Cover these.....
A Book Lover's life is always busy...
Showing posts with label Crime Writers Association. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crime Writers Association. Show all posts
Friday, 10 June 2016
Catalogue & Cover, Cover, Read....
Catalogue & Cover these...
Cover these.....
Read most of these....
A Book Lover's life is always busy...
Cover these.....
A Book Lover's life is always busy...
Tuesday, 31 May 2016
Love Crime Novels Set In Europe?.... You Might Like This Then...
If you love the crime fiction genre and can't resist the atmosphere of a Paris cafe scene, a dark foggy mystery in London, a chase through the streets of Prague or the seedy side of Berlin in the 20s, you'll probably quite like the suitably named site http://www.eurocrime.co.uk
It doesn't seem to get updated that often, but hey, I'm guilty of that sin myself to some degree, but it has some great links and bits n bobs from the genre.
Enjoy.
It doesn't seem to get updated that often, but hey, I'm guilty of that sin myself to some degree, but it has some great links and bits n bobs from the genre.
Enjoy.
Sunday, 29 May 2016
A Weekend In The 1930s.....
I've been away this weekend.
One of the pleasures of being a book lover is how much I get to travel, fitting global (and temporal) odysseys into just one weekend of 'real' time.
After spending much of last week flitting around Melbourne in 1929, in the scintillating company of Ms Phyrne Fisher, I found myself unable to pull out of the inter-war years.
So, I elected to spend some of it in Berlin, circa 1930, where, in the company of Mr Isherwood, I was lucky enough to meet the delectably decadent Ms Sally Bowles.
Sally likes to party, in spite of, (or, it could be argued, with total disregard for) the state of the world around her. She is a wonderful creature, as all her boyfriends know. Her life could be likened to a cabaret, all flash, glamour and entertainment on the surface, with the dirty reality hidden from the outside world by props and scenery.
I'm still enjoying Sally's life, but my magical travel powers have allowed me to skip forward to 1932, where I've spent some time aboard the majestic vessel RMS Aquitania as she makes her way across the Atlantic to New York, then on to Sydney. In the company of the the Honourable Rowland Sinclair, (accompanied, of course by his good friends, Milton, Clyde and the irresistibly flame-haired Edna) I have been introduced to the guiding lights of the Theosophical Society. Of course, someone is inconsiderate enough to have gotten murdered, and even young Roly himself has been shot at!
It's always so dangerous hanging around this gang of artistic Sydney-siders!
I look forward to continuing both of these journeys over the next few days!
One of the pleasures of being a book lover is how much I get to travel, fitting global (and temporal) odysseys into just one weekend of 'real' time.
After spending much of last week flitting around Melbourne in 1929, in the scintillating company of Ms Phyrne Fisher, I found myself unable to pull out of the inter-war years.
So, I elected to spend some of it in Berlin, circa 1930, where, in the company of Mr Isherwood, I was lucky enough to meet the delectably decadent Ms Sally Bowles.
Sally likes to party, in spite of, (or, it could be argued, with total disregard for) the state of the world around her. She is a wonderful creature, as all her boyfriends know. Her life could be likened to a cabaret, all flash, glamour and entertainment on the surface, with the dirty reality hidden from the outside world by props and scenery.
I'm still enjoying Sally's life, but my magical travel powers have allowed me to skip forward to 1932, where I've spent some time aboard the majestic vessel RMS Aquitania as she makes her way across the Atlantic to New York, then on to Sydney. In the company of the the Honourable Rowland Sinclair, (accompanied, of course by his good friends, Milton, Clyde and the irresistibly flame-haired Edna) I have been introduced to the guiding lights of the Theosophical Society. Of course, someone is inconsiderate enough to have gotten murdered, and even young Roly himself has been shot at!
It's always so dangerous hanging around this gang of artistic Sydney-siders!
I look forward to continuing both of these journeys over the next few days!
Wednesday, 25 May 2016
Phryne Fisher... Queen Of The Bright Young Things...
As a 'dyed in the wool' lover of classic Golden Age mysteries, and being possessed of a need to be retrospectively reincarnated into the turbulent times of the roaring twenties and the tumultuous thirties, what better vehicle for my escapism than the Phryne Fisher novels of Kerry Greenwood?
