Forthcoming books to look forward to from Faber and Faber

Edgar® award winning novelist Jason Goodwin returns with An Evil Eye the fourth in his series featuring Yashmin the Eunuch. When the body of a Russian agent is found in a monastery well Yashim knows who exactly is to blame. He now finds himself with the task of confronting the person whose secret it is and along with his friends once again encounters treachery and politics played out against the backdrop of 1840s Istanbul. An Evil Eye is due to be published on 7 July 2011.

Bloodland by Alan Glynn is due to be published on 1 September 2011. When a tabloid star is killed in a helicopter crash three years later a journalist finds himself being warned off against writing her story. A private security contractor based in the Congo loses control with dire consequences and an ex-prime minster in Ireland is finding it hard to suppress a dark secret from his period in office. A US Senator also finds himself in the middle of a dramatic news story that has just broken in Paris as he is about to begin his campaign to run for office. Bloodland is a follow-up to his acclaimed novel Winterland and takes place across Europe, America, Asia and Africa.

Lethal Investments by K O Dahl is due to be published on 8 September 2011. The child of a woman clearing up a mess that they have made on the stairways makes a gruesome discovery, the naked leg of a woman covered in blood. The woman is called Reidun Rosendal. As Oslo detectives Gunnarstanda and Frolich investigate the case the mystery deepens when their chief suspect Rosendal’s lover is also found murdered. Their attention turns to her place of work where the business and the private lives of them all mysteriously and heavily intertwined.

Helen FitzGerald returns with her third novel The Donor. Will Marion has two perfect kidneys but his twin daughters don’t. When they both fall sick time becomes critical and he has to make a decision. Should he buy a kidney and be an organ tourist, should he save one child but what about the other or should he sacrifice himself? There is even a fourth option but should that be the one he should take? The Donor is due to be published on 21 July 2011.

Burned by Thomas Enger is a debut novel. Internet reporter Henning Juul is asked to cover the story of the woman in the tent case. A solitary tent has been found containing the body of a half buried woman who has been stoned to death. Lash marks have also been found on her back and one of her hands have also been cut off. But Juul has his own problems to contend with. He is emotionally and physically scarred after the loss of his son in a domestic fire and is struggling to be taken seriously by all of those around him. As he investigates the story he finds himself not only on an increasingly dangerous trail but also in a dangerous position as he is convinced that the case is much more complex than the police think it is. Burned is due to be published on 7 July 2011 and was a number 1 bestseller in Denmark.

Plugged by Eoin Colfer

Best selling author Eoin Colfer has a new novel coming out in May. Plugged which is a dark, comedic noir crime novel. Eoin kindly took the time to record this very brief promo for Shots.

In Memoriam

Craig Thomas

24 November 1942 –4 April 2011

Author David Craig Owen Thomas known as Craig Thomas was a Welsh author of thrillers, most notably the "Mitchell Gant" series.

He died after a recent illness from pneumonia following a short battle with acute myeloid leukemia.. Thomas is best known for writing “Techno-Thrillers” . He wrote seventeen between 1976 and 1998. His second book Firefox was adapted into a film in 1982 featuring Oscar winning actor Clint Eastwood who produced directed and stared as the main character Mitchell Grant. Firefox Down the sequel to Firefox was dedicated to Clint Eastwood. Aside from writing techno-thrillers Thomas also wrote books relating to philosophy the most recent being a two-volume book on the German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche.

The BBC obituary can be found here and the Western Mail obituary here.

There is also an Unofficial Craig Thomas Companion web page.

Newsy Stuff

If you have not yet registered for Crime in the Court then please do so. More authors have been added to this fantastic line-up. Crime in the Court is due to take place on 21 June 2011 and is being hosted by Goldsboro Books. For more information as to how to obtain tickets please go here.

The Walter Scott Historical Fiction Shortlist has been announced and congratulations to all those nominated. The six novels cover imperial Japan, Tudor England, Tsarist Russia, and 19th Century Jamaica as well as turn-of-the-century Ireland and inter-war London.

The shortlist for the 2011 award is:

The Long Song by Andrea Levy

C by Tom McCarthy

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell

Ghost Light by Joseph O'Connor

Heartstone by C J Sansom

To Kill A Tsar by Andrew Williams

Congratulations also go to David Shelley at Little Brown who has been promoted from Deputy Publisher to Publisher of the group.

