We were shocked this morning
to learn of the passing of Maxine
Clarke, one of most insightful book reviewers we have had the fortune to
have known, and shared smiles with over the years.
We always enjoyed her
erudite book reviews, her enthusiasm as well as her insight into the genre and
her championing of work that she saw merit in. We met her many times at Crimefest Bristol [where she won the quiz
with her team on more than one occasion], and she too was an early advocate of Roslund
and Hellstrom as well as Jo
Nesbo and Stieg
Larsson [attending the launch party in London on 15th January 2008] among
many other authors she championed.
The Shots collective wish
her family our sincere condolences and best wishes during this difficult time.
We however acknowledge that her work and insight lives on, as does the memory
of her presence in our lives.
Rhian Davies (aka CrimeFicReader) first
brought us the sad news that Maxine Clarke, an editor of the British
scientific journal Nature
who also--over the last seven years--wrote the excellent blog Petrona, died yesterday after
what’s being described as a “lengthy” battle with cancer. But online tributes
have been rolling in ever since. Her friend Karen Meek of Euro Crime, to which
Clarke often contributed “peerless” book critiques, describes
her as “a fast reader” who, “even when ill could read and review a book I’d
given her before I’d get back to Birmingham! I can’t imagine how many books
have been bought as a result of her well-written reviews, and that is legacy
worth leaving.” Norman Price of Crime Scraps Review adds:
“She tempted so many inexperienced bloggers to dip their toe in the blogging
water and then jump in with her helpful comments and encouragement, that we all
owe Maxine a great debt of gratitude.
Read more from
The Rap Sheet here
with further commentary available here,
here,
here,
here,
here,
and here.
Photos of
Maxine Clarke © 2008 - 2009 Ali Karim
Top - With Karen Meek and Adrian Magson at Crimefest 2009
[Below] with Karen
Meek of Eurocrime at the Launch in London
of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo on 15th January 2008 in London
With her quiz
team at Crimefest 2009 winning the Pub Quiz featuring Karen Meek, Rik Shepard,
Ann Cleeves and Martin Edwards - in Bristol
With her quiz
team at Crimefest 2008 with Karen Meek and Rhian Davies in Bristol
A personal message from Ali
Karim –
Though personally not
religious, there are passages in the Bible that are worth quoting, worth
reflecting upon, and sometimes they provide insight, other times they don’t.
When I heard about Maxine’s passing this morning, the line “It rains on the just and the unjust, alike” came to mind from Matthew
5:45, used also in Alan
Moore and Dave Gibbon’s Watchmen as well in many philosophical work. It is
an interesting line that resonates contextually in both the reality we see
around us, as well as thematically in the crime fiction we read; the same
fictional world that Maxine explored, reviewing and commenting upon. She will
be missed dearly by the crime fiction community, rest in peace Maxine Clarke.
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