With a generous ladelling of period appropriate mis-en-scene, an intelligent, beautiful, talented, protagonist, and the requisite twists, red-herrings and villains of a Christie-esque creation, Cocaine Blues, ticks all the right boxes.
Many of you will have met Miss Fisher through the excellent TV series that has catalogued her adventures, but, in time-honoured fashion, the books, of course, far out-do the TV show based on this, the first offering. There are already a whole bunch of Phryne Fisher novels out there, great news for those of us who love a single author binge. I can't wait to get my teeth into the rest of them!
The visual assistance of the TV show definitely aided my easy fall into love with this book, who couldn't fall for Essie Davies? But the novel stands alone admirably.
Greenwood has a talent for detailing the costumes her heroine inhabits throughout the adventure that might cause the non-sartorialy inclined to gloss over them a bit, but if flapper style is not your bag, if your interests lay along a more traditionally 'masculine' plane, just Google her choice of automobile, in this instance a 1920's Hispano-Suiza 46CV in red.... If you don't find that sexy, accompanied by the delectable Miss Fisher, you are clearly dead.
Read Cocaine Blues, it's wonderful!!
With a generous ladelling of period appropriate mis-en-scene, an intelligent, beautiful, talented, protagonist, and the requisite twists, red-herrings and villains of a Christie-esque creation, Cocaine Blues, ticks all the right boxes.
Many of you will have met Miss Fisher through the excellent TV series that has catalogued her adventures, but, in time-honoured fashion, the books, of course, far out-do the TV show based on this, the first offering. There are already a whole bunch of Phryne Fisher novels out there, great news for those of us who love a single author binge. I can't wait to get my teeth into the rest of them!
The visual assistance of the TV show definitely aided my easy fall into love with this book, who couldn't fall for Essie Davies? But the novel stands alone admirably.
Greenwood has a talent for detailing the costumes her heroine inhabits throughout the adventure that might cause the non-sartorialy inclined to gloss over them a bit, but if flapper style is not your bag, if your interests lay along a more traditionally 'masculine' plane, just Google her choice of automobile, in this instance a 1920's Hispano-Suiza 46CV in red.... If you don't find that sexy, accompanied by the delectable Miss Fisher, you are clearly dead.
Read Cocaine Blues, it's wonderful!!
Thursday, 19 May 2016
Murder Most Horrid....
As an unashamed lover of the detective genre, the fascination of murder as a literary vehicle, for all its horrific significance in reality, is one which has always struck a chord with me.
Equally at home in the 'Golden Age' crime stories of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, or the modern police procedurals of Peter James' Roy Grace series, I love a good murder!
I've never personally got into the 'True Crime' genre for the purposes of a pleasant Sunday afternoon read, but I get the attraction, so Lucy Worsley's "A Very British Murder" definitely appealed to my baser instincts.
Some of you will be familiar with Lucy Worsley's work as an historian, via the medium of TV and a number of books on various elements of historical interest.
The book "A Very British Murder" was written to accompany the TV series of the same name in 2013 and gives the reader an excellent, rounded exposure to murder as an 'entertainment' form over the the last couple of centuries.
To get an insight into where the crime genre has its roots I'd definitely recommend this book.
It's dead good.....
Equally at home in the 'Golden Age' crime stories of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, or the modern police procedurals of Peter James' Roy Grace series, I love a good murder!
I've never personally got into the 'True Crime' genre for the purposes of a pleasant Sunday afternoon read, but I get the attraction, so Lucy Worsley's "A Very British Murder" definitely appealed to my baser instincts.
Some of you will be familiar with Lucy Worsley's work as an historian, via the medium of TV and a number of books on various elements of historical interest.
The book "A Very British Murder" was written to accompany the TV series of the same name in 2013 and gives the reader an excellent, rounded exposure to murder as an 'entertainment' form over the the last couple of centuries.
To get an insight into where the crime genre has its roots I'd definitely recommend this book.
It's dead good.....
Monday, 28 December 2015
Finally Catching The Last Bus To Woodstock...
Like, I'm sure, many of you, I've been a big fan of Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse, and it's spin-offs on TV over the last thirty or so years.
