Nice article on Vanda Symon in BOP Times

As I noted late last year, Dunedin-based modern-day Kiwi crime queen Vanda Symon has released CONTAINMENT, her third Sam Shephard novel, to some very positive reviews. It's great to see a Kiwi series built around such an interesting recurring heroine - I'm looking forward to Symon's fourth novel, BOUND, which should be coming out later in 2010 (I believe she is currently working on the fifth Sam Shephard novel).

As you may be aware, I wrote a feature article on Symon for the November issue of Australian-based Good Reading magazine. Those in Australia or New Zealand can read my feature "The Stroppy Crime Fighter", in the print issue of Good Reading magazine. Symon spoke with me about a number of things, including creating a memorable heroine, juggling motherhood and storytelling, and life imitating art. Online subscribers worldwide can also read that feature via the Good Reading website.

There has also been some other interviews with and articles on Symon over the past few weeks, which is great to see. She was interviewed on Radio New Zealand's Arts on Sunday show by host Lynn Freeman. The interesting ten-minute interview, in which Symon discusses the new book, and what goes into her intriguing protagonist, amongst many other things, also includes a short reading from CONTAINMENT. You can listen to an audio file of the interview here.

Last week there was also a good article on Symon by Ellen Irvine in the Bay of Plenty Times, one of New Zealand's leading regional newspapers. You can read that article here. I understand New Zealand's biggest newspaper, the Weekend Herald, may also be including an article on Symon in the next month or so - I'll keep you all informed about that as and when it occurs.

It's great to see New Zealand crime and thriller fiction writers seeming to get a little more media coverage than in days gone by. Hopefully this continues to build, and grow, in future. We certainly should be paying more attention to good Kiwi writing, regardless of genre.

Have you read CONTAINMENT? Any of the earlier Sam Shephard books? What do you think of Vanda Symon's writing? Do you like recurring heroes, or standalones? Thoughts and comments welcome...