Crime Fiction in the news and on the 'Net: Weekly Round-up

There have been some more great crime fiction stories on the Web this past week - from newspapers, magazines, and fellow bloggers. Hopefully you will all like finding an interesting article or two linked here, that you enjoy reading.

Before we dive in however, I'll just quickly mention that those of you who don't live in the North Island of New Zealand, and so couldn't get the print version of the Weekend Herald last weekend, can now read the full version of my feature article on award-winning Australian crime writer Michael Robotham here. I had a lot of fun interviewing Robotham, whose most recent book BLEED FOR ME I really enjoyed when I read it earlier this year, and was looking forward to meeting him at the Ngaio Marsh Award evening (since postponed). Hopefully we will now be able to get him over this side of the Tasman next year.

Onto the round-up.

Crime Watch Weekly Round-Up: In the News and on the 'Net

• Award-winning Australian crime writer Kathryn Fox launched her latest book, DEATH MASK ("a chilling novel about sexual violence in a US football team") on Monday. She is interviewed by Judith Kerr of the Bayside Bulletin.
• Publishers Weekly reported on the results of a new Harris Poll that showed, among its other findings, "that mysteries, thrillers, and crime novels beat out chick-lit and romance novels by a large margin; and that more women than men read mysteries, thrillers, and crime novels".
• In sad news, legendary US screenwriter, TV producer and novelist Stephen J. Cannell, a recurring guest star on the crime novelist-centric TV cop show Castle, passed away earlier in the week. There were many articles and tribute pieces, including from Entertainment Weekly and the New York Times, The Rap Sheet has a good list of other tributes here.
• Ulrike Sárkány talks to Scottish crime writer Stuart MacBride for the Inspired Minds show. You can access the broadcast from the Deutsche Welle website here.
• Steve Rogerson at Suite101.com takes a look behind the scenes at the production of the new Thorne TV series, based on the excellent crime novels by award-winning British author Mark Billingham.
• Gail Kerr of The Tennessean talks about the allure of crime fiction, and takes a look at what's happening at this weekend's Southern Festival of Books.
• Acclaimed blogger Jen Forbus of Jen's Book Thoughts had a lengthy and very interesting two-part interview with award-winning crime writer Reed Farrel Coleman, whose latest Moe Prager novel, INNOCENT MONSTER, was released this week. PART ONE. PART TWO.
• 2010 Global Reading Challenge creator Dorte Jakobsen of DJ's Krimiblog reviews WHO KILLED PALOMINO MOLERO?, a Peruvian crime novel from Nobel Prize-winning author Mario Vargas Llosa.

What do you think of this week's round-up? Which articles or posts did you find most interesting? Have you read any Michael Robotham novels? What did you think of my feature? Do you like the sound of fellow Australian crime writer Kathryn Fox's thrillers? Why do you think mystery, crime, and thriller fiction is enjoyed by so many readers (even if it's looked down upon by some in the books world)? Do you like seeing some of your favourite crime fiction characters adapted for the screen? Have you read any South American crime fiction? Thoughts and comments welcome.