Paddy Richardson's TRACES OF RED launched this week

Just a quick reminder that Dunedin author Paddy Richardson's third psychological thriller, TRACES OF RED, will be officially launched at Marbecks on George Street in Dunedin on Thursday night. 

Richardson's last psychological thriller, HUNTING BLIND, was a #1 bestseller in New Zealand, was listed in the Listener's 100 Best Books for 2010, and was a finalist for the Ngaio Marsh Award.

Early reviews for TRACES OF RED have been very positive. Here's the 'backcover blurb':

Rebecca Thorne is a successful television journalist, but her world is thrown into turmoil when her Saturday night programme is axed because of falling ratings. Not only will she lose her job but her big story on the convicted triple murderer Connor Bligh, whom Rebecca believes is innocent, has to be abandoned.

Rebecca's lover Joe, a married man and the barrister representing Bligh, also thinks Bligh is innocent – or does he? And if he loves Rebecca so much, why is he prepared to cast her off?

Meanwhile Bligh languishes in jail, convicted of three brutal murders and continuing to protest his innocence. He's clearly not a saint – but did he do it? Rebecca refuses to let the matter lie.

Paddy Richardson's fourth novel is psychological crime fiction at its best.

You can read Nicky Pellegrino's interview with Paddy Richardson about HUNTING BLIND here, and my 9mm interview with Richardson here.

Hopefully any crime fiction fans in the Otago region might head along to Marbecks on Thursday night and support this terrific local writer. And if you do, remember to get some pics and send them in!

Photos wanted - New Zealand-related crime writing events (win prizes)

I have a favour to ask from all the Crime Watch readers out there that might have been to any author events with New Zealand crime writers (anywhere in the world) or international authors visiting New Zealand.

We're starting to build up some photo albums on the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel page on Facebook - of such events - and it would be fantastic if you could send in any photos you might have taken - whether at a local book launch, a visiting author event (eg see my picture of Val McDermid reading from TRICK OF THE DARK at the Women's Bookshop in Ponsonby last year, above), images of yourself with an international author in New Zealand, or a New Zealand author anywhere in the world (eg perhaps you met Paul Cleave or Neil Cross at Harrogate, or Vanda Symon at SheKilda, etc).

It would be great to build up some nice albums of crime writing related pics. If you or anyone you know has any such photos that you are happy to share, then please send them in to ngaiomarshaward@gmail.com. There will be numerous random draw spot prizes (win free books) for those that send in photos, from wherever you are in the world.

Thanks in advance for all your help.

BLOOD ROOTS launch party this weekend

As I mentioned last month, New Zealand writer Michael Green has now brought his post-apocalyptic 'Blood Line' thriller trilogy to a close with the completion of BLOOD ROOTS, the third book.

I've now been sent an invitation for myself and any Crime Watch readers who may be interested and in the area to attend the book launch celebration at the Gulf Harbour Yacht Club this weekend.

Not only can you enjoy a good event and a great book, but support a terrific charity - as, like with his first thriller novel, BLOOD LINE, Green is donating all his author royalties to Lifeline (read about his reasons for supporting this very worthwhile charity here).

The Blood Line trilogy is a thriller series set in Gulf Harbour, New Zealand (a scenic area north of Auckland), the UK, and on the high seas in between. It narrates the fortunes of various branches of the Chatfield family as they struggle to survive a deadly world-wide pandemic.

Here are the official details about the book launch:

At The Gulf Harbour Yacht Club

1299 Laurie Southwick Parade, Gulf Harbour, Whangaparaoa
Sunday 20 November 2011 - 3PM
Cash bar (nibbles provided)
Copies of Blood Line & Blood Bond will also be available (the first two books in the trilogy)

If you can't make the book launch, but would like to order a copy of BLOOD ROOTS, you can do so through the author's website here.

Author event: launch of BOUND, Vanda Symon's new Sam Shephard book

Last week I was fortunate enough to get an advance review copy of a terrific new book that comes out in a couple of weeks; BOUND by Vanda Symon. Now, since I stumbled over THE RINGMASTER in the Papatoetoe Library in late 2008, I've been a fan of Symon's Sam Shephard novels. However, that wouldn't stop be saying if I didn't think the latest was up to scratch (eg I liked CONTAINMENT, the third in the series, and thought it was a very good novel that lots of people would enjoy, but for me I didn't think it was quite as good as OVERKILL and THE RINGMASTER, which were excellent).

So, I was curious to see how I would feel about BOUND: would it maintain the high standards of the overall series - the personality-packed characters and narrative, the visual storytelling and nice touches of humour amidst the mystery - or like some other ongoing series that started so well (cough, Patricia Cornwell, Linda Fairstein, Kathy Reichs) would it show signs of beginning to fall into a bit of a ho-hum pattern where what made the series special is worn away over time and some reader start bandying about words like 'formulaic'?

I can't say too much here, as I will be writing a newspaper/magazine review and feature about Symon and BOUND in the very near future (which will of course be shared with you all here on Crime Watch) - but I will say that I read the book in a little over 24 hours, that I was hooked and completely engaged by the characters and the storyline the whole way through, and that in my opinion, as good as I thought OVERKILL and THE RINGMASTER were, BOUND is the best book in the series thusfar.

My advice? Go and buy this book. If you've already tried the Sam Shephard series, I'd be astonished if you didn't love BOUND. If you haven't yet had the pleasure, then now's a great time to start.

And for those of you living in or visiting the lower part of the South Island, Vanda Symon, her publishers Penguin, and the University Book Shop have invited all Crime Watch readers to the official launch party for BOUND, at 6pm on Wednesday 2 February 2011. See the image for further details. RSVP to bronwynw@unibooks.co.nz.

Comments welcome.