Today Is World Aids Day

i lost too many friends...i remember them today. i remember your friends today. we must remember!

Happy Birthday Bette

'you don't own me'

 

'is that all there is?'

'fat as i am'

'i will survive'

'i look good'

Bette: 'I'll Never Forget It You Know'

'Winter's Bone': *star

'winter's bone' is this year's darling of the critics. infact it is as dull as dish water. i love independent films. each year a number of those released are better than 'mainstream' studio films. this is not one of them.

jennifer lawrence in the lead role is being lauded all over the place especially at film festivals. she is being hailed by many critics and bloggers alike as the 'best' of the year. better than whom? everyone else? she is merely fine in a boring role in a boring film. 

it is not the worst movie of the year. that slot is still reserved for 'alice in wonderland'. 

in two words: don't bother!

'Secret’ author wins inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award

AN AUTHOR who is herself a mystery has scooped New Zealand’s first-ever crime fiction award. ‘Alix Bosco’, the crime writing pseudonym for a “successful writer in other media” was announced as the winner of the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, for her debut thriller Cut & Run, at the conclusion of the popular Whodunnit and Whowunnit? event in Christchurch on Tuesday 30 November 2010.

“Cut & Run is a great page-turning thriller, filled with characters of depth and complexity, set right here in New Zealand,” said Judging Convenor Craig Sisterson. “It was a tough decision for the judges, given the high quality of the finalists, but Bosco’s debut is a worthy winner of the first-ever Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, which recognises the best of our contemporary crime writers, while also honouring the memory of one of our country’s true literary legends, who we have at times overlooked or underappreciated in the past.”

Cut & Run centres on Auckland-based heroine Anna Markunas, a middle-aged legal researcher who has been easing herself back into work after suffering several family tragedies. She finds herself investigating the circumstances of a celebrity murder for a defence lawyer friend, and puts herself in grave danger when she suspects a rugby star killed in the arms of a beautiful socialite wasn’t simply the victim of a drug deal gone wrong.

The judging panel said Cut & Run was “complex and suspenseful with fully rounded, unique characters” and had “scenes and incidents which are jaw-droppingly good”. “I was immediately struck by the likeability and realism of the central character,” said one international judge. “She is a breath of fresh air in the crime genre, being a middle-aged woman with both flaws and considerable intelligence. The book was beautifully paced. I found it hard to put down.” Bosco did a “superb job” integrating her heroine’s personal and domestic life into a compelling thriller, “a rare feat”, said another international judge.

John Dacres-Mannings, the nephew of Dame Ngaio Marsh, sent a message praising the establishment of New Zealand’s own crime fiction award, and congratulating everyone involved. “I congratulate all the finalists for what sounds to be a very high standard of detective story writing. I know that Dame Ngaio would be so proud of all the entrants, and to know that her name is associated with the award.”

Bosco won a distinctive handcrafted trophy designed and created by New Zealand sculptor and Unitec art lecturer Gina Ferguson, a selection of 22 Ngaio Marsh-related books from HarperCollins, and a cheque for $500 from the Christchurch Writers Festival Trust.

The award was accepted on Bosco's behalf by Louise Crisp of Penguin, Bosco's publisher (see photo left).

New Zealand television audiences may also soon be able to view Bosco’s award-winning story on screen, with Cut & Run having been optioned by Screenworks for production as a television mini-series. Chris Hampson of Screenworks confirmed that the mini-series based on Cut & Run has been scripted, actress Robyn Malcolm has been cast as Anna Markunas, and a great crew has been confirmed.

For more information, please contact:
Craig Sisterson: craigsisterson@hotmail.com or (021) 184 1206

Franco and Hathaway to Host Oscars

well perhaps they got it half right. perhaps.
franco is that half. hathaway oy vay!

And the winner (Ngaio Marsh Award) is...

More details to follow...

Song of the Day: 'Ode to Billy Joe'

Reminder: Whodunnit and Whowunnit tonight!

Here at last! Here at last!

That's right, after months of planning, and some geologically-caused delays, the presentation of the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel is now mere hours away. I'm about to hop in a car to take the 5hr drive to Christchurch, where the event will be held this evening.

Hope to see several of you there! Should be a great night.

For Mom

my mom's name was caroline but was called dolly since she was a kid. so this one's for you mom.

(thanks pet)

Currently reading: CLUTCH OF CONSTABLES by Ngaio Marsh

I'm currently in Nelson, on my way to Christchurch tomorrow for the (yes, we're almost there at last) presentation of the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel.

The Whodunnit and Whowunnit? event should hopefully be a terrific evening, and I'm looking forward to catching up with a few NZ-based Crime Watch readers there. Make sure you come up and say hi! Like I always do when I'm travelling, I grabbed a couple of novels to take with me to read on the plane(s) etc, and given the reason for the Christchurch leg of my few days in the South Island, I thought it was only appropriate to revisit New Zealand's Grand Dame of Crime Fiction herself, so I'm currently reading CLUTCH OF CONSTABLES by Ngaio Marsh.

