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

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

Before we dive in however, I'll just quickly mention that those of you who don't live in the North Island of New Zealand, and so couldn't get the print version of the Weekend Herald last week, can now read my full review of Donna Malane's debut crime novel SURRENDER here.

Thanks again to Linda Herrick and the NZ Herald for allowing me to republish my reviews and features for them here on Crime Watch, for all of you to read (if you want). And of course you can go into the draw to win yourself a brand new copy of Malane's NZSA-Pindar Publishing Prize-winning debut, here.

Onto the round-up.

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

• The Hollywood Reporter has, well, reported, that Swedish production company (makers of thriller 'Easy Money') have announced a wide-ranging film and TV deal with bestselling crime author Camilla Lackberg. Lackberg and Tre Vanner will develop a 10 x 90 minute television series based on the characters in her crime novels. The series, called "The Fjallbacka Murders" will be set in the small Swedish town of Fjallbacka, where Lackberg was born and where all her novels take place. Read more here.
• In an interesting article, Stieg Larsson's friend Kurdo Baksi reveals to Vit Wagner of The Star how Larsson would have reacted, dealt with and coped (or not) with the phenomenal success of his Millennium trilogy, what his friend would have thought of his 'celebrity', and how a Larsson memoir has enabled Baksi to move on with his life.
• The first episode of the TV adaptation of Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks novels screened in the UK this week, proving a hit in the ratings.
• The creator of the terrific TV crime series The Wire, David Simon, has won a prestigious MacArthur 'genius' Award, which carries with it a $500,000 no-strings-attached grant over five years. Read more here.
• Holly Colmes of the Gwinnett Daily Post takes a look at mystery author Lee Martin, who grew up amongst the West Virginia coal fields before a career as a highly-decorated soldier.
• Margot Kinberg of Confessions of a Mystery Novelist takes a closer look at the use of 'leaps of faith' by characters in a wide variety of mystery novels over the decades, ranging from the Golden Age cosy queenpins like Christies, Sayers and Marsh to gritty modern masters like Michael Connelly.

What do you think of this week's round-up? Which articles or posts did you find most interesting? Are you pleased by the thought of more Swedish crime hitting the screen? Are you a Lackberg fan? What did you think of DCI Banks: Aftermath? Were you a fan of The Wire? How much do you think a writer's background influences their crime fiction? What are some of your favourite 'leaps of faith' by crime fiction characters?