March Video Releases

[silence, for two minutes]

Breaking News: Michael Connelly to visit NZ on 24 May

One of the biggest authors in the contemporary crime fiction world will be visiting New Zealand soon, with news just breaking that Michael Connelly will be here on 24 May, for a 'one night only' feature event in central Auckland.

Last year I was fortunate enough to interview Connelly by phone for an article in the Weekend Herald, New Zealand's biggest newspaper (read "King of crime offers clues to success" here), and it was an absolute pleasure to talk to him for more than an hour about all manner of things. Along with being a top-drawer storyteller, he is a very intelligent and humble guy, generous with his time and insights.

The next couple of months are a pretty busy and exciting time for Connelly and his readers; not only does he have a new book coming out soon, THE FIFTH WITNESS, which continues his 'Mickey Haller series', but the big-screen adaptation of the first Haller book, the acclaimed THE LINCOLN LAWYER, will be hitting cinemas. I understand it is likely that the New Zealand event may be tied to the film release, as well as his books.

You can watch a trailer for the film, and read some exclusive comments from Connelly about the making of the film and his thoughts on the adaptation (from my interview last year), here.

You can also read my 9mm interview with Connelly here.

It's been a rough week here in New Zealand, and things are going to stay rough for many people for a long time (help out here). But I must admit, this news of Connelly's upcoming visit has brought a smile to my face this morning.

Do you read Michael Connelly? Do you prefer the Bosch or Haller books? Are you looking forward to the film adaptation of THE LINCOLN LAWYER? If you're a local, will you attend the event? Thoughts and comments welcome.

And The Oscars Go To...

Best Picture: The King’s Speech
Best Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Best Actor: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
Best Director: Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
Best Original Screenplay: David Seidler, The King’s Speech
Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Best Editing: Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter, The Social Network
Best Cinematography: Wally Pfister, Inception
Best Original Score: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, The Social Network
Best Art Direction: Alice in Wonderland
Best Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland
Best Visual Effects: Inception
Best Make-Up: The Wolfman
Best Sound Mixing: Inception
Best Sound Editing: Inception
Best Song: We Belong Together, Toy Story 3, Randy Newman
Best Documentary Short: Strangers No More
Best Live Action Short: God of Love
Best Animated Short: The Lost Thing
Best Foreign Language Film: In a Better World, Denmark
Best Documentary: Inside Job

to be continued

Oscarbation: A Final Look at the 2010 Nominees

and now we just wait for the envelopes to be open...it's been a long long season. there are so many worthy nominees. 2010 was a good year for film. maybe a great year. we all have our thoughts and hopes for the outcome in each category. i personally wish for 'the king' to reign supreme. colin of course. natalie, christian and either amy or helena would thrill me. 'inception' should go home with a bunch of tech awards. we'll see so the punditry ends here. post mortem begins tomorrow.

Spirit Award Winners in Independent Film

Best Feature: “Black Swan”
Best Director: Darren Aronofsky, “Black Swan”
Best Actor: James Franco, “127 Hours”
Best Actress: Natalie Portman, “Black Swan”
Best Supporting Actor: John Hawkes, “Winter’s Bone”
Best Supporting Actress: Dale Dickey, “Winter’s Bone”
Best Screenplay: Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg, “The Kids Are All Right”
Best Documentary: “Exit Through the Gift Shop”
Best Foreign Film: “The King’s Speech”
Best First Feature: “Get Low”
John Cassavetes Award: “Daddy Longlegs”
Best First Screenplay: Lena Dunham, “Tiny Furniture”
Best Cinematography: Matthew Libatique, “Black Swan”
Robert Altman Award: The director, casting director and ensemble of “Please Give”
Piaget Producers Award: Anish Savjani, “Meek’s Cutoff”
Someone to Watch Award: Mike Ott, “Littlerock”
Truer Than Fiction Award: Jeff Malmberg, “Marwencol”

Happy Birthday Josh

Happy Birthday Elizabeth and Oscarbation 1966

liz won two oscars. don't get me started on the first for 'butterfield 8'. but her second for 'who's afraid of virginia wolff' was so damn deserved. really who knew she could indeed act?

'who's afraid of virginia wolff'

making conversation

dancing and smothering

confrontations

Oscarbation: Best Picture Winners 1927-2009

and which film will join the above winners tomorrow night

Review: WORTH DYING FOR by Lee Child

Lee Child, whose thrillers regularly top bestseller charts around the world, broke his long-held book-a-year pattern by squeezing in a second Jack Reacher tale, the fifteenth overall, late last year, delighting fans.

The taciturn wandering hero ended the excellent 61 Hours in a precarious position in blizzard-bashed South Dakota. Now he’s resurfaced in the rural expanses of Nebraska, bruised and battered. After dealing out some much-needed street justice to a wife-beater, Reacher finds himself in the cross-hairs of the powerful family who’ve ruled the area through fear and intimidation for decades. The situation worsens when three teams of professional ‘fixers’ arrive in town, looking to protect a lucrative criminal enterprise on behalf of their various bosses, and perhaps wipe out some of the competition. With Reacher caught in the middle.