SURRENDER by Donna Malane reviewed in today's NZLawyer magazine

Today the print issue of NZLawyer magazine, which goes out to nearly 10,000 lawyers, judges, politicians and others in New Zealand, included a review of SURRENDER, the debut crime novel from Wellington-based author Donna Malane.

The reviewer was Sarah Gumbley, a literary fiction buff who is increasingly appreciating more crime fiction, and who has also provided several guest reviews to Crime Watch in recent times.

With the editor's permission, I am sharing Sarah's here with you all (since unless you are a Kiwi lawyer, judge or politician, you're unlikely to have access to the print version of NZLawyer magazine - and unlike the news and feature articles, the reviews aren't placed online).

Surrender
By Donna Malane (New Zealand Society of Authors, 2010)
Reviewed by Sarah Gumbley

The winner of the first NZSA-Pindar Publishing Prize, an award given to the best unpublished manuscript in New Zealand, was announced in June. While over 500 entries were received, ranging from poetry and short story collections to adult fiction of varying genres, it was a crime fiction tale from a Wellingtonian that impressed the judges the most. Since the announcement the people at Pindar have been busy turning that manuscript into a book for the shelves, and the result was released in September. Donna Malane’s Surrender can now be purchased in good bookstores throughout the country, and is well worth every penny.

Surrender follows freelance researcher Diane Rowe. Her subject: missing persons. Sometimes she works for the police, sometimes for private investigators, and other times for anyone else that wants to track down someone they miss. Her latest job is for the police force, and seems to be a rather tricky one. A body was discovered, old, and mostly decayed, in the Rimutaka State Forest. But this time it’s a struggle to figure out who this John Doe is. There are no persons listed as missing on the register that match up to the JD, but how could a man go missing without a single person noticing? Worse still, storms over the years will have shifted the body around the ranges, making it almost impossible to figure out the spot where the man died.

But at the same time, Rowe is working on another investigation – however this one is personal. She finds out that Snow, the suspected killer of her sister, Niki, who was murdered a year ago, has just been discovered, dead. Snow has been stabbed in the back with a boning knife, identical to the way that Niki was killed. But who killed him, and why? The more she investigates, the more a tangled web emerges, a web that makes Niki’s life appear a lot more sinister than Diane ever imagined. Just what was her sweet baby sister getting up to that she didn’t know about? Sometimes, some truths should stay buried.

Donna Malane is already an award-winning television producer and scriptwriter, and her partner, Ian Wedde is a novelist, so it’s no surprise she has come out with a really great tale. Surrender is fast-paced and edgy. I finished it within a few days, as I just had to find out what had happened. Diane Rowe, its main character is tough and rough but she’s also very likeable, which will make her last over the series. The judges of the award, New Zealand Herald Books Editor Linda Herrick, acclaimed editor and fiction writer Graeme Lay, and Pindar Publishing’s Mia Yardley, have made a good decision in picking this story and I look forward to seeing what further excellent books this award produces in the coming years.

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So what do you think of Sarah's review? Have you read SURRENDER? If not, does it sound like the kind of book you might want to try? Thoughts and comments welcome.

I'll Be Back Soon

my mom passed over this weekend past. I plan on resuming postings on monday

Crime Wave: Ngaio Marsh Award and local crime fiction highlighted by prestigious current affairs magazine

The Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, the "flourishing" state of New Zealand crime fiction in general, and the upcoming presentation of the inaugural award at the Whodunnit and Whowunnit? event next Tuesday evening, are all featured in a great feature (pictured above) by Arts & Books Editor Guy Somerset in this week's edition of the New Zealand Listener.

Long considered one of New Zealand's premier publications, the Listener (as it's commonly known) is a popular weekly current affairs and entertainment magazine, renowned for having one of the better books sections amongst local publications. So it's terrific to see our local crime fiction, and the upcoming award, featured in its pages in this way.

Somerset canvasses the current and historic happenings in New Zealand crime fiction in the article, and gets some great comments from the likes of local crime writers Paul Thomas, Vanda Symon, Neil Cross, and the mysterious Alix Bosco, along with New Zealand Book Council chief executive Noel Murphy, and yours truly. So there are some diverse insights, which is great.

So if you're a booklover in New Zealand, go out and grab a copy of this week's Listener and have a read. For those overseas, the article will be available online from 11 December (the magazine places its articles online a couple of weeks after the issue is no longer current).

And oh, yes, that is me with the strange look on my face in the photo, down one of Auckland's 'mean streets' one evening. It's strange enough being the interviewee rather than the interviewer, let alone getting my head around being photographed for an article...

Have your read the Listener article? What do you think? Who do you think will or should win the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel? Thoughts and comments appreciated.

Jill Clayburgh: Memories V: 1981-1983

jill had three more major releases that showcased her star quality if not her declining box office success between 1981 and 1983.

