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BLOG: The Only Game In Town | The Crime Factory - http://www.thecrimefactory.com/2012...
Dorte Jakobsen liked this
More thoughts on good vs bad crime fiction...this time from Ray Banks following on from Adrian McKinty's moan of a couple of weeks back. I broadly agree but am getting a bit sick of these chaps banging on about how the only proper crime fiction is noir. There's just as much crap noir as crap anything else.
- Bernadette
from Bookmarklet
Fully agree with your point Bernadette.
- Jose Ignacio
very good reply by Steve Mosby in the comments. These posts remind me of a conversation with a friend, many moons ago, where she begged me not to say what I really thought of the Da Vinci Code, as her teenage daughter, who rarely read, was reading this and she didn't want me to put her off! The buying public isn't full of "discerning" readers, so why be so damning towards those who buy primarily the bestsellers?
- LauraRoot
I agree that Steve Moseby's comments were spot on, he and a few other writers tweeted a similar vein of argument when the McKinty blog was posted...was quite informative
- Bernadette
Seemed a rather incoherent argument to me - getting hung up on subgenres and then near the end saying they don't matter. Steve Mosby's comment is a variant on the good point of the Grumpy old Bookman, who always had a go at lit fiction mafia --- GOB said that most fiction readers are people with "a life" (work, school etc) who need to relax, not literary eds of newspapers who can read these books all day & then be pretentious about it all and look down on popular fiction readers.
- Maxine
Enjoyed Steve´s point that you may not want caviar every day. This month I´m teaching Hamlet so it is quite nice to read a chapter of a good but undemanding crime novel afterwards.
- Dorte Jakobsen
I read real crime at my office almost every day. When I go home and want to read crime fiction I like to escape.
- Bill Selnes
25 Things I Learned From Opening a Bookstore - jlsathre - Open Salon - http://open.salon.com/blog...
I especially like #23 "Everyone has a little Nancy Drew in them. Stock up on the mysteries."
- Bernadette
from Bookmarklet
Normally I am quite jealous of Karen being a judge of the International Dagger and getting access to all those lovely books that we only get some of here in Oz, but as I threw Zoran Drvenkar's SORRY at wall just now after abandoning at page 57 I realised the grass is not always greener. Happily I borrowed it from the library so only time was wasted
Oh dear. I have a review copy of that by my desk...
- Karen Meek
you will need strong stomach Karen, violence is graphic and seems pretty gratuitous, plus be more accepting of whining twenty-somethings and pretentious writing techniques (incl 2nd person POV) than me
- Bernadette
Hmm, hides it down the pile a bit more...
- Karen Meek
*scratches "Sorry" off list of books to read*
- Margot Kinberg
Well thanks for this information Bernadette. Another author into my Don't Read List.
- Jose Ignacio
I had already decided not to read that one after looking into it a few weeks ago when browsing Karen's list.Thanks for the validation ;-)
- Maxine
Regarding the ever-vexing question of 'to rate or not' a DNF I created a new exclusive shelf for myself on GR - so in addition to TBR, currently reading and read I have dnf - and I don't give the books on that shelf any stars at all. That way I know I once tried it (which is the point of GR for me - keeping track of such things), it doesn't appear forever in my TBR and no one will throw custard pies at me :)
- Bernadette
I like that idea, Bernadette!
- Margot Kinberg
That's a good idea, I might try that, Bernadette.
- Maxine
This was jangling little bells and the lightbulb came on about an hour ago. This is the 'nail them to the wall' tale of revenge thriller. It didn't appeal to me. As the author has written for children before (possibly worrying) it's not a debut that I'd *have* to endure. Phew.
- crimeficreader
It is worrying - the author of She's Never Coming Back (and I don't care) is also a children's book author.
- Maxine
More trending Maxine. Ditto Yrsa, but I'd trust her with my kids if I had any.
- crimeficreader
Yes, Yrsa does not write "let's abuse kidnap victims as entertainment & nail people to the wall" etc themes.
- Maxine
And she has a cracking sense of humour and is very down to earth.
- crimeficreader
Seems others have been shipped over from planet horror these days.
- crimeficreader
that's the one cfr - lovely (not) description of having to get an extra long nail to go through the head of one's victim but ordinary nails are fine for the hands. <wanders off mumbling humanity is doomed>
- Bernadette
Thankfully, I am not planning on buying any any time soon, B. Thanks for, er, filling me in further. No wonder the cover here is black and white. I'd hate to think what images might have come up for possible cover art.
- crimeficreader
Seriously, I think that judges in Karen and Rhian's position should be 100 per cent justified in refusing to read/consider this type of book if submitted. Nobody should have to read this disgusting c***. (As you say, CFR, probably a "horror" crossover, not a genre I've read after having nightmares from The Omen and The Exorcist many years ago!) This latest one makes Nesbo seem quite mild in comparison;-)
- Maxine
Adrian McKinty on Why Most Crime Novels are bad http://adrianmckinty.blogspot.com/2012...
