Forgotten Kiwi crime: MURDER ON A MUSTER

As I've noted before here on Crime Watch, including with my 'Kiwi crime bookshelves' photo back in July, I've found myself collecting a lot of out of print and hard to find Kiwi crime, mystery and thriller titles over the past year or so. There have been some terrific finds in various online and 'real' secondhand bookstores etc. Along with a strong present and a (hopefully) very bright future, New Zealand crime fiction has a much richer history than most people realise.

One out-of-print or hard-to-find book that I stumbled over recently has a very 'Kiwi' setting: a high country farm. Colin D. MacDonald's MURDER ON A MUSTER is a slimline mystery novel that was published by Certes Press in Christchurch in 1997.

In MURDER ON A MUSTER, "Hill country farmer Hamish Nicholls is well aware fo the dangerous nature of potholes that reach deeped below his pastures on Limestone Hills. His new huntaway dog, however, hasn't yet learnt to step carefully and early one frosty mustering day while in excited pursuit of some breakaway sheep, he falls down a pothole. Hamish, fond of the dog and mindful of its value, ventures down after him in a rescue attempt which results in a grisly discovery. The events which follow plunge Hamish into a nighmarish encounter with violence and lawlessness. Suddenly all that he holds most dear and most certain is under threat."

As far as I have been able to ascertain thusfar, MURDER ON A MUSTER may be the only book former farmer Colin D. MacDonald published. According to the book's back cover, MacDonald was born and brought up on a North Canterbury sheep run, and had extensive experience at managing and owning farms in Canterbury and on the West Coast, and had been on many musters similar to the one depicted in MURDER ON A MUSTER. At the time of publication he was retired and living in Christchurch, married with three children.

According to the jacket, "Author Colin MacDonald's experience of North Canterbury farming and his feel for the landscape provide an authentic backdrop to this tale of murder and the desperate flight of a violent, vindictive man who has nothing more to lose".

Sounds intriguing, and at only 117 pages in length, I'll probably find myself giving it a go sooner rather than later. Might be a nice change from all the city-based crime I've been reading lately.

Do you like crime fiction set in isolated rural areas? How important is an interesting setting in mystery writing? Had you heard of MURDER ON A MUSTER before? Does it sound like the kind of book you might like to try? Thoughts and comments welcome.

Song of the Day: 'Whistling Away the Dark' from 'Darling Lili'

written by henry mancini for the film 'darling lili' the under appreciated julie andrews and rock hudson 1970 vehicle. julie's performance was also underestimated and under appreciated at the time of it's release. perhaps it still is.

Happy Birthday Julie

some of my favorite julie films over the years. though i must admit the thought of watching 'mary poppins' ever again makes me gag!

Currently reading: BLOOD SAFARI by Deon Meyer

Regular Crime Watch readers may have noticed a lot of 2010 Global Reading Challenge related posts earlier this year, particularly from January-May. The Global Reading Challenge is a fantastic web-based initiative sparked by fellow crime fiction enthusiast and blogger Dorte Jakobsen of Denmark-based DJ's Krimiblog. There are more than 100 reviewers participating.

The aim of the 2010 Global Reading Challenge is to encourage participants to read books from (or set in) a wide variety of countries, in the coming year. Participants sign up on the website - here - and then attempt one of three (now four) levels of reading challenge over the 12 months of 2010:

• Easy Challenge: read one novel from each of six continents (Africa, Asia, North/Central America, South America, Europe, Australasia) in 2010 - trying to find novels/countries/authors that are new to the reader;
• Medium Challenge: read two novels from each of the six continents, trying to read and review novels from 12 different countries if possible; and
• Expert Challenge: as above, plus two novels set in Antarctica (14 books)
• Extremist Challenge: three novels from each of the six main continents, two novels which are set in Antarctica, and one 'wildcard' - a novel from a place or period that is NEW to you (21 books).

I finished the Expert level in early May, and so then turned my sights on the new 'Extremist' level that Dorte added. And as Dorte has said, "If you are really an extreme reader, you will do your best to read novels from 21 different countries or states".

However a few other things have taken priority since then - along with some new projects and a significantly increased workload at work, I have also had a lot of freelance writing to do (eg author interviews for the Weekend Herald), and have been working on the (now postponed) inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel. So unfortunately my 'global reading' has been on hiatus somewhat, although I still have been reading a lot - just predominantly NZ, US and UK crime fiction - often in preparation for author interviews or other reviews etc.

Right now, in terms of completing the extremist level, I officially have two more books to go - one African crime novel and one South American crime novel. However, I may tweak or bolster my final 21 book line-up with a replacement Asian or North American crime novel, to add even more variety than I currently have in those continents (e.g. try and read a Mexican or Cuban crime novel, rather than having two US and one Canadian etc).

So, getting back on the 2010 Global Reading Challenge horse, I've now just started reading BLOOD SAFARI by Deon Meyer, as my third African crime novel (following crime novels set in Ancient Egypt and contemporary Botswana). I've heard lots of great things about Meyer's crime writing, so I'm looking forward to reading this South African tale.