Well I've finally got around to actually doing the decent thing for a book lover and delving into the novels upon which the TV series was based. I bought the boxed set of 'Morse' novels, published by Pan, during my UK trip earlier this year, and having recently run out of my favourite detective fiction... decided to give this a go.
I have to say I've ploughed through 'Last Bus To Woodstock', the first in the Morse series, in less than two days. Always a good sign. The writing of Mr Dexter allows reading to flow very easily. It is uncomplicated yet descriptive, erudite yet not elaborate.
As to the story itself, aside from a slight personal discomfort in the way the issue of a rape is addressed, (this was written in 1975, whether we like it or not, sensibilities were different then) it is a throughly gripping story with, of course the required twist in the tail.
I'd definitely recommend giving it a go!
Stevie at BLM
Well I've finally got around to actually doing the decent thing for a book lover and delving into the novels upon which the TV series was based. I bought the boxed set of 'Morse' novels, published by Pan, during my UK trip earlier this year, and having recently run out of my favourite detective fiction... decided to give this a go.
I have to say I've ploughed through 'Last Bus To Woodstock', the first in the Morse series, in less than two days. Always a good sign. The writing of Mr Dexter allows reading to flow very easily. It is uncomplicated yet descriptive, erudite yet not elaborate.
As to the story itself, aside from a slight personal discomfort in the way the issue of a rape is addressed, (this was written in 1975, whether we like it or not, sensibilities were different then) it is a throughly gripping story with, of course the required twist in the tail.
I'd definitely recommend giving it a go!
Stevie at BLM
Sunday, 4 October 2015
Looking For Clues... 6 Of The Best Fictional Detectives...
Much as I might try to drag myself away, in recent years I'm attracted to detective fiction like a super villain is to a long drawn out and impossibly contrived plan for the demise of his or her detective opponent from which they will obviously escape! Yes, I am addicted to detective novels!
No matter how smart your bad guy, no matter how much the author might make them out to be a genius, unsurpassed in their evil plans for world domination or just plain old top-hole murdering skills... The detective always wins through in the end!
And, that is part of why we love them. But who, in the wide spectrum of sleuths do we really connect with? There are literally hundreds to choose from these days, many classic 'Golden Age' detectives have made it to TV status, opening up a whole new fan base, whilst some seem to have lost their earlier popularity. Some from novels written in the fifties, sixties and seventies only achieved wider TV audiences, and as a result, new readers, a decade or two later. There's no denying a good TV adaptation does no harm to a literary detective's flagging career, but there are plenty out there who have not yet hit the small or big screen, but still hit the spot with millions of readers.
So here is a selection of some of my personal favourites, Super-Sleuths all!
Sherlock Holmes
Obvious, I know, but you'd be hard pushed to find a better known literary detective figure in the world. Whether he's coming straight from the pages of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's four novels and fifty six short stories or the plethora of film and TV incarnations, he is a phenomenon.
Holmes first appeared in 1887, initiating for many readers what was to become known as the 'Golden Age Of Detective Fiction'. Doyle's serialisation of stories became popular in The Strand Magazine, and ran on until 1927. Holmes is, according to The Guinness World Records, the 'Most Portrayed Movie Character' having been played by 70 actors in over 200 films!! Now, 130 years on from his first appearance, Holmes is still engaging with audiences. Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller having both recently appeared as new TV incarnations of the character for the 21st century. 130 years and going strong, Holmes will be thrilling readers and audiences for some time to come I think!
Hercule Poirot
Another obvious inclusion to this list has to be Belgium's greatest export, Hercule Poirot! More famous than Stella Artois, more stimulating to the senses than a box full of Guylian seashells, Hercule Poirot combines a mix of genius, arrogance, unintended comic appearance and a dose of obsessive compulsive disorder to create the greatest detective to have ever lived, at least as far as he, himself, is concerned. He's not far off in his estimations too, it has to be said. By his own admission, he has been wrong TWICE in his career. So nobody is perfect.
A refugee following WWI, from his home country, where he worked for the police, once in England the role of private detective becomes his world, much to the annoyance of a string of British Police Officers, it has to be said.
