Mystery Melange

Registration for the 2011 Writers' Police Academy is officially open. This annual hands-on conference is held at an actual police academy with law enforcement instructors and includes a patrol car/fire truck/ambulance driving simulator, FATS (Firearms Training Simulator) and more. Organizer/author Lee Lofland says "It's Disneyland for writers."

For a bit of research to help with your next historical novel or just for fun, check out these "Ten Most Infamous Failed Assassins" over on the Online Degree site.

Europa Editions is currently sponsoring a daily Trivia Contest on their Facebook page. Winners can receive free books from their catalog, which includes authors Alicia Gimenez-Bartlett and Carlo Lucarelli.

Lee Goldberg has a thoughtful interview at Spinetingler about e-books and what he thinks authors should and should not be doing. With the drumbeat to jump on the Kindle bandwagon, you might be surprised by his conclusions.

Beat the Dust's latest edition focuses on crime and noir stories from the likes of Cathi Unsworth, Mark SaFranko, Gary McMahon, Matthew Stokoe, Gary Carson and more.

In other magazine news, check out the redesigned Shots Magazine web site, as well as the latest Getting Away with Murder column by Mike Ripley.

Mysterical-E just released its Winter edition, featuring fiction by B.J. Bourg, Victor Banis, Libby Cudmore and more, as well as the usual fine columns and an interview with author Peggy Ehrhart.

Speaking of interviews, the Book Slut interviewed Brad Meltzer about his new book The Inner Circle and how he got the idea following a call from The Department of Homeland Security asking him to brainstorm different ways for terrorists to attack the U.S.

The news group Dorothy-L compiles a yearly "Best Mysteries" books listing from members. Although only four percent of the 3,000+ members participated, and the membership is heavily skewed toward female readers, it's still a fun list and a good snapshot of some of the more popular books people actually read last year (and in years prior), not just the best-sellers.

If you missed Publishers Weekly's overview of the Spring Season of book publications, you can read the Top 10 mystery/thrillers they're looking forward to, as well as scan through all the various upcoming book titles by publisher.

At the Bijou is holding its "annual Fab*Feb*Film*Fest" this month and has scheduled a Rat Pack Revue involving an interview and a spotlight on Robert J. Randisi and his Rat Pack mystery series. Kate Pilarcik, Paul Brazill, Eric Beetner and Sean Patrick Reardon "are taking on some Rat Pack personnas for the last two weeks of February ... any / all of youse cool guys are welcome to toss out a far-from-the-norm interview query for the Randisi interview and jump in with our jiving lot somethin' criminal along RatPack lines."