In BLOOD SAFARI, Lemmer is a freelance bodyguard for Body Armor, a personal security company in South Africa. Lean, angry, violent, he is 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.

As le Roux and Lemmer look for clues in the Lowveld, it becomes clear 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.

I am really looking forward to reading this, and its great to get back into some more 'global reading'. Dorte has done such a fantastic job with the challenge.

Have you read any of Deon Meyer's novels? What do you think of South African-set crime fiction? Are you participating in the 2010 Global Reading Challenge? Do you like trying books from a diverse range of countries and authors? Comments welcome.

Happy Birthday Marion

'Song of the Day': "Take It All" from 'Nine'

Happy Birthday Angie

Win a copy of NZSA Pindar Publishing Prize winner SURRENDER by Donna Malane (Crime Watch Giveaway)

WIN A COPY OF AN AWARD-WINNING KIWI CRIME FICTION DEBUT!

I've decided it's time to run another Crime Watch giveaway, and in keeping with the Kiwi novel - international novel turnabout that's been happening here for the first four giveaway, now seemed a perfect time to offer you all another chance to win another enjoyable Kiwi crime novel.

As such, I'm giving away a brand new copy of Donna Malane's debut crime novel SURRENDER, which was released in New Zealand this month. I've spoken a bit about Malane and SURRENDER here on Crime Watch in recent weeks, but given the giveaway question, I won't say anymore right now. This Crime Watch giveaway is available to anyone around the world, no matter where you live (I will ship the prize internationally).

You may enter the draw by making a comment on this post, noting your full name and answering the giveaway question. The draw for the brand new copy of SURRENDER will be made at 5pm on Friday 8 October (NZT), so you have a little over a week to enter.

GIVEAWAY QUESTION

What is one fact or piece of information about Donna Malane or her writing?

HINT: You can read my Weekend Herald review of SURRENDER here, and my report on the Auckland launch of SURRENDER here.

Oh, and if for any reason you are having difficulty placing a comment on this blog, you can instead email me your entry, directly (name and answer to the above question). Please email to craigsisterson@hotmail.com

Good luck! I look forward to receiving your entries.

Creative New Zealand to fund more foreign translations of New Zealand literature, hopefully including crime fiction

Late this afternoon it was announced that Creative New Zealand, a funding body for New Zealand arts, will have now have a new fund to help New Zealand authors have their work translated into foreign languages for international markets. This is great news, as there are some big readerships out there that are often a little overlooked when those of us in English-speaking countries talk about overseas success. I understand the German-speaking market can be up to 100 million potential readers alone.

With the recent upsurge in New Zealand crime fiction being published by the New Zealand offices of large international publishers like Random House, Penguin, and HarperCollins, some local authors have already seen some of their novels translated into foreign languages. The three German-language book covers above are an example (Paul Cleave's BLOOD MEN, Vanda Symon's THE RINGMASTER, and Paddy Richardson's A YEAR TO LEARN A WOMAN). Cleave has already had particular success in continental Europe, where I understand his debut novel THE CLEANER was the #1 bestselling crime/thriller title on Amazon Germany in 2007.

While down here we often focus on our authors 'breaking into' the UK or US markets, in terms of becoming 'internationally successful' and being able to sustain their writing from a financial standpoint, it could be just as valuable for New Zealand authors to get translated into German, Russian, Italian, Spanish, or some of the Nordic languages, in terms of building a readership. Particularly as crime fiction is so popular in continental Europe. So hopefully this new Creative New Zealand funding, if it is utilised in the right way, will really help progress things even further on that front. I've included the official press release below.


Creative New Zealand Media release
29 September 2010
Creative New Zealand will support the translation of New Zealand literature into foreign languages with a new Translation Grant Scheme announced today.

The new scheme was developed in response to 2009 research by the New Zealand Book Council which found that the leading international models for promoting a country’s literature focused on a translation grant scheme.

Administered by the Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ) the scheme will contribute up to 50 percent of the translation cost per title, to a maximum of $5000. It was developed after further consultation with the Book Council, PANZ, publishers, overseas funders and members of the literary community.

Creative New Zealand Chief Executive Stephen Wainwright said the Translation Grant Scheme would be important to bringing New Zealand’s unique literary voice to overseas markets.
"We are increasing our efforts to promote New Zealand literature internationally and this is one of a number of funding initiatives which will support our best writers to achieve maximum exposure. Connections made with international publishers will help grow the international market for, and profile of, New Zealand literature."

