Jo Nesbo news

Another of Jo Nesbo's Harry Hole books will be available in English next March. The cheerily titled, 'House of Pain' is the fourth in the series, falling between the previously translated, The Redbreast and The Devil's Star.

Synopsis from amazon.co.uk:

A bank robbery takes place in Oslo. The robber asks for the safe to be emptied in twenty-five seconds while he holds a gun to the head of a woman; the deadline is not met and he kills her. Detective Harry Hole is assigned to the case. In the meantime, Hole's ex-girlfriend suddenly gets back in touch. He goes for dinner at her house and wakes up at home the next morning after a twelve-hour black out. On the same morning, the girl is found shot dead in her bed and it looks like suicide. While trying to stay dry and out of prison, Harry is faced with the all-pervasive and all-connecting tentacles of anger and revenge and witnesses the liberating power of atonement. Gripping and surprising, "The House of Pain" is the new thriller by the one of the biggest stars of Scandinavian crime.

More on Nesbo in the next few days...

Articles in The Times

I'm woefully behind with updating the News page on the website but I've just spotted a few interesting articles in The Times:

An excerpt from Ian Rankin's introduction to the Rough Guide to Crime Fiction.

An interview of Michele Giuttari, the author of 'A Florentine Death' and the only (I think) translated (into English) author appearing at the Harrogate Crime Festival this year.

Marcel Berlins meets Jasper Fforde, author of the Thursday Next and Nursery Crimes series.

Publishing Deals

From Publishers Lunch:

Mystery/Crime
Leif GW Persson's The Fall of the Welfare State Trilogy: BETWEEN SUMMER'S LONGING AND WINTER'S COLD, ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER LIFE and FALLING FREELY, AS IF IN A DREAM, telling what could very well be the truth about the biggest unsolved crime in modern European history.

I haven't found anything about this (Swedish) author written in English yet so I shall have to do more research!

also from PL:

Film
Film rights to P.B. Kerr's CHILDREN OF THE LAMP series, to DreamWorks, with Nina Jacobson producing

P B Kerr is probably better know to crime readers as Philip Kerr, author of the Bernie Gunther series. (In the UK, Quercus are publishing the latest in that series, One from the Other in July. It came out last September in the US.)

Free Shipping (P & P) at The Book Depository

I first heard of this firm through dovegreyreader a while ago and I've heard many words of praise since. The Book Depository offers free delivery anywhere which is particularly beneficial for those living in eg Australia and America where the shipping can equal the cost of the books.

It's also an informative site with news and articles. Publisher of the week is Arcadia whose list includes Dominique Manotti, Leif Davidsen, Jan Kjaerstad and the new book from Joan Smith.

New Reviews and it's the last week for June's contests

Slightly later than normal but here are the latest additions to the review archive:

Latest Reviews:

Simon Beckett's The Chemistry of Death is one of this month's prizes and Fiona Walker calls it a "fine thriller indeed"; to say that Pat Austin is not impressed with Illusion by Daniel Boyle is rather an understatement; moving onto Scandinavian crime, Maxine Clarke enjoyed Sun and Shadow by Ake Edwardson, very much and I can't find enough superlatives for Karin Fossum's books, including her most recent in paperback, Calling Out For You, and lastly, historical crime fiction fan Jan Harris is disappointed with The Medieval Murderers' The Tainted Relic suggesting it works better as a taster for trying the work of the various contributors rather than as a whole entity.


Just a few more days to enter June's competitions:

Win one of five signed copies of 'The Chemistry of Death' by Simon Beckett (UK & Europe only)

Win one of six copies of 'The House of Shadows' by The Medieval Murderers

Win one of five copies of 'How to Kill' by Kris Hollington (non-fiction)

Win one of three copies of the R2 DVD of Romanzo Criminale (UK & Ireland residents only)

Win one of five copies of the R1 DVD of Missing (US residents only)

(geographical restrictions are in brackets)

Slight delay to the new reviews...

Family committments this last week have meant that I've not had much time to respond to emails (so many apologies if you're waiting for a response) or prepare this week's new reviews. Normal service should resume shortly.

In the meantime, please do enter this month's competitions, look at the new titles coming out over the next few months and peruse the reviews already posted :-).

Who is Lou Sciortino? reviewed in The Metro

Thursday's Metro ran a review of 'Who is Lou Sciortino?' by Ottavio Cappellani. The review isn't online but as it's short I've typed it in:

Fans of The Sopranos who can't wait for the final series of the US TV show to arrive on British screens should check out this Italian Mob novel. Who is Lou Sciortino? is a comic and sometimes confusing excursion into the world of so-called organised crime, where a surburban barbecue can be more dangerous than a dark alley.
Lou is the grandson of Don Lou, LA's top Mafia boss, but he's not made for the life. After a bomb goes off in the offices of his Hollywoood film company (in fact a money-laundering operation), he's sent off to Sicily until things calm down. There, he is bullied into acting the picciotto (foot soldier) for the untrustworthy Uncle Sal, and Don Lou decides things need to be taken in hand.
Sicilian journalist Ottavio Cappellani has written a smart first novel where old men reminisce while the plot unfolds in a flurry of slick and grisly hits - one person dying 'with a Prada stiletto heel hammered into his left eye'. Hardly groundbreaking but thoroughly satisfying entertainment. (Jonathan Gibbs in The Metro)

More offers from The Book People

The Book People have another couple of great crime fiction offers in their latest catelogue:

Three titles in Simon Brett's Fethering series: Death on the Downs, Murder in the Museum and The Stabbing in the Stables for £4.99 (plus P & P).