This is a fine example of why I don't like meeting, knowing or reading the non published thoughts of authors - most people's real personalities are a turn off (or maybe that is Friday morning crankiness on my part - anyway I had a long rant at his post so I've saved you all the bother of having me do it here)
- Bernadette
And a fine rant it is, too, Bernadette :-). Thanks.
- Margot Kinberg
Interesting watching Val McDermid, Declan Burke, Ian Rankin, Steve Moseby and someone else I don't know discuss McKinty's post via twitter - I know they're doing it in public but it does feel awfully like I am in the next room with a glass up to the wall looking furtively over my shoulder making sure no one sees me eavesdropping. Alas the part of today's nonsense meeting where I have to contribute is coming up so I will have to put twitter away and do what they pay me for. Life is so unfair.
- Bernadette
LOL, Bernadette! What those authors are saying is lots more interesting than the meeting I organised and ran today, that's for sure!
- Margot Kinberg
Excellent and well-expressed comment, Bernadette, along with good advice that obviously won't be taken. (What rubbish that series are by definition a bad idea and that in the Days of Charles Scribner, why ... c'mon, there has always been tasteless junk published and read and it has done no harm.)
- barbara fister
Thanks Barbara. I have been following McKinty's blog for a while and he does seem a bit bitter and twisted about the fact his books often languish, bought only by the in-crowd. I know it must be a horrible feeling (because the one book of his that I've read really was very good) but between this post and his one from a couple of weeks ago where he railed about only books that explore the world of 'the proletariat' being of any value I'm a little fed up.
- Bernadette
McKinty is one of those authors who leaves sarcy comments at one's blog when one reviews his book. He also emailed me at his lack of complete delight at a EC review of his book I did once. his line was that reviewers ought to support struggling authors. None of these authors ever comment thus (or at all) on one's review of books by any other author, of course. It is all pure EGO.
- Maxine
He was the one I wanted to read some time ago - until I saw a comment by him stating he didn´t like Scandinavian novels (based on two or three books). I thought that was such a stupid generalization it put me off his books immediately. "I have tried Patricia Cornwall & found out I don´t like American fiction´.
- Dorte Jakobsen
Agree Dorte, he does seem to be very judgemental chap with some utterly ridiculous notions (in the same posts he proposes that in an ideal world only first novels would be published as the new author is the only one with something to say - which begs the question why he has writen 12 books himself)
- Bernadette
Bernadette for me this is just a provocation and one cannot take it seriously.
- Jose Ignacio
I took it to be tongue in cheek - and quite funny!
- mediations
Yes, based on what I've read before he likes to be rude & then say he didn't mean it - toddlers generally grow out of that behaviour. Incidentally his new book is being offered free on Amazon Vine this month but don't know if I'll bother now.
- Maxine
just saw this: "I have Graham Greene's telephone number, but I wouldn't dream of using it. I don't seek out writers because we all want to be alone. - Patricia Highsmith, born on this date in 1921"
- Maxine
V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton – Book review | Milo's Rambles - http://www.milorambles.com/2012...
a review by someone completely new to the Kinsey Millhone world
- Bernadette
from Bookmarklet
Keeping away from these until I've read it but I spotted that his previous post was in praise of Tideline, a new "suspense" novel that made me hurl it across the room in boredom and frustration with crap plot (obsessed woman with damaged past kidnaps son's schoolfriend and that's about it).Tedium city, as well as distasteful plot.
- Maxine
You have to ask where he's been? "Until I received V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton a few weeks ago I have to admit I’d never heard of either the author or her protagonist Kinsey Millhone, a colourful, balsy [sic] and determined private detective. I had no idea this was part of a series and... Imagine my delight when I discovered this wasn’t Kinsey’s first outing as a private eye! When time allows I’ll certainly explore the rest of the series if this title is anything to go by."
- crimeficreader
He also liked She's Never Coming Back - a title which prompted me to say.."and I don't care".
- Karen Meek
I think that was the one I saw refer to 'sex scenes' which, given what was written before, would have been better and more accurately described as scenes of sexual assault, Karen?
- crimeficreader
It is a bit hard to imagine a crime reviewer who has not heard of Grafton/Milhone by the V stage, even though she is US and he is in UK, Sue G sells well here & won the CWA diamond dagger a year or two ago to much publicity. CFR - maybe he just likes horrid kidnap novels - Tideline is not overt assault of that variety (I think - only skimmed most of it) but lots of drugging & staring at sleeping body, & later on painting it etc. Reeeeevolting.
- Maxine
I'm reading V is for Vengence now so avoiding all reviews until I've finished. Needless to say I'm enjoying it....
- Sarah Ward
Just re-reading this and wondering... is this guy a crime fiction reviewer? A new reader? Don't really know his background but you'd think a crime fiction reviewer would know about Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series by now. ..Maybe not...
- Margot Kinberg
His blog is in my 'mostly not crime' group in google reader - he seems to review a bit of everything - whatever the publishers sent him from the looks of things and while he does review some crime I don't think it's a particular passion - I thought it a bit odd that he had never heard of her given he is a 'book guy' but I bet there are plenty of authors of other genres that I haven't heard of that afficionados of those genres would be shocked to hear I've no clue about
- Bernadette
Thanks for the input, Bernadette.I think it's a bit odd too about him not hearing of SG's work before, especially if he says he's a "book guy." Not that I've ever heard of every author either....
