B.V. Lawson's Blog, page 63

Media Murder for Monday

It's the start of a new week and that means it's time for a brand-new roundup of crime drama news:

THE BIG SCREEN/MOVIES

In what marks a return to filmmaking for John Waters, Village Roadshow Pictures has optioned his new novel, Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance. Waters will also write the script and direct. The novel follows Marsha Sprinkle, a suitcase thief, scammer, and master of disguise. As the book description adds, "Dogs and children hate her. Her own family wants her dead. She’s smart, she’s desperate, she’s disturbed, and she’s on the run with a big chip on her shoulder. They call her Liarmouth―until one insane man makes her tell the truth."

Production is underway on filmmaker Richard Linklater’s next film, Hitman, in New Orleans, with Retta, Molly Bernard, and Austin Amelio added to the ensemble opposite Glen Powell and Adria Arjona. Based on an article in Texas Monthly, the screenplay hails from Linklater and Top Gun: Maverick co-star Powell and tells the true story of "the most sought-after hitman in New Orleans, but if you pay him to rub out a cheating spouse or a sadistic boss, you’d better watch out: he works for the cops." When the hitman breaks protocol to help a desperate woman (Arjona) trying to get away from an abusive boyfriend, he finds himself living the life of one of his false personas, falling for the woman, and flirting with becoming a criminal himself.

For the first time, all three big exhibitors—AMC, Regal, and Cinemark—are on board with releasing a major Netflix title, the Rian Johnson-directed sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. The movie will hit 600 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, plus additional markets overseas on Wednesday, November 23, the day before Thanksgiving. Knives Out 2 will play for one week, from Nov. 23-29, and then there will be a blackout period for the film in the remaining weeks before it hits Netflix on Dec. 23.

TELEVISION/STREAMING SERVICES

Jennifer Hillier’s novel, Little Secrets, is being adapted for the small screen on the Peacock streaming platform. Little Secrets is a female-driven mystery thriller that pays homage to the erotic thriller genre of the late 80s-early 90s and follows a desperate mother’s mission for revenge against her husband’s mistress after her child goes missing. Told in alternating perspectives between the mother and the mistress, the story dissects themes of lust, obsession, grief, and loss.

CBS is moving ahead with a "fresh take" on Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic Sherlock Holmes mystery franchise with Watson, from Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment and CBS Studios. The medical drama with detective elements is written by Craig Sweeny, who spent five years on CBS’s Sherlock Holmes/Dr. Watson procedural, Elementary. Watson is set a year after the death of Dr. John Watson's friend and partner, Sherlock Holmes, at the hands of Moriarty. Dr. Watson resumes his medical career as the head of a clinic dedicated to treating rare disorders, addressing the greatest mystery of all: illness, and the ways it disrupts lives. As the logline adds, "Watson’s old life isn’t done with him, though—Moriarty and Watson are set to write their own chapter of a story that has fascinated audiences for more than a century."

In another Holmes-related project, Imagine Kids+Family has landed rights to Ali Standish’s upcoming multi-book series, The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall. The project follows a young Arthur Conan Doyle as he leaves his family to attend Baskerville Hall, a school for the extraordinarily-gifted, where he will seek to solve many mysteries with the help of his new schoolmates and teachers. Here he’ll meet the characters that will become the inspiration for his many famous novels—including Professor Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, and friends like James Moriarty.





The Russo brothers have developed an international spy show called Citadel, with the series described as "a first-of-its-kind, world-building endeavor." Backed by Amazon Studios, the seven-episode saga stars Danish actor Roland Møller (as the head of a spy agency called Manticore), alongside Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Richard Madden, and Stanley Tucci. Citadel has been in the works for several years, and although the plot is being kept under close guard, Citadel intends serve as the flagship show that generates spinoffs featuring the agents carrying out missions on their home terrain.

PODCASTS/VIDEO/RADIO/AUDIO

The latest Mysteryrat's Maze podcast featured the first chapter of Trouble Down Mexico Way by Nancy Nau Sullivan, as read by actor Ariel Linn. The novel features a supernatural side, a perfect fit for Halloween month listening.

On the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine podcast, Elizabeth Elwood, the 2022 winner of the Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence in the short story category, read her EQMM story, "The Light on the Lagoon," which appears in the current issue of EQMM, September/October 2022.

Crime Writers of Color featured Robert Justice's interview with Gary Phillips, author of almost twenty novels, including Matthew Henson and The Ice Temple of Harlem and One-Shot Harry.

My Favorite Detective Stories host, John Hoda, welcomed Paula Munier, a literary agent and the USA Today bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries.

All About Agatha spoke with Collins UK publisher, David Brawn, who has been keeping Agatha Christie in print for over 25 years now. More recently, he’s helmed the Christie continuation projects, starting first with Charles Osborne’s novelizations, then Sophie Hannah’s Poirot books, and just last month, Marple: Twelve New Mysteries, a new collection of Miss Marple short stories by twelve different writers.

Crime Time FM chatted with Charlotte Philby, author of Edith and Kim, a historical spy novel based on the true story of the woman behind the Cambridge spies in Cold War espionage, and Luke Jennings, author of the Killing Eve trilogy, the basis for the hit TV series.

On Read or Dead this week, Katie and Kendra discussed "witchy books" that are perfect for a spooky season.

         Related StoriesMedia Murder for Monday 

Friday's "Forgotten" Books: The Habit of Fear

Dorothy Salisbury Davis (1916-2014) was born in Chicago and raised as a Roman Catholic but left the church when she married her husband, actor Harry Davis. Now considered one of the Grand Dames of crime fiction, she didn't start out as a writer, working first in advertising and as a librarian, publishing her first novel in 1949 with the encouragement of her husband. Her 20 novels and numerous short stories went on to receive seven Edgar Award nominations, and her novel, Broken Vows, was also made into a 1987 TV movie starring Tommy Lee Jones.



She had a clear influence on the crime fiction community, serving as Mystery Writers of America grandmaster in 1985 and on the initial steering committee for the formation of Sisters in Crime (along with Charlotte MacLeod, Kate Mattes, Betty Francis, Sara Paretsky, Nancy Pickard and Susan Dunlap). She was Guest of Honor at Malice Domestic VI, quoting Hilaire Belloc, that "It will not matter if my sins are scarlet, if only my books are read."  

