Foyles crime night - 13 September

Tootle down to Foyles on 13th September to see Mark Billingham and Peter Robinson:

Two of Britain’s greatest crime novelists talk about their very different work and their very different heroes, DI Tom Thorne and DCI Alan Banks. But, like the best crime novels, this event comes with some unusual twists, for Peter Robinson writes his Yorkshire-based crime from his home in Canada and Mark Billingham moonlights as an hilarious stand-up comic.

* Tickets: Free, email events@foyles.co.uk to reserve

6.30pm
The Gallery at Foyles

Three Bags Full - Leonie Swann

Once upon a time there was so little translated crime available, I did feel there was a hope of keeping on top of it, reading-wise, but now there's more issued in a year than I can manage. This one's been out for a while and I haven't even got a copy let alone read it, though I see my library has it on talking book now, so that's also an option.

I'm referring to the sheep detective story by Leonie Swann called THREE BAGS FULL. Random House (US) have highlighted it in their newsletter.

A witty philosophical murder mystery with a charming twist: the crack detectives are sheep determined to discover who killed their beloved shepherd.

On a hillside near the cozy Irish village of Glennkill, the members of the flock gather around their shepherd, George, whose body lies pinned to the ground with a spade. George has cared for the sheep, reading them a plethora of books every night. The daily exposure to literature has made them far savvier about the workings of the human mind than your average sheep. Led by Miss Maple, the smartest sheep in Glennkill (and possibly the world), they set out to find George’s killer.

You can read an excerpt here.

Agatha Christie celebrations

From Publishing News:

TO mark the seventieth anniversary of the publication of Death on the Nile, one of Agatha Christie's most popular mysteries and one the most successful spin-off films, a week-long celebration of the mystery writer and, in particular, her contribution to archaeology in the Middle East, kicks off on 9 September. A new biography by Laura Thompson, Agatha Christie: An English Mystery - the first full biography for more than 20 years - will be published by Headline to mark the occasion. The biography will draw on interviews with Christie's relatives, including her daughter and grandson, and on private papers, to which Thompson has enjoyed unprecedented access, to reveal "an internal life more complex than her books might suggest".

Charlie Resnick update

An earlier blog post referred to the upcoming return of Resnick, and now amazon.co.uk are listing publication dates.

Firstly, TROUBLE IN MIND, of which John Harvey said in his last newsletter...

...the Nottingham-based Five Leaves Press have commissioned a new story from me for their new Crime Express series of single, longish stories which will be issued in editions of around 1,000 copies. Some of you out there will be pleased to know that this features none other than Charlie Resnick, still labouring on within Notts CID and living, happily enough, with his former sergeant Lynn Kellogg, now an inspector in the Force Crime Directorate [and making a brief appearance as such in the aforementioned Gone to Ground]. My plan is for Charlie to meet up with another of my fictional characters, former police officer and professional soccer player and currently private eye, Jack Kiley...

...will be available on 1st October.

He further wrote...

if all goes well, and the partnership feels right, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that they might both feature in the next-to-be-written novel. Not a full-scale Resnick novel as such, perhaps, but one in which he has far more than the walk-on role the Elder books allowed.

...well it must have gone well as amazon are listing, COLD IN HAND, published on 31 January 2008.

Synopsis:

On Valentine's Day, Lynn Kellogg was shot and survived; the teenage girl standing next to her was less fortunate. Recently promoted to Detective Inspector in the city's Major Crime Unit, Lynn's rescue of a badly-beaten fifteen-year old from Eastern Europe links her to an international investigation into people trafficking and gun smuggling, and teams her up with SOCA - the Serious and Organised Crime Agency - for the first time. Just when everything seems to be progressing smoothly, things begin to go awry, leaving Lynn with serious doubts about the probity of the SOCA officers in charge. And when DI Charlie Resnick rouses himself from near-retirement to lend a hand, he finds himself blocked at every turn. Finally, it needs the intervention of Jack Kiley, former cop and soccer player turned private eye, before a way can be found through a miasma of murder and betrayal with mortal danger at each and every turn.

Barbara Cleverly's new series

The seventh in Barbara Cleverly's Joe Sandilands series, FOLLY DU JOUR, comes out next month and is closely followed in October by the first in a new series, THE TOMB OF ZEUS. The new series features aspiring archeologist Laetitia Talbot and begins in Crete in 1928.

Book description fron Bantam Dell:
With the same flawless storytelling that earned her the CWA Historical Dagger Award, Barbara Cleverly delivers a dazzling new novel. Sweeping us to the exotic island of Crete in 1928, Cleverly introduces a marvelous new heroine: whip-smart and spirited Laetitia Talbot, an aspiring archaeologist with a passion for adventure–and for the mysteries that only the keenest eyes can see.