1981 gave us 'first monday in october'. based on the broadway play jill played the first woman appointed as a supreme court justice. jill was perfect for the role as the intelligent, independent woman that she embodied. the plotline after her selection to the court declined into a silly unrealistic 'mystery'. jill was as good as ever but caught in an underwhelming and inferior script.

1982 gave us 'i'm dancing as fast as i can'. it was a 'rushed' job as another hollywood strike was looming. jill later said she believed this real life drama about valium withdrawal may have been served better as a tv film. perhaps she was correct. it bombed at the box office and left even me wishing her talent had not been wasted on it. 

1983's 'hannah k' more or less put the proverbial nail in jill's star power and film career. she wanted to work with costa-kravas and considering he was the director and she was the star this should have been a hit. so what went wrong? it's politics went wrong. jill portrayed an attorney in this pro palestinian drama. it was a good film but theater owners refused to show it. so much for free speech. i'll say this as a jew...should we not be able to see two sides of the story? guess not! 

if you can find it see it. it's better than we'd be led to believe.

jill's era came to an end in 1983. she would go on to star and costar in films and tv movies until her untimely death. she concentrated more on motherhood thru the 80's and 90's. she returned to the stage where her talent was better utilized and appreciated.

i truly believe had she lived the screen would have seen her 'rise' again much like julie christie has after her 'icon' period ended. like julie she would have returned in good and meaty roles later in life and would have been a welcome relief from 'the flavor of the year' actresses. we'll never really know but i know that i am correct.

rest in peace friend jill. you are sorely missed but have left a nice body of work for us to revisit. thank you for your talent, your grace and your beauty.

Review: BLOOD SAFARI by Deon Meyer

Originally for my third book in the African leg of the Extremist level for the excellent 2010 Global Reading Challenge (following crime novels set in Ancient Egypt and contemporary Botswana), I intended to read LIKE CLOCKWORD by South African author Margie Orford. However a lot of my fellow participants have been raving about Deon Meyer's books, so when I saw a copy of BLOOD SAFARI in a second-hand store a few weeks ago, I took the opportunity to grab myself a copy.

In BLOOD SAFARI, Lemmer is a freelance bodyguard for Body Armor, a personal security company in South Africa. Lean, angry, violent, he sees himself as being way down on the price list where the bargains are to be found.

Emma le Roux wants to find her missing brother, who supposedly died twenty years ago, but whom she is convinced she's seen on the news as a suspect in the recent killing of a witch doctor and four poachers. She hires Lemmer to watch her back when she goes looking for answers. Lemmer thinks they're on a wild goose chase, but still feels a need to protect Le Roux.

As Le Roux and Lemmer search for clues in the rural Lowveld, it becomes obvious someone wants to keep them in the dark. Someone who will go to any lengths to stop them asking questions. When they are attacked and almost killed, Lemmer decides to go after whoever is hunting them - against all odds.

Overall, Meyer pens an absorbing and exciting story filled with intriguing characters. I particularly enjoyed the way he threaded some interesting African themes issues, including fresh views on the enviroment, history and politics, throughout the page-turning tale. There is plenty of intrigue - just who wants Lemmer and le Roux to stop digging? - and Meyer nicely evokes a sense of the layers and complexity of both modern South Africa, and the natural environment.

I wasn't quite as enamoured with Meyer as I expected however, from all the praise I'd heard. For some reason I enjoyed the book, but wasn't totally caught up and engaged by it. Some of the dialogue seemed a bit clunky (that could have been the translation) and overall it seemed to fall into the 'good book, would read more of this author' category, rather than the superior 'fantastic book, want to read more of this author ASAP' category that several other authors fall into.

Overall however BLOOD SAFARI is an enjoyable and gritty mystery in an exotic setting.

3 1/2 STARS.

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Are you part of Dorte's terrific 2010 Global Reading Challenge? Do you try to read crime and mysteries from a variety of countries? Have you read any of Deon Meyer's books, or other South African crime novels? Thoughts and comments welcome.

Jill Clayburgh: Memories IV

before 'an unmarried woman' there were three notable  jill films, some films worth forgetting, some tv appearances and two very notable tv movies. 'husting' (1976) and 'griffin and phoenix: a love story" (1976) were career boosts for jill. 'hustling' earned her an emmy nom portraying wanda a street smart prostitute helping reporter fran morrison (lee remick) expose the underbelly of the street trade.

1976 also brought jill to the big screen in 'gable and lombard' i love this film. it showed a wise, funny jill as the zany carole lombard bucking the hollywood system. the movie was better than it was received. i recommend it.

'silver streak' was also released in 1976. it was really the first big movie hit that jill costarred in. it was a funny, breezy cross country train romp. it holds up today. jill shined in it.

1977 saw jill in what was basically a menage with burt reynolds and kris kristofferson in 'semi-tough'. it was a year before 'an unmarried woman' and jill's star was on the ascendant.

to be continued

The Lincoln Lawyer film trailer, plus exclusive comments from Michael Connelly about the film and his next book

Well, I don't know about you, but to me this is looking very, very promising. A truly terrific supporting cast (I was just going 'wow' with all those quality names - really good actors rather than vapid stars), and personally I think Matthew McConaughey will do really, really well as Mickey Haller. I know a lot of people associate him with some sappy, crappy rom-coms, but I've always liked his performances in more dramatic films like A Time to Kill, and especially Frailty, so I am really looking forward to seeing his portrayal of Haller.