          

By her own account, Davis was an "odd fit" in crime fiction, unhappy with her perceived inability to create a memorable series character and uncomfortable with violence and murder. But she was quite happy creating villains and often commented that villains are much more fun to write about than heroes. Her themes trend more toward psychology than out-and-out detection, and religious tensions are often found in her work, not surprising considering her own background.



[image error]That religious undercurrent can be found in The Habit of Fear, the fourth and last in her series featuring Julie Hayes, a former actress and fortuneteller-turned New York City tabloid reporter, but the religious theme is only a small part of the deftly-knit threads of the plot that begin with her husband Jeff telling her he wants a divorce. Angry and hurt, she storms out of their apartment where she's tricked into a nightmare scenario of rape and sodomy by two mysterious men. Although she's reluctant to help the police, preferring to try and put as much emotional distance between her and the events as possible, she's drawn into the case, as well as a search for the Irish father she never knew, a journey that eventually takes her to the land of her beloved Yeats.



But her troubles only follow her, as a strange "Gray Man" seems to be stalking her, there's an appearance by her two attackers who escaped New York on bail, and she finds herself in the middle of tensions involving the Irish Republican Army and a splinter group. Underlying it all is a NYC gangster who watches over Julie as a protective, yet violent, avenging guardian angel. The plot threads ultimately do tie together into a hopeful but bittersweet conclusion.



Salisbury once contributed the chapter "Background and Atmosphere" to the Writer's Digest Mystery Writer's Handbook in 1975, and she is certainly adept with creating atmosphere in The Habit of Fear, first in the seedy side streets, police precincts and courts of New York and then in the bucolic but war-torn landscapes of Dublin, Wicklow, Ballina and Sligo:

Julie climbed the narrow street to where the village came to an abrupt end at a gate to the ruins. The wind gusted fiercely. The river became rapids alongside the ruins and rushed noisily down the hillside. Looking down, she could see boats at anchor, heaving in the heavy waters. Beyond the inlet was the Atlantic, blue and white-capped and dappled with dark patches where the clouds threw their shadows. As she went on, she could see the coast road with an occasional cottage and bits of color where the stacked turf was tucked around with plastic tarps.

Her characterizations are also rich and multi-layered, with no character completely evil or saintly. In an interview with Don Swaim on the CBS Radio studio show, Wired for Books, she talked about this novel and how she created the character of Julie Hayes during a period when the author herself was in therapy. She made Hayes a defender of street people due to Davis's own walking through city areas frequented by prostitutes, where she said she was accepted as "this little old lady with white hair in a raincoat," talking to various people from all walks of life.

          

Mystery Melange

The Capital Crime Festival handed out its Fingerprint Awards this past weekend. Winner of Crime Book of the Year was Sarah Pearse for The Sanatorium; winner of Thriller Book of the Year was S.A. Cosby’s Razorblade Tears; Laura Purcell took home the prize for Historical Crime Book of the Year for Shape of Darkness; and Abigail Dean’s Girl A won Debut Book of the Year. The Industry Award of the Year was won by HarperCollins for Girl A by Abigail Dean, and the Lifetime Achievement Award was posthumously awarded to editor, Thalia Proctor, who passed away earlier this year. For all the finalists in the various categories, follow this link.

In recognition of the legacy of Shirley Jackson’s writing, the Shirley Jackson Awards were established for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic. The Shirley Jackson Awards are voted upon by a jury of professional writers, editors, critics, and academics in the categories of Novel, Novella, Novelette, Short Fiction, Single-Author Collection, and Edited Anthology. The 2022 finalists for Outstanding Novel include All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter; Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff VanderMeer; My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones; No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull; and Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw. For all the finalists in the various categories, click on over here.

The next issue of Mystery Readers Journal will focus on Legal/Law Mysteries, and editor Janet Rudolph has put out a call for reviews, articles, and Author! Author! essays. Reviews should be 50-250 words; articles, 250-1000 words; and Author! Author! Essays, which are first person pieces about yourself, your books, and your unique take on legal/law mysteries, should be 500-1000 words. Check out the full details here.

Did you know that Sherlock Holmes's creator opened a psychic bookstore? Despite Holmes's devotion to logic and reason in his detection, Sir Arthur Conan Boyle had a personal lifelong fascination with spiritualism and psychic phenomena.

Think you're an expert on all things James Bond? Try your hand at this quiz.

This week's crime poem at the 5-2 weekly is "Insanity" by Teel James Glenn.

In the Q&A roundup, Lisa Haselton welcomed authors Charles Breakfield and Rox Burkey to chat about their new techno-thriller, The Enigma Threat (book 12 of their Enigma Series), and also spoke with mystery author, Leah Cupps, about her new thriller, Never Play Fair.

         Related StoriesMystery MelangeMedia Murder for Monday 

Media Murder for Monday

It's the start of a new week (and new month) and that means it's time for a brand-new roundup of crime drama news:

THE BIG SCREEN/MOVIES

Netflix has preemptively landed feature rights to WIRED journalist Joseph Cox’s upcoming book, Dark Wire, which uncovers the true story of how the FBI launched a fake telecom company and became a phone service provider to some of the world’s most notorious gangs, culminating in the arrest of more than a thousand international criminals. Ozark star and director, Jason Bateman, will direct the Netflix thriller.

The next installment in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise is continuing to add to its all-star cast as Kevin Bacon is set to join Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley. Production on the sequel is underway with Mark Molloy directing the Will Beall-penned script. Franchise newcomers Jospeh Gordon-Levitt and Taylour Paige are also on board, along with Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot who will reprise their various characters from previous installments. The franchise moved from Paramount to Netflix in the winter of 2019 and follows the adventures of Detroit cop Foley, who first appeared in the 1984 smash hit that followed him to Beverly Hills to solve the murder of a friend. It was followed by two sequels, in 1987 and 1994.

Magic Mike's Alex Pettyfer is joining the Alec Baldwin-Olga Kurylenko action spy thriller, Chief of Station, which starts production in November. Pettyfer will play John Branca, a CIA agent overseeing a European intelligence division who’s been a steady hand for more than ten years and trusted ally to Ben Malloy (played by Baldwin), a legendary CIA Chief of Station. When Ben’s wife is killed in what appears to be a terrible accident, Branca takes over Ben’s old position as head of all Eastern European clandestine operations. But where do his loyalties lie? The pic is directed by Jesse V. Johnson off a script by George Mahaffey. Chris Petrovski has also boarded the feature project and will take on the role of Ben’s son, Nick.