Born into a background of British privilege, Laetitia Talbot has been raised to believe there is no field in which she may not excel. She has chosen a career in the male-dominated world of archaeology, but she approaches her first assignment in Crete the only way she knows how–with dash and enthusiasm. Until she enters the Villa Europa, where something is clearly utterly amiss…

Her host, a charismatic archaeologist, is racing to dig up the fabled island’s next great treasure–even, perhaps, the tomb of the King of the Gods, himself. But then a beautiful young woman is found hanged and a golden youth drives his Bugatti over a cliff. From out of the shadows come whispers of past loves, past jealousies, and ancient myths that sound an eerie discord with present events. Letty will need all her determination and knowledge to unravel the secrets beneath the Villa Europa’s roof–and they will lead her into the darkest, most terrifying place of all….

You can also read an extract on the site. I do like the cover on the advance copy...



Currently, there doesn't appear to be a UK publication date but the US edition is listed on amazon.co.uk at a shade under six pounds.

Blyton's Famous 5 - all grown up and on the tv

From Digital Spy

Enid Blyton's notorious Famous Five books are to be turned into a TV series, with characters Julian, Dick, Anne and George as middle-aged men and women.

The last book about the crime-fighting children was written in 1963 and now producers want to show them grown up in a new drama that has been authorised by Blyton's estate.

Independent production company Twofour will develop the series, which will show the characters aged between 40 and 50. Having gone their separate ways, they are reunited to fight a new crime.

A source told The Times: "They would all be in middle age, perhaps some of them would be going through midlife crises.

"It will be interesting to see whether the characters have grown up to be like they were when they were children. Would George, the tomboyish one, now be glamorous and have lots of children? Would Anne, the sensible one, be dysfunctional?”

UPDATE More on this story on the BBC website.

Silent Witness on TV and DVD

Series 11 of Silent Witness begins this week on BBC One:

APOCALYPSE

Part 1 [Tuesday 28 August 2007, 9pm, BBC One]
Part 2 [Wednesday 29 August 2007, 9pm, BBC One]

When an RAF helicopter crashes, Harry and Nikki are first on the scene. In the search for answers, Harry rapidly falls out with the Ministry of Defence. He suspects they may be covering up the true cause of the helicopter crash – but he’s determined to get to the truth.

SUFFER THE CHILDREN

Part 1 [Monday 3 September 2007, 9pm, BBC One]
Part 2 [Tuesday 4 September 2007, 9pm, BBC One]

When the mutilated body of a young boy is pulled from the river, Leo is determined to give him an identity – and to bring his killers to justice. Despite threats and increasing racial tension, he refuses to back down in his search for the killers of the young boy.

Also on the website, you can watch a three minute interview of Tom Ward, who plays Harry.

The BBC are a bit behind on the DVD front! Series 1 came out on DVD last year with Series 2 available from 17 September both starring Amanda Burton as Sam Ryan.

New Reviews, Updates & Contest reminder

Here are this week's new reviews, website updates and a competition reminder:

Latest Reviews:

Maxine Clarke's review of The Murder Bird by Joanna Hines opens with her calling it "a compelling little psychological thriller of dark family secrets";

Norman Price reviews the paperback of Voices by Arnaldur Indridason which as well as being a police procedural, covers the ills of modern society and the role of parenthood along the way;

Laura Root reviews the new offering from the creator of 'Silent Witness' - Still Waters by Nigel McCrery giving it the thumbs up overall;

Fiona Walker defends the latest Wexford, Not in the Flesh by Ruth Rendell, which has, she feels, been receiving unfair criticism

and Declan Burke is enthusiastic about the political thriller, Sleeping Dogs Lie by Sylvester Young


Other Website Updates:

The Authors (583 homepages) page has been updated.

The New Releases pages have been updated.

In Books there are now bibliographies for 1130 authors.

I've added bibliographies for:
Michel Benoit, Tony Black, Grace Brophy, Lana Citron, Cassandra Clark, Julian Clary, Sebastian Faulks, Sara Fraser, Petra Hammesfahr, Ian Sansom, Claire Seeber, L C Tyler, Neil White, Robyn Young and Anne Zouroudi

and updated the bibliographies for:
Benjamin Black, Andrea Camilleri, Massimo Carlotto, Barbara Cleverly, Emerson Cole, Robert Edric, Ariana Franklin, J G Goodhind, Dolores Gordon-Smith, Asa Larsson, K T McCaffrey, Magdalen Nabb, Barbara Nadel, Hilary Norman, Julie Parsons, Anne Perry, Ian Rankin, Frank Schatzing, Frank Tallis, Marilyn Todd and Barbara Vine.

