree, the true account of a …

So silly me — I thought that pairing Jonathan Yardley and Michael Connelly’s THE CLOSERS seemed rather odd. But what do you know? He loves the books, and especially this one.

Larry …

Over the last little while David Montgomery has devoted much energy at the Crime Fiction Dossier on the inner workings of book reviewing, all of which is required reading. But one thing he …

Though Book Expo America is still over two weeks away, I can’t be the only one to grapple with the most important question of all: what do I wear?

Luckily, PW’s BEA Roundup from earlier …

I’m not sure what was bugging David Joyner when he wrote this, but man, he’s got a wonderfully shiny happy take on the curious state known as writing:

More people are writing than ever …

So what is it, you may ask? Just mosey on over and see for yourselves. But I must say, I am very, very pleased that this particular book was chosen. I’ll have more to say over at the LBC site in …

Allan Guthrie’s fine zine returns with its sixth issue, and lord is it ever packed with good stuff. Charlie Stella offers a two-fer, interviewing Vicki Hendricks and Richard Marinick, while Jim …

But first, my latest review, where I manage to shock longtime blog readers and especially myself by liking an Elmore Leonard novel. Is the Apocalypse approaching? Do I spot a bunch of horsemen riding …

So the New York Times pulled Joyce Wadler off the Boldface beat so she could do things like, oh, feature Caleb Carr’s house. Somehow her descriptions just aren’t up to her loopy …

Greetings from a very tired, somewhat frazzled blogger. Suffice to say that there’s much catching up to do which I’ll take care of a bit later on, but in the meantime, please do check out …

Unless a miracle occurs — or my brain is tuned away from the “finding a place to live” frequency — there won’t be any new posts today. Check back tomorrow, but more …

Over the weekend Fiona alerted me to the CWA’s newest initiative, and I must say, I’m one part amused and another puzzled at the whole “Dagger of Daggers” concept:

It’s …

So say you’re a midlist writer. Your previous book was published with a small press, garnered nice notices, but never made it to paperback. A few years later you write a bigger novel, larger in …

Our Pal the Rake links to a very evocative piece about one of the genre’s living legends written by William Kittredge for the Missoula Independent. The memories are fond, and the haze is …

I’m already on record with my thoughts on Mo Hayder’s latest novel (known to some as TOKYO, others as THE DEVIL OF NANKING) and so I was quite pleased to see Elizabeth Renzetti’s …

There were many interesting points (and some not so interesting ones) mentioned during last week’s recap of the shitstorm surrounding the Edgar PBO pick, but two things stick out for me: first, …

Martha O’Connor’s debut novel THE BITCH POSSE, just out now, is one of the most eye-opening, gut-wrenching first efforts I’ve come across in quite some time. It’s the kind of …

Deadly Pleasures, as they do every year, have tallied their nominees for the annual Barry Awards. They are:

BEST NOVEL

THE ENEMY, Lee Child
ALONE AT NIGHT, K.J. Erickson
DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER, …

The winners of the Short Mystery Fiction Society’s annual awards are:

Flash Story (Up to 500 Words) — JA Konrath for “The Big Guys” in Small

Bites anthology edited by Garrett Peck and …

In my ever-present quest to find crime stories in the most obscure newspapers possible, this new interview of Billingham by the New Zealand Herald probably qualifies, at least for this week. Fairly …

Which, as I am wont to do, I’ll let speak for itself:

Saying he believes the man presumed
responsible for most of the 29 Atlanta-area murders of boys, young men
and two girls between 1979 and …

NYTBR: Well look at this, it’s a crime fiction kind of week over at the Book Review. There’s Marilyn Stasio with her column, looking at the latest by Michael Connelly, Don Bredes, C.J. …

So a few little birdies have alerted me to a rather interesting little invective sent over the DorothyL transom by a judge on the Edgar Award committee for Best Paperback Original. In the interests of …

I cannot think of any worse fate than to die without a name, without anyone knowing who you are — or worse, for people not caring enough to step forward and identify you. It’s all the …

As part of the run-up to Harrogate’s 3rd Crime Festival (and the 1st Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award) there will be a series of reading groups held at local pubs in North …

MacLean’s Magazine, Canada’s version of TIME and Newsweek, offers up a fairly decent piece on how several Canadian crime writers are looking northward for their bestselling novels: …

Although that said, I think I’d need to see a fuller synopsis before I completely pass judgment on this deal:

Walter Satterthwait’s PERFECTION, a satirical novel about a serial

killer …

So yesterday was a banner day for one simple reason: my very first page proofs. There’s something incredibly exciting about looking over something you wrote as it’s meant to be seen in …

A long long time ago, when the blogosphere was young, I used to spend too much of my time reading the wit and wisdom of a young investment banker named D-Nasty. And every time I would, a little voice …

I read this last night. I laughed my ass off. I read it again the morning. Same reaction. Oh, dear Paris Hilton, so rich with the one liners! So scintillating with her comments! Like this one:

AP: …

First, I’ve noticed a spike in the hit count, and since I suspect it’s due to this nice piece in the Boston Globe the other day by Jessica Keener, thanks for stopping by, and hope you …

Since I couldn’t attend Malice Domestic this year — one day, I shall — I asked my friend and author of MURDER ON ICE and ON THIN ICE Alina Adams to scope out the conference and …

And of course, my first thought was this: what will it mean for the thumbnails?