TELEVISION/STREAMING SERVICES

Kevin Costner’s Territory Pictures will team with Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary's Revelations Entertainment to produce the Civil War spy drama, The Gray House, a six-hour limited series for Paramount Global. The project tells the story of the three women General Ulysses S. Grant credited as helping the North win the Civil War: a Richmond Socialite; her daughter, a formerly enslaved African-American; and a courtesan, as all three built the first successful female spy ring operating right under the noses of the Confederate High Command. The Gray House is based on an original script by Greif and Darrell Fetty (The Offer, Texas Rising) and Oscar-nominated John Sayles (Lonestar, 8 Men Out).

Robin Weigert, Abby McEnany, and Eric Graise are set as leads opposite Justin Hartley in the CBS drama pilot, The Never Game. Written by crime writer, Ben Winters, and based on a novel by fellow author, Jeffery Deaver, The Never Game follows the adventures of Colter Shaw (Hartley), who was raised by his paranoid survivalist father to be an expert tracker and now makes his living as a "rewardist," traveling America in his Airstream trailer, helping families recover their lost loved ones and their other most precious things — all while staying one step ahead of the memories that haunt him, and the unanswered questions from his past.

Alice Braga and Jimmi Simpson are set as leads opposite Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly in Dark Matter, an adaptation of Blake Crouch’s acclaimed sci-fi suspense novel, at Apple TV+. Written and showrun by Crouch, the nine-episode series will follow Jason Dessen, (Edgerton) a physicist, professor, and family man who — one night while walking home on the streets of Chicago — is abducted into an alternate version of his life. Wonder quickly turns to nightmare when he tries to return to his reality amid the multiverse of lives he could have lived. In this labyrinth of mind-bending realities, he embarks on a harrowing journey to get back to his true family and save them from the most terrifying, unbeatable foe imaginable: himself.

Jim Gaffigan has joined the cast of the HBO Max limited series, Full Circle, from director Steven Soderbergh and writer Ed Solomon. He joins previously announced cast Zazie Beetz, Claire Danes, Timothy Olyphant, Dennis Quaid, Jharrel Jerome, Sheyi Cole, and CCH Pounder. The project centers on an investigation into a botched kidnapping that uncovers long-held secrets connecting multiple characters and cultures in present-day New York City. Gaffigan is believed to be playing Manny Broward, an agent at USPIS battling his own demons who is Harmony’s (Beetz) immediate supervisor.

According to The Killing Times, viewers of BBC Four’s current Saturday-night German series, KaDaWe, were treated to a trailer for season two of the Norwegian crime drama, Wisting, confirming the channel’s acquisition of the show’s second series. Sven Nordin returns as Larvik detective William Wisting, taking on two of the most challenging cases of his career— a race against time to hunt down an escaped killer before the latter can strike again, and solving the macabre mystery behind an unknown woman’s head placed on a spike in the centre of Larvik. The series is based on the best-selling books by Jørn Lier Horst, a Norwegian author of crime fiction and a former Senior Investigating Officer at Vestfold police district.

Also from The Killing Times comes word that UKTV channel, Alibi, has announced its first ever Nordic Noir acquisition, the Icelandic Black Sands (Svörtu sandar). The eight-episode series stars Aldís Amah Hamilton as Anita, a DI in her thirties, who is forced to return to the hometown she fled 14 years ago. A reckoning with her mother is inescapable, but when the body of a young woman is found, everything is upended. Anita is dragged down into the dark abyss of her past, looking for a possible serial killer and the reckoning turns into a nightmare. Black Sands was created by Aldís Amah Hamilton, Andri Óttarsson, and Ragnar Jónsson, author of the Dark Iceland series and the Hulda series as well as translator of fourteen of Agatha Christie novels.

Prime Video has set a December premiere date for Season 3 of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. All eight episodes of the series, starring and executive produced by John Krasinski, will launch on Wednesday, December 21, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. Season 3 of the action-thriller series finds Jack Ryan (Krasinski) on the run and in a race against time. In addition to Krasinski, also returning for the third season are Wendell Pierce as James Greer and Michael Kelly as Mike November. Joining as new series regulars are Nina Hoss as Alena Kovac and Betty Gabriel as Elizabeth Wright. Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan was previously renewed for a fourth season with Michael Peña joining the cast, although as previously reported, that season will be the series' last.

Echo 3, the action thriller series starring Luke Evans, Michiel Huisman, and Jessica Ann Collins, will premiere on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, Nov. 23, with new episodes dropping every Friday through Jan. 13. Set in South America, the series follows Amber Chesborough (Collins), a brilliant young scientist who is the emotional heart of a small American family. When Amber goes missing along the Colombia-Venezuela border, her brother, Bambi (Evans), and her husband, Prince (Huisman) — two men with deep military experience and complicated pasts — struggle to find her in a layered personal drama, set against the explosive backdrop of a secret war. Echo 3 is based on the Israeli television series When Heroes Fly and inspired by the eponymous novel by Amir Gutfreund.

PODCASTS/VIDEO/RADIO/AUDIO

The Queer Writers of Crime podcast is apparently shutting down. On the final episode, Justene recommends a book by two authors, Austin Thomas Burton, and Ripley Hayes. In addition, the entire show's team comes together to say goodbye to the authors and fans who've supported the show.

My Favorite Detective Stories welcomed New York Times bestselling author Marc Cameron, author of the Jericho Quinn thriller series, the Arliss Cutter novels, and five Tom Clancy/Jack Ryan novels for the Tom Clancy estate.

On CrimeTime FM, Trevor Wood chatted with Paul Burke about his latest novel just out in paperback, Dead End Street; characters Jimmy, Deano and Gadge; PTSD and homelessness; The People's Kitchen; writing a new stand alone novel; the writer's journey; and the editor who wanted Dog to have a girlfriend.

On the latest episode of the Red Hot Chili Writers, crime writer Erin Kelly stopped by to discuss her new novel, The Skeleton Key; chat about the phenomenon that was the queue for the Queen's coffin-viewing; and take a look at the world of professional mourners.