Child delivers his usual punchy, page-turning style that hooks readers early and takes you on a fun ride. There’s plenty of action and thrills, along with some suspense as to what’s really going on. However, at times I found the storytelling a little ‘thin’ or one-note, enjoyable but not completely engaging or layered. We learn a little more about Reacher, who over the course of the series has become a character with more complexity than is first apparent. But Worth Dying For kind of feels a little like a fun pit-stop between 61 Hours and whatever the future holds.

A good read for the beach, bach or camping ground over summer.

3.5 stars (tomatoes)

This review was originally published in the January 2011 issue of WildTomato magazine

Have you read WORTH DYING FOR? What did you think? Are you a Lee Child fan, a 'Reacher creature'? Thoughts and comments welcome.

Oscarbation: Best Actress Winners 1927-2009

and which of these five actresses will join this group for 2010?

G is for Gaelyn Gordon's DEADLINES (Crime Fiction Alphabet)

Apologies for the delayed Crime Fiction Alphabet post this week - I've been a little distracted by first work, then the terrible events in Christchurch. Click here for some ways you can help with earthquake relief, no matter where in the world you may be.

But the Crime Fiction Alphabet rolls on, and our intrepid book bloggers out there around the blogosphere (and the globe) have this week been tapping away at their keyboards in creation of great, gripping posts related to the letter 'G'.

For my second go around at the Crime Fiction Alphabet (read my 2010 posts here), I've set myself the very challenging task of focusing not only just on New Zealand-themed posts, but just on Kiwi crime fiction books (ie I won't do any author profiles etc this time around) - although sometimes it may be the author's name that is relevant to the letter of the week.

So this week I'm featuring DEADLINES, a book by Gaelyn Gordon. Gordon is a very famous Kiwi author who wrote a wide variety of books for both children and adults, with myth, science fiction, fantasy, contemporary issues and adventure elements. She won several awards for her writing, and was a much beloved author before her all-to-early passing in 1997. The Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award for a Much-Loved Book was established in 1999 to honour her memory and contribution to children's literature.

Amongst Gordon's work was some crime/mystery fiction, a small series starring Detective Senior Sergeant Rangi Roberts and Detective Constable Andy Pike. DEADLINES was the third Roberts/Pike novel, published in December 1996, shortly before Gordon's death from illness. It is currently out of print, but can be found in libraries and some secondhand shops (online also).

In DEADLINES, Detective Senior Sergeant Rangi Roberts faces yet another murky mystery. He knows the identity of the author of a flood of anonymous letters that afflicts the university and the local branch of the Society of Authors. He suspects that his neighbour's death was no accident.

But how can he prove it? How can he find out who killed the little creep? How come this writer came to be his neighbour? And how can he keep 'Sir' off his back until he finds out?

Most importantly, how is he going to make out with Julia, that highly intelligent, highly motivated, highly strung literary agent who so longs to find a man for whom she can be a doormat?

Will luck and blind chance once more come to the rescue of our hero?

Of course.

North and South (a very good New Zealand magazine) said that "Gordon never takes herself too seriously... and is always entertaining. We need more writers like her."

Have you read any of Gaelyn Gordon's work, whether adult crime novels, children's books, or otherwise? What do you think of writers who write across a broad range of genres/ages etc? Do any of your favourite authors do this? Comments welcome.

Oscarbation 1 Year Ago (2009)

and yes there was sandra

Oscarbation: Best Supporting Actress Winners 1936-2009

and which of these ladies will join the group above?

amy adams in 'the fighter'
helena bonham carter in 'the king's speech'
melissa leo in 'the fighter'
hailee steinfeld in 'true grit'
jackie weaver in 'animal kingdom'

Christchurch earthquake - how you can help

As many of you will know, yesterday at 12:51pm NZT the city of Christchurch, which suffered a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in September last year, was struck by another massive earthquake - this time much shallower and more violent.

While the September earthquake caused significant infrastructure and property damage, there was fortunately no loss of life. The city has not been so lucky this time. The 6.3 magnitude earthquake has claimed many lives, and some people remain trapped in buildings which have come down with the force of the 'quake. Buildings facades have crushed cars and buses. The iconic Cathedral in the heart of the city, which survived the earlier 'quake and more than 1000 aftershocks, has been badly damaged (see photo), and many other historic buildings have been destroyed. The city, and the country, is in shock.

Thank you for all the messages of support I've received over email and Facebook etc. I now live in Auckland (far from the 'quake zone), but lived for five years in Christchurch, which is a wonderful city, and I have many friends who still live there. Some with young families. Those I have been able to contact thusfar are all safe, if badly shaken.