Here's the Euro Crime bibliography page for Simon Brett for the series order and reviews.

The first three titles in Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano series, set in Sicily: The Shape of Water, The Snack Thief and The Terracotta Dog for £4.99 (plus P & P).

Here's the Euro Crime bibliography page for Andrea Camilleri for the series order and reviews.

The ten Agatha Raisin books for £9.99 offer is also still available.

Sebastian Fitzek - publishing deal

Today's Publisher's Lunch annouces:

Sebastian Fitzek's THERAPY, in which a child disappears without a trace, to St. Martin's and to Pan Macmillan, by AVA-International.

German author Fitzek has written two novels, 'Die Therapie' and 'Amok Spiel'. You can read more about him and his books at his website (in German). The website is being revised at the moment according to the google translation of the homepage.

Shortlist for the Theakston award

Following on from the twenty strong longlist, the votes have been counted.
The six titles that are on the (all male) shortlist for the Theakston's award are:

The Dead Place - Stephen Booth
All Fun and Games Until Somebody Loses an Eye - Christopher Brookmyre
Two Way Split - Allan Guthrie
Blood and Honey - Graham Hurley
The Death Ship of Dartmouth - Michael Jecks
Cold Granite - Stuart MacBride

Not having read any of them, but based on reviews and word of mouth, I'm tipping 'Cold Granite'!

BBC 4 tomorrow night

Tuesday 19th June at 8pm on BBC Four:

Ian Rankin Investigates: Dr Jekyll...and Mr Hyde

Ian Rankin investigates Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, a story of a lawyer who analyses strange goings-on between his friend Dr Jekyll and Mr Edward Hyde.

The idea for the novella came to Stevenson in a dream and was first published in 1886.

Ian Rankin explores the origins of the book, and visits Edinburgh, the city that inspired the tale and also talks about the influence the book has had on his own Rebus novels.

Father's Day Reviews & Competition reminder

Another seven days have flown by, so here are this week's:

Latest Reviews:

Maxine Clarke calls Seth Garner's The Blood Partnership a good escapist read, if you don't think too hard about the details and Terry Halligan says that Gerald Seymour's latest, The Walking Dead, is another enjoyable if slightly overlong offering.

In response to my recent plea for more reviewers, here are the first reviews from three of the people who contacted me:

Norman Price reviews Library of the Soul by Simon Buck a thriller revolving around the Vatican, and writes that it's a "very welcome "Da Vinci Code" antidote, but there are a few caveats; Fiona Walker takes on the second book from Asa Larsson, The Blood Spilt, but finds she can't get involved with the characters but says that Larsson is brave to begin the book so similarly to her first, Sun Storm/The Savage Altar and Declan Burke reviews Bishops Pawn by K T McCaffrey concluding that it is "a superb addition to the canon of Irish crime fiction".


June's competitions:

Win one of five signed copies of 'The Chemistry of Death' by Simon Beckett (UK & Europe only)

Win one of six copies of 'The House of Shadows' by The Medieval Murderers

Win one of five copies of 'How to Kill' by Kris Hollington (non-fiction)

Win one of three copies of the R2 DVD of Romanzo Criminale (UK & Ireland residents only)

Win one of five copies of the R1 DVD of Missing (US residents only)

(geographical restrictions are in brackets)

More Papal intrigue

I really will shut up about The Last Confession but I am intrigued by the forthcoming book from Juan Gomez-Jurado entitled 'God's Spy'. Actually 'God's Spy 'came out in the US in April, to good reviews I believe, but it won't be out in the UK until July.

Synopsis from amazon.co.uk: The novel takes place in the days following the death of Pope John Paul II, when 115 cardinals have to be called to the Vatican in order to take part in the Conclave to elect the new Pope. With Rome under siege to foreign press and thousands of mourners, the last thing it needs is a serial killer on the loose. Paola Dicanti is a profiler who works with the Italian police - she has been put in charge of profiling serial killers in a department of one ie herself. She is untested and her experience of serial killers is, as yet, theoretical. This is until she is called to the church of Santa Maria in the Vatican state. A cardinal has been found murdered, his eyes destroyed, his hands cut off. It seems that this is not the first victim - another cardinal was found in similar circumstances but the authorities didn't want a scandal. Recovering from a bitter affair with her boss, Paola begins to build her profile using information from the scene of the crime, from the autopsy, and from forensic evidence. She is helped in this by Anthony Fowler, a priest from the States. But it turns out that Fowler is no ordinary priest - he clearly has links to the CIA, and knows a lot about the serial killer than Dicanti could ever have guessed. The situation is complicated further when a young female journalist intercepts tapes that were meant to be sent to the press, putting her life in danger.