It Was a Dark and Stormy Book Club featured a Fright Reads Book Festival 2022 author roundup.

         Related StoriesMedia Murder for Monday 

Friday's "Forgotten" Books: Picture Miss Seeton

Author Heron Carvic was a study in contrasts. Born Geoffrey Richard William Harris in 1917, his public persona took him into very visible roles as an actor, and yet he was such a private person that very little is known about him. He did reveal that he was a great-grandson of Sir Richard Mayne, one of the two original Commissioners of Police, and happily married to Phyllis Neilson-Terry of the famous British theatrical family (including her parents and her cousin, John Gielgud).

Carvic's acting roles were mostly dramatic and often included crime or science fiction. One of his early parts was in The Bat, a stage adaptation of Mary Roberts Rinehart's The Circular Staircase, and later roles included Gandalf in a radio version of The Hobbit, Jonathan Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace, and guest roles in the TV shows Police Surgeon, The Avengers, and Dr. Who.

Thus, it's curious that he chose to write a comedic mystery series featuring the slightly barmy English spinster, Miss Seeton. But it was a success from the start with the first book, Picture Miss Seeton, a finalist for the Edgar Award in 1969.

Carvic had first used Miss Emily Seeton in a short story, and fifteen years later said that "Miss Seeton upped and demanded a book," with Carvic deciding that if "she wanted to satirize detective novels in general and elderly lady detectives in particular, he would let her have her lead." Later, Carvic contributed a chapter to the book Murder Ink, edited by Dilys Winn, titled "Little Old Ladies."

Carver said at one point that the character of Miss Seeton was inspired by his friendship with an artist who turned in a commission for a mother-child portrait and then destroyed her canvas of the mother's face rather than use it again. Years later, the now-adult son from the painting was sent to the Broadmoor psychiatric hospital after cutting his mother to ribbons with a kitchen knife. The author had no logical explanation for her destruction of the canvas, but "clearly she must have somehow have seen rather more than she knew."

Emily Seeton is a recently-retired art teacher in the process of moving to the country town of Plummergen, population five hundred and one, but her plans get waylaid when, after a night at the opera, she sees what she thinks is a man insulting a young woman. In fact, what she actually witnessed was a notorious drug dealer knifing a prostitute. (Which brings up a typical Seeton-esque line when she learns from the police about the young woman's "profession":  "Oh, dear. A very hard life; such late hours—and then, of course, the weather. And so unrewarding one would imagine."). Aghast at the drug dealer's "bad manners," she pokes him in the back with her brolly (umbrella, to Yanks), which later makes her a darling of the newspapers, which dub her "The Battling Brolly."

When she's questioned by Superintendent Delphick and Detective-Sergeant Ranger of Scotland Yard, they ask her to sketch her impressions of the crime. Even though it was dark, she's able to draw enough details, particularly an element that she only sees in her subconscious, that it helps the police track down the killer. Miss Seeton, as it turns out, is an "anti-psychic." She has a knack for innocently drawing clues (sometimes foretelling events, sometimes revealing important character traits) into her sketches that she's is totally unaware of, a talent that becomes invaluable to the police. Her innocence becomes one of the series' central devices, as she continues to attract crime and criminals even as she accidentally helps to foil them.

If your taste in mysteries runs toward the whimsical, then you'll be entertained by Miss Seeton, her brolly, her attempts at yoga, and snippets such as this one, about two denizens of Plummergen:

They were dedicated vegetarians, known collectively as The Nuts. Miss Nuttel, tall, angular, with the face of a dark horse, was generally referred to as Nutcracker. Mrs. Blaine, whose dumpy geniality was belied by the little blackcurrant eyes, was called by everyone Hot Cross Bun; this derived largely from Miss Nuttel's pet name for her of Bunny, but it may have been also a tacit acceptance of the shrewish temper which flared through the placid surface when she was thwarted. Their house, Lilikot, a modern innovation with large plate-glass windows screened by nylon net, was inevitably The Nut House.

Sadly, Carvic only completed five novels in the series before being killed in a car accident in 1980. The Miss Seeton series didn't die, however, continued under two other pseudonyms, Hampton Charles, the pen name of Roy Peter Martin, who wrote three novels all released in 1990, and Sarah J. Mason, writing under the name of Hamilton Crane, who took up the series after that point, writing sixteen installments so far, the latest in 2018.

          

Mystery Melange

 

Victor Pavic Lundberg’s Aftermath was crowned the winner of Gothenburg Book Fair’s Crime Time Award for Best Crime Novel Debut in an award ceremony this week. BookBeat’s award for Swedish Detective Writer of the Year went to Sofie Sarenbrant; Anders Sparring was awarded Children's Novelist of the Year; and Åsa Larsson also received an Honorary Award. For the eighth year in a row, the Crimetime Award was presented at Sweden’s largest detective festival, Crimetime, held as part of the Book Fair in Gothenburg. The Crimetime Awards were established in 2015 and have previously been awarded to authors such as May Sjöwall and Liza Marklundand.

Hachette UK’s Future Bookshelf announced the shortlist for the Mo Siewcharran Prize, including Arranged Murder by Faaiza Munir; Incarnations of an English Subject by Kalbinder Dayal; The Labelled Bones by Felicity Yeoh; The Search for Othella Savage by Foday Mannah; and Their Unseen Truth by Kingsley Pearson. Now in its third year, the Future Bookshelf launched the Mo Siewcharran Prize to help discover unpublished fiction writers from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds. The initiative, named in memory of Nielsen Book’s former director of marketing and communications, aims to nurture talent from under-represented backgrounds writing in English. This year, the prize is hosted by Quercus Books and in a change from previous years, organizers were looking for fiction writing in the crime and thriller genre specifically.

