Newsy Stuff

La Bòbila reports the Spanish Crime Fiction Awards in 2010.

The Pepe Carvalho Award to the Spanish writer Andreu Martín is not included here, the award ceremony will take place in 2011.

Premio L'H Confidencial 2010, premio internacional de novela negra: Caminos cruzados, (Cross Roads) Erlantz Gamboa (Roca)

Premio Pepe Carvalho: Ian Rankin

IV Premio internacional de novela negra "Ciudad de Carmona": La Frontera Sur, (Carmona City: The Southern Border) José Luis Muñoz (Almuzara)

III Premi Crims de Tinta: Negres tempestes, (Black Tempest) Teresa Solana (La Magrana)Premi Ferran Canyameres de Novel•la: Detalls culinaris, de Josep Torrent (Pagès)

Premios Brigada 21

Best novel written in Spanish (Catalan): Emulsió de ferro, (Emulsió of ferro) Sebastià Jovani (La Magrana)

Best novel translated to Spanish (Catalan): La dona de verd, (Silence of the Grave) Arnaldur Indridason (La Magrana)

Best first novel: Tarde, mal y nunca, (Better Late than Never) Carlos Zanón (Saymon)

Best novel in Spanish (Castilian): La playa de los ahogados, (Death on a Galician Shore) Domingo Villar (Siruela)

Best novel translated to Spanish (Castilian): El poder del perro, (The Power of the Dog) Don Winslow (Mondadori)

Florenci Clavé Award to the best book cover: Trago Amargo, (Bitter Drink) F.G. Haggenbeck (Roca)

Premio Dashiell Hammett: Ciudad Santa, (Holy City) Guillermo Orsi (Almuzara)
XII Premio Francisco García Pavón: Frío de muerte (Cold Death), Manuel Nonídez (Rey Lear)
VIII Premio Novelpol: El poder del perro, Don Winslow (Mondadori)
XIV Premio Ciudad de Getafe de Novela Negra: No hay perro que viva tanto, (No Dog Live as Long) Francisco Balbuena (Edaf)
Premio internacional de novela negra RBA 2010: Live Wire, Harlan Coben (RBA)

Thanks to Mystery Fanfare for the information

There is an excellent interview with crime critic Barry Forshaw on Five Books about Film Noir.

Fans of espionage and The Wire should toddle in down to Killer Reads where there is an excellent interview between Dominic West and Charles Cummings whose latest book Trinity Six will be published next year (February 2011). Dominic West will be helping in the promotion of Trinity Six which has already been rteceiving rave reviews from reviewers.

What more can one say about the phenomenon that is Stieg Larsson? The Telegraph has a piece on the real life murder case that is said to have inspired Larsson.

The Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel has been awarded to Cut and Run by Alix Bosco. The Award was originally scheduled to be given in Christchurch, New Zealand on Friday September 10 at Christchurch Writers Festival but had to be postponed until Tuesday 30 November 2010.

Congratulations also go to Daniel Woodrell whose 2006 novel Winter'sa Bone has won the Best Film Award at the Gotham Film Festival. Winter’s Bone also won the 2010 Sundance Grand Jury Prize.

Brief newsy post

Excellent article in the most recent edition of The Spectator (27 November) from Andrew Taylor about the best recent crime thrillers that have urban settings and are well worth having under having under your tree. They are all worthy books for one to have for Christmas as well. In my opinion Andrew Taylor’s own book – The Anatomy of Ghosts should also be on this list . An elegant gothic tale which was recently shortlisted for the 2010 Ellis Peters Award.

According to Publishers Weekly, Juliet Grames at Soho Press has bought three books in Helene Tursten's bestselling Swedish crime series featuring detective Irene Huss. Anneli Høier at Leonhardt & Høier brokered the deal, and Soho plans to start publishing the books in 2012.

Newsy Stuff

According to Nordic Bookblog The Best Swedish Crime Novel for 2010 has been won by Leif G.W. Persson with his novel Den döende detektiven (The Dying Detective).

As can be expected with the run up to the end of the year, “the best books of the year” are still being revealed. Margaret Cannon has revealed in the Globe and Mail what is called the deathly dozen for 2010. The full list can be found here and it includes such luminaries as Carl Hiaasen , Louise Penny, Philip Kerr, Michael Connelly and Giles Blunt to name some of them.

The Guardian has also selected its best books of the year and I have to admit to being profoundly disappointed with the number of crime novels that made the list. The only two novels to make the list were C J Sansom’s Heartstone and the excellent The Ghost of Belfast (aka The Twelve) by Stuart Neville. It makes me sometimes wonder whether or not people actually read crime novels. I know that they do. The full list can be found here.

Laura Wilson’s crime fiction review round-up can also be found in The Guardian. She reviews the new Anne Holt novel, Edward Wright’s From Blood, Aline Templeton’s Cradle to Grave and Horace McCoy’s 1935 novel They Shoot Horses, Don’t They (reissued by Serpent’s Tail).

The Daily Telegraph have published Part 1 of their fiction books of the year. Sadly, like The Guardian so far only two crime novels have been suggested. Sadie Jones nominates The Existential Detective by Alice Thompson (Two Ravens Press), whilst Mark Billingham puts forward Truth by Peter Temple (Quercus).