'God's Spy' is Spanish author Gomez-Jurado's first book. Read more on his website plus there's a website for the book where you can view a map of the Vatican, read about the characters and so on.

Richard and Judy Summer Reading List

According to Publisher's Lunch, Richard and Judy's 2007 Summer Reading List is:

The Memory Keeper's Daughter, by Kim Edwards
Getting Rid of Matthew, by Jane Fallon
Relentless, by Simon Kernick
The Other Side of the Bridge, by Mary Lawson
The Savage Garden, by Mark Mills
The House at Riverton, by Kate Morton
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, by Paul Torday
How to Talk to a Widower, by Jonathan Tropper

Congrats to Simon Kernick and Mark Mills as they watch their sales sky-rocket.

Ann Cleeves' follow-up to Raven Black

The second book in the planned quartet of novels set on Shetland is to be called 'White Nights'. On Ann Cleeves' website, she says:

The launch of an exhibition at The Herring House art gallery is disturbed by a stranger who bursts into tears, then claims not to remember who he is or where he comes from. The next day he's found dead, wearing a clown's mask.

Set in mid-summer, the book captures the unsettling nature of a landscape where the sun never quite sets and where people are not as they first seem.

White Nights is scheduled for publication in the UK in April 2008.

The first Shetland/Jimmy Perez book, Raven Black won the 2006 CWA Duncan Lawrie Dagger.

The Last Confession is on its way to the West End

Indie London reports that:

FOLLOWING its run at this year’s Chichester Festival and a brief regional tour, the new thriller by Roger Crane, The Last Confession, will transfer to the West End’s Theatre Royal Haymarket for a limited 12-week season – from July 4, 2007 (previews from June 28).

You can read a review in This is London. I agree with most of it, though I disagree with the comment about the pedestrian nature of the internal enquiry scene. If you get chance, do go see the master (Suchet) in action...

Wire in the Blood (tv series) news

From Val McDermid's recent newsletter:

News from Wire in the Blood: Series 5 will begin its run in the UK in July. I don't have details of precise dates, and I don't yet know about foreign transmissions. But I've seen it, and it is very, very good. Don't miss it.
The production team will be flying out to Texas at the end of July to film a special set in the US. Watch this space for more details. (I'm not going, btw. Texas in August? You have to be kidding. No offence to my Texas pals, but it's way too hot for somebody raised in Fife.)

The next book in the Wire in the Blood series is 'Beneath the Bleeding', out on 6th August. You can read the synopsis and an extract on Val's webpage.

Eoin McNamee on Radio 4 tomorrow

On tomorrow's Radio 4 Front Row,(19.15 - 19.45),

Mark Lawson discusses dark deeds in a Paris tunnel with the Irish writer Eoin McNamee, whose new novel, 12:23, suggests that the death of Princess Diana was not an accident.

Not to be confused with Tom Cain's 'The Accident Man', whose main character has to 'organise a car crash in a Paris underpass...'

Having watched the recent Channel 4 documentary The Witnesses in the Tunnel which appeared to document what actually happened that night, I shall be very interested in reading both these new titles.

Front Row programmes can be listened to for 7 days after broadcast.

The Last Confession

I've succumbed to temptation and a recommendation in the comments to my earlier post, I've booked tickets to see David Suchet in The Last Confession at Malvern Theatre on Wednesday.

If all goes well with the trains, I hope to get back to Birmingham to try the Organic Vegetarian restaurant which had a good review in the What's On a few weeks ago.

New Reviews & Competition Reminder

Latest Reviews:

This week's new reviews on Euro Crime are; Karin Chisholm's review of the International Dagger shortlisted Shame by Karin Alvtegen a rather non-traditional crime novel; Terry Halligan says that Paul Johnston's The Death List is gripping but perhaps not for the squeamish; Maxine Clarke finds Relentless by Simon Kernick a quick, escapist read with maybe a twist too many and Sunnie Gill reviews the Dagger nominated Sovereign by C J Sansom and finds it worth every word of its 600 plus pages.


June's competitions:

Win one of five signed copies of 'The Chemistry of Death' by Simon Beckett (UK & Europe only)

Win one of six copies of 'The House of Shadows' by The Medieval Murderers

Win one of five copies of 'How to Kill' by Kris Hollington (non-fiction)

Win one of three copies of the R2 DVD of Romanzo Criminale (UK & Ireland residents only)

Win one of five copies of the R1 DVD of Missing (US residents only)

(geographical restrictions are in brackets)