Current Competitions (closing date 31 August):

Win one of five sets of three recent releases - GodSword by Emerson Cole, Sins of the Fathers by Sally Spencer and Fallen Idols by Neil White (open to everyone)

Win one of four sets of the Vintage Crime Classic Twins - Ripley's Game by Patricia Highsmith and Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (UK Only)

(geographical restrictions are in brackets)

Bond 22 - locations

Over on the MI6 website you can keep up to date with all the rumours about the next James Bond film. They've got some early details of locations being used and scouted.

CrimeFest 2008

The producers of LCC2006 proudly bring you CrimeFest 2008... Next year is a bumper year for Crime Conventions in the UK with Harrogate being accompanied by CrimeFest in Bristol, 5 to 8 June. Lee Child, Karin Fossum and Ian Rankin are the guest authors with Natasha Cooper as the toastrix.

There's quite a bit of information on the website already, but here's a summary from the homepage:

The CrimeFest registration fee is £125.
(For currency conversion, please visit www.xe.com/ucc.)

Registration includes attendance to all panels, a book bag, programme, and a light breakfast on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets to the Saturday Gala or Sunday Buffet Dinners need to be purchased separately.

Highlights will include:
-A Gala Dinner on Saturday, the 7th of June
-Interviews with the featured Guest Authors and Toastrix
-The Last Laugh Award presentation
-In addition, there will be author panels and writers' workshops.

Magdalen Nabb Obituary

The Telegraph has an obituary of Magdalen Nabb who died at the weekend. I hadn't realised that:"Thirteen years ago she suffered a serious stroke, and was not expected to survive".

Read the obituary here.

Update

Read Peter Guttridge's article on Magdalen Nabb in the Independent.

Magdalen Nabb RIP

Book2book report some very sad news:

William Heinemann and Diogenes Verlag AG report that Magdalen Nabb sadly died suddenly at the weekend. Her funeral was held on Monday in Florence.

Magdalen Nabb was born in Lancashire in 1947, and trained as a potter. She had lived in Florence since 1975 and pursued a dual career as crime writer and children's author. Her novels which featured Florentine investigator Marshal Guarnaccia include Death of an Englishman, Property of Blood, and most recently, Some Bitter Taste and The Innocent.

William Heinemann intend to publish her last novel, Vita Nuova, in 2008, with an Arrow paperback scheduled for 2009.

Another UK's answer to Evanovich?

Liz Evans is always being called the UK's answer to Janet Evanovich but there's another contender according to the Independent. In Friday's paperback review they covered the second novel to feature Issy Brodsky, 'The Brodsky Touch', written by Lana Citron.

From The Independent: "North Londoner Issy Brodsky, who first appeared in Citron's The Honey Trap, is a single-mother turned private eye, earning a living spying on erring husbands. In this sassy sequel, she also sets her sights on superstardom and a new career in stand-up comedy. A heroine in the same mould as Janet Evanovich's New Jersey bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum, Brodsky is a ballsy do-gooder taking psychotics in her stride. Her calamity-filled capers are full of humorous twists, following the time-honoured idea that she will land herself in trouble and, trying to extricate herself, get the last laugh."

Synopsis of The Honey Trap (from amazon.co.uk): Issy Brodsky, single mum and single-digit income, finds a job compatible with her skills (laissez-faire attitude and flexible - thanks to the yoga). Now she works for the Honey Trap Detective Agency for a permanently premenstrual transgender boss. But what she hoped would be a simple nine-to-as-early-as-possible job becomes increasing complicated due to a missing finger, a noisy neighbour, an angry Jewish client, an unsolved murder and a dose of chicken pox.

Ashes to Ashes - sneak peak

Tube Talk over on Digital Spy is now a blog and is updated more frequently. Today they they have a photo of the cast of Ashes to Ashes (Life on Mars II) in their 80s get up as well as answers to a few questions eg:

So no Sam Tyler? No, John Simm is gone (and, according to the show's creator, he really has gone from Ashes To Ashes). In his place is Alex Drake (Keeley Hawes), a "modern and independent" detective inspector who suddenly finds herself catapulted back to 1981.

Read more a couple of pages down.