The resignation was first reported by LA Observed, who then say Wasserman’s last day as LATBR editor-in-chief is …

It’s apparent that Victor Gischler really ought to change the name of his interview series. World’s Worst? I think not, especially considering what he’s managed to extract from …

You know, just because I can…

The Long Beach U-Press Telegram has a very long and quite nice feature on Naomi Hirahara and her series featuring 70 year old gardener detective Mas Arai. …

Over at Book Angst 101, Mad Max Perkins has posted yet another cautionary tale about how even when things seems very right at first, they can go south real fast. Meet “Keith,” a young …

MacMillan has long been one of the UK’s big publishers; from a crime fiction standpoint, they used to have a healthy imprint until cutbacks and editors jumping ship decimated things …

And thanks to Jiro, I’m just stealing the press release:

Malice Domestic announced the slate of nominees for the Agatha Awards for the best mystery works of 2004.

Malice Domestic Award for …

The annual festival run by Mary Alice Gorman and Richard Goldman of the Mystery Lovers Bookshop (concluding the “unofficial trifecta” that began with the Edgars and continued with Malice …

I’m sure each of them will be laughing, or more likely, shaking their heads:

Former Baywatch star David Hasselhoff has been named
international star of the year at the Bollywood movie awards …

NYTBR: Aside from the fact that I suspect Sam Tanenhaus ain’t gettin’ a brownie this week, the TBR’s kind of…I dunno…not so newsworthy? Or maybe it’s just me …

It occurs to me, looking over the archives of the last month or so (the last few days notwithstanding) that the tone of the blog has been somewhat, oh, scattershot of late.

But there are good …

This post will be updated throughout the evening and Friday as well, starting with my thoughts and incorporating others as I get them.

So first, the Glamour Awards:

CALIFORNIA GIRL was a very good …

Best Novel: California Girl by T. Jefferson Parker (William Morrow)

Best First Novel: Country of Origin by Don Lee (W.W. Norton & Co)

Best Paperback Original: The Confession by Domenic …

While I really question the timing of this,

considering that the original piece (no link, alas) ran a few weeks

ago, it’s always nice to see Otto Penzler creating a ruckus, right? I swear, I …

And so, over the course of the rest of the day, I’ll update with pictures, reports, thoughts and by the end of the evening, the winners.

First up, the pictorial view, ably provided by Mary …

Whenever John Connolly has a book out — lately it’s been every year, though that may eventually change — he embarks on what many folks (himself included) dub the Neverending Tour. …

Mark Farley is a self-proclaimed “Bookseller to the Stars” and runs a blog by the same name. Working at a major chain UK bookshop, he gets to meet many an author. But sometimes, it …

Or maybe I’m not seeing something I should:

A Scottish company has just clinched a series of deals to sell sushi to Japan.

The contracts for sashimi style mumbai and piccante flavoured salmon …

G. Miki Hayden, who won the Edgar for Best Short Story last year, has been filing reports for the Today in Literature site. Her opening report appears here, and she also details last night’s …

I think this may be a special notation in the psychological thriller category:

Frank Tallis’s MORTAL MISCHIEF: The first volume of the Liebermann

Papers, in which Dr. Max Liebermann, a young …

Over at Lee Goldberg’s blog there’s a thoughtful series of posts (though they have been swallowed up by Yet Another Fanfic Debate) that get into what’s a somewhat uncomfortable side …

I love stories like these. They illuminate darkly lit corners of the human condition, and demonstrate the infallibility of humans. Or something:

LA CROSSE, Wisconsin (AP) — A man told
police …

So some of you have asked me over the last little while why I won’t be in town for Edgar Week. The answer basically goes like this:

1. I won’t be able to eat anything.

2. I won’t be …

Over the weekend Denise Hamilton (whose latest novel, SAVAGE GARDEN, continues a series undergoing steady improvement with each installment) wrote about journalism scandals and how she, as a former …

So not content with making a huge introductory splash into the blogosphere, reformed TV writer Paul Guyot (who I know was around at BCon last year, but somehow I missed meeting him then) has issued a …

The Philadelphia Inquirer’s David Hiltbrand sits down with Edward Conlon, the author of the highly acclaimed police memoir BLUE BLOOD.