In terms of books and crime fiction related people in Christchurch, crime writer Paul Cleave has said he is okay, but feels devastated at the destruction and loss of life. Thriller writer Andrew Grant has confirmed he and his family are well, although some of his friends have lost their homes - he's taken some in. Thriller writer Steve Malley has posted on Facebook saying he is okay too. I have yet to hear from many of the fantastic people involved with the Christchurch Writer's Festival, the Ngaio Marsh Award, or the Ngaio Marsh House, but have my fingers crossed that they are all okay too. It's a terrible time for a great city, and we can only hope that the emergency service personnel continue to pull survivors from the rubble, not just bodies.

Many people from around New Zealand and around the world are watching on, concerned, feeling helpless, and wishing there was some way they could help. Christchurch is a great city, but it is going to be facing a long road to recovery. While in some ways I want to jump on a plane and go down to help hands-on, the fact is that there are many terrific, capable, expertly-trained people there (and heading there from our friends in Australia and elsewhere around the world, with many countries generously pitching in, immediately offering/sending help and resources) who are doing a great job in a tough, tough situation. Those urban search and rescue and Civil Defence volunteers are just doing an amazing job, in concert with the police, defence force, and other emergency service personnel. Let alone all the 'average citizens' who've just stepped up to help friends, colleagues, and random strangers in need. I, and many others who would like to help, would simply be getting in the way at this stage. So how can we help?

Well, a number of emergency and relief funds are starting to be activated, and many organisations are taking donations to help with relief. Prime Minister John Key has said the best way people from around New Zealand and the world can help is to make cash donations to help the city and its residents get back on their feet. Here is some donation and relief information, courtesy of the New Zealand Herald website:

Donations
People can make a donation to the Canterbury Earthquake Appeal either at an ANZ Branch (account number 01-1839-0188939-00) or at the National bank (account number 06-0869-0548507-00).

Donations can be made to the Red Cross online or via the GrabOne website, as the Red Cross site has been crashing.

Offers of goods or services can be sent to the National Crisis Management Centre in Wellington, email here.

Donations can be made to the Westpac Canterbury Care Fund, which is in partnership with the Salvation Army, either at branches nationwide or to the account number 03-0207-0617331-00.

People can donate to the Salvation Army Earthquake appeal online here or by calling 0800 53 00 00.

Donations can be made to the Rotary New Zealand World Community Service here.

Donations can be made to the Christchurch Earthquake Support Fund in ASB branches or online (account number 12-3205-0146808-00). Across the Tasman, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, is also accepting donations for the New Zealand Red Cross.

The Christchurch SPCA has opened a Pet Emergency Earthquake Fund. You can donate money here or to the Westpac account 030802 0586429 00.

Vodafone users can donate to the Red Alert Canterbury Earthquake Appeal by texting "Quake" to 333 to make a $3 donation to the Red Cross Canterbury Earthquake Appeal.

Whether you are in New Zealand or overseas, I hope that you will find at least one organisation above that you feel comfortable contributing towards. Our friends in Christchurch are going to need a lot of help in the coming days, weeks, and months.

Oscarbation 10 Years Ago (2000)

best picture: 'gladiator'

best actress: julia roberts 'erin brockovich'

best actor: russel crowe 'gladiator'

best supporting actress: marcia gay harden pollock'

best supporting actor benicio del torro 'traffic'

Oscarbation: Best Actor Winners 1927-2009

and which of these gentlemen will join the group

javier bardem in 'biutiful'

jeff bridges in 'true grit'

jesse eisenberg in 'the social network'

colin firth in 'the king's speech'

james franco in '127 hours'

Oscarbation: With a Week to Go Here Is the State of the Race

the golden god! well he is a god that we bow to this time of the year. hell i want one!!! this year for the first time in a long time there appears to be a race on in more than one category. some films and performances have gone up, some down, then up and down again. it's been a topsy kind of turvy award season. and to tell the truth i like it. before all the damn critics awards the oscar ruled. every oscar night presented surprises. not all good surprises admittedly but there was a good deal of suspense. it was a time when people at oscar parties voted for who they wanted to win and not who will win because the critics ordained it. well this year there appears, hopefully, to be some backlash to the critics. and that is a good thing. oscar voters are not critics. they are lovers of film and the film industry. i love film. good film. i don't need a film to be canonized by critics or their groups. i firmly believe last year that the academy bowed to the critics with 'the hurt locker'. in truth i know no one, not one person, who thought it was the best film of the year. different maybe but in no way the best.  so perhaps this year the critic's darling will not win and the best picture of the year will win. you know where i'm going. but that's for next time. today is just about...