The Translation Grant Scheme will be announced at the prestigious Frankfurt Book Fair in October. An online application process and the quarterly 2011 deadlines can be found at the PANZ website: http://bpanz.org.nz/

The scheme builds on, and links to, the Creative New Zealand’s support for New Zealand writers to take part in international literary fairs. PANZ, funded by Creative New Zealand, coordinates a New Zealand delegation to attend the Frankfurt Book Fair each year. In 2010 this funding will assist four publishers to exhibit at the New Zealand stand. To find out more about the fair and who is going go to http://www.creativenz.govt.nz/international/nz_at_frankfurt_book_fair

There are a number of international literature initiatives funded by Creative New Zealand listed below:

• writers grants to attend international festivals (administered by the New Zealand Book Council)
• Te Mana Ka Tau, the annual incoming visitors programme for international publishers
• support for New Zealand publishers to participate in the Australia Council’s annual Visiting International Publishers programme.
• Translation grants via literature contestable funding applications

Criteria and grant levels for the Translation Grant Scheme

• Applications will be assessed by a five-person panel that will include representatives of New Zealand Book Council, NZ Centre for Literary Translation, PANZ and Creative New Zealand.
• Grants awarded will contribute up to 50 percent of the translation cost to a maximum of NZ$5,000 per title.
• International Publishers can apply online at http://www.blogger.com/www.publishers.org.nz

2011 applications deadlines:

• 1 November 2010
• 1 February 2011
• 1 May 2011
• 1 August 2011
• 1 November 2011

For more information go to our website: http://www.creativenz.govt.nz/international/new_zealand_literature

For more information please contact: Hannah Evans, Creative New Zealand, (04) 498 0725 or (027) 677 8070

Graham 'Bookman' Beattie reviews FROM THE DEAD, Mark Billingham's latest Thorne thriller, on Radio New Zealand

Earlier today, as part of its daily (weekdays) book review slot on the Nine to Noon programme, Radio New Zealand took a look at the latest novel in British crime writer Mark Billingham's award-winning Tom Thorne series, FROM THE DEAD.

One of the great things about the Nine to Noon show, hosted by Kathryn Ryan - who also regularly does interviews with New Zealand and visiting authors - is that they do semi-regularly cover some crime and thriller titles. They can also be fascinating reviews to listen to, because rather than being just a print review of a reviewer's thoughts, Ryan 'interviews' the reviewer, and asks them questions about the book, drawing out comments. So it's more of a dialogue, than a monologue - which is a nice change of pace.

Today the reviewer was the always-excellent Graham "Bookman" Beattie, who is (deservedly) very highly regarded in the New Zealand book industry. He is the former head of Penguin Books, a Book Awards judge, a Books Editor, and is now an acclaimed blogger and consultant to the industry. He is also one of the seven judges for the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel - the winner of which will now be announced later this year.

Beattie describes FROM THE DEAD, Billingham's tenth crime novel, and ninth to feature "likeable but quite complex" Tom Thorne, as "gripping stuff" that "moves along at a real clip" Beattie says he was "so captured was I that I read it in three long sittings over the last couple of days".

You can listen to the full audio file of Beattie's review of FROM THE DEAD here. You can also read a print version of Beattie's thoughts about FROM THE DEAD (including further comments) here. And for those who need further tempting to try this very good crime thriller (I read it myself several weeks ago), you can read the first chapter online at Billingham's website here.

Billingham has been one of my favourite British crime writers for a long time, and I heartily recommend any crime fiction fan giving his Tom Thorne series a go - especially readers who don't mind playing down the grittier end of the crime fiction spectrum.

Have you read any of Mark Billingham's books? Are you a fan of his Tom Thorne tales? What do you think of the Bookman's review? Does FROM THE DEAD sound like a crime thriller you'd like to read? Thoughts and comments welcome.

Remembering Madiline Kahn on Her Birthdate

Song of the Day: 'Stars Are Blind'

'stars are blind'. ok ok it's paris hilton. give me a break. it's a good song....

A capital crime novel: my review of Donna Malane's SURRENDER in the Weekend Herald

As I noted previously, the Weekend Herald (New Zealand's biggest newspaper) have now kindly allowed me to republish any articles I have or will write for them, online. So today I am publishing online my review of SURRENDER by Donna Malane, the NZSA Pindar Publishing Prize-winning novel that was officially launched in Wellington and Auckland last week, that appeared in last weekend's Weekend Herald (see pic, right).

You can read a nice feature story on Malane and her win in the inaugural NZSA Pindar Publishing Prize, written by New Zealand Herald Books Editor and award judge Linda Herrick here. I understand that Malane will also soon be appearing on Radio New Zealand to talk about the book, so I will publish a link to that broadcast here on Crime Watch in due course.

But for now, onto my Weekend Herald review of SURRENDER.

A capital crime novel
WHEN A policeman arrives at missing persons expert Diane Rowe’s house and informs her that a body found in Cuba Street that morning was someone she knew and was interested in, personally rather than professionally, she is stunned – like anyone would be. But this death notification is a little different; the cop delivering it is her ex-husband, and the news doesn’t make her particularly sad. For the body belongs to ‘Snow’, a recidivist low-life Diane suspects brutally murdered her troubled younger sister Niki a year before.