The Independent have also released a list of their books for Christmas. The full list can be found here. In the list crime fiction critic Barry Forshaw nominates (under crime and thriller) his selection which includes Heartstone by C J Sansom, Jo NesbØ’s The Snowman and The Holy Thief by William Ryan amongst others.

In the New York Times Jane Maslin has listed her fiction books of 2010. The full list can be found here and includes Don Winslow’s Savages and Lee Child’s 61 Hours.

Excellent article on the Scandinavian invasion by Jordan Foster can be found in Publishers Weekly.

Don’t know how this was missed by Jordan Foster has also interviewed Denise Mina for Publishers Weekly.

The BBC’s version of Douglas Adams's Dirk Gently is due to be shown on BBC4 on Thursday 16 December 2010 at 9:00pm. Hopefully it will be received a lot better than 2005's Hitchhiker's Guide movie.

Faster the latest film featuring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Billy Bob Thornton has just been released. The trailer can be seen below.

After being seen in a number of family (and sometimes annoying) films. Johnson is making his way back into action films where he initially made his name.

In Faster After 10 years in prison, Driver (Dwayne Johnson) has a singular focus - to avenge the murder of his brother during the botched bank robbery that led to his imprisonment. Now a free man with a deadly to-do list in hand, he's finally on his mission...but with two men on his trail - a veteran cop (Billy Bob Thornton) just days from retirement, and a young egocentric hitman (Oliver Jackson-­Cohen) with a flair for the art of killing and a newfound worthy opponent. Whilst already released in the United States, it is not due for release in the UK until February 2011.

Sherlock wins more awards

Congratulations go to the BBC drama Sherlock which won three out of the five awards that it was nominated for at the Royal television Society Craft and Design Awards.

The show won best picture enhancement, best tape and film editing in a drama, and best original title music. The award ceremony took place at the Savoy Hotel on Wednesday 24 November 2010. The full list of nominees and winners can be found here. The crime drama which is an updated and modernised version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes has been a massive hit worldwide since it has been shown. A second series is due to be shown.

Newsy Stuff

According to the Bookseller, the former head of MI5 Dame Stella Rimington is to chair the Man Booker Prize for 2011. Rimington has written 5 fiction novels so far since her retirement as Head of MI5 and her latest novel Deep Secret is due to be published in July 2011.

Susan Hill has also become a judge for the Man Booker Prize according to the Bookseller. Hill known for her novels The Woman in Black and Mrs de Winter (the sequel to Du Maurier’s Rebecca) is also currently the author of five crime novels featuring Detective Simon Serailler. The most recent being The Shadows in the Street (2010)

According to the Bookseller, Serpent’s Tail have acquired the rights to the drug dealing memoir of Nigel Fielding. Fielding was heavily involved in one of the largest LSD drug busts that took place in 1976 which was known as Operation Julie.

This year the Courmayeur Noir Festival is due to take place from 7 to 13 December 2010. It will be celebrating its 20^th edition. The full press release can be found here. Michael Connelly will be honoured with the Raymond Chandler Award.

As part of the Festival the shortlist has been announced for the Premio Scerbanenco award. The finalists are:-

Il giorno dei Morti by (The Day of the Dead) by Maurizio de Giovanni

Tu la Paragas (Thou Paragas) By Marilu Olivia

Ti voglio credere (I want you to believe) by Elisabetta Bucciarelli

Il libro di legno (Wood’s Book) by Gian Mauro Costa

Cicatrici (Scars) by Gianluca Morozzi

For those of you that watch Alibi TV on the satellite and cable channels, you may wish to look out for the following coming in the New Year. On Sunday 2 January 2011 Andie McDowell will be playing DA Monique Lamont in Patricia Cornwell’s At Risk. MacDowell's character is trying to re-open an unsolved 20-year-old murder case when a shocking moment of violence throws her and her colleagues into chaos. The character will return again on Saturday 8 January 2011, this time in Front where she takes on Boston’s most famous criminal. Both programmes will be shown at 9:00pm.

Peter May has written an interesting and insightful article on his blog about how he came to write the novel The Blackhouse which is due out in February 2011.

Quercus have joined forces with Jo Fletcher to launch a new imprint. Jo Fletcher will join Quercus at the start of next year. The imprint will be known as Jo Fletcher Books and will publish Sci-fi, Horror and Fantasy.

London Boulevard (Part 2)

The Daily Telegraph also have an interview with Collin Farrell which can be seen below.

Shortlist have also got an interview with Colin Farrell which can be found at this link

London Boulevard

The UK release of the film London Boulevard takes place tomorrow 26 November 2010. Based on the novel by Ken Bruen it stars Kiera Knightly, Ray Winstone and Colin Farrell.

The official trailer can be found here




Of course the media blitz has already been in operation. BBC entertainment interviewed Colin Farrell about his role and the interview can be found here.

The Independent have a video interview with Colin Farrell which can be found here.

The Telegraph also have a video interview that can be found here.

Over on the Spinetingler website there is also a review of the film by Scottish Crime writer Russel D McLean.

More news

The Return of Bulldog Drummond?