...the state of the race

best picture

until mid january 'the social network' (the commoner) appeared to be the lock. but the tide began to shift and after winning the pga and the dga guild awards 'the king's speech' (the royal) began to edge up and seems to have overcome the momentum of the facebook film. either would be worthy but i'm going full steam ahead with the royal one. and then there is 'the fighter' which seems to have gained last minute word of mouth. it certainly is most worthy as an also ran but not quite the top spot victory. the race is on with 'the king's speech' in secratariat formation. onward britannia!


best director


it's tom hooper (royal) vs david fincher (commoner).
i believe fincher gets the oscar here as 'the king' walks away with the top prize. however hooper won the dga. it's a horse race to the finish but at this point fincher by a nose. personally i'd go chris nolan for 'inception' but for some god forsaken reason he did not score a nomination. fincher gets it as the commoner cannot be ignored as 'the king's speech' proved.


actor


it's a done deal. anyone other than colin firth would be a sham and the major upset of the season. enough said!


actress


first it was benning. then portman. now it's dead heat on the oscar merry-go -round. do they go benning for a lifetime achievement as they did last year with jeff brigges over colin firth or do they go performance and justly award natalie portman? i'm thinking they are smarter than we think. but then again who will the elders vote for? the long standing joke is dolores hope. will she 'get' portman? and then if she does on the other hand won't the dirty old men like jerry lewis and ernest borgine go for the younger sexier (don't forget the lesbian kiss...these old straight geezers love that!) portman. it's portman by a nose at this point but benning's husband, warren beatty, has influence and friends and then more friends. clear a space on your mantle natalie.


supporting actress


a month ago this was melissa leo's ('the fighter') to lose. a self promotion blunder gone awry knocked her down a peg or three. she is in contention with co-star amy adams also. split votes i believe. actually i say ms. adams gave the better performance of the two. ms. leo was just too 'methody' for me. over acting, over the top...thus me thinks for ms. leo it is just over. then there is helena bonham carter for 'the king's speech'. is this her time? it's been 13 years since 'the wings of the dove' brought her to international attention. she has worked ever since commanding attention in everything she appears in. she is now in the front runner for best film. adams and leo split. voters going down ballot sweep her in with picture and mr. firth. it is bonham carter's award to lose now and she would be royally worthy.


supporting actor


only a  royal sweep gets geoffrey rush his second oscar. it would be deserving indeed. but this category is still owned by christian bale as it should be. the only wonderful thing that could really happen would be a tie. trust me...it will not happen.






this is the state of the race. i keep up with it. i read everything i can on it. it's the gay super bowl for gods sake. yes gods not god's. 


later this week i'll give my final thoughts including tech awards most all of which i'd give 'inception'. but i wonder if most academy members know the difference between visual effects and cinematography? i wonder. if yes 'inception' gets it. if not it's a toss up between the royal and the commoner again. thus we end where we began.

'Hereafter': VFX Shot Breakdowns

since 'hereafter' is arriving on video in march, the 14th,  i thought it might be cool to spotlight how the tsunami was shot. i generally hate these things because i think they kill the whole fantasy of film but hey i needed something to blog today.

i do recommend this film if you haven't seen it.

Louise Penny in line for four-peat at upcoming Agatha Awards

After claiming an unprecedented third consecutive Best Novel Agatha Award last year, popular Canadian mystery writer Louise Penny is now in line to score four, with the nomination of her novel BURY YOUR DEAD for Best Novel at this year's instalment of the Agatha Awards - which focus on 'traditional mysteries' (ie cosies, or mysteries with less violence, blood and sex, that usually focus on confined settings and often have amateur detectives).

The 2010 Agatha Awards (yes, we're in 2011, but they seem to name them for the year the books came out, rather than the year of presentation) are given for materials first published in the United States by a living author during the calendar year 2010 (January 1-December 31), either in hardcover, as a paperback original, or e-published by an e-publishing firm. The Agatha Awards will be voted on by attendees and then presented at the upcoming Malice Domestic convention, to be held in Bethesda, Maryland from 29 April to 1 May 2011.

Here is the full list of nominees:

Best Novel:
Stork Raving Mad by Donna Andrews
Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny
The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard
Drive Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan
Truly, Madly by Heather Webber

Best First Novel:
The Long Quiche Goodbye by Avery Aames
Murder at the PTA by Laura Alden
Maid of Murder by Amanda Flower
Full Mortality by Sasscer Hill
Diamonds for the Dead by Alan Orloff

Best Non-fiction:
The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum
Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks: 50 Years of Mysteries in the Making by John Curran
Sherlock Holmes for Dummies by Stephen Doyle & David A. Crowder
Have Faith in Your Kitchen by Katherine Hall Page
Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History by Yunte Huang

Best Short Story:
"Swing Shift" by Dana Cameron, Crimes by Moonlight
"Size Matters" by Sheila Connolly, Thin Ice
"Volunteer of the Year" by Barb Goffman, Chesapeake Crimes: They Had it Comin'
"So Much in Common" by Mary Jane Maffini, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine
"The Green Cross" by Liz Zelvin, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

Best Children's/Young Adult:
Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer by John Grisham
Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus by R. L. LaFevers
The Agency: A Spy in the House by Y. S. Lee
Virals by Kathy Reichs
The Other Side of Dark by Sarah Smith

Of the nominees, I have only read THEODORE BOONE by John Grisham (it was an enjoyable read, and a well-told tale for teenagers). I also have a copy of BURY YOUR DEAD in my TBR pile (I think). Interestingly, I only found out about VIRALS recently, in conjunction with Kathy Reichs's brief visit to New Zealand - it sounds like an interesting novel too, and good to see some big-name crime and thriller writers penning tales for younger readers. I think it's so important that reading is encouraged with children, and things are done to develop or cultivate the lifelong love of stories and reading that many of us share.

