Mystery Melange

 

Book sculpture by Guy Laramee

RIP Michael Palmer, a physician turned bestselling medical thriller author, who died last Wednesday at the age of  71. Palmer's 20th novel, Resistant, will be published in May 2014. His best known work was Extreme Measures, later adapted into a movie starring Hugh Grant.

Not one, not two, but three conferences are coming up this weekend. The Tony Hillerman Writers Conference convenes in Santa Fe, NM, with presenters including Margaret Coel, James McGrath Morris, Craig Johnson, David Morrell, and Anne Hillerman; Boston hosts the New England Crime Bake with Guest of Honor Meg Gardiner; and there's Murder and Mayhem in Muskego, Wisconsin, where over a dozen internationally best-selling authors will be featured.

If you happen to find yourself in Austin, Texas, tomorow night, head on over to Opal Divine's at 7 p.m. for a "Noir at the Bar" event featuring members of the Mystery People blog. Jon Basoff , Anonymous-9 and Nate Southard (writing as Jassy Mackenzie), will be on hand to discuss their books.

Noir Nation is giving away free Kindle copies of its second issue through this Friday, November 9th.

Mike Ripley's latest "Getting Away with Murder" column for Shots ezine includes a look into the book-party seasonal fun across the Pond, reviews of Norwegian policeman Jorn Lier Horst's novel Closed For Winter and a new anthology of crime-related essays, and much more.

The new crime poem over at the 5-2 is "Morning Report" by Toby Speed, and this week's fiction at Beat to a Pulp is "Everybody Knows About a Broken Heart" by Kent Gowran. 

Criminal Element is sponsoring a five-book giveaway in their "Good and Evil" sweepstakes.

This week's Q&A roundup includes CJ Howell chatting with Crime Fiction Lover about Howell's new book The Last of the Smoking Bartenders; and Sarah Weinman joined Pulpetti to discuss her anthology Troubled Wives, Twisted Daughters.

The Chicago Tribune reported on the developing trend of "take a book, leave a book" Little Free Libraries around the U.S.

Internationally best-selling crime author Jo Nesbo chose his "6 Favorite Books" for The Week.

Think you know a lot about conspiracy literature? The Guardian has a quiz to test your knowledge.

The Guardian also posted a look at "10 crime writers turned detective," from Edgar Allan Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle up to PD James.