2011 is certainly the year of Michael Connelly and Orion aim to ensure that his presence is strongly promoted here in the UK. According to the Bookseller , Orion are planning a number of events for the author whilst he is in the UK in October.

Little Brown imprint Atom have according to the Bookseller acquired a mystery series by debut author Christi Daugherty described as "The Secret History for the YA audience” in a major two-book deal. The first book in the series Night School will be published in 2012.

According to Hollywood.com John Travolta is due to play John Gotti Sr in the biopic of his life which will focus on Gotti senior’s relationship with his son.

Newsy Stuff

Charles Cumming whose excellent spy novel Trinity Six is wowing everybody (including me) in the crime fiction world can be seen below discussing the Cambridge Spy Ring.

Of course one of the talking points of late has been the fact that for the big screen incarnation of Miss Marple by Disney they have chosen not to go with an older actress as befitting the status of Miss Marple as an elderly sleuth but have decided that she should be portrayed by Jennifer Garner. They are allegedly doing away with the perception of Miss Marple as a spinster and are going for the much younger generation. Comments regarding this casting can be found here, here, here and here. The Telegraph make it clear that they think the decision to cast Jennifer garner is a travesty. An article in the Guardian about the casing can be found here and here.

However according to Deadline.com who posted about the casting and Moviesblog.mtv the reboot is not yet a done deal.

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For those of you that have been missing the excellent French police procedural Spiral will be pleased to know that BBC4 will be showing series 3- The Butcher Of La Villette. The first episode will be shown on BBC 4 tonight at 9pm.

Fans of the Danish crime series The Killing will want to read this excellent article in the Guardian. There is also a very good beginners guide to read as well. Fans will also be pleased to learn that BBC 4 will also be showing series 2 of The Killing as well as part of their Spring/ Summer schedule. The Killing is also being remade by Fox for the US

Author Carlos Ruiz Zafón writes in the Guardian about his hero John Le Carré. He is as Zafón explains is one of the finest – if not the finest – writers of the past 45 years. Of course Le Carré has been in the news a lot this week. Nominated for the Man Booker International Prize 2011 Le Carré asked for his nomination to be withdrawn.

According to Entertainment Weekly Michael Connelly has a good idea who would be the right person to play Harry Bosch. The person he has in mind is Billy Burke who played Bella’s sheriff father in the Twilight saga. For those non Twilight watching people (and that includes me) a picture of Billy Burke is below.

Awards –

Left Coast Crime 2011 Awards for works published in 2010

THE LEFTY: Best humorous mystery novel - The Pot Thief Who Studied Einstein by J. Michael Orenduff (Oak Tree Press)

THE BRUCE ALEXANDER MEMORIAL HISTORICAL MYSTERY: Best historical mystery novel, covering events before 1950 - The Mapping of Love and Death by Jacqueline Winspear (HarperCollins)

THE HILLERMAN SKY AWARD: The mystery (short story to novel length) that best captures the landscape of the Southwest - The Spider's Web by Margaret Coel (Berkley Hardcover)

THE WATSON: Mystery novel with best sidekick - Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson (Viking)


THE DILYS (IMBA loved selling the most) - Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny

Congratulations to all!

The Short Mystery Fiction Society have announced the winners of the 2011 Derringer Awards for short mystery fiction:-

Best Flash Fiction Story (under 1,000 words) - (TIE)

The Book Signing, by Kathy Chencharik, _/*Thin Ice: Crime Stories by New England Writers*/_, Leslie Wheeler, Mark Ammons, Barbara Ross, Kat Fast, Eds., Level Best Books, November, 2010
and The Unknown Substance by Jane Hammons, *A Twist of Noir*, December 27, 2010

Best Short Story (1,001-4,000 words) –

The Pewter Badge by Michael J. Solender, *Yellow Mama*, August, 2010

Best Long Story (4,001-8,000 words) - (TIE)

Care of the Circumcised Penis by Sean Doolittle, _/*Thuglit Presents: Blood, Guts & Whiskey*/_, Todd Robinson, Ed., Kensington Publishing Corp., May, 2010 and Interpretation of Murder by B. K. Stevens, *Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine*, December, 2010

Best Novelette (8,001-17,500 words) –

Rearview Mirror by Art Taylor, *Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine*, March, 2010

Congratulations to all the winners and those nominated.
Presentation of the Awards will take place in conjunction with the short story panel at Bouchercon 2011, held in St. Louis, MO in September.