I spoke to Michael Connelly about the upcoming film in our recent interview for the Weekend Herald. It was a terrific interview overall actually - 90mins of chatting about crime writing and more. Unfortunately of course only about 10-20 % of such an interview can ever make it into the eventual article, because of space constraints.

You can read the Weekend Herald feature article here.

But in terms of the upcoming film, here's what Michael Connelly had to say (direct from the interview transcript):

I understand they’re working on a film of THE LINCOLN LAWYER with Matthew McConaughey in the lead. Can you tell us more?
Yeah, we started filming in early July, and it will be done in two weeks. I’m going out this weekend to visit the set for a couple of days. I’ve already been out a couple of times in July, and the script’s really good, I’m very happy with the casting, and also I saw some of the very important scenes… and I’m just so excited. I think that McConaughey, when I wrote these books I never imagined McConaughey, but I think he’s really nailed the character, he is Mickey - and I’m not just this guy who’s trying to promote a movie that’s bad, I wouldn’t do that. I didn’t do that for Blood Work, and if this movie when it’s all put together is bad, I will [stay] away from it. But as of right now I’m riding the wave of excitement because you know it all starts with the script. And the script started out as a so-so script and it kept getting better in rewrites - and I didn’t write it so I’m not tooting my own horn here - but it’s just all come together. It’s got a fabulous cast, at least ten deep, it’s got great people in it.

… [McConaughey's] got that Haller thing [dark edge with smile and humour], and he kind of established himself and then went down that road with romantic comedies, and I think at least with this movie he’s trying to swing things back a little more towards more serious stuff. And I’m very happy he’s playing Mickey.

The film is scheduled to hit US cinemas in March 2011, and when I spoke to Connelly he mentioned that his publishers had recently moved up the release date of his next title to coincide with the movie's release - so great news for readers as well as film fans. The next Connelly book (as of when I spoke to him) has the working title of THE FIFTH WITNESS, and is another Mickey Haller book, with Harry Bosch only making a cameo appearance. It is scheduled for release at the start of April 2011. Here's what Connelly had to say about the upcoming book in our recent interview:

Are you able to tell us anything about the book you’re working on at the moment?
The working title is THE FIFTH WITNESS, which is a reference to a witness taking the fifth amendment because they don’t want to answer questions that could incriminate them. It’s a Mickey Haller book, Harry Bosch is not in it - well he’s in it for a page, he makes a cameo appearance - it’s definitely a straight Mickey Haller book. And it involves a defence - in my country because of the sliding economy there’s a national epidemic on foreclosures, and there’s all kinds of fraud involved in that on both sides of the equation, and it’s something that is fascinating to me. It’s the subject matter of the book - Mickey defends a woman who is charged with the murder of a banker who is foreclosing on her home. And through this case and the trial that ensues, I hope to examine what is a pretty epidemic size issue in the United States.

What do you think of the film trailer? Do you think you will go to see it? Have you read THE LINCOLN LAWYER? Do you like Connelly's legal thrillers as well as his Bosch books? What do you think of the sound of his next Haller novel? Thoughts and comments appreciated.

Currently reading: B-VERY FLAT by Margot Kinberg

As some of you may have gathered, things have been pretty frantic down this way lately, both on the crime fiction-related front and elsewhere. I have still been reading lots, although sometimes I'm not entirely sure where I've found the time - the good news is its become such a good habit that I'm still reading even when I'm really, really busy. It's a good way to relax and unwind. Though I am pretty behind in my reviewing (the other day I tallied up about 16-17 books I'd read fairly recently and not yet reviewed anywhere, oops).

The thing is, I've had a big run of reading-related commitments in the past couple/few months, from books that needed to be read in preparation for various Weekend Herald and Good Reading feature articles, to various reviewing commitments with new books - so I haven't been able to address some other terrific books in my TBR pile that have been sitting there for quite a while.

However this week I've managed to start reading some of those other books, and I'm very pleased to say that right now the book that's got my attention is B-VERY FLAT by California-based mystery writer Margot Kinberg. It's a pleasant change of pace after a couple of darker thrillers I've read recently, and I'm enjoying the intriguing read so far. Can't wait to see how it all comes together. Here's the backcover blurb:

"Is anyone really safe? Not necessarily. At nineteen years old, Serena Brinkman, an undergraduate violin major at Tilton University, seems to have a very secure future; she's got good looks, money, people who love her, and rare musical talent. She's also got a coveted Amati violin, a musical rival, friends whose secrets she knows, and an obsessed fan.