So begins SURRENDER, the debut crime thriller from Wellington-based screenwriter and television producer Donna Malane (The Insider’s Guide to Happiness, Until Proven Innocent, the David Dougherty story). In June, the manuscript for SURRENDER was chosen from more than 500 entries to become the winner of the inaugural NZSA-Pindar Publishing Prize, and now with the release of the novel this month New Zealanders have the chance to discover for themselves what the judges found so compelling.

After finding out that Snow was stabbed in the back with a boning knife, a murder eerily similar to her sister’s, Diane begins to question whether someone else may have been behind Niki’s death. Despite the fact her freelance investigations into her sister’s murder have already claimed as collateral damage her marriage and her role assisting the police, Diane sets out to uncover the truth, delving into the seedy underbelly of our capital city; a drug-fuelled world of strip clubs, sex workers, and plenty of hidden dangers. At the same time (and perhaps in an effort to keep her away from their own investigations), the police contract Diane to put a name to a decapitated body found in Rimutaka State Forest. So she’s left with plenty of truths to find, officially and unofficially, but as she stubbornly stays the course Diane discovers there may have been more to her little sister than meets the eye, and that lifting the lid on her sibling’s life has put her in grave danger.

Told in first-person through Diane’s eyes, SURRENDER is an impressive debut powered by a vivid and captivating ‘narrative voice’. While you’d perhaps expect great action, setting and description from someone used to the ‘sight and sound’ world of television, Malane also does a terrific job in terms of what separates a novel from a screenplay; the internal world inside her main character’s head. Diane is an intriguing heroine: at times frustrating; at times engaging; at times humorous; always compelling. Readers get a very real sense of how she sees the world, and it’s impossible not to ‘feel’ for her as she gets herself into all sorts of strife trying to do the right thing, if in an unconventional way.

While SURRENDER would be worth reading as a character study of Diane alone, Malane also weaves in an absorbing mystery storyline, some well-evoked Wellington settings, and a great cast of well-drawn supporting characters. Even quite minor characters feel authentic, and the main cast all have some nice layers and depth – like the narrative itself they provide a few surprises and revelations, and keep the reader guessing until the end.

SURRENDER is the first adult novel from Malane, but I hope there will be many more to come. And if this is the standard of storytelling uncovered by the NZSA-Pindar Publishing Prize, then the same sentiments apply there too.

Craig Sisterson is an Auckland reviewer and one of the judges for the upcoming Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel.

This review was first published in the Canvas magazine of the Weekend Herald on Saturday 25 September 2010, and is reprinted here with permission.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So what do you think of my review? Of the Weekend Herald allowing me to share my past and future features and reviews for them, with you all here on Crime Watch? Do you like the sound of SURRENDER? Thoughts and comments welcome

Kiwi Author skewers Dame Ngaio? Taking a look at BLUE BLOOD by Stevan Eldred-Grigg

As I've noted before here on Crime Watch, including with my 'Kiwi crime bookshelves' photo back in July (see right), I've found myself collecting a lot of out of print and hard to find Kiwi crime, mystery and thriller titles over the past year or so. There have been some terrific finds in various online and 'real' secondhand bookstores etc - and since July I've probably added another 20-25 books, as well as found out about several others that could be added (if or when I can get my hands on them). Along with a strong present and a (hopefully) very bright future, New Zealand crime fiction has a much richer and more varied history than most people realise.

Recently I headed down to Nelson (my hometown) for a bit of a break, and browsed a couple of cool secondhand bookstores while I was there. There are a handful of out of print Kiwi crime books and authors that I've been trying to find copies of for quite a while, so I'm always looking out for them, along with any other books that fall within the genre that I might stumble upon. At one store I ended up walking out with about 8-10 such 'forgotten' Kiwi crime novels, including three I'd been trying to find for ages - one of which was BLUE BLOOD by Stevan Eldred-Grigg.

Eldred-Grigg isn't someone most New Zealanders would associate with crime fiction - he's an historian and author who writes in a eclectic variety of 'genres' and styles. When I was at high school we had to read ORACLES AND MIRACLES, his first novel. It's a story about two girls "living in a world of dreams while growing up in poverty" in historic Christchurch. I remember thinking it was okay, but not that great - but in fairness that was probably more to do with being a high school student who read a lot, and so was primed to be a little against the 'old, boring stuff' that the teachers 'forced' on us. I do remember enjoying the novel more than I thought I would (I thought it was okay, whereas most of my classmates hated it), and I'd probably appreciate a lot more about it if I read it now.

Eldred-Grigg's most recent book is the acclaimed non-fiction work DIGGERS, HATTERS, AND WHORES, a very lively account of the gold rushes from the 1850s to the 1870s which were "the biggest single event in the history of colonial New Zealand".