Latest Reviews added to Euro Crime

Here are this week's new reviews and details of this month's contests:

Latest Reviews:

Guest reviewer Donna Moore praises highly, fellow Euro Crime reviewer Declan Burke's, The Big O; Terry Halligan says that Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin is the most satisfying historical crime novel he's read all year; Norman Price is very unimpressed with Time to Kill by Brian Freemantle finding it implausible and error strewn; Laura Root reviews the latest in the high calibre series from Arnaldur Indridason, The Draining Lake and Maxine Clarke falls in love with Gene Kerrigan's The Midnight Choir.

Current Competitions (closing date 31 August):

Win one of five sets of three recent releases - GodSword by Emerson Cole, Sins of the Fathers by Sally Spencer and Fallen Idols by Neil White (open to everyone)

Win one of four sets of the Vintage Crime Classic Twins - Ripley's Game by Patricia Highsmith and Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (UK Only)

(geographical restrictions are in brackets)

Return of the best chocolate bar, ever (OT?)

Today's continuous rain was forgotten for a moment when I saw on the Guardian's website that as a result of public pressure, Cadbury's have come to their senses and are reinstating the Wispa bar. Better than Flakes, Twirls and it's replacement (!) Dairy Milk Bubbly, you'll be able to re-sink your teeth into them from October...

Inspector Lynley tv series axed

I never did get into watching this series but several million people did and they may be surprised that the show is to be cancelled, with the final series being reduced from 4 to 2 episodes.

From Digital Spy:

Actor Nathaniel Parker, who plays Lynley, told the Daily Mail: "My initial reaction was: 'But why?' The ratings were always so good...You try to be resigned about these things, but I was a little bewildered … I wish they'd given us the chance to do a sign-off to tie up all the loose ends. Instead, it's just been abandoned."

The last Rebus title is revealed

I have two independent sources*, saying that the new/next/final Rebus will be called........Exit Music.

* Fiona has commented on the previous post that you can see the title and covers on adverts on last.fm (an addictive site I can see!) and another poster (Denzylle) has emailed me that the title was 'revealed this evening at Ian's reading at Edinburgh BookFest'.

Thank you both.

Life on Mars remake - casting news

The BBC and Digital Spy are reporting that Colm Meaney will be joining Jason O'Mara as the two lead characters in the US remake of Life on Mars.

From the BBC:

Meaney is reported to be in talks to star as detective Gene Hunt, played by Philip Glenister in the BBC version.

The US remake will see Tyler transported back to the 1970s after his girlfriend is abducted.

He will come up against the no-nonsense, old-school detective Hunt as well a serial killer who may have played a part in the abduction.

I think Meaney will do a great job, as he always does, as 'Gene Hunt'.

Non-Fiction Deal News

Not Euro Crime but it sounds fascinating - from Publishers Lunch:

Richard Guilliatt and Peter Hohnen's THE WOLF ODYSSEY: An Epic Tale of Chivalry and Destruction in World War I, about a lone, audacious German naval raider which, disguised as a civilian vessel, made an 15-month journey around the world, destroying dozens of Allied ships and taking prisoner four hundred men, women, and children, to Bill Scott Kerr at Transworld, for publication in October 2009, by Mark Lucas of Lucas Alexander Whitely, on behalf of the Mary Cunnane Agency. Australian rights to Tim Whiting at Random House Australia, for publication in October 2009.

A Sherlock Holmes play at Malvern Theatre

At Malvern Theatre, 5 - 8 September, The Hound of the Baskervilles performed by the resident amateur group - Malvern Theatre Players.

The well-known story begins with the mysterious death of Sir Charles Baskerville. His young heir, Sir Henry, is brought from America to Baskerville Hall, which lies on the edge of Dartmoor. Legend has it that the Baskerville family is cursed because of the frightful behaviour of Sir Hugo in the 18th century, and that a gigantic ferocious hound stalks the moor seeking to destroy every last Baskerville. Sir Henry turns to Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr Watson for help, but Holmes suspects a fiendish plot and as he unravels the mysteries of the moor we are involved in a race against time to save Sir Henry from the fate of his ancestors.

Simon Williams wrote this fast-paced modern adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles in 2002 as a commission, to mark the centenary of Conan Doyle’s thrilling masterpiece.

See more and book online at the Malvern Theatre webpage.

Neil Griffiths blogs in the Guardian

It's been a while since he posted but Neil Griffith's latest blog entry went up yesterday - How to write the best novel in the world, ever -

When I started writing 20 years ago, it was my intention at some point to win the prize for best novel written by a human being ever. Or, to put it another way, I wanted to write the best novel ever by a human being, and that fact to be duly noted.