Have you read any of the nominees? Thoughts welcome.

Judi Dench: 'And Furthermore'

the wonderful dame judi in conversation. a must for theatre lovers.

ms. dench won the 1998 best actress in a supporting role for 'shakespeare in love'.

Michael Connelly reveals his thoughts on the upcoming LINCOLN LAWYER film

As I've said recently, along with all the books I am looking forward to in 2011, there are a also a few films that I can't wait to see. And perhaps the one I am most excited about is THE LINCOLN LAWYER, based on the superb Michael Connelly book of the same name.

You can watch Michael Connelly discuss some aspects of writing the book, and the film adaptation, in a brief but interesting YouTube piece above.

Although book-to-film adaptations don't always go well, and can fall very flat at times, I am hopeful about this film for a number of reasons, including the trailer, the stellar cast, and the fact that when I interviewed him late last year Connelly himself seemed very happy with the script adaptation, and how it was looking (having been on set). So fingers crossed THE LINCOLN LAWYER delivers.

You can watch the first trailer here, and also read some comments from Connelly to me about the movie. You can also read my Weekend Herald feature interview with Connelly here, and his 9mm interview here.

Are you looking forward to THE LINCOLN LAWYER? Have you read the book? What crime novels would you most like to see turned into films?

Oscarbation: 25 Years Ago (1985)

best picture: 'out of africa'

best actress: geraldine page 'the trip to bountiful'

best actor: william hurt 'kiss of the spider woman'

best supporting actress: anjelica houston 'prizzi's honor'

best supporting actor: don ameche 'cocoon'

Kathy Reichs impresses fans during her whistle-stop Auckland visit

Last Sunday I headed up to Dymock's Newmarket to listen to and meet Kathy Reichs, the creator of the acclaimed Temperence Brennan series of forensic thrillers that have been (loosely) adapted into the popular Bones TV show.

Despite the fact her visit was on pretty short notice, and it was something of a perfect 'head to the beach' day outside, a large crowd still packed the bookstore to meet Reichs. Interestingly, it was quite a young crowd compared to some I've seen for other crime writer visits - predominantly female (about 80%), with a lot of people in their 20s and 30s. One person said to me in an aside that perhaps it was because Brennan is one of those heroines that younger females can look up to, as well as the books being interesting reads for m/any crime fiction fans.

Reichs had been giving lectures on a cruise ship that had docked in Auckland, so took the time to meet readers at Dymocks on Sunday, as well as two Whitcoulls book signings on Monday. Along with her most recent Temperence Brennan tale, MORTAL REMAINS, she has also recently released her first young adult thriller, VIRALS.

She took the time to talk to the audience about both novels, as well as how she got into writing, her involvement with the Bones television series, and more. Surprisingly for a New Zealand audience (Kiwis can be quite reticent and laidback), there were plenty of questions asked when she opened things up to the floor. A few snippets from a wonderful afternoon:

• Reichs is a producer on the popular TV series, and has in fact written one episode herself. She also provides scientific knowledge during the 'ideas' phase, and reviews the scripts of all of the episodes as well. At first she was surprised how slim the manuscripts for an episode are (50 pages or so, at one minute of screentime per page) compared to novels, but she has got used to it and enjoys being able to read the entire TV story so quickly.
• The writers and producers want to take viewers into a 'different world' with each episode of the show, whether it is something like Wiccan and witches (the episode Reichs wrote), or a particular culture or profession.
• Although there are some big differences between the Bones TV show and the 'Bones' books, Reichs now likes to see the TV show as something of an alternate-world prequel to the books - Brennan's life when she was younger, before she got married and had a family, started working in NC and Quebec, and met Ryan etc. Reichs also likes the way that Bones is set in the Smithsonian in Washington DC, as she herself did her first forensic procedure in that very city, many years ago.
• MORTAL REMAINS was actually called SPIDER BONES in the United States. Reichs isn't entirely sure why her North American and UK/Commonwealth publishers sometimes use different titles for her books.
• The idea for MORTAL REMAINS came from Reichs' own real-life work for JPAC, where she aided in the identification of war dead from World War II, Korea, and Southeast Asia.
• She talked to the audience about the importance, in both novels and TV, of having multiple layers to a story - an 'A' story that might involve a particular plot/incident, and a 'B' story involving ongoing things about characters, along with perhaps a 'C' story and other strands for plots and characters.
• VIRALS, her first book for younger readers, is the debut in a series starring Tory Brennan, niece of Temperence, and her 'science geek' friends. After rescuing a caged animal from a supposedly deserted science lab, Tori and her friends begin to exhibit physical changes to their senses - they become 'the Virals'. At the same time they are caught up in a murder mystery dating back decades, and tied in with the laboratory.
• Two of Reichs' children are now also writers, at least one having given away a career in the law to do so (something I could relate to). Reichs co-wrote VIRALS with her son Brendan, and her daughter Kerry, a former Washinton DC lawyer, has also published three books. You can listen to a radio interview with the three writing Reichs's here.