News from the BBC

The BBC have announced a new psychological thriller for BBC One. The Fuse is an original five part drama that follows a politician who wakes up after an alcohol fuelled night and realises that he might be responsible for a murder.

Following on from the success of the first series of Silk, the BBC have announced that they have re-commissioned a second 6 part series which is due to be shown in 2012.

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Fans of Philip Glenister (seen most recently in Mad Dogs) will welcome the news that he is soon to be seen in Ronan Bennett’s complex new thriller on BBC One entitled Undisclosed. Undisclosed revolves around the efforts of Harry Venn played by Glenister, a small-time solicitor who is forced to delve into his murky past.

Jeremy Jheu in the Telegraph reviews a number of thrillers.

There is an excellent interview with Peter James the new Chair of the CWA on the blog Of Books and Reading. Peter has recently come back from a visit to India.

For those of you that are interested in what books are Ian Rankin favourite literary crime novels then The Daily Beast have them here. Unsurprisingly Muriel Spark makes the cut! For Ian Rankin Fans there is also an audio interview with him talking about his new book The Complaints on The Leonard Lopate Show done on his latest tour of the US.

In Memoriam

31 October 1926 - 27 March 2011

H(arry) R F Keating crime fiction author best known for his Inspector Ghote mysteries has died at the age of 84. Harry as he was known was Chairman of the Crime Writers Association from 1970-1971. He was also Chairman of the Society of Authors between 1983 and 1984, President of the Detection Club 1985 –2000 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He was for 15 years crime fiction critic for The Times. He has written over 50 books.

Whilst he was best known for his Inspector Ghote mysteries he wrote his first novel Death and the Visiting Firemen in 1959. He also wrote a number of standalone novels as well as two other series featuring Detective Superintendent Harriet Martens and the “Detective” series, which were several novels about UK police detectives, whose human weaknesses adversely affect their work. Under the pseudonym Evelyn Hervey, Harry Keating wrote three novels in the mid eighties.

Harry wrote 26 books in the Inspector Ghote series. The first one in the series was The Perfect Murder whilst the last Inspector Ghote book is A Small Case for Inspector Ghote. Penguin are due to release in May 2011 as part of Penguin Modern Classics four Inspector Ghote Books (The Pefect Murder, Inspector Ghote Breaks an Egg, Inspector Ghote Trusts the Heart and Under a Monsoon Cloud) in new classic covers. These titles carry a new introduction by Alexander McCall Smith.

In 1988, The Perfect Murder was adapted for a film, directed by Zafar Hai and produced by Ismail Merchant.

Neil Simon turned his 1976 novel Murder by Death into a film featuring Truman Capote, Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, David Niven, Peter Sellers and Maggie Smith.

Harry also edited a number of anthologies including The Man Who…. in 1992 which was an anthology of crime stories commissioned by the Detection Club in celebration of Julian Symons’s 80th birthday. In celebration of his 80th birthday the Detection Club collaborated and produced an anthology entitled The Verdict of Us All.

As well as being a novelist he also wrote screenplays, was a reviewer and wrote a biography of Dame Agatha Christie entitled Agatha Christie: First Lady of Crime. He also wrote a number of well-known non-fiction novels on crime fiction. A number of them have become required reading as reference works.

He also won two CWA Gold Dagger awards one was for The Perfect Murder for best novel and the other was for a non-Ghote novel set in India, The Murder of the Maharajah. He also won a special Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America. In 1995 he was awarded the George N Dove for Contributions to the study of Crime Fiction and in 1996 he was awarded the Diamond Dagger from the CWA for lifetime achievement. Malice Domestic also awarded him the lifetime achievement award.

An obituary by Mike Ripley can be found in the Guardian and the Telegraph obituary can be found here.

Mike Ripley’s feature on Harry Keating for Shots ezine can be found here.

Peter Guttridge Reports on Quais Du Polar 2011

So anyway I’m smiling at this beautiful young woman and she’s kind of half-smiling back in that way that says, “I haven’t a clue who you are but you look vaguely familiar and I hope you’re just being friendly and don’t misinterpret my half-smile.” Well, okay, maybe I’m reading too much into what is, after all, only a half-smile. But I’m smiling at her because in fact I do know exactly who she is and she, in theory, knows who I am. We’ve done a couple of events together, after all.