But given both the subgenre I'm working in - literary crime - and, it has to be confessed, a lack of that supreme talent which is required to perform among the best, I am prepared to accept this might not happen.

Read the rest of the blog and the comments here

Val McDermid on The Book Quiz

On BBC4 tomorrow night:

The Book Quiz
David Baddiel presents the last in the series. Brian Sewell and Julie Myerson battle it out with Val McDermid and Toby Young in the literary knowledge quiz. (21:30-22:00)

Forthcoming Presentations - Ecoute le Temps

French film Ecoute le Temps is to be released in the UK on 17 August.

Synopsis from ICA:

A mystery yarn with cinematic twists, Ecoute Le Temps is an engaging and sinister film about a young sound engineer, Charlotte (Emilie Dequenne). When Charlotte's mother is murdered in her house in the countryside, Charlotte returns home alone and realizes that she doesn't know much about her mother's life in the village. Her mother's reputation for being something of a village 'witch' was met by incredulity by Charlotte in the past, but as the film unwinds Charlotte is determine to discover some answers, motivated by her regret.

The official investigation isn't going anywhere, and the place seems full of secrets. Charlotte decides to take action. She uses her sound equipment to carry out her own investigation.

While listening to a recording just made in the house where the murder took place, Charlotte discovers a strange phenomenon: sounds from the past blend in with sounds from the present. As she discovers who her mother was, Charlotte beings to accept her own special gift as a legacy. Armed with creepy small-town folk and paranormal happenings this film is a choice specimen of that rare breed of woman-directed thrillers. This is the first feature film by director Alante Alfandari.

The official French website is here and go to 'video' to watch the (creepy) trailer.

This Week's New Reviews

Here are this week's new reviews and details of this month's contests:

Latest Reviews:

Simon Beckett's Written in Bone continues to impress the Euro Crime team, this time it's Terry Halligan giving the praise with a teensy qualification; Maxine Clarke finds Paul Johnston's The Death List, a book of two halves, with the second half unfortunately scoring an own goal; I think the latest of Simon Kernick's Harlan Coben-esque thrillers, Severed, is undemanding entertainment; Geoff Jones prefers Henning Mankell's usual Wallander fare to his psychological thriller, Depths and Laura Root has a pleasant time in 1960s Lancashire with Chief Inspector Woodend and co in Sally Spencer's Sins of the Fathers (see below on how to win a copy).

Current Competitions (closing date 31 August):

Win one of five sets of three recent releases - GodSword by Emerson Cole, Sins of the Fathers by Sally Spencer and Fallen Idols by Neil White (open to everyone)

Win one of four sets of the Vintage Crime Classic Twins - Ripley's Game by Patricia Highsmith and Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (UK Only)

(geographical restrictions are in brackets)

Winner of the 'guess the final Rebus title' competition announced...

The winner of the competition on Ian Rankin's website to guess the author's title of the final Rebus novel, has been announced. From Ian's website:

Congratulations to the winner of the competition to guess the title of Ian Rankin’s new book, out this September. Although nobody guessed the title correctly, Ian has selected his favourite: The Final Cut (originally the title of a Pink Floyd title) which was put forward by Tony Brown.

'Rebus XX' is out on the 6th September in the UK. The brief synopsis from amazon.co.uk:

The year 2007 marks Detective Inspector John Rebus's last year in the Scottish police force. Forced to retire by both the law and his - relieved - superiors, Rebus knows that his time in the blue ranks must now come to an end. But how will the irascible detective deal with this grim terminus? Particularly with his nemesis, Ger Cafferty, still walking the streets of Edinburgh. And how will John's protege and friend Siobhan Clarke move forward with the old relic finally gone?

UPDATE: The last Rebus won't be called The Final Cut as that wasn't the title that Ian Rankin proposed however what the title will be is still unknown!

Doctor Who meets Agatha Christie

Details of the new series of Dr Who have been revealed on the BBC website:

Over the course of the series, the time-travelling hero will revisit his old enemy The Ood - a race of squid-like humans - and drop in on famous crime novellist Agatha Christie.

"Visiting Agatha Christie has been on my wish-list for ages now, and for the Doctor, it's a real meeting of minds," said executive producer and lead writer Russell T Davies.

Agatha Christie's grandson, Mathew Prichard, said it was a "brilliant idea" to introduce her to the show.

"As far as I know my grandmother never saw Doctor Who, but I am sure she would have been intrigued, excited and above all flattered by all this attention in 2007," he said.

Christie's role will be played by actress Fenella Woolgar, who was recently seen in BBC One's Jekyll.

Fenella Woolgar has also appeared in Agatha Christie's 'Lord Edgware Dies'.

