Kiwi crime queen Vanda Symon reviews Donna Malane's SURRENDER for Radio New Zealand

This afternoon, as part of its regular book reviews slot on Jim Mora's Afternoons programme, Radio New Zealand addressed award-winning New Zealand thriller novel SURRENDER, written by Wellington-based TV screenwriter and producer Donna Malane.

The reviewer was someone who knows more than a fair bit about crime fiction - Kiwi crime writer and Ngaio Marsh Award finalist Vanda Symon, the creator of the excellent Sam Shephard series set in the southern part of the South Island. Symon regularly reviews a variety of books for Mora's Afternoons programme (eg listen to Symon's recent reviews of Val McDermid's TRICK OF THE DARK and Peter Robinson's BAD BOY here).

Despite SURRENDER being "her competition" (as Mora jokes), Symon gives a very positive review of Malane's debut adult thriller - "a cracker" - particularly praising the main character Diane Rowe. "I loved this character," says Symon. "She's tough, funny... and most importantly for crime fiction not afraid of going the extra mile and getting herself into serious trouble, which she does plenty of." You can listen to Symon's full review of SURRENDER here.

For those that are interested, the second book Symon reviewed today wasn't crime fiction, but was also very intriguing (and is staring at me now from my bookshelf), STORYTELLER, the biography of that wonderful writer, Roald Dahl.

You can read my Weekend Herald review of SURRENDER here, and Mira Bradshaw's review of the novel on TVNZ.co.nz here. The book has been getting plenty of praise from those that have read it thusfar, so it will be interesting to see whether it'll be in the mix for the 2011 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel.

Have you read SURRENDER? If so, what do you think? If not, does it sound like a book you'd like to try? What did you think of Vanda Symon's review? Are you a Roald Dahl fan? Thoughts and comments welcome.

9mm: An interview with Donna Malane

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

We've had a bit of a run of international authors in the 9mm series lately, so I thought that today I would share another New Zealand writer with you. So, for the the 39th instalment in the 9mm series, Crime Watch is talking to Donna Malane, the author behind SURRENDER, which won the inaugural NZSA-Pindar Publishing Prize, and was released last month.

Although SURRENDER (read my review for the New Zealand Herald here) is Malane's first foray into book-based crime fiction, she does have quite a true crime and crime fiction pedigree on the small screen. During her years researching and writing re-enactments for television’s Crimewatch series, Donna had unprecedented access to police files and cases. During that time she formed enduring relationships with police, forensic scientists, lawyers, victims and their families, as well as with the odd (and some not so odd) criminal.

Then, while continuing to write and produce a wide variety of prime-time television dramas and documentaries, Donna continued her interest in and enjoyment of writing crime drama. She wrote for the television police drama series Shark in the Park, the international doco-drama series Indelible Evidence, crime drama series Duggan (for which she won Best Drama Script at the New Zealand Film and Television Awards in 2000) and in 2008 co-wrote and produced the film for television Until Proven Innocent, the story of the wrongful conviction of David Dougherty for the rape and abduction of his 11 year old neighbour. Until Proven Innocent won seven major awards at the 2009 Film and Television Awards, including Best Drama. You can read my review of that telemovie here.

I understand SURRENDER is intended to be the first of a series featuring heroine Dianne Rowe. For those of you in the Wellington area, Malane will be signing copies of SURRENDER at the Whitcoulls Lambton Quay store at 12:30pm.

But for now, Donna Malane stares down the barrel of 9mm.

The Crime Watch 9mm Author Interview: Donna Malane

Who is your favourite recurring crime fiction hero/detective?
Kinsey Millhone because she’s so resilient. Kurt Wallander because he’s so bleak. Taggart because he was so grumpy. DCI Jane Tennison because she was so flawed.

What was the very first book you remember reading and really loving, and why?

Black Beauty. The chapter in which Ginger dies had me howling for weeks. Actually, the very first book I remember reading was a little ‘first reader’ of Chicken Little. I must have been five I guess. I distinctly remember the first time I read a sentence and I realised that those black squiggles on the page had meaning. That words had the power to make things appear in my imagination. To be honest, the realisation terrified me.

Before your debut crime novel, what else had you written (if anything) unpublished manuscripts, short stories, articles?

Heaps of television: In the crime genre, Until proven Innocent (90 minute drama). Bloodlines (90 min drama). Duggan (2 x 90 min dramas and 2 x 1hr), Indelible Evidence (2x 1hr doco-dramas). I also wrote the re-enactments for television’s Crime Watch for years. Books; A GIRL'S GUIDE TO RUGBY (humour/sports), ALIENTIME (young adult fiction).

Outside of writing, and touring and promotional commitments, what do you really like to do, leisure and activity-wise?

Swim. It’s become an unhealthy obsession.

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?

Go visit the dog beach at the airport end of Lyall Bay. At times there’s around 50 or so dogs there having a great time. It’s definitely where dogs go to have fun. But actually, Wellington is my adopted home town. Dunedin is my real home town. It’s where I was born and where my family live. The creepy kelp at St Clair is really worth a look.