However the context is unusual. We’re in an ornate reception room in the Beaux-Arts Museum in Lyon, France to celebrate the opening of Quais de Polar, the biggest crime fiction and film festival in continental Europe. John Harvey is over in the corner with his French publisher, Roger Ellory is somewhere around, though I can’t see him in the scrum of people in here. David Peace and Peter Robinson are arriving late.

They’re about to award the prize for best crime novel of the year. Declan Hughes wins – go, Declan! – but he’s not here to collect it. Always a disappointment when that happens, especially as whoever it is who collects it on his behalf is a bit gabby. Which in a language you only understand in part translates into very gabby.

I’m here for an event about international crime festivals on behalf of Bristol Crimefest. On my panel there are people from Liege, Belgium and a place in Italy I can’t spell without looking it up. There is simultaneous translation through earphones for us. This is discombobulating, especially as my set goes haywire - I think because the Italian guy sitting next to me is texting and checking his phone messages throughout the event, hiding his phone behind his name-card.

So I lose about ten minutes of the conversation. But that doesn’t matter because we’re all being pretty boring and the chairwoman does most of the talking anyway – don’t get me started about chairing at festivals – and anyway there are more people on the panel, if you include the translators, than there are in the audience.

Still, it’s a sunny day and we have a nice lunch whilst planning a way of working together and talking movies. The Italian guy and I agree on The Spider Stratagem as Bertolucci’s best thriller – why can’t you get it on DVD? (That’s a rhetorical question, pop-pickers.)

Turns out the Italian guy (I can’t remember his name, if you think me calling him that is a bit rude – although as I can’t remember the name of his festival either it probably is very rude) works on his festival with our own Maxim Jakubowski and Adrian Wootton.

Peter Robinson does his thing at two; John Harvey is done and dusted. Roger Ellory has two events lined up so he’s still working hard. There’s a big dinner tonight. I’m in two minds. My French isn’t good enough to handle any kind of intelligent conversation and I feel bad, therefore, that people out of politeness need to tire their brains speaking English to me. Plus, Lyon is such a great city to wander around in the evening. Roman remains to die for. Which people probably did.

It was S J Parris, in case you’re wondering.

Crime in the Court with Goldsboro Books

Goldsboro Books will be hosting what will be one of the best literary events this summer. On 21 June they will be hosting “Crime in the Court”, the court of course being Cecil Court where they have recently moved into bigger premises. The event is being held to coincide with Independent Booksellers week and the plan is for it to be an annual event. For lovers of the genre this will be a most welcome event. Since the demise of Crime Scene there has not been any event for sometime in London where crime writers have been able to gather and spend time chatting with fans on a social basis and informally.

There will be a large number of authors attending and these include authors such as David Hewson, Ann Cleeves, S J Bolton, Paul Doherty, Adrian Magson, Matt Hilton, M R Hall, Christopher Fowler, S J Parrish, Michael Ridpath, S J Toyne and William Ryan to name a few. More authors are being confirmed.

Information as to how to obtain tickets for the event can be found here.

This is an event that is not to be missed. Make the most of the opportunity and come and meet some of the best crime writers published in the UK. It will be an event to be remember!

Sophie Hannah's Point of Rescue comes to the small screen

Hodder and Stoughton arranged for a preview screening of the ITV commissioned two part drama based on a novel by the award-winning author Sophie Hannah.

The two-part drama, Case Sensitive, is based on the highly acclaimed and chilling psychological suspense novel Point of Rescue from Sophie Hannah.

Case Sensitive stars OLIVIA WILLIAMS (The Ghost, Dollhouse, An Education, The Sixth Sense, Rushmore) in the lead role of DS Charlie Zailer and DARREN BOYD (Whites, Personal Affairs, Little Dorrit, Green Wing) as DC Simon Waterhouse. They are joined by RUPERT GRAVES (Garrow’s Law, Single Father, Sherlock), RALPH INESON (Waterloo Road, The Bill, The Office), and AMY BETH HAYES (Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Whatever it Takes, Misfits).

Case Sensitive is a story, which explores themes of identity, guilt and family strife. The 2 x 60 min drama has been adapted for ITV by Hat Trick Productions.