Patrick Anderson’s latest thriller column looks at …

When I picked up my local paper yesterday, the entire back page of the Arts section was taken up by a great feature written by Peter Robinson about his recent book tour for his newest Inspector Banks …

It’s easy to forget things at the library — your card, the book you wanted, normal things like that. But this is just a little bit different:

When
Michele Anderson started to pull a …

First up, the Awards were handed out late Friday night and no doubt the mystery world will want to catch up with Kem Nunn’s TIJUANA STRAITS, which took the mystery/thriller prize. All the other …

Things have been awfully crazy over at Idiosyncratic HQ — the cleaning is over, and now Passover is in full swing (for those who care: whole wheat matzah is soooooo much better.) Never mind that …

A couple of months ago, Akashic Books publisher Johnny Temple wrote a very thoughtful piece for Poets & Writers about what authors can do with book promotion and how independents can serve them …

By a quirk of the calendar, Passover prep has to be finished by the end of today — even though the first Seder doesn’t begin until tomorrow night. Which really means an extra day of the …

But I’ll try to restrict myself to just one:

Salon columnist and author of the forthcoming LOVE AND OTHER IMPOSSIBLE

PURSUITS Ayelet Waldman’s WINTER’S END, a novel about …

I’ve been gently nudged to post about this, and for good reason: the LA Times Festival of Books, which will be held this weekend (April 23 and 24) is one that I’ve long wanted to attend …

The International Thriller Writers’ Association started off with a splash and it’s only getting louder. With a cocktail reception forthcoming during Book Expo and many star wattage authors …

The shortlists for the annual awards given by the Crime Writers of Canada were announced last night. They are:

Best Novel

Gail Bowen, The Last Good Day (McClelland & Stewart)

Barbara Fradkin, …

Lisa Rogak, Shel Silverstein’s soon-to-be-unauthorized-biographer, has written a nice overview of his body of work and how he always managed to do everything on his own terms, even if others may …

Sadly, Partners & Crime — aka my bookselling alma mater — won’t be doing the full-scale version of their annual Nevermore Awards (which usually take place the night before the …

And boy have I been looking forward to this issue, featuring all manners of stories about successful (and not so successful) heists. Along with interviews of Reed Coleman and Gary Lovisi, there are …

Well, not yet, but she’s certainly being situated to do so very soon:

Sara Gran’s DOPE, a genre-bending exploration of noir that takes us

deep into the hellish heroin culture of New …

Maybe I’m still recovering from last night’s bizarre foray into the TV market research world, where I was forced to sit through perhaps the worst pilot ever produced, followed by one that …

How else to explain this oddity in today’s Grey Lady?

If Dan Brown needs any help with

the sequel to his mega-best-selling

“Da Vinci Code,” the would-be assassin

of Pope John …

Though his new novel won’t be out in the US until June, Giles Blunt’s BLACK FLY SEASON — and the entire John Cardinal series — is doing well enough to inspire confidence in his …

It’s odd that it’s taken me so long to get around to writing about him as he was one of the very first authors I had in mind when I inaugurated this feature last summer. But at that time, all I really …

When I first clicked on this interview of George Pelecanos in the Independent, I had a sinking feeling that it might be another hatchet job along the lines of what Michael Connelly endured from the …

Since 1969, Irish artisans — writers, musicians, and the like — have enjoyed various tax exemptions. The problem is that over the years, various superstars like U2 and “instant …

And first up, the Orange Prize Shortlist. Wow, what an interesting list this is as a lot of surprises move past the prelim stage along with several expected names. The shortlistees are Joolz Denby, …

As if the bestselling author isn’t busy enough, he’s now doing the interview rounds for a new and somewhat different project — an album of music co-written with Fife-born Jackie …

When area writer Christa Worthington was killed in Cape Cod 3 years ago, it launched much speculation, nastiness and even some books (most notably one by novelist Maria Flook.) But now it seems that a …

Mmm, Passover cleaning. A fine way to spend the weekend, I tell you. Empty out cupboards, clean them, put the pots and pans back. Rinse, repeat with utensils and plates. Restrict eating area to …

Next Tuesday, April 19, is a very special day.

It’s not Christmas. It’s not New Year’s. It’s not even Yom Kippur.

No, it’s bigger. Way bigger than all of those …

The CBC’s revamped arts section has allowed many new (and sometimes controversial) articles of a literary bent to be seen all over the place, and no doubt Andre Mayer’s ruminations on …

Though I’ve still a lot of catching up to do on his backlist, almost everything I’ve read by Colin Bateman has had me in various stages of uproarious laughter. He’s funny, but in …

Raelynn Hillhouse’s debut novel, RIFT ZONE, got a lot of attention when it was released last year, and the resulting success has landed her a new deal:

Raelynn Hillhouse’s second novel, …

You know what I’d really like to see? Janet Maslin get super-enthusiastic about a notable female crime novelist. But until that impossible day happens, I guess we’ll just have to content …

A few weeks ago, I chanced across the story of a man calling himself Joseph Newton Chandler III. It was a very strange tale; he’d shown up in the vicinity of Eastlake, Ohio around 1978, …