Penguin Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Random House, revealed details of their new writers’ prize, the Penguin Michael Joseph Undiscovered Writers Prize, which aims to find new authors from underrepresented backgrounds who the division can bring to the widest possible readership. The inaugural prize (2022/2023) focuses on the crime and thriller genre, with budding writers being invited to submit tales of mysteries, crimes, jeopardy, action or adventure. The prize is aimed at unpublished writers aged 18 and over who are currently a resident in the UK or ROI, and who are from a background that’s currently underrepresented in publishing, which includes ethnicity, sexuality, gender identity, disability or socio-economic background. Entries will be judged by a panel of judges led by PMJ’s Crime and Thriller publisher, Joel Richardson; bestselling author, Amy McCulloch; award-winning freelance crime fiction critic/commentator, moderator and blogger, Ayo Onatade; Waterstones’ Head of Fiction, Bea Carvalho; award-winning bookseller, owner of Goldsboro Books and agent at D H H Literary Agency, David Headley; and Syima Aslam, the founder and Director of the Bradford Literature Festival. The winner will receive a publishing contract with PMJ, worth at least £10,000, and representation by the DHH Literary Agency. For more information about applications, follow this link. The deadline for submissions is November 30, 2022, and the winner of the Prize will be announced in August 2023. (HT to Shots Magazine)

Noir at the Bar events are cranking up again with the return of autumn beginning tonight in Toronto at Duke of Kent at 7pm with readings by Lisa de Nikolits, John McFetridge, Scott McKinnon, Rob Brunet, Lynne Murphy, Amy Tector, and JJ Dupuis. Then on October 20, it moves to Hillsborough, NC, at Yonder Southern Cocktails & Brew with authors Natania Barron, Jesse Bullington, Rob Hart, Todd Robinson, and Endless Will. Finally, Noir at the Bar L.A. returns on November 6th at the Mandrake Bar with readings from Lawrence Allan, Eric Beetner, Jennifer J Chow, Ashley Erwin, Adam Frost, Rachel Howzell Hall, Katy Munger, August Norman, Eryk Pruitt, Sascha Rothchild, and J August Williams. There's something for everyone at these readings, with hardboiled, cozy, suspense, grit lit, and more. All events are free and open to the public.

Writing for Flatwater Free Press, Carson Vaughan profiled legendary crime writer, Jim Thompson (1906 to 1977), who has largely been neglected in his home state of Nebraska (a University of Nebraska-Lincoln alum who spent much of his childhood in Burwell). Seventy years ago this month, a 25-cent paperback by Thompson called The Killer Inside Me hit newsstands across the country. Featuring a shadowy montage of noir staples – a burning cigarette, a bottle of whiskey, a hint of cleavage and a pool of blood – the cover promised "a novel of murder unlike any you’ve ever read." Thompson’s novel has since become a staple of the genre and cult classic, with famed director, Stanley Kubrick, saying it was "probably the most chilling and believable first-person story of a criminally warped mind I have ever encountered." Horror icon Stephen King, in his foreword to the latest reissue, called it "an American classic, no less, a novel that deserves space on the same shelf with Moby-Dick, Huckleberry Finn, The Sun Also Rises, and As I Lay Dying." The book has now been published in more than twenty languages, and twice adapted for the silver screen.

This week's crime poem at the 5-2 weekly is "Bomb Threat" by Robert Cooperman.

In the Q&A roundup, Lisa Haselton interviewed mystery author, Frank Zafiro, about the newest book in his River City police procedural series, The Worst Kind of Truth; and on the Writers Who Kill blog, E. B. Davis interviewed Korina Moss, author of the cozy mystery, Gone for Gouda.

         Related StoriesMystery MelangeMedia Murder for Monday 

Media Murder for Monday

It's now officially autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere. No matter where you live, though, it's the start of a new week, and that means it's time for the latest roundup of crime drama news:

THE BIG SCREEN/MOVIES

Emmy-Award-winning filmmaker, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (who also directed Oscar Award-winning documentaries), will make her narrative feature directorial debut on Brilliance, the Paramount Pictures adaptation of the Marcus Sakey novel. The Brilliance novel trilogy is set in a future where non-neurotypical people—demonized by society as "twists" or "abnorms"—are threatening the status quo of the "normal" population with their unique gifts. They are officially labeled as "Brilliants" and are carefully tracked by the government. There was interest from Will Smith to play the lead role of Nick Cooper, a federal agent who works for the Department of Analysis and Response and is tasked with tracking down and terminating criminal abnorms who use their gifts for ill, but he has yet to commit to the project.

Oscar winners Alan Arkin and Kathy Bates, as well as Teyana Taylor, have joined Casey Affleck in indie heist thriller, The Smack. The trio join a growing cast that already includes Marisa Tomei, Isabel May, and Yul Vázquez. David M. Rosenthal, who directed thrillers The Perfect Guy and the remake of Jacob’s Ladder, is helming the feature, which starts shooting in L.A. later this fall. Rosenthal and Keith Kjarval wrote the script, adapting the novel by Richard Lange. Smack centers on a con man (Affleck) who has hit rock bottom when he meets an upstart hustler (Taylor). After a tip from an older, wiser, con artist (Arkin), the two of them head to L.A. to pull off the biggest scam of their lives … but they learn they aren’t the only ones looking for the money, with a list of schemers including the con man's ambitious ex (Tomei). As the con unfolds, the man can’t figure out if he and the woman are actually falling in love or being set up for the ultimate grift. 

Cinema Blend noted how Knives Out paved the way for more murder mysteries In Hollywood. After Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc was released to the public, the film scored critical acclaim and made over $311 million worldwide off a $40 million budget, which was more than enough to get a sequel and spawn other projects like the recently released mystery-comedy film, See How They Run. That film's director, Tom George, added that there's "been a bit of a resurgence for Agatha Christie-inspired whodunnits." [And I, for one, say that's a good thing.]

Speaking of Knives Out, there's a new clip from the upcoming sequel, Glass Onion, in which a group of old friends become embroiled in a mystery that begins with a puzzle box and ends in murder. Glass Onion will premiere in select theaters at a yet-to-be-announced date before hitting Netflix on Dec. 23.

Thanks to Covid, it's been three years since Elizabeth Banks was honored as Pioneer Of The Year in 2019 by the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation. The event returned Wednesday night with their Pioneer Of The Year dinner, this time honoring James Bond franchise producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. The industry charity, awarded since 1947 when Adolph Zukor became the first recipient, raised $1.5M dollars for the cause.