According to Variety and Britmovie.co.uk Harry Potter producer David Barron is joining with Australian company Fork Films to develop a feature film on the fictional World War 1 character Bulldog Drummond. The full article can be found here. There has also been a renaissance of the radio plays featuring Bulldog Drummond and they can be currently heard on Old Time Radio Podcasts.

Anti-heroes! So why do we love anti-heroes?

Mystery critic Sarah Weinman and Troy Patterson recently discussed this oh so important topic on Minnesota Public Radio.

It looks as if another series by Charlaine Harris is coming to the small screen. CBS are to develop a series based on her Harper Connelly series. The full article from the Examiner can be found here.

According to PR Newswire James Ellroy is due to host a weekly show starting in January 2011 on Investigation Discovery called James Ellroy’s LA: City of Demons. The six part series will showcase Ellory’s personality as he looks into some of Hollywood’s most notorious crimes. The programme has also been written by Ellroy. The first edition of the programme is due to be shown on 19 January 2011 at 10:pm (ET).

According to Hollywood Reporter, Universal have issued the release date for some of its forthcoming films. The release dates include dates for the next Bourne film which is called Bourne Legacy, Safe House which features Denzil Washington, Contraband (a remake of the Icelandic thriller Reykjavik-Rotterdam) staring Mark Whalberg and Kate Beckinsdale.

Lee Child has been on CBS 60 minutes. Part of this interview appears to have been filmed at Bouchercon in San Francisco.


Whilst Sara Paretsky has been on KUOW to chat about heroes and tough women. You can listen to the audio version here.

Library Journal best of 2010

The Library Journal have announced their best books of 2010. The complete list can be found here but the Mystery and Thrillers list are as follows:-

Mystery

The Killing Storm by Kathryn Casey (Minotaur: St. Martin's).
Danse Macabre by Gerald Elias (Minotaur: St. Martin's).
Hazard by Gardiner Harris (Minotaur: St. Martin's).
Liar, Liar: A Cat DeLuca Mystery by K J Larsen (Poisoned Pen)
The Masuda Affair: A Sugawara Akitada Novel by I J Parker (Severn House)

Thrillers

The Reversal by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown).
Bodily Harm by Robert Dugoni, (Touchstone: S. & S)

Velocity by Alan Jacobson (Vanguard: Perseus)

Strong Justice by Jon Land (Forge: Tor).

The Book of Spies by Gayle Lynds, (St. Martin's)

Newsy Stuff

He may be dead but Stieg Larsson is still in the news. The Wall Street Journal has an article on previously unpublished emails by Larsson which show how he set out to defy what is considered to be the conventions of the crime fiction genre. The emails published in the book "On Stieg Larsson" is being published as part of the deluxe boxed edition. The book contains four essays about the author as well as emails between the author and his editor Eva Gedin.

In Saturday's Guardian (20 November) there is a round up of John O'Connell's choice of thrillers which include James Lee Burke's new Dave Robicheaux novel The Glass Rainbow, The Last Talk With Lola Faye by Thomas H Cook, Crimson China by Betsy Tobin and Andrew Klavan's The Identity Man. The full round-up can be found here.

Also to be found in the Guardian is a review of the new Eoin McNamee novel Orchid Blue. The review by John Burnside looks at the novel which is once again based on on an historical case which took place in Northern Ireland. Those of you that are familiar with his work will recognise the connection with his 2001 Booker Prize long-listed novel Blue Tango

Jenny Turner (again in the Guardian) has written an article about John Ajvide-Lindqvist's excellent novel Harbour. Lindqvist's latest novel is set on a fictional island where the hero is investigating the disappearance his daughter who has gone missing after he and his wife and the daughter have gone back to the island on a visit.

Maxim Jakubowski's top 10 crime locations are discussed in the Guardian. His book Following the Detectives has been published recently.

The Independent have listed what they consider the 50 best winter reads. The complete list can be found here. At least there are a number of crime novels on the list.

The Independent also have a review of the paperback issue of Arnaldur Indridason's novel Hypothermia.

The Daily Telegraph looks at the new George Clooney film The American and why filmgoers love the lone assassin. Clooney is also said to be rejoining his long-time collaborator Steven Soderbergh in the remake of the classic series The Man from U.N.C.L.E The article can be found here.

CJ Sansom talks about his life in books in the Guardian. The latest book in the Shardlake series is Heartstone and was released this year and was also shortlisted for the Ellis Peters Award.

Brighton Rock (2010) remake Trailer

The 1947 classic version of Brighton Rock is based on Graham Greene's novel of the same name and features Richard Attenborough as Pinkie Brown in a seminal role and Carol Mash as Rose Brown the girl that he marries to stop her from talking.

Pinkie Brown is a small-town hoodlum whose gang runs a protection racket based at Brighton race course. When Pinkie orders the murder of a rival, Fred, the police believe it to be suicide. This doesn't convince Ida, who was with Fred just before he died, and she sets out to find the truth. She comes across naive waitress Rose, who can prove that Fred was murdered. In an attempt to keep Rose quiet Pinkie marries her. But with his gang beginning to doubt his ability, and his rivals taking over his business, Pinkie starts to become more desperate and violent.