Like Holmes, Poirot has been portrayed copiously on radio and both small and big screen, by such luminaries as Albert Finney, Peter Ustinov, Orson Welles, and most famously and successfully, David Suchet. from 1989 to 2013 ITV's Agatha Christie's Poirot worked through the entire canon of Poirot stories as produced by Christie. You'd think that would be it for the little Belgian, but I can't help thinking such a successful character is bound to re-appear in a new guise at some point in the next ten years or so.
Jules Maigret
Simply 'Maigret' to most, including his own wife, this iconic figure of the detective world was created by Georges Simenon and went on to appear in a massive 75 novels and 28 short stories between 1931 and 1972!
Simenon was arguably one of the most successful fiction writes ever, and another Belgian, but his character Maigret was a Parisian, and his adventures take part in that iconic city. Maigret has been portrayed by French, British, Austrian, German, Italian, Dutch, Japanese and Russian actors in his time. Originally written in French, English translations have also been an enormous part of the Maigret canon, having been a long-standing staple of the Penguin Green paperback series. With a regular focus on Maigret's desire to see into the character of those he comes across during his investigations rather than the crimes themselves, he is, for me a more human detective than many of the genre. Born in the countryside, near Moulins, Maiget originally studied for the medical profession, but the sudden death of his father and the influence of a police office in Paris, and his personal desire to study the dark mysteries of the human character, led him to a profession in which he could become a "doctor of destinies". So was born the legend.
Piet Van Der Valk
Less well know worldwide than his detective compatriots above, Van Der Valk was was the creation of British author Nicolas Freeling in the 1960s. Freeling lived much of his life in the Netherlands and consequently produced a rarity in developing a character that was truly continental European from a British born author. Van Der Valk novels have a realism that is often neglected by others in the genre, Freeling being a self-confessed follower of the Simenon style. Set in and around Amsterdam, Van Der Valk's habit of picking apart the finer details of any crime that comes across his desk, often over a good meal, gives him a distinctive style that delivers results.
Made famous by the British TV series of the 1970s, which used the character, (but little of the plot details) Van Der Valk was portrayed by Barry Foster to great public and critical acclaim. Another series popularised by the Penguin Green publications, they are well worth a read for fans of the detective genre.
Josephine Tey
Readers of this page will know of my recent discovery of Josephine Tey, both as real-life author and as a character in the novels of Nicola Upson. I love Upson's choice to develop a real person into the main protagonist of a detective fiction series. A choice that grew out of an earlier project by Upson to write a biography of the crime writer from the middle of the 20th century. The fictional Tey is not a detective per-se, but closely resembles the real Tey as a writer of both plays and novels, who is embroiled in a series of murderous incidents during which her own skills at human interaction play an important part. Working alongside her friend, and 'actual' detective, Archie Penrose, Tey brings something to crime fiction I've not found elsewhere.
In the nature of the genre, Tey would, perhaps, be considered a 'side-kick', but the realism with which Upson portrays the relationships between Tey and Penrose, as well as Tey's ability to interact with other characters on a realistic level, puts her centre stage in the story. This focus on human relationships does not, however leave plot and drama to play second fiddle, as Upson demonstrates all the skills of the past mistresses and masters of crime fiction to keep the reader hooked on the mystery at hand.
Bryant & May
Okay, this is a bit of a cheat, because it's two detective in one, John May and Arthur Bryant, as created by author Christopher Fowler. The difference here is that, whilst Holmes has his Watson, Poirot has his Hastings and Tey has her Penrose, these two are genuine equal partners in crime fighting.
I've metioned a number of times on this blog my love of the Bryant & May stories and have interviewed author Christopher Fowler in an earlier post, because, put simply, I think this is some of the best crime fiction around at the moment. This pair of octogenarian detectives, jointly leading the Peculiar Crimes Unit spend their days simultaneously uncovering the deep, dark and quite interesting past of London, whilst (eventually) outwitting a series of murderers and ne'r do wells. Author Fowler's extensive knowledge of London makes for a wonderful backdrop to the stories that is wonderfully familiar to those of us lucky enough to have spent much time there.