Serena's dreams are shattered when she suddenly dies on the night of a major music competition. Serena's partner, sure that her death was not an accident, asks for help from Dr. Joel Williams of Tilton's Department of Criminal Justice. Williams, a former detective, becomes convinced that Serena was murdered, when he learns how unsafe her world really was. As he works with the Tilton Police Department to uncover the truth, Williams finds that Serena's looks, money, and talent, far from securing her future, made her a target."

You can watch a video of the author reading a passage from this book below:



I will post a review here after I've finished the book. In the meantime, if you just can't wait to hear whether it's worth getting your hands on this book (my early indications say yes), here are some reviews:

• Mysteries in Paradise
• Petrona
• DJs Krimiblog
• Reactions to Reading
• The Thrill of it All

You can also read the author's excellent blog, Confessions of a Mystery Novelist, here, and my 9mm interview with the author here.

'Fair Game' Rates ***stars

naomi watts shines in this story of the bullies of the bush administration vs all well the meaning dedicated americans embodied by cia agent valerie plame. the outing of ms. plame by cheney and his lap dog scotter libby is condensed well and keeps a good pace by director doug liman. mr. liman keeps it strangely pibartisan. an amazing fete considering mr. libby was guilty as hell in her outing and the dark shadow of the mad dick cheyney looms ominously over the proceedings.

sean penn so becomes ms. plames husband joe wilson that it's almost eerie. ina more subdued than usual performance he once again proves how great an actor he is. but the film does belong to naomi watts. i see a possible oscar nom looming for her.

Review: SLAUGHTER FALLS by Alix Bosco

Last year ‘Alix Bosco’, the pseudonym for a ‘successful writer in other media’, burst onto the New Zealand fiction-writing scene with the acclaimed CUT & RUN, a thriller that is a finalist for the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel. Bosco’s compelling debut, which introduced overworked social worker turned legal researcher turned unintentional sleuth Anna Markunas, has also been tabbed for TV adaptation, with Robyn Malcolm (Outrageous Fortune) in the lead.

Middle-aged and multi-layered Markunas is now back in SLAUGHTER FALLS, although this time instead of the mean streets of South Auckland she finds herself caught up in a puzzling death while holidaying in sunny Queensland. A weekend of revelry and rugby watching sours terribly when two members of Markunas’s tour party die sudden, violent deaths. As Markunas tries to track down the elusive family of one of the men, she finds herself entangled in the secret histories and ongoing corruption of the Sunshine State’s seedy underbelly. At the same time unexpected revelations about her own background come to light.

SLAUGHTER FALLS has plenty of the tension (both in terms of the plotline and Markunas’s personal life), visual storytelling, and vivid action-packed moments readers loved in CUT & RUN, but is a more personal, character-based novel. While it doesn’t quite scale the thrills and mystery heights of Bosco’s debut, this sophomore effort further develops Markunas as an intriguing character worth following as the series grows. An enjoyable read.

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This review was first published in the October 2010 issue of WildTomato, the magazine of Nelson and Marlborough. You can read more about this terrific magazine here.

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

Kia ora everyone. I hope you've all had a great week. It's been another busy one here, as we gear up to finally present the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel (only ten days to go now!).

For those in or around the Canterbury region, I do urge you to come along to Whodunnit and Whowunnit? on 30 November. It will be a fun night - more low key than the festival event would have been, but very enjoyable nonetheless. If you do come along, feel free to come up and say hi. As you'll be aware, I'm more than happy to chat to anyone about crime fiction, especially the terrific and overlooked stuff we have here in New Zealand.

Once again there have been some more great crime fiction stories on the Internet this past week - from newspapers, magazines, and several of my fellow bloggers. As usual, I've listed a few that have caught my eye below. Hopefully you will all find an interesting article or post or two linked here, that you enjoy reading.

Onto the round-up.

• Margaret Cannon of Canada's Globe and Mail gives another great round-up of some interesting new mystery titles, including SHE FELT NO PAIN, the latest Holly Martin novel from Ngaio Marsh Award judge Lou Allin (way to go Lou!).
• The always-entertaining Ali Karim shares his second extensive post-mortem on the recent Bouchercon festivities - 'It's all about friendships' - on The Rap Sheet (part one, part two).
• Renowned writer, editor and crime fiction aficianado Maxim Jakubowski talked about the importance of setting in crime fiction, and listed his ten favourite settings and novels that evoked them most distinctively, in an intriguing article for The Guardian. You can also join the discussion about the article and other great crime fiction settings here.
• The New Jersey Star-Ledger has a Q&A with acclaimed crime writer Dennis Lehane, while Lehane's latest novel MOONLIGHT MILE is reviewed in The Philadelphia Enquirer, the Seattle Times, and the Dubluque Telegraph Herald, amongst others.
• Movie Geeks takes a look at INTERIORS, a documentary about murderess turned historical mystery writer Anne Perry, who is fairly well-known in New Zealand because of her pre-writing life, that showed at the St Louis International Film Festival this past week.
• The Mystery Writers of America names the legendary Sarah Paretsky as the deserved recipient of its next Grand Master Award.
• While it's getting sunny here in New Zealand (and for our neighbours in Australia), the winter weather is rapidly approaching for our northern hemisphere friends. Vit Wagner of The Toronto Star takes a look at ten books to curl up with by the fire, including a "short but informative biography" of Stieg Larsson by one of his closest friends.
• Gail Pennington of the St Louis Post-Dispatch takes a look at new books 'written' by fictional TV characters from a variety of popular TV shows, including the very successful Nikki Heat novels by titular crime writer 'Richard Castle' - harkening back to the days of the 'Jessica Fletcher' mysteries inspired by Murder She Wrote.