When Geraldine Bretherick and her 5-year-old daughter Lucy are found dead in the bathroom of their luxury home, the case divides new DS Charlie Zailer and her DC Simon Waterhouse. Is it murder, suicide or something even more sinister, and how watertight is the alibi of the husband Mark?

Meanwhile, when Sally Thorne, a working mother with a husband and two young children, hears of the deaths, she is shocked and appalled. Months before she'd met a man called Mark Bretherick at a hotel and had a brief but passionate affair with him. Now she feels the need to get in touch with him again to offer her sympathy. Her friend Esther does not think this is very wise.

ITV ‘s two-part dramatisation of Point of Rescue will be broadcast on May 2nd & 3^rd under the series title Case Sensitive.

The adaptation is excellent and well worth seeing. There are some stunning performances from all the cast but especially from Olivia Williams who plays DS Charlie Zailer and Amy Beth Hayes. Case Sensitive was directed by Charles Martin who has directed such programmes such as Skins and Being Human.

Case Sensitive is certainly worth not only sitting down to watch but also taping. BBC Worldwide are responsible for international distribution.

For further information please contact:

Karen Geary - 0207 873 6141

Tim West - 020 7157 3040

Crime Writing Week to be a true celebration

The Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) is continuing with preparations for its successful week of events celebrating crime writing.

National Crime Writing Week, formerly National Crime Fiction Week, will run between June 13 and 19, 2011. The name change is designed to increase the emphasis on non-fiction as well as fiction.

During the week, members of the CWA will take part in readings, discussions, readers’ group events and workshops in bookshops, libraries, arts centres and other venues all over the country.

CWA Chair Tom Harper said: “Our aim is always to raise the profile of crime writing and it worked during the inaugural event last year. The signs are that it will do so again with lots of writers already planning events.

“Crime Writing Week is an opportunity for writers to arrange events under the umbrella of a week dedicated to celebrating crime books in all their forms. It is an excellent showcase for writers.”

If writers have a Crime Writing Week event in mind, they will be able to log the details on a national map of events at nationalcrimewritingweek.co.uk

National Crime Writing Week will be coordinated by CWA press officer John Dean at media.enquiries@thecwa.co.uk

NOTES TO MEDIA

For press enquiries or more information on the CWA, please visit the website, www.thecwa.co.uk, or contact media.enquiries@thecwa.co.uk

Launch of The Watermen by Patrick Easter

Quercus pushed the boat out to launch a new historical series by ex-policeman Patrick Easter in the appropriate surroundings of The Prospect of Whitby - a pub in London's once-notorious area of Wapping.

This new series of books introduces the character of Tom Pascoe, a River Surveyor with the Marine Police in the Port of London at the end of the 18th Century and deals with its first six months of existence.

At the tender age of 19 Patrick joined the Metropolitan Police in London and three years later went onto the river. On leaving the police service in 1994, Patrick became a journalist chasing deadlines for technical magazines and articles in national newspaper. The Watermen (pub 31/03/2011 Quercus) is his first novel.

Those supporting the launch included Marcel Berlins (The Times), Barry Forshaw (Crime Time), Chris Simmons (Crimesquad), Mark Sanderson (The Evening Standard), Jane Wood (Patrick's editor), Lucy Ramsey, Ron Beard - all from Quercus Publishers, Laura Wilson (The Guardian), Ayo Onatade and Mike Stotter of SHOTS, and agent Oliver Munson of Blake Friedman. The event will also be reported in The East End Advertiser nearer the publication date.

Photos taken that night can be see in the PHOTO GALLERY.

More tales from Stotter's pen

OK a bit of self promotion here, but in my defence, it is crime fiction related. My latest anthology, SIX RED HERRINGS is now available from Lulu - either as paperback or downloadable.
“Crime has been with us ever since the dawn of time. This unputdownable new anthology from Mike Stotter presents six stories of murder, mystery and intrigue. Stories taken from historical Jacobean London to the mean streets of the East End, a boy lost in the jungle to a girl lost in the world of night clubbing and drugs, a very English murder in the library to a dystopian view of the future. Six Red Herrings is a fast paced anthology that will have you entertained every step of the way.”
It was great putting this together as it allowed me to go back and revisit some of the previously published stories and tinker with them. And I must say I cringed a little at the earlier stuff. I did this with the western stories in Six Trails West. Get the idea that a theme is emerging here?
Here is the direct link to Lulu.
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/six-red-herrings/15128810

Newsy Stuff

Brilliant date for your diary! For those of you that would like the opportunity to spend time with some brilliant crime writers then you will need to put the 23 June 2011 in your diary. Goldsboro Books are having the first of what is hoped is many “Crime in the Court”. The court of course is Cecil Court in London. It is going to be a wonderful occasion.