New Medieval Sleuth

From Publishing News:

Geraldine Cooke of the Marsh Agency has concluded a two-book deal with Kate Parkin of John Murray for a medieval crime series featuring a sleuth nun. Whatever Brother Cadfael can do… In fact, Cooke thinks of her as “a proto-type Karen Armstrong”. The author is Cassandra Clark, mother of Headline author Candida Clark, and the first of the two books will be called Hangman Blind.

Amazon.co.uk has the release dates as 20 March 2008 for 'Hangman Blind'.

'New Tricks' Trivia

Culled from the sports section of yesterday's Metro 'newspaper':

The mystery behind BBC detective series New Tricks has been solved - all the main characters were named after writer Roy Mitchell's beloved West Bromich Albion (football/soccer team). Jack Halford, played by James Bolam, Brian Lane (Alun Armstrong) and Gerry Standing (Dennis Waterman), spell out the Halfords Lane Stand at the Hawthorns. "I didn't use to sit in the Halfords Lane End as a child but it's the best of the stands for the main characters," said Mitchell. "After all, one end was called the Rainbow End, so that was out."

Ruth Rendell - Wexford books offer

The Book People have another great crime fiction offer. This time it's ten paperbacks from the Inspector Wexford series by Ruth Rendell for £9.99.

The titles are:

From Doon With Death
Shake Hands For Ever
A Sleeping Life
Put On By Cunning
An Unkindness Of Ravens
The Veiled One
Kissing The Gunner's Daughter
Simisola
Road Rage
The Babes In The Wood

Go to the offer here and view the whole Wexford series in order on the Euro Crime website.

Go here to view earlier crime fiction offers from The Book People which may still be available.

Crime Scene 2007

The Murder One newsletter reports that -

We also now have a limited amount of copies of this year’s Crime Scene booklet. The festival will take place between 6th and 9th September and will feature, on the books side, Mark Billingham, Martina Cole, Val McDermid, Natasha Cooper, Lynda LaPlante, Fred Vargas, etc..., and on the film side Quentin Tarantino, Alan Parker, David Suchet and many previews, premieres and retrospectives. Anyone interested in the booklet should send us a self-addressed and stamped envelope, in A4 format.

John Gardner RIP

Oh dear, it seems it one author after another at the moment. John Gardner, author of numerous books including 14 James Bond titles died on 3 August.

The Independent Obituary begins:

John Gardner, author of more than 50 thrillers, including 14 James Bond books, was a workaholic and recovered alcoholic who even in his 81st year was still writing at all hours. He worked every day - even a little on Christmas Day. "I work because I am scared stiff of losing the ability to put words together," he said. "Touch wood, it's never happened, but I have nightmares that it might."

His fictional characters included the cowardly secret agent Boysie Oakes (introduced in The Liquidator in 1964, the first of a series of books Gardner described as "born in the hope of being an amusing counter-irritant to the excesses of the many imitators of 007") and Big Herbie Kruger (who first appeared in The Nostradamus Traitor in 1979). He also expanded and developed Arthur Conan Doyle's Moriarty in The Return of Moriarty, 1974; The Revenge of Moriarty, 1975; and a third volume, provisionally titled The Redemption of Moriarty, which he had just completed before his death.

Gardner took over the Bond books in 1981 after being approached by the literary copyright owners, Glidrose. (Kingsley Amis had written just one Bond book after Ian Fleming's death in 1964.) "What I wanted to do," he said, "was take the character and bring Fleming's Bond into the Eighties as the same man but with all he would have learned had he lived through the Sixties and Seventies." The first new Bond was Licence Renewed (1981) in which M reminds Bond that the 00 section has been abolished; however, M retains Bond as a troubleshooter, telling him "You'll always be 007 to me." Other titles included Nobody Lives Forever (1986), Win, Lose, or Die (1989) and, the one Gardner considered his best, The Man from Barbarossa (1991)

Gardner was ambivalent about Bond, regarding the character as "one- dimensional", and was at first reluctant to write about a character he had not devised himself. He said: "I'm used to putting a lot more flesh on my characters. And of course with Bond I can't. It wouldn't be in keeping with the way Fleming depicted him." However, he refused to "dumb down" Bond. "What the Americans wanted," he said, "was: 'Bond goes to see M, flirts with Moneypenny, goes off, Bond loses the baddy, baddy gets Bond' and then 'Bond triumphs'. And I thought, 'erm, no'". But he enjoyed the trappings, including a Bentley (his second) and a silver Saab 900 Turbo, which his version of Bond switched to later.

