In Reference to Murder

Haiti Noir

One of the latest installments in the Akashic Books noir series doesn't look at just one city, as the other books have, but at an entire nation — one where just getting through the day is an exercise in life-as-noir. The magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck not far from Port-au-Prince almost a year ago, on January 12, 2010, with an estimated 230,000 people killed, 300,000 injured and 1,000,000 made homeless. Since then, over 1,000 people have died from cholera, and violent protests have broken out, shutting down schools, businesses and the international airport.

Award-winning novelist Edwidge Danticat had been working for a year as editor on Akashic's Haiti Noir anthology when the earthquake struck, and she was worried some of the stories would become irrelevant or not ring true, but ultimately felt that didn't happen. In fact, she solicited three earthquake-related stories that found their way into the book. She tried to get a mixture of literary styles, adding she "was glad reading the other books in the series to see that noir did not only mean detective stories. We have many variations on the detective story here; however each writer defined noir for him- or herself and came up with something powerful. The stories are dark in that bad things happen in them. There is of course a Haitian sensibility because the stories are set in Haiti or in the Haitian diaspora. They are about both individuals and the larger society."

As Publishers Weekly noted, the anthology contains several stories that feature the practice of Vodou including Kettly Mars's supernatural thriller "Paradise Inn," in which a detective investigating police corruption is transferred to a remote village and falls under the seductive power of a fearsome innkeeper and her succubus-like daughter, and Gary Victor's "The Finger," where a criminal's trophy of an expensive ring, with its dead former owner's finger still attached, comes back to haunt him.

The launch party featuring Danticat and other contributors will take place at Symphony Space in New York City on January 26. Ten percent of the profits from sales of Haiti Noir will be donated to an organization Danticat chose, the Lambi Fund of Haiti, a nonprofit that helps fund Haitian community-based groups promoting economic justice, democracy and sustainable development. 

 

Media Murder for Monday

MOVIES

CBS Films has released a clip for its 2011 thriller, The Mechanic, a remake of the 1972 action thriller that starred Charles Bronson.  The film follows an elite assassin named Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) "with a strict code and unique talen for cleanly eliminating targets." But when his mentor and close friend Harry (Donald Sutherland) is murdered, Bishop tracks down those responsible.

Have a hankering for some good noir movies to watch over the holiday season? Check out IMDB's best "Film Noir" titles.

Director Terry Gilliam and SFX artist Tim Ollive are teaming up for the movie 1884, described as a steampunk mixed-media adventure-espionage story set in an alternate timeline where the industrial revolution went a lot further and faster, resulting in a futuristic imperial metropolis. The story will mix animation, live-action puppetry and CGI while the backgrounds will blend period photography, miniatures and graphics.

TV

Looks like there's hope we may yet see a screen version (film or TV) of author Michael Connelly's popular Harry Bosch series. After years of being locked in a movie rights waste-land, Connelly was able to buy back the rights to his creation and says "Harry could have a life on TV."

If you missed the BBC's Nordic Noir TV special, keep your eye out for a rebroadcast. Here's an article with some background to tide you over. Also, part two in the series, Italian Noir: The Story of Italian Crime Fiction airs tonight in the UK on BBC Four.

FX will bring back the second season of Justified with 13 episodes beginning on February 9th.  The crime drama, based on novels by Elmore Leonard, stars Timothy Olyphant as a Kentucky-based U.S. marshal trying to balance his job and a complicated personal life.

CBS announced its mid-season schedule changes, which sees Blue Bloods moving to Wednesday for four weeks before returning to its Friday slot. The new spin-off crime drama Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, premieres Wednesday, February 16 and The Defenders moves to Fridays until April when its slot gives way to the new CIA-themed show Chaos. (Hat tip to Omnimystery).

For a behind-the-scenes look at the new AMC procedural show The Killing, check out ONTD's video clip.

TV Guide has an interview with long-time TV producer Leonard Goldberg, producer of such shows as Charlie's Angels, Starsky and Hutch, and Blue Bloods.

Errata

The South Asian Reading Challenge mentioned in the blog posting the other day about various reading challenges is being hosted by S. Krishna's Books instead of Stargazerpuj's Book Blog. Apologies to both great bloggers for the mix-up.