- Margot Kinberg
I agree it's odd. When reviewing a book it's also good to know its context. Considering the prose and story in isolation seems like a complete flyer...
- crimeficreader
Maxine, I love your 'Reeeeevolting' reference. But will keep an open mind in case it comes in for the Creasey. For that I read as objectively as possible, putting 'taste' to one side in search of the best.
- crimeficreader
To me it is more like a fan site than a book reviewer site so I don't subscribe in RSS as I don't think the reviews are vg, mostly seem to be raves about what he gets sent by publishers as you say Bernadette. An objective reviewer would do at least some research I think. On Tideline - an awful combination, boring as well as nasty. But that's just one opinion, the book is published in a week or two & we may find the main reviewers may love it (as in When I Go To Sleep out of terminal boredom...)
- Maxine
And I return to the comment made above, addressed earlier to Karen re She's Never Coming Back. I am seriously concerned that scenes of sexual assault may have been described merely as 'sex scenes'. That's misleading to readers and exposes a lack of maturity and understanding in my books.
- crimeficreader
Worse than a lack of maturity in my opinion, CFR, to confound rape with a "sex scene".
- Maxine
Ah. I haven't read it (yet). Was basing my comments on what I have read about it thus far. Interestingly, just found Barry Forshaw raving about it (positively) in the Indie. Yet to read a woman doing the same. And yes Maxine, if it's rape that error is unforgivable.
- crimeficreader
Well, without wanting to spoil the story too much, though she does do her best over time to er please the rapist it is because she thinks the kidnapper will kill her once he is bored with her, it is certainly not a mutually agreeable situation and thus is most definitely rape. Fortunately for cfr this is not a debut :) - it is a "literary" writer under a pseudonym. I checked BF's guide...
more...
- Karen Meek
It's here Karen: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...
- crimeficreader
Thanks cfr. It's a soulless book imho.
- Karen Meek
It doesn't actually appeal to me Karen so I will happily give it a miss.
- crimeficreader
anyone know how old the reviewer is? I can't comment on never having read this series as ahem I haven't, but I have at least heard of them!
- LauraRoot
After a few days off the blogging circuit I return to discover a "top" crime fiction reviewer who has never heard of Kinsey Milhone and CWA Diamond Dagger winner Sue Grafton. Milo's website is down for maintenance at the moment. That Independent review of She's Never Coming Back is enough to put anyone off and what on earth is a utilitarian translation.
- Norman
Nice to have you back, Norman. I hope you defeated the tax. As for Barry F, I suppose he now has a vested (or not so vested!) interest in promoting anything from the region in order to promote his own book (which incidentally is delayed at the printers according to an email I just received from Simon Clarke). BTW The Inde article has gone as well as Milo's Rambles - I am beginning to worry about our influence!
- Maxine
The Indie is back up. I think the site was down for a short while. I was looking up 'utilitarian translation'. Thank you Norm.
- crimeficreader
I am not sure I want to read the book but Barry Forshaw's Independent review of She's Never Coming back seemed credible and balanced to me.
- mediations
... though I do wonder if even Forshaw himself knows exactly what he meant by a 'utilitarian translation' ... I am presuming workmanlike, designed for use rather than beauty...
- mediations
yikes that Indie review of the Koppel makes it sound like v strong and unpleasant stuff indeed. I take it the kidnap theme is handled less sensitively than in Mercy by Adler-Olsen?
- LauraRoot
The time-frame is much shorter and there is more interaction between kidnappers & victim. Slightly more believable motive for actions in this one but unpleasant reading indeed at times - not all the way through. It is full of coincidences too and the thickest policemen you've ever come across. Make Lackberg's lot look like S Holmes.
- Karen Meek
Now I can see the Inde review, I think BF's description is telling, compared with the "sex scene" phrase used at the above blog. BF: "some will find the appalling sexual humiliation and brutalisation of its heroine, kept prisoner in a cellar, hard to take – ". Agreed that BF's review is useful (utilitarian?!) in that it both provides the plus points of the book for some readers and also suitable warning so that others (eg me) don't have to read it and be upset.
- Maxine
Just read Ayo's account on Shots blog of the Barry F interview with the Boy in Suitcase authors at the launch last night. In that he is much more upfront about his dislike of the assault and humiliation in SNCB & it seems the book in general.
- Maxine
And I wonder who used the words 'sex scenes' here? Ayo in her account or Barry in the original.
- crimeficreader
Barry's terminlogy is spot on. A pity Ayo used the phrase but at least she qualified it with "humiliating" and possibly has not read the book, unlike the reviewer identified at the top of this discussion, who had. (Ayo's post: http://wwwshotsmagcouk.blogspot.com/2012...)
- Maxine
Did you go Maxine?
- crimeficreader
No, seen/heard BF so often (including quite recently at Brit Library conf), and though I quite liked the book did not love it. Not too keen on these "fan" events. BTW Laura, as you suggest Mercy is not at all "humiliating" - the kidnappee is empowered and empowering, entirely on her own account.