The often strained but consistently entertaining relationship between the two main protagonists is one of the strongest elements of the stories, which, Fowler does an excellent job of convincing the reader, has lasted over four decades. Standing up proudly with classic crime detectives from the golden age, these two 'Golden Boys' of detection will, (old-age-onset-illness hopefully being kept at bay...) be around for us to enjoy for a while yet I fancy!
So there they are, half a dozen of the best fictional detectives the cost of a paperback can buy. Other detectives are, of course, available.... But they didn't make the cut. Enjoy.
Stevie at BLM.
No matter how smart your bad guy, no matter how much the author might make them out to be a genius, unsurpassed in their evil plans for world domination or just plain old top-hole murdering skills... The detective always wins through in the end!
And, that is part of why we love them. But who, in the wide spectrum of sleuths do we really connect with? There are literally hundreds to choose from these days, many classic 'Golden Age' detectives have made it to TV status, opening up a whole new fan base, whilst some seem to have lost their earlier popularity. Some from novels written in the fifties, sixties and seventies only achieved wider TV audiences, and as a result, new readers, a decade or two later. There's no denying a good TV adaptation does no harm to a literary detective's flagging career, but there are plenty out there who have not yet hit the small or big screen, but still hit the spot with millions of readers.
So here is a selection of some of my personal favourites, Super-Sleuths all!
Sherlock Holmes
Obvious, I know, but you'd be hard pushed to find a better known literary detective figure in the world. Whether he's coming straight from the pages of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's four novels and fifty six short stories or the plethora of film and TV incarnations, he is a phenomenon.
Holmes first appeared in 1887, initiating for many readers what was to become known as the 'Golden Age Of Detective Fiction'. Doyle's serialisation of stories became popular in The Strand Magazine, and ran on until 1927. Holmes is, according to The Guinness World Records, the 'Most Portrayed Movie Character' having been played by 70 actors in over 200 films!! Now, 130 years on from his first appearance, Holmes is still engaging with audiences. Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller having both recently appeared as new TV incarnations of the character for the 21st century. 130 years and going strong, Holmes will be thrilling readers and audiences for some time to come I think!
Hercule Poirot
Another obvious inclusion to this list has to be Belgium's greatest export, Hercule Poirot! More famous than Stella Artois, more stimulating to the senses than a box full of Guylian seashells, Hercule Poirot combines a mix of genius, arrogance, unintended comic appearance and a dose of obsessive compulsive disorder to create the greatest detective to have ever lived, at least as far as he, himself, is concerned. He's not far off in his estimations too, it has to be said. By his own admission, he has been wrong TWICE in his career. So nobody is perfect.
A refugee following WWI, from his home country, where he worked for the police, once in England the role of private detective becomes his world, much to the annoyance of a string of British Police Officers, it has to be said.
Like Holmes, Poirot has been portrayed copiously on radio and both small and big screen, by such luminaries as Albert Finney, Peter Ustinov, Orson Welles, and most famously and successfully, David Suchet. from 1989 to 2013 ITV's Agatha Christie's Poirot worked through the entire canon of Poirot stories as produced by Christie. You'd think that would be it for the little Belgian, but I can't help thinking such a successful character is bound to re-appear in a new guise at some point in the next ten years or so.
Jules Maigret
Simply 'Maigret' to most, including his own wife, this iconic figure of the detective world was created by Georges Simenon and went on to appear in a massive 75 novels and 28 short stories between 1931 and 1972!
Simenon was arguably one of the most successful fiction writes ever, and another Belgian, but his character Maigret was a Parisian, and his adventures take part in that iconic city. Maigret has been portrayed by French, British, Austrian, German, Italian, Dutch, Japanese and Russian actors in his time. Originally written in French, English translations have also been an enormous part of the Maigret canon, having been a long-standing staple of the Penguin Green paperback series. With a regular focus on Maigret's desire to see into the character of those he comes across during his investigations rather than the crimes themselves, he is, for me a more human detective than many of the genre. Born in the countryside, near Moulins, Maiget originally studied for the medical profession, but the sudden death of his father and the influence of a police office in Paris, and his personal desire to study the dark mysteries of the human character, led him to a profession in which he could become a "doctor of destinies". So was born the legend.