The obituary concludes with:

During his Bond period, Gardner told friends: "Unhappily, I feel I'm probably going to be remembered as the 'guy who took over from Fleming'. I'm very grateful to have been selected to keep Bond alive. But I'd much rather be remembered for my own work than I would for Bond."

Read the whole obituary here.

Denise Mina on Radio 4

On tonight's Front Row,"Denise Mina reflects on the boom in crime-writing in Scotland". The programme starts at 7.15pm but can be listened to online for seven days after broadcast.

The Exception by Christian Jungersen

After reading the final Harry Potter I was worried about what to read next. What could I get equally absorbed in? I'm off work until Wednesday and so not having to worry about what will fit in my rucksack I chose 'The Exception' by Christian Jungersen, which was shortlisted for the 2006 International Dagger. I have the hardback and the size and weight of it has been putting me off but I'm now quite a way into it and finding it fascinating.

The US edition came out on 10 July and is part of Amazon.com's Significant Seven


Synopsis:
A bestseller throughout Europe, THE EXCEPTION is a gripping dissection of the nature of evil and of the paranoia and obsessions that drive ordinary people to commit unthinkable acts. Four women work together for a small nonprofit in Copenhagen that disseminates information on genocide. When two of them receive death threats, they immediately believe that they are being stalked by Mirko Zigic, a Serbian torturer and war criminal, whom they have recently profiled in their articles. As the tensions mount among the women, their suspicions turn away from Zigic and toward each other. The threats increase and soon the office becomes a battlefield in which each of the women’s move is suspect. Their obsession turns into a witch hunt as they resort to bullying and victimization. Yet these are people who daily analyze cases of appalling cruelty on a worldwide scale, and who are intimate with the psychology of evil. The cruelty which the women have described from a safe distance is now revealed in their own world. They discover that none of them is exactly the person she seems to be. And then they learn that Interpol has traced Mirko Zigic to Denmark.

You can read an excerpt on the amazon product page.

The more portable (UK) paperback came out in June.

First Reviews of August

Here are this week's new reviews and details of August's contests:

Latest Reviews:

In Carla McKay's July round-up, she reviews 'Not Dead Enough' by Peter James, 'Black Seconds' by Karin Fossum, 'Rain Dogs and Love Cats' by Andrew Holmes, 'Dangerous Women' edited by Otto Penzler, 'Reasonable Doubts' by Gianrico Carofiglio and 'Die With Me' by Elena Forbes; Yvonne Klein reviews the latest in one of my favourite series, White Corridor by Christopher Fowler, starring the mismatched duo of Bryant and May; I thoroughly enjoyed the first in a new series by L M (Lee) Jackson - A Most Dangerous Woman set in 1852 and starring the resourceful coffee shop owning Sarah Tanner; Terry Halligan reviews the latest in the Mad Carew series, Hammerhead by Ken McCoy and finds it a page-turner and Maxine Clarke says that The Shadow Walker by Michael Walters has an engaging detective and is an exciting start to his Mongolian crime series.

I've also updated the "News" page, except for today's reviews, and I've also updated the "Awards" page.

Current Competitions (closing date 31 August):

Win one of five sets of three recent releases - GodSword by Emerson Cole, Sins of the Fathers by Sally Spencer and Fallen Idols by Neil White (open to everyone)

Win one of four sets of the Vintage Crime Classic Twins - Ripley's Game by Patricia Highsmith and Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (UK Only)

(geographical restrictions are in brackets)

Winners of July's Euro Crime Competitions

Here are the winners of July's Euro Crime competitions (and the correct answers):

1. The Matthew Bartholomew Chronicles by Susanna Gregory

Which other name does Susanna Gregory write under?:
a) Simon Beaufort

Winners:

Paul Cook
Jessica Low
Claire Woods

2. Black Seconds by Karin Fossum

Which one of the following authors is not a Norwegian crime writer?:
b) Henning Mankell

Winners:

Jake Cheung
Will Craven
Pat Luckman
Helen Thurston

and Melanie Gardiner wins Black Seconds plus all Karin Fossum's earlier books.

3. 12:23 by Eoin McNamee

Name another recently released thriller which also features a car crash in a Paris tunnel on 31st August 1997.

The Accident Man (by Tom Cain)

Winners:

Philip Bray
Andy Deeley
Jennifer Langley
Christine Richardson
David Ross

Enter this month's competitions here.