- Maxine
Wish I could go so many of these things, sadly not. Not familiar with the book in question there either. But so little time to pursue the translated.
- crimeficreader
I am sure that's right, Rhian, you must be swamped with debuts. If you ever do have time for translated, Mercy (Adler-Olsen) is better, and shorter.
- Maxine
Have got as far as loving the feel of the cover with that one...
- crimeficreader
Mercy is a really fine debut IMHO
- Margot Kinberg
not "H" at all, Margot ;-)
- Maxine
I've just finished TBitS - must write a review - I am looking forward to reading more from them though this one didn't grab me as much as I'd hoped, or at least half of it didn't. I was going to go to this but it was moved from a day I could do to a work day :(.
- Karen Meek
Agree with Maxine. I consider that an aitch worth dropping.
- crimeficreader
Sarah Weinman's 'best of' list looks interesting, more titles I've never heard of though...where hav I been all year? http://offonatangent.tumblr.com/post...
Maxine liked this
I've read and enjoyed some of these. Some of them are probably only as yet available in the US. I like her recommendations, often (she's a longstanding promoter of translated fiction, eg she is the person who first put me on to Asa Larsson, and here recommends The Boy in the Suitcase with an interesting aside on its US publication).
- Maxine
Maxine and anyone else interested in the whole 'blog posts being purloined' issue I'm going to use a creative commons license from now on - you can get the html created for you at this web page and then save it to your sidebar or as text at the bottom of all your future posts....worth a shot http://creativecommons.org/choose...
Good idea, quite a few scientific publications use CC licenses, and with the WP lack of reporting system (ie you can't get them interested in these fake blogs on their platform) they send you off to some US regulator who will only look at the complaint if you provide some kind of proof of ownership, so this would do for that. I have seen a lot of blogs using the CC logo.
- Maxine
I think purloining posts is more rife than we might guess. I think I see it sometimes on my Feedjit when a visitor visits post after post in rapid succession. My guess is that they are using some sort of "manual harvester" and are using the links from a post to follow a thread
- Kerrie
Kerrie, for me it is very rife, hence the notice on my blog (now changed to a CC license, thanks Bernadette). I suspect this "follow" feature blogs have - a "follower" can be one of these spam agents - and on Wordpress, there is no way to block followers (other than making your blog completely private to subscribers only) which I think is a big black mark for WP.
- Maxine
I think a lot of the scraping is being done by RSS feed (apraticularly recent posts), but that is not what I can see happening via my Feedjit. That I think is a manual process following a label or a linked post. I used to use something similar when I was building the school intranet. You could put in a URL and the tool would follow all URLs linked to that page.
- Kerrie
I get trackbacks - when I go to look, it is some rubbish, on-the-fly blog surrounded by ads, that contains just that one post. Happens a lot.
- Maxine
A bloke spent a year reading books by women and shares his thoughts...bit OT but does talk about thrillers in particular and I thought it interesting in light of Margot's recent two posts on the gender of characters http://literaryminded.wordpress.com/2011...
Dorte Jakobsen, Karen Meek, Margot Kinberg and John Dupuis liked this
Thanks for sharing this, Bernadette. His perspective really is interesting, and I'm glad I read this. I admit I can't say I agree with his thoughts, but it was an interesting experiment.
- Margot Kinberg
Very interesting - thanks.
- barbara fister
Really interesting Bernadette. Like Margot I take issue with some of his opinions. Reading books by women hardly constitutes getting in touch with your feminine side. But he does make an interesting point about violence written by men and women.
- Sarah Ward
Yes it is funny to see people constantly lumped into a group eg "women" (Angela Merkel & Victoria Beckham must share a lot of common attributes) or other accident of genes/circumstance.
- Maxine
I hope the bit about him being in touch with his feminine side was ironic though it's hard to tell these days
- Bernadette
Yes, as I thought, generalisation crap alert. My comment at the post (which may not get posted as "awaiting moderation"): "I read a lot of intelligent crime fiction (by women and men!) and I have to disagree about your generalisation about women writing about violence (and would disagree with pretty much any generalisation about “woman” apart from their XX chromosomes). Returning to...
more...
- Maxine
It will be interesting to see if it gets approved.
- Sarah Ward
Well, I agree that some male thriller writers (whom I don´t like) kill off bunches characters no one cares about. And some of the best female (and male) writers make us care so much about their characters we bother when they lose a toe.
- Dorte Jakobsen
Crime Always Pays: CAPNYA; Or, The Crime Always Pays Novel of the Year Award - http://crimealwayspays.blogspot.com/2011...
You can vote for your top 3 Irish Crime novels of the year here
- Bernadette
from Bookmarklet
Fairly sadly I have only read 1 of the 21 books listed (PLUGGED and it was very funny) and DNFd another. Got BLOODLAND on my iPad now and might get to it before year's end and am trying to get my hands on THE RAGE but it's not exactly easy to get here
- Bernadette
I've only read 3 so have voted for my favourite, Rage. At that time there was only one other comment, from someone who thought his book should have been on the shortlist.
- Maxine
Another article on the surprising (?) success of Nordic/Scandinavian crime fiction, and this one quotes öur"Barbara. http://www.publishingtrends.com/2011...