The new version is due for release on 4 February 2011.

Rowan Joffe's remake goes back to Graham Greene's novel and this time around stars Helen Mirren staring as Ida Arnold (the role originally taken by Hermione Baddeley), Sam Riley as Pinkie Brown and Andrea Risborough as Rose Brown. It also stars John Hurt and Andy Serkis It is set in the 1960s instead of the books original 1939.

The Lincoln Lawyer Movie Trailer is released!

The Lincoln Lawyer movie trailer has been released - See below.

Based on the novel by Michael Connelly it stars Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, William H Macey, Ryan Phillippe and John Leguziamo. It is due to be released on 18 March 2011 in the UK and the USA.

Midas PR becomes latest new Crimefest sponsor

Congratulations go to Crimefest organisers Adrian Muller and Myles Alfrey.
Midas PR is to become a sponsor of next year's CrimeFest, Britain's international crime fiction convention, which is held annually at the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel. Next year's dates are
19-22 May 2011

As a sponsor, Midas will be providing their public relations services. Together with media partner The Times, this will ensure an increasingly higher profile for the annual convention.

Blackwell returns for the fourth year as the onsite bookseller. Hodder & Stoughton will launch their Mullholland Books imprint at the convention with a pre-gala drinks reception which is open to all CrimeFest delegates.

Featured Guest Authors include Deon Meyer. Don Winslow will be the Toastmaster at the Gala Dinner on 21 May. For an up-to-date line-up of participating authors visit www.crimefest.com/attend.html.

Any author commercially published in the UK is eligible for a panel when registering for a full CrimeFest pass at www.crimefest.com/register.html.

CrimeFest is quickly becoming the most popular date in the crime fiction calendar. The convention is for people who like to read an occasional crime novel as well as for die-hard fanatics. It allows readers and authors to socialise over a weekend of panels, interviews, and its crime writing and Pitch-an-Agent workshops. The latter – think of it as speed-dating for an agent – is a unique opportunity for aspiring authors to skip the slush-pile and to gain representation. Participating agents are Broo Doherty (Wade & Doherty Literary Agency), David Headley ( DHH Literary Agency) and Camilla Wray (Darley Anderson Agency).

For the second year CrimeFest will be hosting a reception for the Crime Writers' Association's announcement of shortlists for their prestigious Dagger Awards.

CrimeFest will announce the winners of their own awards at their Gala Dinner:

- eDunnit Award for best crime ebook of 2010. Prize: £500 and an eReader (sponsor to be confirmed).

- Last Laugh Award for best humorous crime novel of 2010. Prize: £500, sponsored by Goldsboro Books.

- Sounds of Crime Awards for best abridged and unabridged crime audiobooks of 2010. Prize: £1,000 to be shared amongst the winners, sponsored by Audible UK.

Publishers are invited to make submissions. Details are available at www.crimefest.com/submissions.html.

For more information visit www.crimefest.com

Or contact: Adrian Muller, CrimeFest, Basement Flat, 6 Rodney Place, Bristol BS8 4HY. Tel: 0117-9149639. Email: info@crimefest.com

Sara Paretsky - Grand Master 2011 and Raven Awards announced

According to P R Newswire and announced today (18 November 2010) in the United States, Sara Paretsky has been chosen as this year's Grand Master by Mystery Writers of America (MWA). MWA's Grand Master Award represents the pinnacle of achievement in mystery writing and was established to acknowledge important contributions to this genre, as well as a body of work that is both significant and of consistent high quality. Ms. Paretsky will be presented with her award at The Edgar Awards Banquet, which will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City on Thursday, April 28, 2011. When told of being named Grand Master, Paretsky said, "I'm so glad to win this. I'm glad to have this for my very own."

Paretsky revolutionized the mystery world in 1982 with her novel Indemnity. The book introduced detective V.I. Warshawski, a female private investigator who used her wits and fists, challenging a genre in which women typically played minor or passive roles. Paretsky, who lives in Chicago, has written twelve best-selling Warshawski novels. She has also penned a memoir, two stand-alone novels, a collection of short stories, and has edited four anthologies. In 1986 Paretsky founded Sisters in Crime, an organization that supports women crime writers, earning her MS Magazine's 1987 Woman of the Year Award. The British Crime Writers awarded Paretsky both the Cartier Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement and the Gold Dagger for best novel of 2004. Her books are currently published in thirty countries.

"The mystery genre took a seven-league stride thanks to Sara Paretsky, whose gutsy and dauntless protagonist showed that women can be tough guys, too," said Larry Light, Executive Vice President of Mystery Writers of America. "Before, in Sara's words, women in mysteries were either vamps or victims. Her heroine, private eye V.I. Warshawski, is whip-smart and two-fisted, capable of slugging back whiskey and wrecking cars, and afire to redress social injustice."

Two exceptional mystery bookstores will be honored with the 2011 Raven Award. Established in 1953, the award recognizes outstanding achievement in the mystery field outside the realm of creative writing. Once Upon a Crime, in Minneapolis, MN, and Centuries & Sleuths in Chicago, IL, will receive recognition for their contribution to the mystery community. They also will receive their awards at the Edgar Award Banquet in New York City on Thursday, April 28, 2011.

Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore was named one of the Ten Best Bookstores in Chicago by the Chicago Tribune. Many customers have tagged the owner, Augie Alesky, as the coolest bookseller in Chicago. "I have always wanted a Raven. The mystery community is such a great place," Alesky said upon hearing the news.

The store has hosted hundreds of author readings and talks, with both new and established writers. Augie's programs are innovative, including mock trials, debates, and numerous "Meeting of Minds" programs similar to the PBS series. In fact, from the very first days of opening, actors and then authors themselves were encouraged to dress in period costumes to illustrate and dramatize a book. Centuries & Sleuths was nominated for the American Booksellers Association "Bookseller of the Year" award in 2008. The store marks its 20th Anniversary this year.

Once Upon a Crime Mystery Bookstore owners Pat Frovarp and Gary Schulze read, review, promote, and hand-sell mysteries, from small presses and new authors to the biggest best-sellers. Pat was thrilled to hear about the Raven Award. "What a wonderful, wonderful honor!" she said.

Their store is open late to host signings for local and traveling authors, and they host an annual Write of Spring. Every March dozens of Minnesota mystery authors are able to meet hundreds of fans and celebrate the world of mysteries. They are currently taking submissions for a Write of Spring anthology. Pat and Gary are such mystery book enthusiasts that they married at their store on August 1, 2007, five years to the day that they had bought the store from the previous owners. In their wedding photos, Pat held a bouquet of flowers, and Gary held a Maltese Falcon statue. Once Upon a Crime will celebrate 25 years in business in Spring 2012.

Previous Raven winners include Mystery Lovers Bookstore in Oakmont, PA, Kate's Mystery Books in Cambridge, MA, The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and The Poe House in Baltimore, MD.

Previous Grand Masters include Dorothy Gilman, James Lee Burke, Sue Grafton, Bill Pronzini, Stephen King, Marcia Muller, Dick Francis, Mary Higgins Clark, Donald Westlake, Lawrence Block, P.D. James, Ellery Queen, Daphne du Maurier, Alfred Hitchcock, Graham Greene, and Agatha Christie.

The Edgar Awards, or "Edgars," as they are commonly known, are named after MWA's patron saint Edgar Allan Poe and are presented to authors of distinguished work in various categories. Celebrating their 65th anniversary in 2010, MWA is the premier organization for mystery writers, professionals allied to the crime-writing field, aspiring crime writers, and those who are devoted to the genre. The organization encompasses almost 3,000 members in three categories of membership that include authors of fiction and non-fiction books, screen and television writers, as well as publishers, editors, and literary agents. For more information on Mystery Writers of America, please visit the website: http://www.mysterywriters.org/

Tony Hillerman Prize from Minotaur Books

One of the treats at Bouchercon 41 held in October in San Francisco was attending the Minotaur Books cocktail party organized by Hector DeJean [pictured in centre between J A Konrath, aka Jack Killborn and Ken Bruen]. Minotaur Books are tremendous publishers of crime and thrillers, and we were delighted when Hector sent Shots the following information -

WORDHARVEST Writers Workshops and Thomas Dunne Books/ Minotaur Books announced today that Liberty, Indiana resident Tricia Fields' novel The Territory has won in the fourth year of the Tony Hillerman Prize.

Tricia Fields was born in Hawaii but has spent most of her life in small town Indiana, where she lives in a log cabin on a farm with her husband and two daughters. Set in West Texas, The Territory captures the Southwest's inimitable landscape and the current border issues as they affect the regular people living in a remote town near the Rio Grande.

The Tony Hillerman Prize is awarded annually to the best unpublished mystery set in the Southwest written by a first-time author. Previous winners include Roy Chaney, author of The Ragged End of Nowhere, and Christine Barber, author of The Replacement Child and The Bone Fire.

Tony Hillerman's Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee mysteries, set on the Navajo reservation, were the first "regional" mysteries to become national bestsellers. His work has been praised by reviewers and the Navajo Nation for its ability to combine Navajo traditions and beliefs with a well-told mystery story. Hillerman's writing reflects his appreciation for the natural wonders and stark beauty of the American Southwest and its people, particularly the Navajo. His books have been translated into many languages and frequently make the New York Times bestseller list. At age 83, Hillerman passed away on October 26, 2008.

Anne Hillerman, Tony Hillerman's daughter, launched the first Tony Hillerman Writers Conference: Focus on Mystery in 2004 through the business which she co-founded (with Jean Schaumberg), WORDHARVEST Writers Workshops. The conference highlights the art and craft of the mystery and features prominent published mystery writers.

Thomas Dunne Books and Minotaur Books are imprints of St. Martin's Press, which is a subsidiary of Macmillan.

Photo © 2008 Ali Karim featuring J A Konrath [aka Jack Kilborn] with Hector DeJean and Ken Bruen taken at Bouchercon Baltimore

Galaxy Book of the Year Awards 2010 Announced

London, Wednesday 10th November—The winners of the Galaxy National Book Awards 2010, a celebration of the best of British publishing, were tonight revealed at a star-studded awards ceremony at London's prestigious BBC Studios.