Christmas Mystery Melange

Janet Rudolph has compiled an extensive listing of Christmas-themed fiction novels for her blog Mystery Fanfare. Matter of fact, it's so extensive, the list is broken down into four separate posts, A through D, I through N, O through R and S through Z.

For some of those Christmas stories in print, Elizabeth A. White recommends Naughty: Nine Tales of Christmas Crime by Steve Hockensmith and George Kelley suggests A Rumpole Christmas by John Mortimer.

Mystery Scene Magazine has a feature asking several mystery authors which presents they would give to their protagonists. Part One includes Lauren Willig, Ken Harmon, Joanne Fluke/Laura Levine/Leslie Meier and Shirley Rousseau Murphy, and Part Two  has Anne Perry, Kate Kingsbury, Betty Hechtman, Sally Goldenbaum playing Santa Claus.

Do Some Damage is hosting a Christmas Noir Flash Challenge of noir, transgressive, caper and hardboiled fiction sent in by readers. Look for stories by Bryon Quartermous, Chris Deal, Stephen D. Rogers and more every day through the New Year. 

Elizabeth Foxwell's Bunburyist blog points to the Museum of Broadcast Communications site where you can watch several well-known holiday programs online, including the Twilight Zone's "Night of the Meek" with Art Carney; A Bozo Christmas; and the Dick Van Dyke Show's "The Alan Brady Show Presents."

And for a little Christmas binary whimsy, check out the Digital Nativity.

I Challenge You

That is to say, I challenge you to look through the following reading challenges for 2011 and not be able to find a single one that interests you. There's quite a variety to choose from, and most don't require a huge time commitment (some even have as few as one to two books to read).

CRIME FICTION

Criminal Plot Challenge
This is the first-ever such challenge from Jen Forbus, in which she asks you to read 6 books in 2011, one from six different categories such as a book by a new-to-you-author who's blurbed a book you enjoyed.

The Alphabet in Crime Fiction 2011
Kerrie Smith is once again holding her crime alphabet challenge, which does require a time commitment, but it will help you read quite a few books next year, a worthwhile endeavor. She asks that you read one book each week starting in January that's related to the letter of the week, either the first letter of a book's title, the first letter of an author's first name, or the first letter of the author's surname.

Mystery and Suspense Challenge
Book Chick City challenges you to read 12 mystery and suspense novels and upload your reviews to the blog. She'll also have a monthly drawing for a book prize, and all participants receive a free ARC of The Survivor by Sean Slater.

Cruisin' thru the Cozies
Socrates' Book Review Blog theme, as the title suggests, is the "cozy" mystery, and even one book will put you in the "Snoop" category.

Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge
If you're a fan of the Golden Age, this challenge is for you. Read mystery books published prior to 1960, with a prize for everyone who completes the challenge. You can review or not, blog or not, it's up to you.

INTERNATIONAL

Carrie Kitzmiller is holding her second annual Ireland Reading Challenge, and any book written by an Irish author, set in Ireland, or involving Irish history or Irish characters, counts for the challenge; fiction, non-fiction, poetry, audiobooks, children's books, whatever suits your fancy. All participants will be entered for a prize giveaway of a copy of Tipperary by Frank Delaney.

If you're a fan of fiction down under, join the  2011 Aussie Author Challenge. It helps if you have a blog, so you can review and link back.

S. Krishna's Books is hosting the South Asian Challenge 2011, where you read at least one book by a South Asian author or about South Asia (i.e. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and the Maldives).

If you've been inspired by the recent wave of Scandinavian fiction to hit the U.S., you might want to try the Nordic Challenge, including any book by any author born in a Nordic country (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and/or Sweden) or a book set in a Nordic country.

Speaking of things north, Canada isn't left out — John Mutford's 4th annual Canadian Book Challenge started in July 2010, but it continues through to July 1st, 2011, which happens to be Canada Day. You'll need to hurry, though, because you'll need to read 13 books.