I still wonder if this analysis goes far enough though...from where I was sitting TGWTDT became popular due to word of mouth, reading sites, book blogs etc...not really because it got huge push originally from mainstream publishing. Perhaps previous 'waves' of foreign/translated crime fiction have not been as big because until relativedly recently it wasn't as easy for regular readers to source things on their own. Also no one ever seems to ponder what it is that American authors aren't offering their readers so they will go to the effort of reading translated books (don't mean to pick on Americans but the article is American and publsihing world has always been awash with the notion that Americans are least-likely English speaking market to read translated books (or watch subtitled films)
- Bernadette
I love my iPad...am in a meeting where my boss is repeating himself for eleventh time today, everyone thinks I am being very studious in writing down his thoughts. Little do they know I'm pondering something else entirely. Hope no one asks me for a recap of the meeting.
- Bernadette
If they glare at you, say “I’m terribly serious. Expect to see lots more of that.” ;)
- Dorte Jakobsen
LOL, Bernadette! And let's face it. The success of TGWTDT is much, much more important than what goes on in most meetings. And you really do raise interesting questions...
- Margot Kinberg
good suggestion Dorte, and Margot if TGWTDT is not more important it is certainly more interesting than hyperion budgeting
- Bernadette
LOL, Bernadette! You're on a roll today!
- Margot Kinberg
Well Lackberg has lost her umlaut for now in the UK AFAIK, Martin Berg(?) and possibly the TV show(s) Wallander might account for the rise in sales of the books.
- Karen Meek
An interesting piece but not only US-centric but misses some books from the region that have been publshed there recently, eg Jussi Adler-Olssen KOLC (aka Mercy). Barbara makes a good point about Nordic breaking out into the general reading public cf Italian, French, etc. Some of this is a plug for Barry F's upcoming book, & nice quote from Sarah Death! Bernadette, there was certainly a...
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- Maxine
Looking forward to reading about this Martin Berg... The sort of mistake that makes you wonder what else is wrong in the article.
- mediations
Good wrap up on the bloke behind the plagiarism hoo-ha of last week http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-...
Kerrie liked this
Thanks, Bernadette.
- Margot Kinberg
Nice round up of 5 debut Aussie authors this year, I've read 4 of the books (well 3 and 7/8) and agree they're worth tracking down. Yvette Erskine's THE BROTHERHOOD (the one I am nearly finished) is outstanding - going to be in my top ten list for the year without a doubt....
Karen Meek liked this
Thx, Bernadette, not that I need any more recommendations, but thanks anyway.
- Maxine
video of Tess Gerritssen and Michael Robotham's joint session at the recent Melbourne Writer's Festival (haven't watched it so no idea of content or length sorry) http://www.themonthly.com.au/video#...
Tara Moss wrote a blog post today about gender bias in crime fiction following SheKilda this weekend and the comments have gotten a bit hot following a point-missing comment from a local (male) critic who accused her of 'privileged whining' http://blog.taramoss.com/index...
How sad but predictable. An intern of ours once wrote a blog post at Wired blog about her experiences studying science at Harvard, re gender, and the comments (Wired readership- all teenage unable to socialise in real-world males?) was truly horrible and personal. Brave woman wrote a post on our network about the experience, very calmly. Good for her, but it really shows you how many people there are who like to use the internet to insult and jeer, and cause upset. Pathological.
- Maxine
A really interesting post by Tara Moss and some very interesting responses. I've noticed more women writers using intitials to mask their gender. Even established writers like Natasha Cooper who is now writing as NJ Cooper. It's a shame but I can understand why. Someone came to my house once, looked at my bookshelves and announced he never read books written by women, He's not been invited back.
- Sarah Ward
Just looking at the list of 2012 eligible authors, only 25% are female.
- Karen Meek
I have also noticed the tendency for female writers to ´hide´, and I know that Elizabeth Spann Craig was asked to find a pen name for one of her series (Riley Adams), probably because it masks her gender. And in our region of Denmark (traditional farming area) things are far from perfect so I feel very privileged that I have never met discrimination at my own school.
- Dorte Jakobsen
it is amusing how such comments threads can morph into their own little thing, regardless of what the original topic was...
- Craig Sisterson
Just noticed that my fellow Ngaio Marsh Award judge, Bernard Carpinter, who writes a montly crime fiction round-up for the Listener magazine (a prestigious current affairs mag in NZ), had five female authors amongst the five crime novels he featured in his most recent column: http://www.listener.co.nz/culture...
- Craig Sisterson
JK Rowling is a very good example of the gender masking - so boys would be more likely to read the books. Sad. At the moment I am just ploughing through the ID eligibles without even noticing the gender of the author, but based on what you say Karen I need to intersperse with a few non-eligibles to keep up my batting average ;-)
- Maxine
Has this been mentioned here before? A search showed nothing but I don't have much luck with FF searches. David Hewson is writing books based on The Killing! If you'll pardon my French...WTF? There's no one in Denmark who could do it? http://www.davidhewson.com/blog...