It seems there is a mystery behind a mystery in Hollywood. The upcoming Henry Cavill-led spy thriller, Argylle, is allegedly based on a debut book by author Elly Conway, for which Apple Studios is ponying up $200 million. As The Hollywood Reporter noted, those figures are rare for a first-time author, and Conway's book isn't even for sale yet, with only a German-language version scheduled for publication in January. Attempts to get an advance copy of the book—a common industry practice—were unsuccessful. According to Conway’s two-line bio, she "lives in the United States and is currently working on the next installment in the series." Beyond that, however, there exists virtually no information about Conway, and Internet searches of her name turn up only references to a fictional character on the long-running Australian soap opera, Neighbors. Adding to the mystery, an alternate spelling of her name, Ellie Conway, appears elsewhere on the Penguin Random House website and in news reports on the rights deal.

TELEVISION/STREAMING SERVICES

Good Girls star, Retta, and the series’ creator/executive producer/co-showrunners, Jenna Bans and Bill Krebs, are re-teaming for Murder By the Book, a new NBC hour-long crime drama, which has received a put pilot commitment by NBC. Murder By the Book follows a big-city Instafamous book reviewer (Retta) who takes a page out of the murder mystery books she reviews and becomes an unlikely detective to uncover the shocking truths about an eccentric seaside town. In addition to her film and TV credits, Retta is also the author of a book of essays, So Close to Being the Sh*t Y’all Don’t Even Know, and is the title voice on the Audible Original audiobook Tinaca Jones.

Harlan Coben’s Shelter, the YA action-thriller series, is rounding out its recurring cast. Didi Conn (Grease), Missi Pyle (Y: The Last Man), Hunter Emery (Orange Is The New Black), Antonio Cipriano (National Treasure: Edge of History), Peter Riegert (Local Hero), Adrienne Barbeau (Criminal Minds), Stephanie March (Law & Order: SVU) and Kristoffer Polaha (Jurassic World Dominion) join lead star Jaden Michael in the series adaptation of Coben’s Mickey Bolitar novels. Shelter tells the story of high school junior Mickey Bolitar (Michael), whose search for his missing father and friend thrusts him into a world of conspiracy, lies, and the darkest aspects of humanity.

Female sleuths rule the upcoming MASTERPIECE Mystery! fall lineup on PBS. October 16 will see the premieres of Miss Scarlet and The Duke Season 2 at 8/7c (Season 3 is slated for January 8, 2023), with Magpie Murders, adapted by author Anthony Horowitz from his novel, following at 9/8c, and finally Annika, the new series starring Nicola Walker, which airs at 10/9c. Also coming up is the premiere of the new season of Van Der Velk, on Sunday, September 25, with the second and third full-length installments scheduled for October 2 and 9. PBS released a teaser-trailer of the lineup, which you can watch here.

Millie Bobby Brown is on the run and going under cover in the new trailer for the second Enola Holmes installment on Netflix. Brown returns in the title role, alongside Henry Cavill and Helena Bonham Carter in the film, where a major case will take more than one Holmes sibling to solve. Enola Holmes 2, based on young adult mystery fiction series of the same name by Nancy Springer, will stream exclusively on Netflix starting November 4.

PODCASTS/VIDEO/RADIO/AUDIO

The Spectator Book Club talked about "the best crime writer you’ve (probably) never heard of," Josephine Tey, on the eve of Penguin gearing up to reissue three of her classic Golden Age novels.

The Red Hot Chili Writers podcast reflected on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II; interviewed Carnegie-winning children's writer Anthony McGowan about his new book Dogs of the Deadlands; and chatted with book blogger, Tracy Fenton as she rounded up her favorite crime novels of the past six months.

On Crime Time FM, filmmaker, screenwriter, and novelist, John Brownlow, chatted with Paul Burke about his latest thriller novel, Seventeen: Last Man Standing.

Jeffrey Round joined Queer Writers of Crime to discuss his writing career plus his work as a model, film maker, musician, and poet.

All About Agatha featured a live episode from the International Agatha Christie Festival as they discussed the legendary author's greatest novel.

Meet the Thriller Author spoke with Ryan Steck, a freelance editor, author, and the founder and editor-in-chief of The Real Book Spy. His debut novel, Fields of Fire, was released on September 6, 2022.

My Favorite Detective Stories welcomed Barbarajean Magnani, a professor of anatomic and clinical pathology and medicine who's internationally recognized for her expertise in clinical chemistry and toxicology. Her works of fiction include Lily Robinson and the Art of Secret Poisoning, and the Dr. Lily Robinson mystery series, The Queen of All Poisons, The Power of Poison, and A Message in Poison.

Read or Dead hosts, Katie McClain and Kendra Winchester, discussed books for Banned Books Week.

The latest episode of the Crime Cafe podcast featured Debbi Mack's interview with crime writer Indy Perro, who teaches philosophy, religious studies, writing, and literature. His debut novel is Central City.

         Related StoriesMedia Murder for Monday 

Friday's "Forgotten" Books: Death on Remand

John Michael Evelyn (1916-1992) was born in Britain and privately educated before going to Oxford University. He was called to the Bar in 1939, but immediately joined the Army where he served during WWII until 1946, attaining the rank of Major. From there, he did go on to a career in law with the Department of Public Prosecutions, serving for some thirty years.



Adopting the pseudonym of Michael Underwood, he published his first mystery novel, Murder on Trial in 1954, which introduced one of his main protagonists, Inspector Simon Manton. The Inspector was featured in a dozen novels that stretched into the 1960s and included Lawful Pursuit, The Case Against Phillip Quest and The Crime of Colin Wise.



Underwood also supported his fellow crime authors as chairman of the Crime Writers Association in 1964-65 and was elected a member of the Detection Club in 1959. This was during the presidency of Dame Agatha Christie, who had agreed to take the position as a successor to Dorothy L. Sayers, but only on the condition she didn't have to speak at public meetings. Michael Underwood essentially served in her stead for that purpose during Christie's tenure.



Underwood frequently drew on his legal expertise in his plots, as you might imagine, although as in the case of novels like Death on Remand, the courtroom scenes are kept to a minimum and more in a Perry Mason style—with the investigation happening during the bulk of the book until the suspect is apprehended, followed by the final courtroom finale, sometimes with a twist.