What do you think of this week's round-up? Which articles caught your eye? Have you read any of Ngaio Marsh Award judge Lou Allin's acclaimed mysteries? What do you think of the latest Lehane? Of the 'Richard Castle' books? What fictional TV characters/writers would you like to see books from (my personal fave would have to be 'Robin' from Magnum PI - how cool would it have been to have some books out by a character that was always present but never seen in such a popular and long-repeated show?) Thoughts welcome.

Whodunnit and Whowunnit?

The final details of the Whodunnit and Whowunnit? event, where the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel will be presented, have now been confirmed, with some adjustments to the author panel and confirmation of the prizes the inaugural winner will receive.

You can read the full press release below.

19 NOVEMBER 2010 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime novel to be presented this month
THE PRESENTATION of the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, which was postponed when The Press Christchurch Writer’s Festival was cancelled due to the Canterbury earthquake, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, 30 November.

The Award will now be presented at the conclusion of the ‘Whodunnit and Whowunnit?’ event, a cocktail function and author panel where three of New Zealand’s most outstanding crime writers will discuss storytelling, the state of modern mystery writing, and the books industry in general, to be held amongst the relaxed atmosphere of Visions on Campus Restaurant at CPIT city campus.

2010 Ngaio Marsh Award finalists Neil Cross (Burial) and Vanda Symon (Containment) will be joined by Christchurch’s own internationally best-selling crime writer Paul Cleave (The Cleaner, Blood Men) on the panel, which will be hosted by crime fiction reviewer and commentator Craig Sisterson. See below for more information on the three author panelists. The full details of the event are:

Whodunnit and Whowunnit?
with the presentation of the first-ever Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel
7:30pm, Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Visions on Campus Restaurant, CPIT, cnr Madras St & Ferry Road, Christchurch
Tickets $10, includes a glass of wine and nibbles
Drinks start at 7pm, author panel at 7:30pm
Contact: Ruth Todd 03 384 4721 or ruth.todd@xtra.co.nz

“We're really pleased that we've been able to keep the rescheduled presentation of the first-ever Ngaio Marsh Award in Christchurch," said Judging Convenor Craig Sisterson. "Not only because it was the birthplace and hometown of Dame Ngaio, but because of the fantastic support this new award has had from several people involved with the Christchurch Writers Festival. I really hope that booklovers in Canterbury will come along for what should be a very enjoyable evening, celebrating some of the truly world-class writers we have here in New Zealand."

The 2010 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel is made for the best crime, mystery, or thriller novel written by a New Zealand citizen or resident. A panel of seven local and international judges considered the best of locally written crime and thriller fiction published last year. The three finalists, who were named in the lead-up to The Press Christchurch Writer’s Festival, are:

• Cut & Run by Alix Bosco;
• Burial by Neil Cross; and
• Containment by Vanda Symon.
  

The international judges said Cut & Run was “complex and suspenseful” and had “scenes and incidents which are jaw-droppingly good”, that Burial “maintained the tension and the atmosphere from beginning to end, keeping the atmosphere creepy”, and that Containment had “an attractive series heroine (feisty but vulnerable)” while starting with a “superb” opening scene that by itself would make the judge “want to read more Vanda Symon”.

The winner of the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel will receive:

• a distinctive handcrafted trophy designed and created by New Zealand sculptor and Unitec art lecturer Gina Ferguson (see photo);
• a selection of Dame Ngaio-related books courtesy of HarperCollins, her long-time publisher (being 20 Inspector Alleyn mysteries, her autobiography Black Beech & Honeydew, and the acclaimed recent biography Ngaio Marsh: Her Life in Crime by Dr Joanne Drayton); and
• a cheque for $500 courtesy of the Christchurch Writers Festival Trust.

“There were a number of high-quality crime novels published last year, and it has been a tough decision for the judges,” said Sisterson. “It is fantastic to see crime writing of this quality being produced by New Zealand writers, and great that the Award recognises both the best of our current authors, while also honouring the memory of one of our country’s true literary legends, who we have perhaps underappreciated in the past.”

The Award’s namesake, Dame Ngaio Marsh, is renowned worldwide as one of the four “Queens of Crime” of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, having published 32 novels featuring Inspector Roderick Alleyn between 1934 and her death in 1982.