As I can´t imagine I´d write books based on a series anyway, I don´t care much. And surprised? No, not really.
- Dorte Jakobsen
Yes there have been some, er, comments here at FF about that, and subsequently Rhian wrote a post about it at It's a Crime. Will see if I can find the earlier discussion and add link if so. Yes, the former is here: http://ff.im/F9G2u and the latter here: http://ff.im/JfmqY . Some gems in there!
- Maxine
LOL at those earlier comments - don't know where I was that week as I missed all of that. Oh well, as Dorte says the bright side is that I won't need to worry myself about buying these books
- Bernadette
There's a 2011 version of "my life as a book" with all new sentence beginnings if you feel like playing along...I am having a blogging (and reading) drought at the minute but may have a go on the weekend http://popculturenerd.com/2011...
Jose Ignacio, Norman and Maxine liked this
Sorry about the drought, though, Bernadette, I miss your reviews.
- Maxine
Thanks, Bernadette :-). I miss your reviews and other posts, too...
- Margot Kinberg
Me too!
- Dorte Jakobsen
Picked up a copy of Arne Dahl's MISTERIOSO from the library today and it has already scored points without me even opening it. Not one of the 7 gushing statements of praise on the back cover compare Dahl to SL (or anyone else). Can I dare to hope that particular bandwagon has passed us by for the last time?
barbara fister liked this
Still expensive here sigh. Hope it's good. He's on twitter @arne_dahl
- Karen Meek
I have it on my TBR shelf, and I will enjoy reading it while avoiding thinking about the price.
- Norman
This one's on my TBR list, but haven't purchased it yet. I'm going to, though...
- Margot Kinberg
Will you feel better if I remind you that it probably cost £ 35 in Denmark when it was brand-new? (Now I could get it for £ 5 which is extremely cheap).
- Dorte Jakobsen
Don't get me started about book prices - all over the world, actually. Please don't. Do you *really* want a Margot rant to start your weekend? ;-)
- Margot Kinberg
It's too expensive for me but I've asked for it for my birthday so I should be able to read it soon;-)
- Maxine
It was too expensive for me too but I happened to be first in the queue when the library's copy came in :)
- Bernadette
I might get a review copy - whee! - but Irene is making everyone pay attention to her first.
- barbara fister
Some hysterical women are like that. But I sincerely hope all my American friends are okay.
- Dorte Jakobsen
I second Dorte's hope that Irene calms down, and everyone is safe.
- Norman
Pat of Mysterious Yarns has just tweeted to say her daughter on way to Cuba - I do hope all is OK for her.
- Maxine
Oh, I do, too.
- Margot Kinberg
BTW Bernadette, unfortunately my copy of Trackers by Deon Meyer has a sticker "South Africa's answer to Stieg Larsson". Ouch and double ouch.
- Maxine
My copy that arrived today doesn't... strange. Blurbs from the Times, Sunday Times and Financial Times with no mention of any one Swedish.
- Norman
Mine was a proof, maybe they decided to take it off for the real thing ;-)
- Maxine
For those who have read Lars Keplar's The Hynotist...I am nearly half way through the audio book & am pretty bored, Is it worth finishing? I'm a lot more relaxed about audio books (I listen while I am doing something else & even psycopathic teenagers lusting after their siblings is a distraction from vacuuming) but does it improve towards the end?
I have reserved the audio book though it sounds like I should send it back :).
- Karen Meek
You could ask Maxine .... (!) Haven't read it, but I'm not much tempted.
- barbara fister
well Eamonn Riley is lovely as usual Karen but the story is silly, which I wouldn't mind except it's taking itself a bit too seriously
- Bernadette
If you are halfway and don´t like it, you´ll probably hate the ending.
- Dorte Jakobsen
I've lost my interest in this book
- Jose Ignacio
Unfortunately (?) they can't find my audio book so I will be missing out (??) for a while longer.
- Karen Meek
I think you will survive that loss ;) Not that I think The Hypnotist was terribly bad; it was an entertaining pageturner, but parts of the ending were really silly.
- Dorte Jakobsen
Well I think most of the beginning is already pretty silly so am now curious enough to see where it goes. I would't say it's bad, just entirely unbelievable in the way that a Hollywood serial killer movie would be
- Bernadette
Fascinating post about series books from a publisher's perspective http://mysteriousmatters.typepad.com/mysteri...
Karen Meek liked this
As one of the few readers who would rather read a standalone than a series book most days of the week I share some of the sentiments expressed
- Bernadette
I know what you mean, Bernadette, most UK series are pretty tired in my view, but some authors do it very well by not adhering to formulas or "rules" of series, eg Johan Theorin, where part of the fun for the reader is realising how various dots join up (but equally, one can read them as standalones as these are not plot-critical).
- Maxine
Oh there are some exceptions I know, but it just seems like almost everyone assumes that series are the only option for writers of genre fiction, therefore it's the only option for readers. Too many people do write the same book over and over again
- Bernadette
It's definitely not easy to stay out of the trip of writing the same book over and over, but just with a different title...
- Margot Kinberg
Some readers want the same book and get annoyed if an author changes things up. That said, the notion that if you don't produce at least one book a year to keep your fan base is, to my mind, a guarantee of shoddy work. Some writers can do it, but many can't.