Piet Van Der Valk
Less well know worldwide than his detective compatriots above, Van Der Valk was was the creation of British author Nicolas Freeling in the 1960s. Freeling lived much of his life in the Netherlands and consequently produced a rarity in developing a character that was truly continental European from a British born author. Van Der Valk novels have a realism that is often neglected by others in the genre, Freeling being a self-confessed follower of the Simenon style. Set in and around Amsterdam, Van Der Valk's habit of picking apart the finer details of any crime that comes across his desk, often over a good meal, gives him a distinctive style that delivers results.
Made famous by the British TV series of the 1970s, which used the character, (but little of the plot details) Van Der Valk was portrayed by Barry Foster to great public and critical acclaim. Another series popularised by the Penguin Green publications, they are well worth a read for fans of the detective genre.
Josephine Tey
Readers of this page will know of my recent discovery of Josephine Tey, both as real-life author and as a character in the novels of Nicola Upson. I love Upson's choice to develop a real person into the main protagonist of a detective fiction series. A choice that grew out of an earlier project by Upson to write a biography of the crime writer from the middle of the 20th century. The fictional Tey is not a detective per-se, but closely resembles the real Tey as a writer of both plays and novels, who is embroiled in a series of murderous incidents during which her own skills at human interaction play an important part. Working alongside her friend, and 'actual' detective, Archie Penrose, Tey brings something to crime fiction I've not found elsewhere.
In the nature of the genre, Tey would, perhaps, be considered a 'side-kick', but the realism with which Upson portrays the relationships between Tey and Penrose, as well as Tey's ability to interact with other characters on a realistic level, puts her centre stage in the story. This focus on human relationships does not, however leave plot and drama to play second fiddle, as Upson demonstrates all the skills of the past mistresses and masters of crime fiction to keep the reader hooked on the mystery at hand.
Bryant & May
Okay, this is a bit of a cheat, because it's two detective in one, John May and Arthur Bryant, as created by author Christopher Fowler. The difference here is that, whilst Holmes has his Watson, Poirot has his Hastings and Tey has her Penrose, these two are genuine equal partners in crime fighting.
Artist Keith Page
The often strained but consistently entertaining relationship between the two main protagonists is one of the strongest elements of the stories, which, Fowler does an excellent job of convincing the reader, has lasted over four decades. Standing up proudly with classic crime detectives from the golden age, these two 'Golden Boys' of detection will, (old-age-onset-illness hopefully being kept at bay...) be around for us to enjoy for a while yet I fancy!
So there they are, half a dozen of the best fictional detectives the cost of a paperback can buy. Other detectives are, of course, available.... But they didn't make the cut. Enjoy.
Stevie at BLM.
Thursday, 23 July 2015
My Week In Books Number... Ok, I'm Not Sure. But Read It...
So, once again it's been far too long since my last post on here, though I have been delivering plenty of titbits of bookish stuff at the Facebook page... www.facebook.com/bookloversmelbourne .... So please try not to judge me!
So what's been happening since my interview with Robyn Annear a couple of weeks back? Well, you'll be little surprised to hear I've bought loads of books, mainly focused around crime fiction recently, with a dash of history and just a sprinkle of magic....
With the encouragement of the up-coming TV series, I've bought myself a copy of Susanna Clarke's "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell" where 19th century Napoleonic Wars are sent in a whole new direction with the re-emergence of magic! Sounds like an interesting twist!
TV has influenced me once again with the next couple of books, this time in the person of British historian, Dr Lucy Worsley. Worsley is currently Joint Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces but is best known as a presenter of BBC television series on historical topics, including Elegance and Decadence: The Age of the Regency (2011), Harlots, Housewives and Heroines: A 17th Century History for Girls (2012), and The First Georgians: The German Kings Who Made Britain (2014). It will come as no surprise that she is also a successful author in the same field.
I've recently got hold of copies of "If Walls Could Talk" and "A Very British Murder" which I'm eager to get into!
Finally, I recently 'discovered' Josephine Tey, alias Gordon Daviot.. alias Elizabeth MacKintosh...one of the early twentieth century's great writers who is surprising little known these days. Strangely enough, hot on the heels of this personal discovery, before I'd really had time to fully enjoy Ms Tey's work, I discovered another author, namely Nicola Upson.