Back in 1997 though, Eldred-Grigg wrote his one and only 'crime novel', a book that stirred a little controversy at the time. BLUE BLOOD is touted as a "parody, and a darkly comic deconstruction, of the classic interwar crime novel" - I'd stumbled across a reference to it online several months ago, and had been looking out for a copy ever since, so was stoked to discover one in the secondhand bookstore on Hardy Street in Nelson (opposite Lone Star).

BLUE BLOOD is set in 1929, and the back cover blurb reads as follows:

"Summer, 1929. Three young women are rocketing across the hot Canterbury Plains in a fast roadster: smoking, drinking - laughing. But soon all this is to change. In a plot worthy of a Ngaio Marsh fiction, lives are about to be shattered by shafts of jealousy, madness and revenge.

The young Ngaio herself, seated at breakfast a few weeks later in the family bungalow on Cashmere, bites into a slice of toast and sight with irritation as her mother rustles the newspaper and comments on page one's shocking story. Two young local women, severely mutilated, pots of blue paint spilled on the bodies...

Stevan Eldred-Grigg's brilliant novel is a tough tale about a woman at the turning point of her creative and emotional life. It is also an enquiry - both mischievious and disturbing - into the psychopathology of a murder which might affect even the author herself."

It certainly sounds intriguing. On its release there was some media debate about whether or not the novel "cruelly defames... a cultural icon of New Zealand". Auckland journalist and reviewer Claudia Marquis called it "an enjoyable hour or two of bitchy pleasure". At least Dame Ngaio was being recognised as a cultural icon, I guess. In some ways we seem to have forgotten her a little now - at least in the wider public consciousness - although hopefully that is changing.

So I'm very much looking forward to trying BLUE BLOOD for myself, both to see Eldred-Grigg turn his hand to crime fiction (parody or not), and to form my own opinion on the (now largely-forgotten, like the book) controversy.

Have any of you read (or even heard of) this hard-to-find piece of New Zealand crime fiction history? What do you think of crime novels that incorporate fictionalised versions of real characters? Do you like scouring secondhand bookstores? What are some of the coolest books you've found in secondhand stores? Please share your thoughts and comments.

For the Homophopes

'Song of the Day': "Unexpected Song"

'unexpected song' by lloyd webber from "song and dance". this song has a bucketfull of memories for me. his hebrew name was meir but more commonly called mathew. he will always be meir to me and this song will always be 'our' song.

here's idina menzel in lieu of bernadette peters. i could not take ms. peters two days in a row. once a year is actually more than enough.

The Girl...

Next month the English-subtitled version of the film adaptation of the third and final book in Stieg Larsson's publishing juggernaut Millennium Trilogy, THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNETS' NEST hits cinemas at film festivals in the United States.

The always-excellent The Rap Sheet has pointed readers to a new trailer for the film, which you can watch here. For some reason I can't get that trailer to play, so I went looking on YouTube, and sure enough I found both a teaser trailer and a longer trailer for the film, uploaded in late 2009 (I'm not sure how this new trailer differs from either of these older trailers), which you can view below.

On a related point, it seems that the excellent actress behind the pitch perfect portrayal of Lisbeth Salander (The Girl...) has secured her first major English-language role, playing a villain in the sequel to the Robert Downey Jr-starring Sherlock Holmes.

But for now, here is the longer trailer of the third Millennium film, as available on YouTube:



I really enjoyed the first film (see review here), and am looking forward to seeing the other two big-screen versions (I've had a couple of aborted attempts to get to The Girl Who Played with Fire, unfortunately).

What do you think of the trailer(s) for the third film? Have you read the books, or watched either of the first two films? Are you looking forward, or not, to the Hollywood versions? Thoughts and comments welcome.

'Brothers and Sisters' Season Premiere Comes Back With a Vengence: A+

i thought the senator was dead. all summer i thought he was dead. he wasn't dead. he was kept in a vegetative comma by his republican wife. gotta love those republicans. they believe if you feed them they will rejuvenate and grow. not so. so kitty after she is offered the job to run the rnc changes her mind. now she can play god. damn those republicans are good!

but in the meantime...

justin portrayed by the amazing david annable comes home from war again but this time intact mentally and physically. he will get the floundering walker family back from the fog ans malaise and the depression they have fallen into. but first he must get the out of character silent and passive nora back. he gets her back. and together they get the rest of the walkers back to their normal everyday wine drinking argumentative selves. thank you justin.

the night truly beloned to sally field and david annable. the rest all shined but not quite as bright. and hopefully the dreadful balthzar getty is finally gone for good.

i thought this show might be on it's last legs. alas i was and am happily proved wrong. welcome back. better than ever i raise a glass to all of you.

Happy Birthday Sophia

Song of the Day: 'Pearl's a Singer'

'pearl's a singer'

i'm really not crazy about bernadette peters but i like the song. it's different. from another time and place. i hope you enjoy it.

9mm: An interview with Rick Mofina

Welcome to the latest instalment in Crime Watch's ongoing series of author interviews; 9mm - 9 MurderMystery questions put to a variety of New Zealand and international crime, thriller, and mystery authors.