I really enjoyed listening to Kathy Reichs on Sunday afternoon. She came across as very down-to-earth, friendly, and funny. She seems to have a real energy and love of life, had the large audience chuckling quite often, was very patient with those wanting autographs and photos, and everyone had a great time. Despite her tight schedule she also kindly spent a few minutes chatting to me afterwards (see photo above), including answering the 9mm questions - keep an eye out for her 9mm interview here on Crime Watch in the near future. Thanks to publicist Jennifer Balle, and the rest of the team at Random House and Dymocks, for putting on such an enjoyable event.

In the meantime, you can read more about Kathy Reichs at her website here, and about her new series and young adult novel VIRALS, here.

Have you read any Kathy Reichs novels? Do you enjoy forensic thrillers, in books or on TV or film? Do you watch Bones? Do you enjoy meeting authors? Thoughts and comments welcome.

Oscarbation: Best Supporting Actor Winners 1936-2009

best actor winners in a supporting role 1936-2009

and which of the following will join this group this year

Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale in "The Fighter"
John Hawkes in "Winter's Bone"
Jeremy Renner in "The Town"
Mark Ruffalo in "The Kids Are All Right"
Geoffrey Rush in "The King's Speech"

MURDER NOT SO SWEET - more Kiwi crime in 2011

Recently I've become a user of the Smashwords website, where you can buy e-books in a variety of formats at some very reasonable prices. There are many books on the website that aren't necessarily available in print yet (or are hard to find or costly), so although I'm not a Kindle, Kobo, or iPad owner, I've made a couple of purchases of lesser-known Kiwi crime/thriller novels - printing them out to read at my leisure; old school I know.

I first came across the website when I purchased MURDER IN THE SECOND ROW by Bev Robitai, an enjoyable murder mystery set in the theatre, that harkened back to the Ngaio Marsh/Agatha Christie style, just in a contemporary setting.

You can read more here, or in a great review at Reactions to Reading here.

I've since purchased a couple more Kiwi-written crime novels, including CROSSROAD BLUES by Steve Malley, whose second novel, POISON DOOR, was released this month. I've now discovered another 2011-released Kiwi-written mystery novel is available on Smashwords - MURDER NOT SO SWEET by PM Hayes.

Here's the blurb: "Sebastian, a retired detective living on a quiet little island, finds his skills are still needed as he investigates the mysterious death of Rufus, the island’s beekeeper. Among the ordinary people he sees every day is someone capable of sending Rufus' van plunging over a cliff. There are secrets beneath the surface of many lives on this idyllic island."

PM Hayes is a hospital worker who lives in Auckland, and was brought up in Gisborne, a city on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. She has completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree at Auckland University, as well as creative writing courses. MURDER NOT SO SWEET is her first novel, after having some short stories published in writing group magazines.

MURDER NOT SO SWEET, which a reviewer has said is an enjoyable read "in the genre of the traditional 'whodunnit'", is available here.

It's great to see more NZ-penned crime, thriller, mystery and suspense fiction becoming available, both through the local arms of the larger international publishers picking up some Kiwi writers, and smaller and online publishers doing the same.

Do you like the sound of MURDER NOT SO SWEET? What do you think of e-publishing, and more authors getting more opportunities to publish online? Have you found any 'gems' in e-books that weren't yet in print? Comments welcome.

Happy Birthday Joseph

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo wins and loses at Baftas

While the mainstream media has focused on the unsurprising ‘home ground’ success of the Colin Firth-led The King’s Speech at the recent British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) Awards, for crime fiction fans there was also some interest in a few of the lesser-publicised awards.

In a well-deserved nod, the Swedish-language film adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s juggernaut THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO won the Best Film not in the English Language (equivalent of the Oscars’ Best Foreign Film). This was a truly terrific film - well written, acted, and directed. It actually showed in New Zealand in late 2009 (see my review here), but because of release dates has been eligible for this year’s awards round in England and the USA. Both at the time, and now in hindsight, this was one of the best films I’d seen on the big screen in a long time. It’s a shame it hasn’t got even more attention at the English-speaking awards.

Unfortunately (but not unexpectedly) Noomi Rapace missed out on the Best Actress nod to Natalie Portman’s much-acclaimed and publicised performance in Black Swan. Rapace was truly brilliant as Lisbeth Salander, but Portman has had the Best Actress awards locked up across the board this year, and it would be a massive surprise if anyone other than her took out the biggest of all, the Oscar, in the near future. In a kudos to the Bafta judges, it was great to see Rapace recognised with her Bafta nomination for Best Actress - it’s a real shame Hollywood overlooked her for an Oscar nomination, given her terrific performance.