- barbara fister
Another reason to switch to wordpress for your blog, they look amazing on the iPad - sort of like a magazine (there's an automatic view that is turned on when you access a WP blog via an iPad). blogger ones dont' appear any differently than on normal web which for some (those with lots of side bar stuff) makes them not very mobile-device friendly
Oh, didn't know that - thanks!
- Margot Kinberg
They also (Wordpress blogs) look really good on these wretched smartphones, whereas Blogger blogs are literally unreadable, tiny print and no way I can see to enlarge. Wordpress is really well optimised.
- Maxine
I sneaked a peak on my wife's I-Pad and your Word press blogs do look very smart. If I wasn't so busy at the moment attempting to tidy a study [cupboard more like it] I would activate my dormant Word press blog.
- Norman
I have moved! The whole of Crime Scraps is now located at Crime Scraps Review at Word Press the link is http://crimescraps2.wordpress.com/ Not very original and perhaps some clever kind person can link my new posts here? I think the posts are easier to read with the new theme and of course it looks great on that I-Pad.
- Norman
This is embarrassing, Norman, but this technotwit doesn't really know what that means. Do I have to change your blog name in my bookmarks list? You are still looming up nicely when I click on 'Crime Scraps'.
- Philip
Philip the original Crime Scraps is still there, but new posts will appear at Crime Scraps Review http://crimescraps2.wordpress.com at that link. I will post a link on Crime Scraps to redirect visitors, but the result of the quiz will be posted at the old Crime Scraps as well. Don't be fooled by me sounding like I know what I am doing because I am blundering in the dark.
- Norman
Looks as if someone has set your new blog to post in here Norman before I read this but if you have any problems let me know. I am a bit stumbling in dark too but have 6 months experience on WP so I may have picked up a couple of things, not sure.
- Maxine
Maxine, incredibly I managed that myself. I will gradually complete my links so please don't be upset if you are not in there yet.
- Norman
No worries, Norman, happy to wait as long as it takes! I put the new Crime scraps into petrona's blogroll this a.m.
- Maxine
Yey new computer arrived today so I will be able to get back to proper blog visiting and commenting - I discovered I don't like using a phone for such things - these elderly eyes need a proper sized screen. I've even got a fancy new modem/router so things are moving much faster now and I am a happy camper :)
Vanda Symon liked this
Oh, so glad to hear that you have a new computer :-). I hope you'll really love it.
- Margot Kinberg
Glad to hear that Bernadette and welcome on board again.
- Jose Ignacio
Good news, enjoy your new set up.
- Norman
Congratulations, Bernadette, always nice to have a shiny new computer.
- Maxine
Peter Temple gave the inaugural Miles Frankiln Oration last night - a speech which will be given annually by last year's winnter a few weeks before the current year's presentation. Apparently hardly anyone was there due to appalling publicity but it was, not surprisingly, an intelligent and funny speech (angela savage tweeted a large part of it...
...using the hashtag #petertemple. Between that and this article at online news outlet Crikey you might just get a sense of his thoughts (Temple is notoriously opposed to being recorded so there was no recording made) http://blogs.crikey.com.au/culture...
- Bernadette
Thanks, Bernadette, for the info - will definitely check out. How crazy that there was no publicity for this event, especially as it is so easy to publicise events like this online for no cost (just a bit of common sense).
- Maxine
Agreed - how could there be no publicity for something like this?!
- Margot Kinberg
computer has been dying for few weeks - now formally deceased. Must go shopping. Blogs and I will be quiet for a few days as there's a limit to how much I can do from work or my mobile phone.
Sorry to hear about the computer, Bernadette. Hope you get a new one that you really like.
- Margot Kinberg
We will miss you!
- Dorte Jakobsen
Good luck Bernadette, we hope to benefit from your expertise and opinions of what's available, once you are back up, for when it happens to someone else (as it inevitably will).
- Maxine
Hope you find a new computer soon. Unfortunately computers, and cars are designed to fall apart as soon as the warranty expires unless you are very lucky.
- Norman
Am quite limited at present with only my mobile phone and sporadic access to a computer. Hope you get a brand new one soon Bernadette. Will be missing your comments and reviews.
- Jose Ignacio
unofficial trailer for US version of TGWTDT - apparently the original was missing a Trent Reznor soundtrack as well as James Bond (Daniel Craig) http://www.totalfilm.com/news...
Not terribly impressed. Was that Julian Sands in there (aargh).
- Karen Meek
I decided I couldn't wait for Kerrie to get home from her travels so have switched Fair Dinkum Crime over to Word Press. We own the domain fairdinkumcrime.com so you should not need to do anything to stay subscribed but it generally takes about 48 hours for the internet to play catch up so you may still see blogger if you go to that address
Thanks for the info Bernadette. Will check that the blogroll on Petrona goes to the right place, still.
- Maxine
Thanks for letting us know, Bernadette.
- Margot Kinberg
I wonder when all bloggers will have deserted Blogger? :)
- Dorte Jakobsen
It won't likely be long if Blogger keeps getting in the way of, well, blogging.