Literary veterans Terry Pratchett and Martin Amis took home awards for Outstanding Achievement, in recognition of their unrivalled contribution to the publishing industry.

"I'm delighted," said Martin Amis. "And I take this is as a boost for the so called comic novel. I say so called, because in fact nearly all novels are comic novels."

Terry Pratchett said:

"I'm amazed, you find something that you like doing and do well and keep on doing it and suddenly they give you an award, when all I was really doing was having a lot of fun."

Stephen Fry beat off big competition in the hotly contested Biography category, claiming victory over rival authors who included Tony Blair (booed by one member of the audience) and Lord Alan Sugar. Fry's autobiography The Fry Chronicles was named Tesco Biography of the Year on an evening which saw ten awards presented.

The gala ceremony, recorded at the BBC Television Centre and presented by comedian David Baddiel, has shifted an enhanced focus onto UK writers in a theatre-style venue.

This year there was no separate Crime and Thriller Award, Peter James (Dead Like You) and Lee Child (Worth Dying For) were nominees for Sainsbury’s Popular Fiction Book of the Year. Which was won David Nichols for One Day (Hodder & Stoughton). Roger Jon Ellory also attended and was excited (even though this picture doesn't suggest it!) about his new book SAINTS OF NEW YORK.

The public are now invited to vote online for the Galaxy Book of the Year, the nominees of which comprise winners of all eight categories. Votes can be registered at http://www.galaxynationalbookawards.com/ and the final result will be announced on 13th December.

The Galaxy National Book Awards 2010 and the Booked series are Cactus TV productions (Executive Produced by Amanda Ross) for More4.

For full details of the shortlist please see below:
TESCO BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR
The Fry Chronicles by Stephen Fry (Penguin Group)
TESCO FOOD & DRINK BOOK OF THE YEAR
Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi (Random House)
NATIONAL BOOK TOKENS NEW WRITER OF THE YEAR
The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal (Random House)
MORE4 NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR
The Making Of Modern Britain by Andrew Marr (Pan Macmillan)
SAINSBURY'S POPULAR FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR
One Day by David Nicholls (Hodder & Stoughton)
WATERSTONE'S UK AUTHOR OF THE YEAR
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (Harper Collins)
GALAXY INTERNATIONAL AUTHOR OF THE YEAR
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen (Harper Collins)
WH SMITH CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR
Zog by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler (Scholastic)
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Terry Pratchett
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Martin Amis

Update!!! - The Girl with Dragon Tattoo and The Girl who Played with Fire double bill

Update to free tickets to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl who played with Fire.

More tickets have been freed up. If you are interested then people should go to Momentum Screening and the code is JFD816

The Girl with Dragon Tattoo and The Girl who Played with Fire double bill

STIEG LARSSON’S ‘MILLENNIUM’ PHENOMENON IS COMING TO A CINEMA NEAR YOU – FOR FREE!
For all you hoping to see the films based on the Stieg Larsson books, this weekend you have the opportunity to see a double bill of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Played with Fire. The double bill is being shown at over 40 different cinemas around the country for free! The showings will be back to back with depending on individual sites, Dragon Tattoo will start at 10:30 or 11:00 and then Fire at 13:15 or 13:30.

In a groundbreaking event to launch the UK release of THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNETS’ NEST on 26 November, Momentum Pictures are hosting FREE double bill screenings of the first two films, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO and THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE on Sunday 14th November in over 40 cinemas.

The following cinemas are participating:

Aberdeen Cineworld
Ashford Cineworld
Birmingham Broad Street Cineworld
Bolton Cineworld
Brighton Cineworld
Cambridge Cineworld
Cardiff Cineworld
Castleford Cineworld
Cheltenham Cineworld
Chichester Cineworld
Crawley Cineworld
Didsbury Cineworld
Edinburgh Cineworld
Enfield Cineworld
Glasgow Renfrew Street Cineworld
High Wycombe Cineworld
Ipswich Cineworld
Milton Keynes Cineworld
Nottingham Cineworld
Sheffield Cineworld
Stevenage Cineworld
Wandsworth Cineworld
Basildon Empire
Newcastle Empire
Swindon Empire
Kingston Odeon
Manchester Printworks Odeon
Norwich Odeon
Southampton Odeon
Bluewater Showcase
Bristol De Lux Showcase
Derby De Lux Showcase
Leeds Showcase
Nottingham Showcase
Reading Showcase
Cheshire Oaks Vue
Edinburgh Omni Vue
Portsmouth Vue
Shepherds Bush Vue
Romford Vue

NOOMI RAPACE stars as the mysterious Lisbeth Salander a dangerous and troubled computer hacker with a genius IQ who comes to the aid of wrongly discredited journalist Mikael Blomkvist, played by MICHAEL NYQVIST. In THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, they work together on a long unsolved disappearance and in THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, Salander is on the run from the officials, incriminated in a bloody slaying.

Having sold over 5 million copies in the UK and 45 million worldwide, Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy is the literary phenomenon that’s taken the country and world by storm.

Tickets can be claimed at www.momentumscreenings.com.uk and redemption codes will be made available through national and regional media partners, bookshops, online and through www.facebook.com/thegirl.