August's free books

I've just uploaded the new competitions for August on the website - over 20 books to give away this month:

Competitions (closing date 31 August):

Win one of five sets of three recent releases - GodSword by Emerson Cole, Sins of the Fathers by Sally Spencer and Fallen Idols by Neil White (open to everyone)

Win one of four sets of the Vintage Crime Classic Twins - Ripley's Game by Patricia Highsmith and Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (UK Only)

(geographical restrictions are in brackets)

The winners of last month's competitions will be announced on the blog shortly.

New (in English) Alexandre Dumas novel...

From today's Publishing News:

PEGASUS BOOKS, THE New York based publishing company founded in 2005 by Claiborne Hancock, has acquired World English Language rights to a long-lost novel by Alexandre Dumas. The Last Cavalier, discovered and published in France in 2005, will be published in America by Pegasus in September. Meanwhile, Caspian Dennis at Abner Stein has been appointed to sell UK rights.

Read the rest of the article here.


Synopsis from amazon.com: Rousing, big, spirited, its action sweeping across oceans and continents, the last novel of Alexandre Dumas-lost for 125 years in the archives of the National Library in Paris-completes the oeuvre that Dumas imagined at the outset of his literary -career. Now, dynamically, in a tale of family honor and undying vengeance, of high adventure and heroic derring-do, The Last Cavalier fills that gap.

The last cavalier is also Count Hector de Sainte-Hermine, who for three years has been languishing in prison when, in 1804, on the eve of Napoleon's coronation as emperor of France, he learns what's to be his due. Stripped of his title and denied the hand of the woman he loves, he is freed by Napoleon on the condition that he serve as a common foot soldier in the imperial army. So it is in profound despair that Hector embarks on a succession of daring escapades. Again and again he wins glory-against brigands, bandits, the British; boa constrictors, sharks, crocodiles. And at the battle of Trafalgar it's his marksman's bullet that fells the famed English admiral Lord Nelson.

Yet however far his adventures may take him-from Burma's jungles to the wilds of Ireland-his destiny lies always in Paris, with his father's enemy, Napoleon.

The publishing date is 12th September.

R D Wingfield RIP

Sad news comes from The Rap Sheet that R D Wingfield, author of the Frost series, has died aged 79. He managed to complete a sixth Frost book, 'Killing Frost', before he died, which is to be published next year.

Stuart MacBride leads the tributes.

Frank Tallis Publishing News

Book2Book reports that:

Century Editorial Director, Hannah Black has acquired the next three books of the Liebermann series by Frank Tallis in a three book deal from agent Clare Alexander at Aitken Alexander Associates Limited.

Set in fin-de-siecle Vienna, Frank Tallis - author and Harley Street psychologist - vividly brings to life Freud's world of coffee shops and salons abuzz with intellectual debate and cultural ferment. The first three books in the stylish and atmospheric psychoanalytic detective series (Mortal Mischief, Vienna Blood and Fatal Lies - published next January 2008) featuring Dr Max Liebermann, received wide critical acclaim. The Times: 'Tallis's writing and feel for the period are top class'; And the Literary Review: 'smart detection and a mouth-watering view of Viennese café society...good prospects for the Liebermann series..."

Translation rights have been sold into 11 languages to date. MORTAL MISCHIEF and VIENNA BLOOD have already achieved bestseller status in France.

The BBC has bought the TV rights to the Liebermann series to transmit in 2009.

The first in this next series, THE KABBALIST, will be published by Century in January 2009 and in Arrow paperback in July 2009.

So who could play Liebermann? Tom Ward?

Pierre Magnan - Read it First

St Martin's Press have a 'Read It First' programme where every Mon-Fri you receive a few pages of a new book. It covers all genres but this week the featured book is 'Death in The Truffle Wood' by Pierre Magnan. You can read the Euro Crime review here.

To sign up go here and you can catch up with the current week's samples by requesting them here.

Here are the first few lines to whet your appetitite...

CHAPTER ONE

"Come on Roseline! Just one more? Dig me up another one!"

Lying on his side with his head resting on his hand and a blade of grass dangling from his lips, Alyre Morelon was stroking Roseline with words as well as gestures. And Roseline was giving little grunts of satisfaction while affectionately licking his beard with her tongue, which smelled deliciously of fresh truffles.

"Come on Roseline. Don't be silly. Just one. Get me one more and then we'll go home."

But Roseline needed a lot of coaxing. She kept giving him gentle persuasive head butts, obviously meaning, "Get going! It's time to go home. You've got enough for today. Your eyes are bigger than your stomach."

Alyre looked at his basket and sighed. It contained scarcely four kilos and the agent had ordered ten for Saturday.

"You're a lazy lump!" he said. "I'm not speaking to you any more."