If you'd prefer to think more, well, globally, sign up for the 2011 Global Reading Challenge, and choose at least one novel each from Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, North America, South America and a "Seventh" continent (Antarctica or your own "seventh" setting, e.g. the sea, the space, a supernatural/paranormal world, history, the future – you name it).

MISCELLANEOUS

The Book Vixen's challenge is relatively simple — it's the Outdo Yourself Challenge, in which you read more books in 2011 than you did in 2010 (in any format).

Here's another easy one — the Off the Shelf Challenge. Go to that To Be Read pile of yours and read those books you own copies of, but have never got around to reading.

The What's in a Name Challenge has more rules than most, but it's intriguing. You pick a pick in 6 different categories with themes such as a book with a number in the title and a book with evil in the title.

If you enjoy reading the adventures of V.I. Warshawski, Stephanie Plum, Sharon McCone or Tess Monaghan, sign up for the  Strong Heroine Reading Challenge.

Want to read more local authors or books set in your local environs? Try the Hometown Challenge.

Like you novels dark with crumbling castles, and a little horror and romance? If so, the Gothic Reading Challenge is for you.

If you haven't jumped on one of the newer literary trends, then you here's your chance to Get Steampunked (think Jules Verne meets Terry Gilliam).

Speaking of trends, if you get a Kindle or Nook for Christmas, hurry on over to the 2011 E-Book Challenge.

Want more? The blog A Novel Challenge has dozens for you (past, present and future).  

Science is Murder

The Second Annual Science is Murder event takes place Tuesday night, December 21, at the Washington Academy of Sciences, 1200 New York Avenue NW, in Washington, DC. Featured on this year's panel are authors Louis Bayard (The Black Tower), Ellen Crosby (Viognier Vendetta), Dana Cameron (Ashes and Bones) and Lawrence Goldstone (The Astronomer), who will be speaking about how science is reflected in their works of fiction. Kathy Harig, of Mystery Loves Company, will serve as moderator. The reception and book look are at 6:30 p.m. and the panel begins at 7:00 p.m. RSVP (recommended) to [email protected].

Media Murder for Monday

MOVIES

The 9th Annual San Francisco Film Noir Festival is headed back to the Castro theater January 21-30, with 24 films in 10 days. This year's theme is "Who’s Crazy Now?" and includes Oscar-winning performances by Ingrid Bergman (Gaslight) and Ronald Colman (A Double Life), as well as obscure rarities, "all presented as originally intended, in glorious 35mm celluloid, in a movie palace, before an appreciative audience."

Lee Goldberg's short mystery film Remaindered has been chosen for the 2011 Derby City Film Festival in Louisville, Kentucky. The film is about a writer whose promising writing career is now reduced to signing books in small-town grocery stores. In one such small Kentucky town he meets Megan, the town librarian, and that's when things really begin to go downhill.

Martin Scorsese is teaming up with Robert De Niro for the first time since 1995 in a gangster movie about mob hitman Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran. Based on Charles Brandt's 2004 book I Heard You Paint Houses, the screenplay is being written by Steven Zaillian (Mission Impossible, American Gangster, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo).

TV

A&E has given the go-ahead to two pilots, one of which, The Package Deal, is based on the mystery series written by Craig Johnson featuring Walt Longmire, a local sheriff in rural Wyoming. The other pilot is Big Mike, about a plus-sized detective and "a force of nature" in the San Diego PD. 

If you're in the UK, tune in the TV series based on Michael Dibdin's fictional Italian detective Aurelio Zen, which premieres January 2 on BBC One. It actually starts with the second book in the series, Vendetta, and stars Rufus Sewell as Aurelio Zen. For an interview with Sewell and more about the program, check out the BBC's site.

Speaking of the BBC, during the Christmas holidays BBC4 is airing the original feature-length episodes starring Rolf Lassgard as Henning Mankell's rumpled detective Wallander, which predated the Kenneth Branagh version.

PODCASTS/RADIO

The 31st episode of the Reading and Writing podcast features an interview with Don Winslow, author of the critically-acclaimed novel Savages.

Blog Talk Radio had author CJ West chatting with Leighton Gage, creator of the Chief Inspector Mario Silva mystery series, whose latest installment, Every Bitter Thing, is a procedural that investigates a bizarre string of murders in Brazil.