For more information on the films please visit www.thegirl.co.uk

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is available on DVD and Blu-Ray Now
THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray on 10 January
THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNETS’ NEST will be released in UK cinemas on 26 November

Images are available on www.picselect.com

Please read the poster! You will need to buy the Daily Mirror today and follow the instructions to take advantage of this opportunity.

More Newsy Stuff

The end of the year is nigh and Publishers Weekly have posted their best of list 2010 books. Crime fiction authors are well represented in a number of categories –

The fiction and mystery category can be found here and here. For some reason they have put The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook under romance? Sadly not one crime novel made their main Best Books of 2010 list. I wonder why?

Amazon.com have also revealed their Editor's Pick Top 100 novels 2010 as well. The complete list can be found here, here, here and here. Amazon.com have also listed Customers Favourites Top 100 novels of 2010. Nos 1-28 are here, 29-56, 57-84 and 85-100. In the Editor's pick there are not even a dozen crime novels on the list. However at least a quarter of the books on the Customers Favourites are crime novels.

As can be expected one can always find more news on Stieg Larsson. Word and Film have an interview with Niels Arden Oplev, who directed the original “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” about why women want to be Lisabeth Salander.

Another article regarding the remake of the original film can be found in the Guardian. The director (and quite rightly so in my opinion) says that Noomi Rapace the “original actress” to play Lisabeth Salander should not be forgotten as a result of the remake taking place in Hollywood. But is this a case of jealousy? I would hope not. Personally Noomi Rapace is for me Lisabeth Salander, but it will be interesting to see what the remake is like.

So did he or didn’t he? It looks like the case of he did not.

Baroness James (better known as PD James) has refuted in her local newspaper the story that Salman Rushdie used her home as a hideout during the period he was in hiding.

The dates of the 2011 Reading Festival of Crime Writing have been announced. They are 15 to 18 September 2011. More information can be found on the Festival Website. It is a shame that it is going to clash with Bouchercon in St Louis which is on at the same time. They might want to consider changing the dates!

Literary Kicks have an excellent list up on their site at the moment. Crimestars: Ten Prophets of the Golden Age of Ultraviolence. The list highlights a new breed of writers that discerning readers (in my opinion) should have on their bookshelves. The writers on the list are certainly ones that should be read but I have to admit that my favourite authors on the list are:- Charlie Houston, Duane Swierczynski, Allan Guthrie and Adrian McKinty. That is not to say that I do not like the others or have not read any of them. The only thing I can say is check them out. You will be pleasantly surprised!

Newsy Stuff - Awards and nominations

The award season is not yet over –

The Romantic Times have released their nominations for the Reviewer Choice Awards. There are five categories for crime fiction and winners will be announced during the 2011 RT Book Lovers’ Convention, scheduled for April 6-10 2011 in Los Angeles.

The nominations are as follows:-

Best Contemporary Mystery:

212, by Alafair Burke (Harper)

Pray for Silence, by Linda Castillo (Minotaur)

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, by Tom Franklin (Morrow)On the Line, by S.J. Rozan (Minotaur)
Moonlight Mile, by Dennis Lehane (Morrow)

Best Historical Mystery:

City of Dragons, by Kelli Stanley (Minotaur)

An Impartial Witness, by Charles Todd (Morrow)
Royal Blood, by Rhys Bowen (Prime Crime)

The Demon’s Parchment, by Jeri Westerson (Minotaur)

Dark Road to Darjeeling, by Deanna Raybourn (Mira)

Best First Mystery:

Blacklands, by Belinda Bauer (Simon & Schuster)

The Ark, by Boyd Morrison (Touchstone)

Still Missing, by Chevy Stevens (St. Martin’s Press)

Murder at Mansfield Park, by Lynn Shepherd (St. Martin’s Griffin)

Devoured by D.E. Meredith (Minotaur)

Best Suspense/Thriller Novel:

Eight Days to Live, by Iris Johansen (St. Martin’s Press)

Broken, by Karin Slaughter (Delacorte)

Live to Tell, by Lisa Gardner (Bantam)

They’re Watching, by Gregg Hurwitz (St. Martin’s Press)

One Grave Less, by Beverly Connor (Obsidian)

Best Amateur Sleuth Novel:

Ghouls Gone Wild, by Victoria Laurie (Obsidian)

Bone Appetit, by Carolyn Haines (Minotaur)

Cat in an Ultramarine Scheme, by Carole Nelson Douglas (Forge)

The Quick and the Thread, by Amanda Lee (Obsidian)A Nose for Justice, by Rita Mae Brown (Ballantine)

Noircon which is dedicated to the work of David Goodis held their 2010 conference from 4- 7 November in Philadelphia recently.

George Pelecanos was awarded the David Leob Goodis Award in recognition of his continuing contribution and commitment to Literature, Film and Television in the spirit of David Goodis.

The Jay and Keen Kogan Award for Excellence in Publishing was presented to Johnny Temple in recognition of his publication of noir literature. Johnny Temple is the publisher of Akashic Books.

The Keynote speaker was Charles Benoit.