WHODUNNIT AND WHOWUNNIT? PANEL

Christchurch’s Paul Cleave is one of New Zealand’s most successful authors internationally, with his dark thrillers already being published in 14 countries and translated into 10 languages. His debut, The Cleaner, was the number one best-selling crime novel on Amazon Germany for 2007, and was one of the biggest and fastest selling debuts to ever come out of New Zealand. Both The Cleaner and Cemetery Lake have featured in The New Zealand Listener’s annual 100 Best Books list, and his latest thriller Blood Men was signed up by a large US publisher and launched in the United States this year.

Wellington-based Neil Cross has written several acclaimed novels, including the Booker Prize long-listed Always the Sun, Burial (finalist for the 2010 Ngaio Marsh Award), and his latest, Captured, as well as the best-selling memoir, Heartland. He was also lead scriptwriter for series six and seven of the BBC spy drama series, Spooks, and is the creator of the new BBC crime thriller series, Luther, which has screened in Britain and the United States this year.

Vanda Symon is the author of an acclaimed home-grown mystery series set in Otago and Southland featuring feisty detective heroine Sam Shephard, including Overkill, The Ringmaster (one of the New Zealand Listener’s 100 Best Books of 2008), and Containment (finalist for the 2010 Ngaio Marsh Award). A former pharmacist, Symon also hosts Write On, a local radio show in Dunedin focused on writers and the world of books. Her fourth Sam Shephard novel, Bound, will be released early next year.

For more information, please contact:

Craig Sisterson: craigsisterson@hotmail.com or (021) 184 1206

Sara Paretsky joins the MWA Grand Master roll of honour

News has recently come in that legendary crime writer Sara Paretsky (pictured right), creator of the acclaimed and influential VI Warshawski series set in Chicago, will be presented with the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award at the Edgar Awards ceremony next year.

According to the MWA press release, "MWA's Grand Master Award represents the pinnacle of achievement in mystery writing and was established to acknowledge important contributions to this genre, as well as a body of work that is both significant and of consistent high quality."

So it's the United States equivalent of the British CWA's Diamond Dagger - the two awards could collectively could be termed 'lifetime achievement' awards, or perhaps represent an unofficial 'Hall of Fame' of crime and mystery writing. Paretsky has also won the Diamond Dagger (2002) - interesting that although she is an American author, she was recognised by the British association first, in this way.

Paretsky will be presented with her award at The Edgar Awards Banquet, which will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City on Thursday, April 28, 2011. She will join an illustrious list of legends of the genre, including the likes of Agatha Christie (the inaugural recipient in 1955), Georges Simenon (1966), Alfred Hitchcock (1973), our very own Dame Ngaio Marsh (1978), Elmore Leonard (1992), PD James (1999), and James Lee Burke (2009).

When told of being named Grand Master, Paretsky said, "I'm so glad to win this. I'm glad to have this for my very own." Here's more from the MWA Press Release:

"Paretsky revolutionized the mystery world in 1982 with her novel Indemnity. The book introduced detective V.I. Warshawski, a female private investigator who used her wits and fists, challenging a genre in which women typically played minor or passive roles. Paretsky, who lives in Chicago, has written twelve best-selling Warshawski novels. She has also penned a memoir, two stand-alone novels, a collection of short stories, and has edited four anthologies. In 1986 Paretsky founded Sisters in Crime, an organization that supports women crime writers, earning her MS Magazine's 1987 Woman of the Year Award. The British Crime Writers awarded Paretsky both the Cartier Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement and the Gold Dagger for best novel of 2004. Her books are currently published in thirty countries.

"The mystery genre took a seven-league stride thanks to Sara Paretsky, whose gutsy and dauntless protagonist showed that women can be tough guys, too," said Larry Light, Executive Vice President of Mystery Writers of America. "Before, in Sara's words, women in mysteries were either vamps or victims. Her heroine, private eye V.I. Warshawski, is whip-smart and two-fisted, capable of slugging back whiskey and wrecking cars, and afire to redress social injustice."

Congratulations to Sara Paretsky. I don't think any crime fiction reader could quibble with her being honoured in this way. She fully deserves her place amongst the greats.

Have you read Sara Paretsky's VI Warshawki novels? Which was your favourite? What do you think of her MWA Grand Master Award? What other authors do you think should join her on the list in future years? Thoughts and comments welcome.

The top 10 crime fiction locations?

In an interesting article in today's (NZT) The Guardian that could spark some fun and interesting debate, preeminent crime fiction critic, commentator and anthology editor Maxim Jakubowski, who was The Guardian's crime fiction critic for ten years, and has played a huge part in crime fiction worldwide, discusses the importance of place in writing. "I have always felt that one of literature's virtues and attractions is that it can powerfully evoke places and times and bring them to life alongside plot and characters," he says.

He then goes on to list the ten crime fiction locations, as evoked by specific novels and novelists, that he finds "most distinctive", being:

1. Los Angeles in Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep (1939)
2. London in Derek Raymond's I was Dora Suarez (1990)
3. New Orleans in James Lee Burke's The Neon Rain (1987)
4. Paris in Fred Vargas's Have Mercy On Us All (2001)
5. Bologna in Barbara Baraldi's The Girl With the Crystal Eyes (2008)
6. Brighton in Peter James's Dead Simple (2005)
7. Miami in Charles Willeford's Miami Blues (1984)
8. San Francisco in Joe Gores's Spade and Archer (2009)
9. Oxford in Colin Dexter's The Dead Of Jericho (1981)
10. New York in Lawrence Block's Small Town (2003)

You can read the full article, including Jakubowski's explanation for each choice, here.