Give a Subscription

Here's a great idea for the crime fiction fan on your list (or even for yourself): give a subscription to one of the following magazines:

• Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine
• CrimeSpree
• Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine
• Mystery Readers Journal
• Mystery Scene
• Suspense Magazine
• Strand Magazine

In addition, several e-zines have print or Kindle versions of individual issues you can purchase, including Crime Factory, Needle and Out of the Gutter. 

And even though other online 'zines are free, I'm sure they'd appreciate a donation sent their way to help defray the costs of keeping these labors of love going. Sandra Seamans's wonderful blog has a nice listing of all of these, as well as other cross-genre 'zines.

Gifts with a Purpose

Mystery Scene Magazine's latest issue included gift ideas for those who want to give more this holiday season. Here's the list:

Reading is Fundamental
Founded by a former teacher, RIF delivers free books and literacy resources to the most financially needy communities throughout the US, with special focus on children from birth to age eight.

UNICEF Story Books 
Inspire the mind of children in far-off primary schools by sending the gift of story books for as little as $30 for 8 local-language books.

Books For Life
Help a community build a library or support the literacy project of your choosing from the US to India to Kenya to Nicaragua and beyond.

American Library Association
Help ALA advocate on behalf of libraries and library users, promote literacy and community outreach programs, encourage reading and continuing education in communities across America, and provide scholarships to students preparing to enter the library profession.

Check out more from Mystery Scene's latest issue via their web site link.

Friday's Forgotten Books - Red Christmas

Most people know him as creator of the now-classic Yorkshire detective duo Andrew Dalziel and Peter Pascoe and for his Crime Writers' Association Cartier Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement. But author Reginald Hill is also known as Patrick Ruell, publishing eight novels under that pen name beginning with The Castle of the Demon in 1971. Whereas most of his books, including the Dalziel and Pascoe series, are police procedurals or P.I. novels, the Patrick Ruell stories are what Mike Ripley of Shots Ezine calls "slightly surreal and very funny thrillers."

In 1972's Red Christmas, a group of strangers are on a Christmas Eve trip for a Dickensian weekend at Dingley Dell. They have seemingly nothing in common: Jules and Suzie Leclerc, a French couple; Arabella Allen, a 23-year-old English lass; and Stephen Swinburne, a "young many of great beauty." They're ensconced in the Dingley Dell manor along with other guests, including a German couple dubbed "Herr Bear" and "Frau Cow" and an American party-crasher, Robert E. Lee Sawyer, all under the watchful eye of the hosts, Wardle and Boswell.

But the festivities soon take a less cheery turn when one of the servants has an accident near a quarry on the property and is taken to the hospital. Arabella soon learns that behind the facade of good-will-toward-men hides conspiracy and intrigue when she learns she's being spied upon. Things take an even nastier turn when she stumbles upon the dead body of the servant who was supposedly recuperating in the hospital. Then the grinning face of yet another corpse is seen buried beneath the ice in a skating pond just as a blizzard is blowing in — and their only means of communication with the outside world, a radio, is sabotaged. As Arabella delves deeper, aided by her growing reliance upon Boswell, who is at the center of the mystery, she finds herself in the thick of an international spy ring, with double-cross and murder all part of the game.

I rather like Robert Barnard's foreword to the Black Dagger reissue from 1995, where he says "The action is fast and furious, the characterisation light but deft, the climax thrilling and satisfying. It is, no doubt about it, a heady brew, such as might have been served at the original Dingley Dell, and just as the Christmas season. Take emergency rations and a bottle of your favorite tipple, retreat to your study and lock out the family, then settle down to a rollicking good read. With a bit of luck it will last you the whole of Christmas Day."

The omniscient head-hopping is a bit dizzying at times, but it serves its purpose of keeping you unsteady and wondering just who is telling the truth and who is not. It's an anti-Christmas romp, so to speak, although there's plenty of spiked punch and red and green in the form of blood and forests and even a Christmas tree used as a diversion. If you get your fill of overly-sweet desserts and watch It's a Wonderful Life too many times, then Red Christmas might just be the antidote.