Have you watched m/any of the nominated or winning films? What do you think of the Bafta results? Has TKS built up some Oscar momentum, or will its hometown advantage come to much less when the Hollywood red carpet is rolled out and the likes of The Social Network, Christian Bale in The Fighter, and Amy Adams, might once again walk away with some of the major awards? Thoughts welcome.

'King' Rules at BAFTA'S

Best Film – The King’s Speech
Best Director – The Social Network – David Fincher
Best Leading Actress – Natalie Portman – Black Swan
Best Leading Actor – Colin Firth – The King’s Speech
Best Supporting Actress – Helena Bonham Carter – The King’s Speech
Best Supporting Actor – Geoffrey Rush – The King’s Speech
Best Adapted Screenplay – The Social Network – Aaron Sorkin.
Best Original Screenplay – The King’s Speech – David Seidler
Best Cinematography – True Grit – Roger Deakins
Outstanding British Film – The King’s Speech
Outstanding British Debut – Four Lions – Chris Morris
Best Editing – The Social Network – Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter
Best Original Music – The King’s Speech – Alexandre Desplat
Best Production Design – Inception – Guy Hendrix Dyas, Larry Dias, Doug Mowat
Best Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland – Colleen Atwood
Best Sound – Inception – Richard King, Lora Hirschberg, Gary A Rizzo, Ed Novick
Best Special Visual Effects – Inception – Corbould, Franklin, Lockley, Bebb
Best Make Up & Hair – Alice in Wonderland – Valli O’Reilly, Paul
Best Short Film – Until the River Runs Red – Paul Wright, Poss Kondeatis
Best Short Animation – The Eagleman Stag – Michael Please
Best Film Not in the English Language – The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Best Animated Film – Toy Story 3
Orange Wednesdays Rising Star Award – Tom Hardy

just two more weeks colin...my prayer is that you get the oscar you deserved last year and certainly deserve this year. and to all the 'king's speech' detractors get over it. i am still pulling for 'the king's speech' over critic fave 'the social network'. and go natalie.

Valentine's Day

$20 million in book vouchers to be distributed as part of New Zealand Book Month

New Zealand Book Month has now secured all necessary sponsorship to print and distribute 4,000,000 $5 book vouchers during March 2011. Under the headline Books Change Lives, New Zealand Book Month will deliver the biggest ever national book promotion by putting $20,000,000 worth of “book money” into the hands of New Zealanders.

Distribution will begin on 23rd February with 750,000 vouchers distributed nationally to children in schools, courtesy of Chevron New Zealand, under the brand Caltex Energy for Learning, in association with The National Library.

Chevron NZ spokesperson Sharon Buckland says, “Chevron New Zealand is very supportive of schools and literacy programmes as part of our strong community focus. Last year alone, we donated $70,000 in individual school grants for reading recovery resources – ensuring that schools and communities had much-needed materials to help children learn to read. Now, in support of New Zealand Book Month, Caltex Energy for Learning is continuing this literacy focus by encouraging people to ensure there are books in as many New Zealand homes as possible.”

A further 2.2 million vouchers will be posted into residential letterboxes by Reach Media on 1st and 2nd March. This distribution is fully funded by TVNZ7, supported by Reach Media.

Under the banner of BNZ Literary Awards, BNZ will include 560,000 vouchers in its credit card statements during the weeks commencing 9th and 16th March. A further 360,000 vouchers will be included in the 13 March issue of the Sunday Star-Times.

Securing print and paper has been a significant element of sponsorship. This has been provided thanks to generous sponsorship from book printing specialist Printlink – part of Blue Star NZ. Nikki Crowther, Project Director, says, “The teams at Printlink and Blue Star NZ have been very supportive of what we are looking to achieve with New Zealand Book Month this year. As a well-established and highly pro-active book printer, Printlink is keen to work with us, with publishers and with booksellers to deliver powerful campaigns to encourage book sales in New Zealand.”

In June 2010, New Zealand Book Month announced its intention to create a wide celebration of books, reading and literacy that would reach out to new, lapsed and infrequent readers. Key to that goal has been the creation of a book promotion that would exist in “everyday places” outside of bookshops and libraries – to bring the importance of books, reading and literacy to the widest possible audience. A further 160,000 vouchers will be made available at BNZ and Caltex counters nationwide for customers to collect.

The Books Change Lives campaign has been developed in close consultation with the Book Trade Liaison Committee, which comprises representatives from the book industry organisations Publishers Association of New Zealand and Booksellers New Zealand. Tony Fisk, chairperson says,“BTLC is tremendously excited to be associated with this promotion which is a truly collaborative effort between publishers and booksellers. The potential social benefits associated with encouraging people to bring books into their homes are immense and we are thrilled that NZ Book Month has managed to engage with such illustrious partners to make the vision of a truly national campaign a reality”.

At time of last week, 133 publishers have committed to supporting the $5 voucher campaign together with 288 booksellers. Click here for full details of participating booksellers and here for participating publishers.

F is for FRIENDLY FIRE by Michael Wall

It's that time of the week again, as the Crime Fiction Alphabet rolls on and our intrepid book bloggers out there around the blogosphere (and the globe) now find themselves frantically tapping away at their keyboards in creation of fantastic posts related to the letter 'F'. Fantastic, fun times.