- Margot Kinberg
Blogger is being a pain about the way it's releasing the old feed so you may need to subscribe again to by visiting http://fairdinkumcrime.com/ or adding http://fairdinkumcrime.com/feed... to your feed reader (I updated the feed into the FF room Maxine)
- Bernadette
If you have a blogger blog please don't feel upset if I never comment again but I can't be bothered, have not been able to comment at a blogger blog (inlcuding my own) all week and today I have decided to stop trying. Will have to move Fair Dinkum over to WP when Kerrie returns as am utterly fed up.
I have noticed I've had much fewer comments (I'm on blogger) in the past couple of weeks - looks like there might be an issue. Bugger
- Craig Sisterson
Reason number 5 why I switched to Wordpress.
- Margot Kinberg
Yes Craig there has been another global blogger issue, comments not working for a couple of days in most cases.
- Maxine
Anyone want to read this & do a review for Fair Dinkum? It's a combination sci-fi/noir tale that the author says owes a lot to Chandler. I hate Chandler & am not much into sci-fi these days I don't imagine I'd be terribly fair about it but I thought I'd see if anyone here is curious - only available in eBook - any format you want...
Sorry, Bernadette, not my cup of tea either.
- Maxine
Thanks so much for the offer, Bernadette, but it's just not my thing. I don't think I'd be able to give it a balanced review.
- Margot Kinberg
I suspect that most of our keenest e-format readers are at Crimefest.....;-)
- Maxine
I don't do e-books Bernadette, sorry (have no e-reader and hate reading fiction on screen).
- LauraRoot
not crimefiction-y but book-y - Carmen Callil on why she quit the Booker Prize panel because they gave the prize to Phillip Roth - even if you don't agree with her opinion on Roth she has interesting stuff to say about the judging process and how books in translation are at a disadvantage...
Philip Young liked this
link disappeared so here t'is http://www.guardian.co.uk/books... apparently more to come in this Saturday's Guardian
- Bernadette
I slogged through two or three Roths but found him in that category of boring self-indulgent US male middle aged author (eg Updike, Richard Ford etc). I am wary of stating such views ever because of their legions of (US, male, lit/media establishment etc) admirers......The main character in the film American Beauty is one such.
- Maxine
slog and Roth go hand-in-hand in my memory too Maxine. And he's a dreary speaker too - my sister-in-law dragged me to a talk by him once in the US - we paid something to be there (can't remember how much) and all he did was bang on about his back pain and how generally hard it was to be a smart, white, American.
- Bernadette
Please don't get me started on people like that. Really. Please. But thanks, Bernadette, for that article. Interesting stuff indeed.
- Margot Kinberg
I think I had better keep my opinion on who is the greatest living author to myself...
- Philip Young
There isn't such a thing is there? Even one's favourites can have an off book ;-) (Ian McEwan, Solar, looking at you.)
- Maxine
Although I am not a great fan of relativism, I suppose the only criteria that matters is "Which author has made the greatest impression on you?" I admire Roth's achievement, but none of his novels changed my life.That said, awards like this for Roth can, sometimes, bring to prominence writers of whom many of us were unaware; I looked up previous Booker International winners and became intrigued by previous winner, Chinua Achebe....
- Philip Young
If there is any value in making such lists, the most important must be "Which author has given you greatest pleasure..?" Or, "To which author are you most likely to return?"
- Philip Young
True, Philip, though I've found that the stage of one's life is important too. For example, William Wharton's books made a tremendous impression on me aged early 20s (Dad, Birdy etc) but probably if I read them now they would lack the same impact. Cannery Row, now, I can always return to that, or Jane Austen (any).
- Maxine
You are definitely right about stage, Maxine. It doesn't take a great writer to open the eyes of the inexperienced, but the experience is can be so powerful. This is also a good argument for and against re-reading!
- Philip Young
I must admit I am afraid to re-read books I think of as favourites from when I was much younger, I suspect they might not hold up as well because I'm a different person than the one who read the books initially.
- Bernadette
Oh me, too.
- Margot Kinberg
If Hollywood Reporter can be believed Jo Nesbo and others are sometimes happy to ride Stieg Larsson's coattails http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news...
I've had a question on the blog about why Jo Nesbo's THE REDBREAST is called that...does anyone know? I can't remember for the life of me (brain is mush these days) and my copy of the book has been loaned out to someone
I think it's named for a character from the World War II front in the novel - "A guy at the front we called the redbreast. Like the bird, the robin redbreast." I don't want to say more in case anyone here hasn't read the book yet. But I think that's where it comes from.
- Margot Kinberg
Think you're right Margot, far as I can remember.
- Jose Ignacio
I am sure that is right, and I think there is also the other connotation that of "who killed cock robin" - the old nursery story/legend? I am afraid I can't remember the details either. The title and events in the book remind me of the sad fairy tale of the nightingale and the rose but that is just my brain as a nightingale is not a robin!
- Maxine
Maxine - I'd forgotten that fairy tale until you mentioned. Hmm.. yes I agree about that similarity.
- Margot Kinberg
thanks all
- Bernadette
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