Critically acclaimed crime series premieres on New Zealand television tonight!

I've heard some very good things about this new (for NZ) television series, and I'm looking forward to seeing it for myself tonight. More comment to come.

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 find an interesting article or two linked here, that you enjoy reading.

Just a quick reminder that those in and around the Canterbury region in New Zealand's South Island should strongly consider heading along to the "Whodunnit and Whowunnit" event in a couple of weeks time (Tuesday 30 November). I will be MC-ing a crime fiction panel discussion with finalists Neil Cross and Vanda Symon, and Christchurch-based international bestseller Paul Cleave, followed by the presentation of the first-ever Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel. It should be a great night. You can read more about the evening here. Contact Ruth Todd on 03 384 4721 or ruth.todd@xtra.co.nz for tickets ($10, includes a glass of wine and nibbles).

Onto the round-up.

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

• Bruce Ward of The Ottawa Citizen asks whether Canadian writers need to set their books south of the border to get well-deserved attention as he takes a look at the latest mystery novel from the Citizen's own poltical columnist Randall Denley, ONE DEAD SISTER, "a beguiling tale of a powerful political family and an unsolved murder that happened 30 years ago in a town in the Adirondacks".
• Bestselling British crime writer Peter James shares insights from his personal battle with Type 2 diabetes - causes and effective management - in an article for the Mail Online.
• The Southwest Riverside News Network profiles author Jeri Westerson, who lives in a small Southern California town but sets her Shamus Award-winning mystery series in medieval England, with a former knight as the whodunnit hero. Westerson talks about the power of persistence and following your heart rather than publishing trends.
• Norman at Crime Scraps revisits one of the most influential and all-time great crime fiction series, the Martin Beck books by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo, to see if the novels are still as good as he remembers.
• Jonathan Segura profiles legendary US crime writer and "the coolest man in America", 85-year-old Elmore Leonard, in an interesting feature for Publishers Weekly.
• While reviewing John Banville's latest novel under his well-known Benjamin Black semi-pseudonym, Rosemary Goring of Herald Scotland asks what pushes an author to write under a pen name? An interesting question, as one of the finalists for the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel is the unknown writer who goes by Alix Bosco.
• Diane Makovsky of Fredericksburg.com takes a look at COLLUSION, the sophmore effort from Irish thriller writer Stuart Neville, whose debut THE TWELVE (aka THE GHOSTS OF BELFAST in the United States) received widespread raves all around the world.
• Joe Nimmo of the Portsmouth News reports on the mysteries of crime fiction and the realities of crime-fighting were revealed during Portsmouth BookFest's recent Crime and the City event, where internationally-acclaimed crime writers were joined by police and forensic experts to uncover the facts behind the fiction.

Have you read Elmore Leonard? Is he the coolest guy in America? Do Canadian writers need to consider US settings to get more attention? What are your thoughts on pseudonyms? Have you read Stuart Neville? Do you enjoy historical mysteries? Thoughts and comments welcome.

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 find an interesting article or two linked here, that you enjoy reading.

Of course the finalists for the second annual edition of the Ireland AM Crime Fiction Award were announced this week too. It was great to see Ireland begin to recognise and celebrate its crime fiction in this way in 2009, and long may it continue. Of course here in New Zealand we are also looking to start appreciating our own crime and thriller fiction more as well, via our own new award. I hope to have confirmed details about the (earthquake-delayed) event to announce the inaugural winner for you in the next day or so. It's probable the event will be in mid/late November.

Onto the round-up.

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

• Anna Maria Basquez of the Daily Camera talks to Colorado author Blake Crouch about his latest crime novel SNOWBOUND, which deals with the issue of human trafficking.
• In a very interesting article Alan Rinzler of The Book Deal (an inside look at publishing) talks about how "mystery fiction and crime fiction is bloody booming", and outlines some of the reasons for the success of the genre, including cross-gender popularity.
• Brian Tallerico of HollywoodChicago.com takes a closer look at the latest crime novel from legendary octogenarian Elmore Leonard, DJIBOUTI, which shows plenty of the trademark Leonard themes despite being set halfway around the world from his usual haunts.
• Adrian Jawort of Indian Country Today reports on Arapaho historian and mystery author Margaret Coel being inspired by Tony Hillerman, and now being honoured for her own Wind River mystery series that weaves in "Plains Indians" culture.
• The Irish Times takes a look at the opening of National Anthem, the debut play from acclaimed comic crime writer Colin Bateman.
• In the first of TV show The Hour's new new Hour Book segments, viewer Jessica Bazinet gave her opinion of "the world's best selling mystery novel" (100 million copies sold), Agatha Christie's AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (originally entitled TEN LITTLE NIGGERS, it has also been published under the name TEN LITTLE INDIANS).
• Crime and thriller fiction is featured amongst the shortlists for the Galaxy National Book Awards, which "showcase the best of British publishing, celebrating books with wide popular appeal, critical acclaim and commercial success", with Lee Child's WORTH DYING FOR and Peter James's DEAD LIKE YOU in the running for the popular fiction award.
• Matthew Reisz of The Times Higher Education takes a look at how creative writing courses are now increasingly looking to teach "more varied and potentially lucrative kinds of writing" (ie popular or genre fiction as well as literary or 'highbrow' fiction and poetry).

Is mystery and crime fiction booming, or has it always been strong? Do you like the sound of an Elmore Leonard tale set in Africa? Have you read the Native American-influenced mysteries of Tony Hillerman or Margaret Coel? Have you ever read the world's most popular mystery novel ever (under whichever of the three titles)? Should creative writing courses be more open to those wanting to write popular fiction?