For my second go around at the Crime Fiction Alphabet (read my 2010 posts here), I've set myself the very challenging task of focusing not only just on New Zealand-themed posts, but just on Kiwi crime fiction books (ie I won't do any author profiles etc this time around) - although sometimes it may be the author's name that is relevant to the letter of the week.

So this week I'm featuring FRIENDLY FIRE, a fast-paced thriller by Kiwi author Michael Wall, who wrote several thrillers, getting some pretty good reviews, back in the mid-late 1990s and early 2000s. Wall is a former Chief Press Secretary for the New Zealand Government. He also worked in the Office of the Prime Minister, for Jim Bolger (New Zealand Prime Minister from 1990-1997). He had previously been offered a job by David Lange (New Zealand Prime Minister 1984--1989), but turned him down.

Wall later moved to Te Ore Ore in the Wairarapa where he wrote, and bred sports horses. He was also Deputy Chair of the Tourism Board. He has written a series of thriller novels, including Museum Street, Friendly Fire, The Cassino Legacy, The Temptations of Frederick Weld, and Cardinal Sins. He has also written other books, including the non-fiction book Wairarapa: A Place Apart. Although his books are no longer in print, they can be found online from secondhand dealers and auction websites.

FRIENDLY FIRE was his second political thriller - a type of book that although very popular overseas hasn't seen many exponents in New Zealand. For a time he was also rumoured to be the author of SPIN, a highly-politicised thriller written by 'Anonymous', although Wall denied this and had his own suspicions of who else within the inner circle may have written that book.

Here's the blurb for FRIENDLY FIRE:

"Journalist Erin Florian returns home from Europe seeking silence and solitude, only to be sucked into a whirlwind of passion, political intrigue and sudden death on the windy streets. FRIENDLY FIRE is an incandescent novel.

In this stylish, fast-paced thriller the author of the best-selling MUSEUM STREET writes of teh dangerous world of MMP politics... fills his capital with a cast that is evil, brutal, ruthless, funny and lethal... and gives us a 'behind the bullet-proof doors' insight into the shadowy world of New Zealand's secret services and the sinister power they wield over our political mistresses and masters."

Sounds intriguing, that's for sure (especially being a Kiwi, to read a political thriller set in our otherwise-rather-benign democracy). I've got my hands on a copy of FRIENDLY FIRE, and am looking forward to reading it.

Are you taking part in the Crime Fiction Alphabet series? What do you think of my 'Kiwi crime only' challenge-within-a-challenge? Do you like political thrillers? Have you read any of Michael Wall's novels? Comments welcome.

Happy Birthday Kim

i love kim novak. she was groomed to 'rival' marilyn monroe. she did well. her beauty was more natural. her acting was far better. and now the monroe fans will start shooting arrows aimed at mt heart. i just have the truth on my side along with a multitude of filmologists.

POISON DOOR by Steve Malley now available

Following the publication of Vanda Symon's BOUND (now a #1 bestseller) and Cat Connor's EXACERBYTE in recent days, another Kiwi crime writer has had his latest novel released this weekend - Steve Malley's second thriller, POISON DOOR is now available on Amazon Kindle (for the very reasonable 'he's an unknown author to me but definitely worth trying at that price' price of USD$0.99). I have a copy of POISON DOOR, and am looking forward to reading it soon.

Here's the blurb:
"Sarah Crane is one tough cop. In a country where police don't carry guns but criminals do, she has to rely on the strength of her wits and the skill of her bare hands. Faced with a series of brutal murders and the disappearance of young women no one else seems to miss, she'll stop at nothing to get to the truth. In troubled young Michelle, Sarah sees a reflection of her own dark past.

Tommy Knowles is a vicious killer. From a London orphanage to the shores of New Zealand, he has risen from life on the streets to control this small country's heroin trade. Now his own success has led him to the edge of disaster. To secure the weapons he needs in the fight for his life, Tommy will trade as many innocent lives as necessary to secure his survival.

Michelle Swanston is fourteen and in danger. Safer on the Christchurch city streets than she is in her own home, Michelle's night wanderings take her into a hell worse than any she ever imagined. With no way of knowing who she can trust, no one else she can rely on, this terrified young girl is determined not to go down without a fight..."

Malley is an expatriate American now living in New Zealand. Describing himself as "Tattooed, pierced and dreadlocked", he is a writer, graphic novelist and professional artist. His debut thriller, CROSSROAD BLUES, was published in Amazon Kindle format last year. It is also available from the Smashwords website, in a variety of e-formats. Unlike CROSSROAD BLUES, Malley's latest thriller is actually set in New Zealand as well.

You can visit Malley's website here, and his blog Full Throttle and F**k It! here.

Do you think low-priced e-books are a good way to try new, unknown authors? Are you a Kindle user (or other e-reader)? Have you read any of Malley's work? Thoughts welcome.