Reviews: THE DROP by Michael Connelly, THE LOCK ARTIST by Steve Hamilton, and TRACES OF RED by Paddy Richardson

This year I've been asked to provide a monthly crime fiction round-up for the Herald on Sunday, one of New Zealand's most well-known newspapers. I'm very pleased to be able to contribute in my small way to getting crime fiction into the books sections of some local media. My latest column was published yesterday NZT. As I've said before, these are just 'mini-reviews' of only 100 words or so, so I can't go into great depth about any of the books, but hopefully I provide readers with a little bit of an indication.

Crime Picks

The Drop
By Michael Connelly (Allen & Unwin, $39.99)
Put simply, Michael Connelly is a modern master of crime fiction, and LAPD detective Harry Bosch is one of the genre’s greatest characters. Connelly has an uncanny knack for keeping a long-running series fresh. Now, Bosch is spending his final pre-retirement years working cold cases, including one that threatens the integrity of the new Regional Crime Lab, when he’s hauled into a fresh investigation - the seems-like-suicide death of the son of his long-time nemesis, Councilman Irvin Irving. Readers are given a gripping, high quality ride as Bosch tries to find the truth behind the collision of police and politics.

The Lock Artist
By Steve Hamilton (Orion, $29.99)
Winner of the prestigious Edgar Award, this intriguing tale centres on Michael, who survived a terrible incident as a kid, but has never spoken since. The story switches between two major periods in Michael’s life, including his teenage years where he discovers his uncanny ability to open locks, and a prank gone wrong brings him into contact with a man who will end up changing his life. A mixture of thrills and chills as Michael goes about a rollercoaster criminal career, and an interesting character study of a troubled young man trying to escape from his tough life.

Traces of Red
By Paddy Richardson (Penguin, $30.00)
Acclaimed Dunedin author Richardson once again shows her skill at mixing personal drama and creepy psychological chills in her latest novel. Struggling television journalist Rebecca Thorne needs a big story, and thinks she might have found it when she discovers despised convicted triple murderer Connor Bligh might have a chance at freedom. Richardson excels at evoking the human aspects behind the plotline, as Rebecca struggles with her status and career, her relationships with Bligh’s barrister, a married man, and her interactions with many others as she tries to dig the truth from the past.

Craig Sisterson helped establish the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel. He writes about crime and thriller fiction for several publications here and overseas, and blogs at http://goldenglobenominees.blogspot.com/.

Have you read any of these authors or books? If so, what were your thoughts? Do the reviews make you more or less likely to want to read these three books? What books should I feature next month?

The Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards 2011: Winners Revealed

Cactus TV and ITV3, in partnership with the Crime Writers' Association (CWA), are pleased to announce the winners of the Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards 2011, a celebration of all things criminal in literature, TV and film.

A host of famous faces from the TV, Film and Publishing crime scenes gathered on the black carpet for a gala awards ceremony celebrating the very best law-breaking of the year at London's Grosvenor House Hotel. Marcus Brigstocke returned to lead the charge as presenter, in an evening which perfectly topped the six-week build up over the 2011 season documentary series The A-Z of Crime, featuring the shortlisted nominees for the ITV3 People's Bestseller Dagger 2011.

Winners on the night were:

• ITV3 People's Bestseller Dagger 2011: Peter James
• CWA Gold Dagger: Tom Franklin's Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
• CWA Ian Fleming: Steel Dagger for Best Thriller: Steve Hamilton's The Lock Artist
• CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger: S.J. Watson's Before I Go To Sleep.

The CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger was awarded to S.J. Watson, named the best new crime author of the year for Before I Go To Sleep. With the film rights already owned by Ridley Scott we hope to see the film version back to blag the Film Dagger before too long! It was a tough slog to the finish however, and each of the shortlisted authors (Danny Miller for Kiss Me Quick, Sam Hawken for The Dead Woman of Juarez, and Conor Fitzgerald for The Dogs of Rome) are sure to become regular faces on the black carpet.
SJ Watson said: "I'm stunned and delighted! It was such an honour to have been shortlisted for the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger, but to have actually won, especially when up against such fine books, is incredible!"

Tom Franklin's Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter beat of stiff competition for CWA Gold Dagger from A.D. Miller's Snowdrops, Denise Mina's The End of The Wasp Season, and The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton, in a fitting climax to the evening. Tom Franklin said: "What an amazing long list! What an amazing short list! I'm truly happy just for the company, and everything else is gravy. All my thanks."

Steve Hamilton did not leave the night empty-handed however - as much like his protagonist Mike who picks locks and breaks safes, The Lock Artist snuck past its rivals to win the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for Best Thriller. The title saw off competition from S.J.Watson's Before I Go To Sleep, The Good Son by Michael Gruber and Craig Smith's Cold Rain.

Steve Hamilton said: "Ian Fleming's work represents everything I've always loved about storytelling, whether it be books or movies. I can't even express how honoured I am to receive an award with his name on it."

ITV3 People's Bestseller Dagger 2011 was given to Peter James. Peter James said: "The is a wonderful award that strikes at the very heart of what good books are all about: Enthralling readers with gripping, page-turning fiction - and decided not by an elite committee but by the very people who read and loved them - the general public. I don't think there can be a higher accolade for any author and I could not be more thrilled."

The viewers had been voting over the 6 week Crime Thriller Season to decide on the winner of the People's Bestseller Award. Amanda Ross, creator and Executive Producer of the Awards said: "It was amazing to see such a close fought contest and thanks to the success of the pre-awards series, more people than ever before voted for their favourite author".

TV and film are the perfect media for crime fiction, and some of the genre's best-loved detectives - from Marple to Morse - have been immortalised in this way. This year's Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards honoured the stars of the small and silver screens, as well as the films and series they feature in. The nominees included actors Idris Elba, last year's Best Actress Dagger winner Maxine Peake, Brenda Blethyn, Rufus Sewell and Rafe Spall, and the winners are as follows:

• THE FILM DAGGER: True Grit (Paramount Pictures)
• THE TV DAGGER: Case Histories (Ruby Films, BBC One)
• THE INTERNATIONAL TV DAGGER: The Killing, (Arrow Films, BBC4)
• BEST ACTRESS DAGGER: Sofie Gråbøl for The Killing (Arrow Films, BBC4)
• BEST ACTOR DAGGER: Idris Elba for Luther (BBC One) - pictured
• BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR DAGGER: Rafe Spall for The Shadow Line (Company Pictures, BBC Two)
• BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS DAGGER: Ann Eleonora Jørgensen for The Killing (Arrow Films, BBC 4)