CBS have, what is said to be the last interview with John Le Carre which can be seen below.

There is an excellent Val Mcdermid interview by Gerald O’Donovan in the Telegraph on why Irish crime fiction is all the rage. If you did not manage to listen to the BBC Radio 4 documentary that Val McDermid recently did then the article will make up for it. There is also a brief article that talks about the BBC Radio 4 programme as well.

Gerald O’Donovan has also selected his six favourite Irish crime books of recent years. The authors he picked are Declan Hughes, Brian McGilloway, Ken Bruen, Gene Kerrigan, Stuart Neville and Tana French. But you need to read the article to find out which of the author’s books he chose and why?

Fans of Raymond Chandler and Ian Fleming will be interested to listen to the conversation that took place between these two great authors. In a 25 minute audio conversation recorded by the BBC in 1958 the two authors talk about villains real and imagined as well as their iconic and well loved characters.

Ian Fleming Talks to Raymond Chandler 1958 from 33hirtz on Vimeo.

For those who are wondering who are considered to be the top 10 European crime writers, then you should have a look at the pictorial in the Observer.

A really interesting post on the Do Some Damage blog about crime books set in Montreal.

With International Women’s Day just gone Daniel Craig and Dame Judi Dench reprise their roles from the last two James Bond films — with a twist to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of International Women’s Day. Enjoy!

Congratulations go to author Carl Hiaasen who according to the Miami Herald has been awarded the 2011 Florida Lifetime Achievement Award for Writing from the Florida Humanities Council. The full article can be found here.

The Talented Mr Barclay

As an advocate of literacy promotion; I have been hugly impressed by the Galaxy Quick Reads initiative, where bestselling writers publish a novella in the ‘quick reads’ format at a cost of £1.99 [though I did notice the latest batch on sale at a UK supermarket were discounted to £1.50]. The latest batch of Quick Reads were released last week to coincide with World Book Day and World Book Night.

So what is the Quick Reads Initiative all about?

"Over a third of the adult population admit to not having the time or inclination to read for pleasure in their busy lives. Many struggle to finish a book or do not have the confidence or skills to think about reading one. Quick Reads are written and published to help adults to improve their literacy skills and discover a love of reading and books."

"Over the past six years we have witnessed the remarkable impact Quick Reads have had on the lives of thousands of new readers. Many, who before were nervous of books and had to hide the fact they found reading and writing difficult, have go on to read other books and become more confident in themselves, at work and in helping their children with school work. The number of businesses across the country who use Quick Reads are testament to how effective these books are and their investment in improving the literacy skills of their workforce is to be applauded."

Carol Taylor, Director or Operations at The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education [NIACE]

Amongst the latest batch of ‘Quick Read’ books, is a real treat from the Canadian Thriller Writer Linwood Barclay. His ‘Clouded Vision’ tale, features one of the minor characters from Linwood’s breakout novel ‘No Time For Goodbye’. I was astounded by that novel, which was the biggest selling work of fiction in 2008 [in the UK], selling close to 1 Million copies, and launched his literary career, which just goes from strength to strength. If you are not in the UK, fear not as this chilly little morality tale can be downloaded as an eBook here or from many other UK retailers.

The reason why I loved ‘Clouded Vision’ so much is because it is a ‘perfect storm’ for this reader, combining several story elements to make a satisfying but very chilly and disturbing read.

Firstly I love the novella as a format, due to the requirement to tell a tale with an economy of style and time. Stephen King has always lauded the ‘Novella’ format, and many of his greatest works are in Novella / Short Story format.

Secondly I enjoyed the character of Keisha Ceylon, the crooked psychic from ‘No Time For Goodbye’, who attempted to ‘help’ find Cynthia’s family and was delighted to see her return in ‘Clouded Vision’. I actually mentioned my enthusiasm for Ceylon to Linwood over dinner at Bouchercon Baltimore a few years ago, and pondered this afternoon whether the seed for this tale may have been planted, when we chatted about ‘No Time For Goodbye’. Typically, the modest Linwood was far more concerned at the time, about dining with the legendary Lawrence Block [who joined our dinner thanks to Orion Publishing]. On the walk to the restaurant, he whispered to me “Pinch me Ali, we’re about to break bread with the creator of Matt Scudder! How cool is that!”