Death on Remand starts off with the attempted car bombing of a small-time crook, Julian Prentice, who has just been released from prison for a car theft. The investigation falls upon the desk of Detective-Inspector Playford of the Wenley Borough Police C.I.D., who is as perplexed as other people in the community that Prentice had been defended by the father of the young woman whose car was stolen, the man known as "The Shady Solicitor," Augustus Jason. When the chief suspect in the bombing, Prentice's former boss, also meets with violence and Prentice himself disappears from the hospital, Playford is more than happy to let Scotland Yard step in, led by the efforts of Detective Superintendent Manton. Manton faces seemingly fool-proof alibis for everyone connected to the victims as well as general antagonism from the locals, but in his own quietly plodding, tenacious way, he manages to uncover the truth.



The central gist of the plot probably had more of an impact back in 1956 than it does now. Without giving too much away, suffice it to say that cultural mores and accepted standards have changed quite a bit in 54 years, although the basic human vices of lust, pride and greed probably haven't changed much in millennia. Criminal investigation methods have changed a bit since 1956, but in the book as is the case today, it's good old-fashioned legwork and evidence collection that saves the day As Inspector Manton observes after the suspect has been arrested, "Tactics play as important a part in forensic contests and their menoeuvres as in military battles."



Like most third-person omniscient narratives that hop back and forth between characters, it's a little difficult to develop characters fully. In this particular case, there really aren't any truly sympathetic characters to root for other than the detectives, but as legal/police procedurals go, Death on Remand is a fairly quick read and a pleasant enough way to spend a hour or two.

          

Mystery Melange

The Strand Magazine’s 2022 Critics Award winners were announced via a virtual ceremony held on Monday, September 19. Best Mystery Debut went to Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka (translated by Sam Malissa); Best Mystery Novel was won by Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby; Publisher of the Year: Morgan Entrekin, president and publisher of Grove/Atlantic in New York City; Lifetime Achievement Awards: Sandra Brown and Nelson DeMille.

Unfortunately, there is bad news coming from another publication, Mystery Scene Magazine. I was initially unable to get direct verification after rumors started to fly, but according to Jeff Pierce of the Rap Sheet blog who spoke with editor-in-chief, Kate Stine, the 'zine is apparently going to shut down this year. However, Stine did add they are putting the word out to anyone interested that the magazine is for sale, and she would be willing to work closely with any new owners. The publication, started by Ed Gorman and Robert Randisi in 1985, has become a fixture of crime fiction news, reviews, interviews, and features for some twenty years, and it will be sorely missed if new arrangements don't come through to save it.

The Joffe Books Prize was launched last year by independent publisher Joffe Books "as a direct response to the paucity of diverse voices being published in crime fiction" and invited submissions from unagented authors with Black, Asian, indigenous, and minority ethnic backgrounds. The winner of the prize (which was Christie J Newport in 2021), receives a two-book publishing deal with Joffe Books and a £1,000 cash prize. Now, they will also receive a £25,000 audiobook offer after it was announced that Audible has stepped up to fund the additional prize. The second year of the Joffe Books Prize launched on May 1, and in celebration of the new partnership with Audible, the submission period has been extended to midnight on October 31. This year, the judging panel includes Oyinkan Braithwaite, award-winning author of My Sister, the Serial Killer, and Ella Diamond Kahn, co-founder and partner of the Diamond Kahn & Woods Literary Agency.

From September 18-24, crime fiction authors and other donors are hosting a Mystery Loves Democracy online auction in support of voting-rights organization Fair Fight Action, founded in 2014 by then-Georgia state representative Stacey Abrams. The organization advances voter education; coordinates de-escalation trainings that teach "rapid response strategic support for political violence-related threats"; pursues litigation (Fair Fight Action v. Raffensperger); and establishes task forces to combat electoral injustice in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin, as well as in its home state of Georgia. Writers have donated signed books and ARCs, consultations, and manuscript critiques for consideration by auction bidders who can also check the event’s Twitter feed for midweek additions to the roster. Mystery Loves Democracy’s fundraising goal is $100,000, and as the auction concludes, Catriona McPherson will host a Zoom-a-thon with surprise author appearances. (HT to Publishers Weekly)

Following in the footsteps of other former politicians (e.g. Bill Clinton partnering with James Patterson; Hillary Clinton with Louise Penny; Norwegian minister of justice, Anne Holt, et al.), former FBI Director James Comey has secured a deal to write two novels for The Mysterious Press, an imprint of Penzler Publishers. The first is called Central Park West, and it features an assistant U.S. Attorney looking into ties between the Mafia and the murder of a local politician. The book is scheduled for next spring.

The Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival is planning the exhibition "Tasmania: A Century of Mystery" in honor of the centenary of Agatha Christie's visit to Tasmania. The exhibition, which will be on view from October 2–30, 2022, will focus on mysteries written by Tasmanians or set in Tasmania. In addition, it was announced that there will be a new branch of Sisters in Crime in Tasmania. (HT to The Bunburyist)

The Hower House Victorian Mansion was built in Akron, Ohio in 1871 and was the long-time home of one of Akron’s leading industrial families. The mansion was deeded to UA and turned into a museum in the 1970s. The Hower House is currently presenting a new exhibit: "Poe & Doyle Victorian Crime Fiction," with each room featuring information and displays dedicated to Edgar Allan Poe and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and their contribution to crime writing.

In a case of literal life imitates art, a woman who copied the plot of Gone Girl and staged her disappearance has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.

This week's crime poem at the 5-2 weekly is "The Intellectual Stripper" by Charles Rammelkamp.

In the Q&A roundup, Writers Who Kill spoke with Lori Roberts Herbst about Photo Finished, the fourth book in her Callie Cassidy mystery series, and also with Marie Sutro about her series with SFPD Detective Kate Barnes; Indie Crime Scene chatted with Daniella Bernett, author of A Mind to Murder, part of the Emmeline Kirby/Gregory Longdon Mysteries, and also with S.K. Waters about The Dead Won’t Tell, which features freelance historical researcher, Abbie Adams; and Crime Reads interviewed S. A. Cosby, who has won practically every award this year for Razorblade Tears, about his upcoming novel, All the Sinners Bleed.

         Related StoriesMedia Murder for MondayMystery Melange 

Media Murder for Monday

It's the start of a new week in this middle of September and that means it's time for a brand-new, late summer roundup of crime drama news:

THE BIG SCREEN/MOVIES

Paul Greengrass (of the Jason Bourne series of films) will adapt, direct and produce a feature adaptation of Fairy Tale, the bestselling novel by Stephen King published earlier this month. King is a fan of Greengrass’s films and has granted him the option for the story that follows a 17-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a terrifying world where good and evil are at war. The stakes could not be higher, for that world and ours, as he journeys into the mythic roots of human storytelling. Greengrass noted, "Fairy Tale is a work of genius. A classic adventure story and also a disturbing contemporary allegory."