Today I thought I would share my recent 9mm interview with a ‘cool Canadian crime’ writer, award-winning thriller novelist Rick Mofina, who grew up in Bellevue, Ontario and now lives in Ottawa, but has travelled the world in between as part of his pre-novelist life as a journalist. As his website bio says, his freelance crime stories have appeared around the world in such publications as The New York Times, Reader’s Digest, Marie Claire, The South China Morning Post magazine and The Moscow Times. He’s also written for the UK’s Sunday Telegraph. His reporting has put him face-to-face with murderers on death row in Montana and Texas. He covered a horrific serial killing case in California, an armored car heist in Las Vegas, the murders of police officers in Alberta, flown over Los Angeles with the LAPD, and gone on patrol with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police near the Arctic. He has reported from the Caribbean, Africa and the Middle East.

Mofina has written 11 thrillers since his debut IF ANGELS FALL in 2000, has won and been shortlisted for several prestigious awards, received high praise from his peers, like Michael Connelly, James Patterson, and Jeffery Deaver, and is a popular panellist at various crime writing conventions. Having kept an eye on some awards lists over the years, I had heard of Mofina, but until recently hadn’t read any of his work.

Canadian crime writers, like their New Zealand and Australian counterparts, are often a little harder to find in overseas markets, no matter how good the quality of their writing and storytelling. Having spent time in Canada in 2008, I know that there are many great crime writers there that I struggle to find on booksellers’ shelves down this way, just as the opposite is true too (ie Kiwi crime writers will be hard to find in Canadian bookstores).

Fortunately, some of Mofina’s books have recently been released in New Zealand, and last week I read his first ‘Jason Wade’ tale, THE DYING HOUR. I picked this up at lunchtime on Wednesday, and ended up finishing it by the next day, immediately picking up the next Wade tale, EVERY FEAR, and reading all of that before Friday morning as well. So the phrases ‘page-turner’ and ‘gripping’ will certainly be top of mind when I write some reviews.

You can read more about Rick Mofina and his books at his website here, and at the Crime Writers of Canada website here.

But for now, Rick Mofina stares down the barrel of 9mm.

The Crime Watch 9mm Author Interview: Rick Mofina

Who is your favourite recurring crime fiction hero/detective?
Well, he's not recurring, but I am fond of Kinderman, the Washington, D.C., detective William Peter Blatty created in The Exorcist, who re-appeared in Legion. Too many people overlook the masterful job Blatty did in breathing life into that guy, who afterall was chasing the greatest villain of all time.

What was the very first book you remember reading and really loving, and why?
Paddle To The Sea, a children's adventure because took my imagination hostage. I think it was a masterpiece.

Before your debut crime novel, what else had you written (if anything) unpublished manuscripts, short stories, articles?
I was a fulltime journalist at a newspaper. I sold freelance true-crime stories to The New York Times, Reader's Digest, Penthouse and The South China Morning Post. I also wrote a few short stories.

Outside of writing, and touring and promotional commitments, what do you really like to do, leisure and activity-wise?
Kick back and watch movies. I love having a story unfold before my eyes. I am a sucker for 1950s Sci-Fi classics, like THEM!

What is one thing that visitors to your hometown should do, that isn't in the tourist brochures, or perhaps they wouldn’t initially consider?
Visiting the original jail where they used to hang criminals. It's now a youth hostel in downtown Ottawa, Canada.

If your life was a movie, which actor could you see playing you?
Ethan Hawke.

Of your books, which is your favourite, and why?
All of them because I love them all equally.

What was your initial reaction, and how did you celebrate, when you were first accepted for publication? Or when you first saw your debut story in book form on a bookseller’s shelf?
I was with my, wife, our son and daughter when we walked into a big chain books store and saw it on the shelf. It was quiet moving, we all just sort of stood there because well my mother had passed away only a short time before. She never saw the first one, or an advance copy. So seeing it there, took me back to when I was a kid and she'd encouraged me to write, bought me my first typewriter, a portable manual Royal.

What is the strangest or most unusual experience you have had at a book signing, author event, or literary festival?
This young man came up to me at my signing table and wanted a signed book to his wife, but wanted me to write: "I'm so sorry for making you mad and and I hope you --"I stopped before I started and said, "I'll sign it and you can make the apologies."


Thank you Rick Mofina. We really appreciate you taking the time to talk with Crime Watch.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So what do you think of this 9mm interview? Have you read any of Rick Mofina’s books? The Jason Wade series? Tom Reed/Walt Sydowski series (Mofina’s first five books)? The new Jack Gannon series? What do you think? What do you think of Canadian-written crime in general? Which cool Canadian crime writers would you recommend? Thoughts and comments welcome.