Now this is interesting, (at least I think so), because it so could have been a very tacky, very try-hard, very... just not the thing.... thing. Nicola Upson writes crime fiction with the aforementioned Josephine Tey as her main protagonist. Yes. She takes an early 20th century crime writer, and turns her into a fictional, (but very non-fictional) crime story heroine. I know, right? Anyway, I've read the first hundred or so pages of "An Expert In Murder", first in the series..... and it's really great! I mean REALLY great!
It's a brave thing to do, but only a third into the book and I'm going to say buy it, borrow it, steal it (ok, don't actually steal it) but read it!
That's it for this week, Happy Reading!
Stevie at BLM.
So what's been happening since my interview with Robyn Annear a couple of weeks back? Well, you'll be little surprised to hear I've bought loads of books, mainly focused around crime fiction recently, with a dash of history and just a sprinkle of magic....
With the encouragement of the up-coming TV series, I've bought myself a copy of Susanna Clarke's "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell" where 19th century Napoleonic Wars are sent in a whole new direction with the re-emergence of magic! Sounds like an interesting twist!
TV has influenced me once again with the next couple of books, this time in the person of British historian, Dr Lucy Worsley. Worsley is currently Joint Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces but is best known as a presenter of BBC television series on historical topics, including Elegance and Decadence: The Age of the Regency (2011), Harlots, Housewives and Heroines: A 17th Century History for Girls (2012), and The First Georgians: The German Kings Who Made Britain (2014). It will come as no surprise that she is also a successful author in the same field.
I've recently got hold of copies of "If Walls Could Talk" and "A Very British Murder" which I'm eager to get into!
Finally, I recently 'discovered' Josephine Tey, alias Gordon Daviot.. alias Elizabeth MacKintosh...one of the early twentieth century's great writers who is surprising little known these days. Strangely enough, hot on the heels of this personal discovery, before I'd really had time to fully enjoy Ms Tey's work, I discovered another author, namely Nicola Upson.
Now this is interesting, (at least I think so), because it so could have been a very tacky, very try-hard, very... just not the thing.... thing. Nicola Upson writes crime fiction with the aforementioned Josephine Tey as her main protagonist. Yes. She takes an early 20th century crime writer, and turns her into a fictional, (but very non-fictional) crime story heroine. I know, right? Anyway, I've read the first hundred or so pages of "An Expert In Murder", first in the series..... and it's really great! I mean REALLY great!
It's a brave thing to do, but only a third into the book and I'm going to say buy it, borrow it, steal it (ok, don't actually steal it) but read it!
That's it for this week, Happy Reading!
Stevie at BLM.
Wednesday, 1 July 2015
Who Says Crime Doesn't Pay?....Congrats To Christopher Fowler....
Well it seems crime can pay, because last night in the UK was the meeting of the great and the good at depicting the bad, as The Crime Writers' Association held it's gala awards night.
The CWA is well worth a look if you're a budding author in the crime genre, or take a look at their sister site for crime fans.. The Crime Readers Association.
Click those links people. Click Those Links....
Amongst the shortlisted crime writers for the prestigious CWA Dagger In The Library Award were two of my favourites, Peter James,
author of the Roy Grace, Brighton-based detective novels and Christopher Fowler, author of the Bryant & May novels who was interviewed by your truly just a few weeks ago right here!!
Well, as any of you who actually read the title of this blog will know, Christopher Fowler won!
Congratulations Christopher from all at BLM.
(I told you he was good......)
Stevie at BLM
The CWA is well worth a look if you're a budding author in the crime genre, or take a look at their sister site for crime fans.. The Crime Readers Association.
Click those links people. Click Those Links....
Amongst the shortlisted crime writers for the prestigious CWA Dagger In The Library Award were two of my favourites, Peter James,
author of the Roy Grace, Brighton-based detective novels and Christopher Fowler, author of the Bryant & May novels who was interviewed by your truly just a few weeks ago right here!!
Congratulations Christopher from all at BLM.
(I told you he was good......)
Stevie at BLM
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)