Thirdly, I’m a real sucker for E.C. Comics, from the 1950’s especially the crime / horror morality tales and their sense of Grand Guignol; something that ‘Clouded Vision’ shares, with its gruesome opening, and the pivotal scenes of horror and the twisted morality of the protagonists at its climax.

‘Clouded Vision’ reminded me of the conventions [and economic style] of the pulp tradition, and for something you can read in less than an hour, it was wonderful.

So here’s the synopsis for this delightfully dark little tale -

Keisha Ceylon is a psychic. At least, that's what she passes herself off as. The truth is, Keisha's real powers have more to do with separating troubled families from their money than actually seeing into the netherworld. Keisha watches the news for stories of missing family members. She gives it a few days, then moves in, tells these families she's had a vision, that she may have some clue to where these missing people are. And by the way, she charges for this service, and likes to see the money up front. Keisha's latest mark is a man whose wife disappeared a week ago. She's seen him on TV, pleading for his wife to come home, or, if she's been abducted, pleading with whoever took her to let her go. Keisha knows a payoff when she sees one. So she pays a visit to our troubled husband, tells him her vision. Trouble is, her vision just happens to be close enough to the truth that it leaves this man rattled. And it may very well leave Keisha dead.

Several other thriller and crime-writers have written for Quick Reads – including James Patterson, Ian Rankin, Peter James, Val McDermid, Minette Walters, Andy McNab,

And don’t forget, Linwood Barclay is making a rare UK appearance at The Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival this summer in Harrogate England

If you’ve not read Linwood Barclay’s work click here

Photo [top] © 2008 Ali Karim
“Shots Men Mike Stotter and Ali Karim flank the UK’s No. 1 Thriller Writer Linwood Barclay”.

In for a Penny, In for a Pound

Eagle-Eyed Janet Rudolph kindly let me know last night that one of the most generous and decent authors in the mystery genre, has finally made the Times [UK] Book chart for the very first time with ‘Bury Your Dead’. I am of course referring to the Canadian Author Louise Penny, who has released her 6th novel featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, which incidentally has been nominated for the Agatha, Barry and Dilys Awards.

Here’s an interview with Louise Penny talking about “inspiration” -



Read the Shots Review of ‘Bury Your Dead’ Here

Considering her 5th Novel ‘The Brutal Telling’ won the Anthony Award at Bouchercon San Francisco last year, we’re so pleased for this talented writer getting commercial recognition [as well as critical acclaim] for her chilly novels that haunt the mind like a Canadian winter.

I recall Louise Penny being a runner-up for the CWA Debut Dagger Award in 2004. Her entry ‘Still Life’ was highly commended and missed taking the Debut Dagger ‘by only a whisker.' This resulted in her getting ‘Still Life’ into print. I recall first meeting Louise at the launch of Still Life at the Canadian Embassy in London on the 7th February 2005. Her generous nature is well known as in 2009 she personally sponsored the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger. The Crime Writers' Association Chair [at that time], Margaret Murphy, said: "We are delighted that Louise has agreed to sponsor this award. I know that she valued the help that the award gave to her writing career. It is a tremendous gesture and one that is deeply appreciated by the CWA."

So if you’ve not read her latest, here’s a teaser –

As Quebec City shivers in the grip of winter, its ancient stone walls cracking in the cold, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache plunges into the strangest case of his celebrated career. A man has been brutally murdered in one of the city's oldest buildings - a library where the English citizens of Quebec safeguard their history. And the death opens a door into the past, exposing a mystery that has lain dormant for centuries ...a mystery Gamache must solve if he's to catch a present-day killer. Steeped in luscious atmosphere, brimming with the suspense and wit that have earned Louise Penny a massive global following, Bury Your Dead is the most ingenious suspense novel of the year.

Time to start saving your pennies, because if you’ve not experienced Louise Penny’s Detective Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, it’s time you did.

Top Photo © 2010 Ali Karim ‘Louise Penny stunned to have won the Anthony Award at Bouchercon 2010 held at San Francisco for The Brutal Telling’. Book Jackets (c) 2011 Headline Publishing