The VI Pepe Carvalho Prize for crime fiction has been awarded to Andreu Martin. The award ceremony will take place during the BCNegra crime festival in Barcelona, Spain, next February. Previous winners include Ian Rankin, P D James, Henning Mankell and Michael Connelly.

The BBC adaption of Sherlock Holmes has been nominated for five awards in this year’s Royal Television Society Craft and Design Awards. They are up for Music Original Score and Music Original Title, Photography- Drama, Effects - Picture Enhancement and Tape and Film Editing - Drama. The first series of Sherlock was an overwhelming success and a second series will be shown. Luther (Shown on BBC One) has also been nominated for Graphic Design - Titles.

Robin Jarossi's CRIMINAL ACTS November 2010

ACCUSED
Monday, 15 Nov, 9pm, BBC1


Photo ©BBC

Christopher Eccleston plays a man light years from his Doctor Who incarnation. Willy is a plumber who doesn't have all the answers, isn't flamboyantly resourceful and is behaving rather badly. At the same time, Accused is light years from your run-of-the-mill TV crime series.

Written by Cracker creator Jimmy McGovern, the first story joins Willy as his life is spiralling out of control. Eccleston is intense and believable as an ordinary guy who wants to leave his wife for ‘firmer flesh’, but can’t because his daughter has just announced that she is to marry her well-off boyfriend.

So his plan is to pay for the wedding, as pride demands, and then leave Carmel, the unsuspecting wife who still loves him (played movingly by Pooky Quesnel).

Jimmy McGovern

But he finds himself in a corner. Expecting several thousand pounds from a series of plumbing jobs he’s done for a builder, Willy learns the firm has gone bust. His behaviour becoming more erratic and desperate, he then sees his fortune change when he finds a Jiffy bag containing £20,000 in the back of a mini cab.

Take the money and run, or hand it in to the driver? Though he does finally try to do the right thing, Willy’s actions have huge consequences for himself, his family and others.

Anyone who enjoyed Jimmy McGovern’s powerful stories for The Street on the Beeb last year will drink in this new series of six crime dramas. These are strong human stories that demand we make up our own minds about the characters’ actions, rather than spelling out a glib moral.

No police procedure

Accused shows us ordinary people who find themselves facing a jury and expects us to decide whether they should be punished. In Willy’s Story, Eccleston’s character is no paragon of virtue, but his fate makes us think.

McGovern spells out his approach to Accused like this – ‘In the time it takes to climb the steps of the court we tell the story of how the accused came to be there. We see the crime and we see the punishment. Nothing else.

‘No police procedure, thanks very much, no coppers striding along corridors with coats flapping. Just crime and punishment – the two things that matter most in any crime drama.’

This has the makings of being an absorbing series. And if anyone doubts the quality of McGovern’s work, remember that Britain’ top actors clearly love speaking his lines.

Coming up in Accused are Mackenzie Crook, Juliet Stevenson, Peter Capaldi, Andy Serkis, Marc Warren, Naomie Harris and Warren Brown.

Garrow’s Law
Sunday, 14 Nov, 9pm BBC1


Photo © Graeme Hunter/Twenty Twenty Television

The week sees another outstanding but unusual crime series in the schedules. Garrow’s Law is back for series two, last year’s opening season having won a Royal Television Society award.

For those who missed it, these dramas are drawn from the Old Bailey’s online transcripts that have revealed the brilliance of obscure 18-century barrister William Garrow.

And they’re the best courtroom drama seen on TV for years. The stories are a time-machine tour of a period when the Old Bailey was a chaotic last stop for the poor and disadvantaged on the way to an often ghastly, brutal and unfair punishment.

Garrow and the art of cross-examination

This was partly because defence lawyers were too stuck up to do a decent job for the unfortunates dragged to court, often by dodgy thief takers and bounty hunters. The judge or sometimes even the jury would question prosecution witnesses, with m’lud often summing-up the defence case.

Up stepped Garrow, the man who spoke daringly for the accused and played a huge part in perfecting the art of cross-examining their accusers.
Andrew Buchan returns as the man who ruffled many legal and political feathers with his single-minded devotion to a fair hearing. He’s got a tangled and shocking case in the opening story in this new series, one you feel must have come straight from a Horrible Histories publication.

Slaves murdered at sea

The captain of a cargo ship called the Zong throws 133 African slave men, women and children overboard in suspicious circumstances. Of course, the incident lands him in court – not for murder, but because the insurance company feels the captain fiddled his claim.

Garrow is appalled, but as his mentor, John Southouse, reminds him, slaves are cargo and cannot provoke a murder charge. The barrister manages to introduce a freed slave, Gustavus Vassa (played by Danny Sapani), into proceedings, to gasps in the court, in an attempt to get at the truth.

Alun Armstrong and Lyndsey Marshal

Meanwhile, Lady Sarah Hill returns to London with her infant. Her husband, Sir Arthur, is consumed with jealousy at the thought that the child might be Garrow’s and sets out to ruin her and, with the help of his highly placed political friends, Garrow as well.

Alun Armstrong as Southouse, Lyndsey Marshal as Lady Sarah and Rupert Graves as Sir Arthur are all great to watch here. But the real magic is in the portrayal of these extraordinary tales from the Old Bailey.

Shame there’s only four episodes in the series.