'The Town' ***1/2stars

like most i wondered if ben affleck's first directorial effort, 'burn baby burn', was a one time fluke. well we need wonder no more. with 'the town' he is proving himself to be a director to be reckoned with. and he gets everything out of his cast that they have to give with no holds barred. 'the town' is a damn good film.

it has oscar noms wriiten all over it at the moment. there are three months to go.

and he directs himself better than anyone else has. unlike streisand who can give herself no direction, ben keeps his own performance in check. and who the hell is rebecca hall? keep this woman working. she goes to the head of my class. and damn blake lively breaks out as a strung out single mom leaving her rather glamorous image way in the dust. give her a supporting nom now! 

run now to see this film...yes film. it soars way above 'movie'. it's almost a work of art. keep on directing ben. you're a natural.

Song of the Day: 'Cherish'

'cherish' by david cassidy

i unashamedly admit i love petula clark and 'cherish' her gift of music she has shared with us as a singer and song writer

the original by the association

Song of the Day: 'Love Child'

the supremes 'love child' extended mix

PERHAPS THAT IDIOTS DAUGHTER SHOULD DANCE TO THIS ON 'DANCING WITH THE STARS'

seems appropriate

Crime Watch in the news: my interview with the Book Council

Okay, so this is a little bit embarassing, for a couple of reasons. As I've noted here on Crime Watch, in recent times I've started to occasionally find myself on the other side of the interviewer-interviewee pairing, as I've been interviewed about crime fiction, particularly New Zealand crime fiction and the upcoming Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, for articles in some major newspapers and other publications.

In the case of the excellent recent large features by Mark Broatch in the Sunday Star Times (read here), and by Philip Matthews in the Your Weekend magazine of The Press and the Dominion Post (read here), I was one of several 'voices' in the articles, which at least mitigated things (even if I felt a little like the proverbial donkey running the Grand National, given the company). But yesterday another recent interview was published in the monthly e-newsletter the New Zealand Book Council send to all its members, and puts on its website. And this one was focused just on me and my thoughts/opinions. Gulp.

Here's the start of the Book Council interview:


From Cover to Cover
Craig Sisterson: Kiwi Crime Writing Aficionado
Interview by Rachel O'Neill
Not too far behind the scenes of New Zealand crime writing, you are likely to find Craig Sisterson, working (or should I say blogging) his magic. But who is the man behind the features, the interviews, the reviews, and blog Crime Watch? I trail him, just a little, to find out what makes this Kiwi Crime aficionado tick.

I start by lurking in the background – what New Zealand Crime books lodged most memorably in your head?

Read my interview in the e-newsletter here, and the full, longer version of the interview in the 'Readers Section' of the Book Council website here.

Now, here's the really embarassing bit - those of you who clicked through to the e-newsletter (please give it a read) will have seen that this month the Book Council also had a short interview with #1 bestselling crime writer Peter James in the same issue, and yet they lead with my interview and had Peter James second! The world has turned on its head, I tell you.

Don't get me wrong - it is great to get more information about crime fiction, particularly our overlooked but excellent Kiwi stuff, out there more and more, and I'm really grateful that the media is starting to pick up on what may be something pretty cool building here in New Zealand, but I'm still finding it a touch disconcerting to be the interviewee, and mixing in such company. After all, I don't really want any of this to be too much about me - more just the crime writers and their books etc. Although if I'm completely honest, it is a touch flattering, if also embarassing, to be considered a crime fiction 'aficionado'.

What do you think of my interview in the Book Council e-newletter and on their website? What New Zealand crime novels were the first to lodge memorably in your head (they actually asked me what were the first Kiwi crime novels I remembered reading, then tweaked the question slightly in the published version)? Which 3-5 novels or authors would you recommend if you were giving friends a 'start here' list? Do you like meeting authors, or does that dissipate the magic of books for you? What are your thoughts on the growth, if any, in New Zealand crime fiction lately? I'd love you to share your thoughts. Please leave a comment.

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

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

Before we dive in however, I'll just quickly mention that those of you in the North Island of New Zealand who are interesed in crime fiction should pick up a copy of this today's Weekend Herald, as it includes my review of the latest Kiwi crime novel to hit booksellers' shelves - SURRENDER by Donna Malane - in the Canvas magazine.

Onto the round-up.