Fresh off starring in the Toronto Film Festival drama, North Of Normal, Sarah Gadon is set to make her directorial debut on Lullabies For Little Criminals, based on Heather O’Neill’s 2007 novel which won the Canada Reads competition. Gadon will also adapt the screenplay. The story follows thirteen-year-old Baby who vacillates between childhood comforts and adult temptation. Her father, Jules, takes better care of his drug habit than he does of his daughter, but when her blossoming beauty captures the attention of a charismatic and dangerous local criminal, it creates a volatile situation which threatens to crush Baby’s spirit.

TELEVISION/STREAMING SERVICES

The recent Emmy Awards celebration was nearly a shut-out as far as book-related major category winners were concerned. The exception was Dopesick, Hulu's limited series drama about the opioid crisis based on Beth Macy's book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America. The Emmy for lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie category went to series star, Michael Keaton. It was Keaton's first television show and a personal one for the actor, whose nephew died from a drug overdose. Dopesick's "Breakthrough Pain" episode earlier won a Creative Arts Emmy for outstanding cinematography for a limited or anthology series or movie. (HT to Shelf Awareness)

Regé-Jean Page and Glen Powell are set to star in a series inspired by Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid for Amazon, after the streamer handed the untitled project a straight-to-series order. Bridgerton star Page, who also starred in The Gray Man, is expected to play Butch Cassidy, with Top Gun: Maverick star Powell set to play the Sundance Kid in the series, which is reportedly set in an alternate America. The original Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid movie from 1969 was about a pair of Wild West outlaws (Paul Newman and Robert Redford) and was directed by George Roy Hill and written by William Goldman.

Dennis Quaid is set as a lead opposite Zazie Beetz, Claire Danes, and Timothy Olyphant in the HBO Max limited series, Full Circle, from director Steven Soderbergh and writer Ed Solomon. Soderbergh will direct all six episodes of the series and serve as executive producer. The story follows an investigation into a botched kidnapping that uncovers long-held secrets connecting multiple characters and cultures in present-day New York City. Quaid is believed to be playing a famous TV chef whose grandson was the target of the kidnapping.

Disney Television Studios’ ABC Signature is remaking the French detective series HIP (High Intellectual Potential). Work has already begun to adapt the scripts of the series, with showrunner, writing team, and cast still to be announced. HIP follows Morgane Alvaro, an intellectually-gifted housekeeper who becomes a consultant for the police serious crimes division in Lille. The original series was created by Alice Chegaray-Breugnot, Stéphane Carrié, and Nicolas Jean, and starred Audrey Fleurot and Mehdi Nebbou.

Shaun Sipos has been tapped as a major lead opposite Alan Ritchson in the upcoming second season of Reacher. From writer and showrunner Nick Santora and based on the novels by Lee Child, the series follows Jack Reacher (Ritchson), a veteran military police investigator who has just recently entered civilian life. In a one-year deal, Sipos will play David O’Donnell, who served with Reacher in the Army’s unit of special investigators and is like a brother to Reacher. While Season 1 was based on the first book in Child’s Jack Reacher series, Ritchson revealed in May on Instagram that Season 2 will follow the eleventh book in Child's series, Bad Luck and Trouble. David O’Donnell is a prominent character in that book, the only novel in the series he is featured in, which explains Sipos’ one-season deal.

Game of Thrones star John Bradley is set as the lead of North Shore, a Paramount+ crime thriller series from Cold Feet creator, Mike Bullen. Downton Abbey‘s Joanne Froggatt has also closed a one-year deal to star in the six-episode first season. North Shore follows the clash of cultures when British and Australian detectives team up to solve a complex murder mystery and uncover a conspiracy with international political consequences.

Tony Award-nominee, Tovah Feldshuh, has joined the cast of Amazon's Harlan Coben’s Shelter to play the character of Bat Lady, who is described as a wraith-like recluse who gives Mickey (Jaden Michael) an ominously disturbing piece of news. The series, an adaptation of Harlan Coben’s Mickey Bolitar novels, tells the story of high school junior Mickey Bolitar (Michael) as he navigates his new life with a mom in rehab, a dead father, an annoying aunt, and a new school in New Jersey with a camel as its mascot. When a creepy old lady who may or may not be a ghost tells Mickey that his father isn’t dead, Mickey is sure he’s losing his mind on top of everything else. Mickey finds a grounding force in Ashley Kent, another new student who’s lived through her own tragedy. But then Ashley goes missing, and as Mickey searches for her, he learns that everything she told him was a lie—and that he is in serious danger unless he gets to the bottom of what happened to her and his father.

PODCASTS/VIDEO/RADIO/AUDIO

The latest episode of the Crime Cafe podcast features Debbi Mack's interview with crime writer Indy Perro, whose debut novel is Central City.

Sunday Times chief political commentator and spy book fan, Tim Shipman, spoke with Spybrary's Ben Macintyre about his latest work, Prisoners of the Castle. During World War II, the German army used the towering Colditz Castle to hold the most defiant Allied prisoners. For four years, these prisoners of the castle tested its walls and its guards with ingenious escape attempts that would become legend.

Hailey Piper and Lilja Sigurdardóttir returned to the Queer Writers of Crime podcast to recommend books by Samantha Kolesnik, Paula Ashe, David Demchuk, and Sarah Stovell.

The new Mysteryrat's Maze Podcast featured the first chapter of Bait and Witch by Angela M. Sanders, read by actor Ariel Linn.

Adam Hamdy chatted with Crime Time FM's Paul Burke about the Other Side of Night; writing an original novel and the emotional journey you take the reader on; how characters convey meaning in a story; speculative thrillers; film and TV adaptations; page-turning excitement; and poetry.

My Favorite Detective Stories welcomed Mariah Fredericks, whose novel, Crunch Time, was nominated for an Edgar in 2007. Her Jane Prescott series, set in 1910s New York, has twice been nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award. Her next novel, The Lindbergh Nanny, will be published in November 2022.

         Related StoriesMystery Melange