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

Any answer to that question is way too revealing! Okay, well, I identified with Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect but that was probably more to do with Lynda LaPlante’s writing as Helen’s acting. Still, I’d be pretty happy to have Helen play me.

Of your writings, which is your favourite, and why?

That would have to be Surrender. It’s only been on the shelves for a [couple of weeks] so I think it deserves to be my favourite.

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 felt it didn’t belong to me anymore. While I was writing Surrender, I kept it very private. Hardly anyone knew I was writing it and I didn’t ask anyone to read the manuscript until it was finished. Even then I didn’t really want to share it. When I saw the published book in the shops I thought it belongs to readers now, not me. It is a bit like watching your child head off into the school playgrounds for the first time. You know they’ve gone off into the world and you hope like hell people like and are nice to them. And you hope they don’t get run over by a bus or picked on by bullies...

What is the strangest or most unusual experience you have had at a book signing, author event, or literary festival?

When I was signing books at the launch in Auckland this week, someone asked me to write ‘thanks for the great shag’ in their copy.

Thank you Donna Malane We really appreciate you taking the time to talk with Crime Watch.

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So what do you think of this 9mm interview? Have you read SURRENDER? Or seen any of Malane's TV projects? Do you like the sound of crime fiction set in the seedier side of Wellington? I'd love to read your comments. Please share your thoughts.

Meet award-winning debutant crime writer Donna Malane in Wellington next week

Those in or near the Wellington area have a chance to meet hometown crime writer and award-winning TV scriptwriter and producer Donna Malane next Monday evening. Malane already had a few awards on her mantelpiece thanks to her involvement in high quality TV productions like Until Proven Innocent, when earlier this year she won the inaugural NZSA Pindar Publishing Prize for the manuscript of her debut adult novel, the crime thriller SURRENDER.

Although SURRENDER (read my review for the New Zealand Herald here) is Malane's first foray into book-based crime fiction, she does have quite a true crime and crime fiction pedigree on the small screen. During her years researching and writing re-enactments for television’s Crimewatch series, Donna had unprecedented access to police files and cases. During that time she formed enduring relationships with police, forensic scientists, lawyers, victims and their families, as well as with the odd (and some not so odd) criminal.

Then, while continuing to write and produce a wide variety of prime-time television dramas and documentaries, Donna continued her interest in and enjoyment of writing crime drama. She wrote for the television police drama series Shark in the Park, the international doco-drama series Indelible Evidence, crime drama series Duggan (for which she won Best Drama Script at the New Zealand Film and Television Awards in 2000) and in 2008 co-wrote and produced the film for television Until Proven Innocent, the story of the wrongful conviction of David Dougherty for the rape and abduction of his 11 year old neighbour. Until Proven Innocent won seven major awards at the 2009 Film and Television Awards, including Best Drama. You can read my review of that telemovie here.

I was fortunate enough to meet Malane at the Auckland launch of SURRENDER in late September. Along with being a very good writer, she's also an interesting person - so I would heartily recommend any readers who are in or near Wellington to head along to the event next Monday evening. It should be a lot of fun.

Meet the winner of the 2010 NZSA-Pindar Publishing Prize

Monday 11 October

at Thistle Inn, 3 Mulgrave St, Thordon

starting 7.30 pm

NZSA members $2

non-members $3

Just a reminder that you can also go into the draw to win your own brand new copy of SURRENDER here. The Crime Watch giveaway is open worldwide, and thanks to the good number of entries already, I will now be giving away multiple copies of the book. So if you haven't entered yet, make sure you head here and get yourself in the draw!

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.

Prize-winning author joins the Kiwi crime ranks next week

As I noted back in June, crime rose to the top with the inaugural NZSA Pindar Publishing Prize, with Wellington screenwriter and producer Donna Malane (Until Proven Innocent, Duggan, Blood Lines, The Insider's Guide to Love, The Strip, etc) winning for her 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.

Launched last December (entries had to be in by March), the award was in effect something of a 'talent search', offering budding authors (in any genre and style, including novels, short story collections, poetry and non-fiction) the chance to be professionally edited, produced, marketed and distributed throughout New Zealand.

Now Malane's prize-winning novel, SURRENDER, will be launched next week, on Thursday 16 September. I have been sent an advance review copy, and am really enjoying it thusfar (about quarter of the way through). I will be writing a review for the Weekend Herald, so I won't say any more about my specific thoughts right now.

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, which will be available from Whitcoulls and Borders stores nationwide next week.

"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."

It's great to see more quality Kiwi crime writers joining the published ranks, adding to the burgeoning evidence that New Zealanders really should give locally-written crime and thriller fiction more of a go. In further great news, I understand SURRENDER is intended to be the first book in a series.

Update: 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. Offer available while stocks last.

Will you be giving SURRENDER a go? Do you like the sound of Malane's debut novel? What do you think of the cover and the blurb? Do you like the idea of Wellington-set crime fiction? Thoughts and comments welcome.