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

• Last night in The Guardian, 2010 Cartier Diamond Dagger recipient and crime writing legend Val McDermid, whose latest acclaimed thriller TRICK OF THE DARK is partially set back in her old university haunts of Oxford, selected her favourite ten novels set in the 'venerable university town', a list that ranges from the crime tales of Colin Dexter, Edmund Crispin and Dorothy L. Sayers to Evelyn Waugh's BRIDESHEAD REVISITED.
• It was announced earlier this week that UK-born, Toronto-based crime writer Peter Robinson (who appeared on New Zealand TV in recent weeks) has been awarded the $10,000 Harbourfront Festival Prize, which which rewards writers who have had a "substantial contribution to the world of books". Read the full CBC.ca story here.
• Monsters and Critics reviews the DVD of the second season of Castle, a TV cop show that stars Nathan Fillion as a crime novelist who gets involved in the investigation of real-life cases alongside a female cop he is basing his new character on.
• The Idaho Mountain Express has a nice interview article with prolific crime writer Ridley Pearson, who has written more than 25 crime novels, been on the New York Times bestseller list, and whose latest release IN HARM'S WAY is another instalment in the adventures of small-town Sheriff Walt Fleming, who apparently is based on a real-life Sheriff who is a close friend of the author.
• Keith Stuart of The Guardian blog asks whether interactive fiction is the future in the digital age, and if so, how it might work well, and not so well.
• Susan Fish of The Record reviews the latest novel from multiple-award-winning Canadian crime writer Louise Penny, BURY YOUR DEAD, while also touching on the 'Good Reads' programme - 100 page books designed for adult literacy learners by top Canadian authors. Penny's THE HANGMAN is one of six Good Reads books being released in 2010.
• Gina Doggett of AFP talks to bestselling crime writer Donna Leon about living in, writing about, but still maintaing a largely anonymous life in Venice, Italy.

So what stories most intrigue you this week? Do you agree with Val McDermid's top 10 Oxford-set stories - has she missed any great ones out? Have you watched the TV show Castle or read Ridley Pearson's novels? What are your thoughts on interactive fiction - did you used to read the 'choose your own adventure' books that were very popular back in the 1980s? What do you think about big-name authors like Louise Penny writing shorter books specifically for adult literacy learners? Thoughts and comments welcome.

Song of the Day: From 'Next to Normal'

the tony award performance with tony winner for best actress the brilliant alice ripley

Auckland Launch of NZSA Pindar Publishing Prize winning novel, SURRENDER by Donna Malane

Last night I was fortunate enough to attend the official Auckland launch of SURRENDER, the debut crime thriller from Wellington writer Donna Malane that earlier this year won the inaugural NZSA Pindar Publishing Prize (see picture above).

As I noted back in June, Wellington screenwriter and producer Malane (Until Proven Innocent, Duggan, Blood Lines, The Insider's Guide to Love, The Strip, etc) rose to the top of more than 500 entries to by win the NZSA Pindar Publishing Prize - which was open to writing in any genre, including non-fiction and poetry and short story collections - for her then unpublished thriller about a woman delving into the seadier side of Wellington while she looks into the deaths of her sister, and the man she'd suspected of killing her.

SURRENDER has now been in Whitcoulls and Borders stores for a week now, and I've perosnally seen a fair few copies being sold while I've been browsing the past few days, so hopefully it will hit the New Zealand Adult Fiction bestseller list next week, and plenty of Kiwis will give it a go as the publicity and word of mouth starts to roll out in the coming days and weeks.

You can read a good article about Malane, her novel, and the inaugural prize, by New Zealand Herald Books Editor Linda Herrick, here.

Here is the 'back cover blurb' for SURRENDER:

"Missing persons expert, Diane Rowe, is used to making sense of other people’s lives. Pity she’s not having much luck with her own. The brutal murder of her little sister, and the break-up of her marriage, have tested her usual tough optimism.

When Niki’s killer turns up dead, Diane sets out to nail the truth. But uncovering Niki’s seedy past reveals truths and dangers she never expected – or wanted – to face.

And then there’s that little matter of the decapitated body that’s turned up in the Rimutaka State Forest. Now she’s determined to make sense of it all – whatever it takes."

New Zealand author and editor Graham Lay, one of the judging panel for the inaugural award, describes SURRENDER as "a gripping narrative with an intriguing mix of brutality, mystery and humour... vivid writing and a great central character."

I read an advance copy of the novel a fortnight ago, and really enjoyed it, finding it more and more absorbing as it went on. I understand my review of SURRENDER is scheduled to be published in the Canvas magazine of tomorrow's Weekend Herald, so I will republish that review for you all here early next week (and/or link to the Herald's website if they place the review online). I also have Sarah Gumbley reviewing SURRENDER for Crime Watch (since I've reviewed the book for the Herald), and her review will be published here in the coming days also.

And remember, to get the award-winning novel for only NZD$10, half price – simply clip the voucher printed in The New Zealand Herald between 16 September and 16 October 2010 and take this to a Whitcoulls or Borders store nationwide (example above). Offer available while stocks last.

Kudos to the New Zealand Society of Authors, Pindar Publishing, the New Zealand Herald, Red Group (who own Whitcoulls and Borders), Astra Print, and Creative New Zealand, who all came together to make the inaugural prize possible. Hopefully the readers will give the winning book a go, thereby encouraging them all to run the Prize again in future. It's a great way for talented 'undiscovered' novelists and writers to have an opportunity of breaking into the publishing world. If Malane's debut adult thriller is anything to go by, there is plenty of talent out there worthy of being published and read.

What do you think of 'unpublished' writer competitions and prizes? Do you like the sound of SURRENDER? Will you be giving it a go? Have you watched any of Malane's TV productions (you can read my review of Until Proven Innocent here)? Thoughts and comments welcome.