How important is setting in crime writing? What other authors/locations do you particularly enjoy? Do you agree with Jakubowski's top ten? Who else should be there? Is Chandler's LA the best-evoked, or Connelly's? Or another LA writer? What about the original Sam Spade creator, Dashiell Hammett, for San Francisco? What are the other distinctive crime locations out there?

Song of the Day: 'Heart of Glass'

blondie's 'heart of glass' is classic

Song of the Day: Josh Groban's 'Hidden Away' from ''Illuminations''

i just love josh's voice. i've often said if i believed in god he has given his voice to josh. 'illuminations', released this week, is quite beautiful to say the least.

Currently reading: MIRROR IMAGE by Dennis Palumbo

Earlier this year a terrific article by Hollywood screenwriter turned licensed psychotherapist Dennis Palumbo in the Huffington Post sparked one of my longest-ever blog posts, looking at how crime fiction is perhaps one of the very best literary formats for examining society.

You can read Palumbo's article "Through a Glass Darkly: Crime Fiction as a Window on American Culture" here, and my lengthy post, which included some great comments and insights garnered from a variety of authors I'd interviewed in recent times (at the time), here. It's a topic I've returned to in interviews with several authors since, including the likes of James Lee Burke, Michael Connelly, and PD James - it seems to be something that is bubbling away in the minds of many people who write or read crime fiction.

Anyway, Palumbo has now released his own debut crime novel, MIRROR IMAGE, which is touted as the first in a series starring clinical psychologist and former boxer Daniel Rinaldi. After it had sat in my TBR pile for a while (I was distracted by the Ngaio Marsh Award and several books I had to review for various interviews, articles, and other commitments), I started reading it this morning, and immediately kicked myself for not getting around to it sooner. I was hooked within a couple of pages, and I've found myself reading it here and there throughout the day as mini-breaks from work. If it keeps going in this form, then it could very well end up being one of the best debut thrillers/crime novels I've read in the past few years.

The blurb for MIRROR IMAGE says, "Dr. Daniel Rinaldi [is] a psychologist who consults with the Pittsburgh Police. His specialty is treating victims of violent crime—those who’ve survived an armed robbery or kidnapping, but whose traumatic experience still haunts them. Kevin Merrick, a college student and victim of an armed assault, is one of these people. A fragile, troubled kid desperate for a role model, a sense of identity, Kevin has begun dressing like Rinaldi, acting like him, mirroring his appearance. Before Daniel has a chance to work this through with his patient, he finds Kevin brutally murdered. Stunned, he and the police suspect that he, not Kevin, had been the intended target.

Feeling responsible, Rinaldi is determined to help find the killer, who’s begun leaving death threats for the psychologist. His journey takes him through a labyrinth of friends and colleagues, any one of whom may be the killer. It also includes an affair with a beautiful, free-spirited Assistant DA with secrets of her own. And when Kevin’s identity as the estranged son of a Bill Gates-like biotech giant is revealed, the investigation of his murder turns into a national story…even as another person turns up dead. A page-turning novel of suspense, MIRROR IMAGE weaves together a puzzling mystery, full of unexpected twists, with an intense, erotic love story."

Perhaps due to his screenwriting background, I've already found that Palumbo has a terrific touch for pithy yet vivid description, and good, layered characterisation. I'm really looking forward to reading more (in fact I'm picking it up again as soon as I upload this blog post).

You can read my 9mm interview with Dennis Palumbo here.

Have you read MIRROR IMAGE? Do you like the sound of the book? What are some of the best debut crime novels you've read in the past few years? Who are some of the newer, lesser-known authors that you think are 'on the rise'? Thoughts and comments welcome.

Jill Clayburgh: Memories III

after 'an unmarried woman' there were four films that kept jill in the spotlight but her dominance in film as the iconic 70's woman was about to end. jill made some strange choices during this period. but she wanted to work with great directors like bertolucci and costa- kravas. these turned out to be great personal choices but bad career moves. remember in hollywood actors, particularly women, are only as good as their last film or should i say the gross income of their last film. the following did not make money. jill's star power was fading. i always considered this a great loss for film.

first there was 'luna' prior to 'starting over'. jill wanted to work with bernardo bertolucci and she did in this film. the topic bordered on the strange often bizarre and bordered on the incestuous. it was rough to watch for many. jill was amazing in it. the audience was not ready for it. yet it is a good film and deserves a shot. if you are squeamish by-pass it. otherwise take a risk and decide for yourself.

the opening scene of 'luna'. the cameraman on this filmed loved jill. it is so apparent. she has never looked so beautiful on screen.

to be continued