Review: WORTH DYING FOR by Lee Child

Lee Child, whose thrillers regularly top bestseller charts around the world, broke his long-held book-a-year pattern by squeezing in a second Jack Reacher tale, the fifteenth overall, late last year, delighting fans.

The taciturn wandering hero ended the excellent 61 Hours in a precarious position in blizzard-bashed South Dakota. Now he’s resurfaced in the rural expanses of Nebraska, bruised and battered. After dealing out some much-needed street justice to a wife-beater, Reacher finds himself in the cross-hairs of the powerful family who’ve ruled the area through fear and intimidation for decades. The situation worsens when three teams of professional ‘fixers’ arrive in town, looking to protect a lucrative criminal enterprise on behalf of their various bosses, and perhaps wipe out some of the competition. With Reacher caught in the middle.

Child delivers his usual punchy, page-turning style that hooks readers early and takes you on a fun ride. There’s plenty of action and thrills, along with some suspense as to what’s really going on. However, at times I found the storytelling a little ‘thin’ or one-note, enjoyable but not completely engaging or layered. We learn a little more about Reacher, who over the course of the series has become a character with more complexity than is first apparent. But Worth Dying For kind of feels a little like a fun pit-stop between 61 Hours and whatever the future holds.

A good read for the beach, bach or camping ground over summer.

3.5 stars (tomatoes)

This review was originally published in the January 2011 issue of WildTomato magazine

Have you read WORTH DYING FOR? What did you think? Are you a Lee Child fan, a 'Reacher creature'? Thoughts and comments welcome.

G is for Gaelyn Gordon's DEADLINES (Crime Fiction Alphabet)

Apologies for the delayed Crime Fiction Alphabet post this week - I've been a little distracted by first work, then the terrible events in Christchurch. Click here for some ways you can help with earthquake relief, no matter where in the world you may be.

But the Crime Fiction Alphabet rolls on, and our intrepid book bloggers out there around the blogosphere (and the globe) have this week been tapping away at their keyboards in creation of great, gripping posts related to the letter 'G'.

For my second go around at the Crime Fiction Alphabet (read my 2010 posts here), I've set myself the very challenging task of focusing not only just on New Zealand-themed posts, but just on Kiwi crime fiction books (ie I won't do any author profiles etc this time around) - although sometimes it may be the author's name that is relevant to the letter of the week.

So this week I'm featuring DEADLINES, a book by Gaelyn Gordon. Gordon is a very famous Kiwi author who wrote a wide variety of books for both children and adults, with myth, science fiction, fantasy, contemporary issues and adventure elements. She won several awards for her writing, and was a much beloved author before her all-to-early passing in 1997. The Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award for a Much-Loved Book was established in 1999 to honour her memory and contribution to children's literature.

Amongst Gordon's work was some crime/mystery fiction, a small series starring Detective Senior Sergeant Rangi Roberts and Detective Constable Andy Pike. DEADLINES was the third Roberts/Pike novel, published in December 1996, shortly before Gordon's death from illness. It is currently out of print, but can be found in libraries and some secondhand shops (online also).

In DEADLINES, Detective Senior Sergeant Rangi Roberts faces yet another murky mystery. He knows the identity of the author of a flood of anonymous letters that afflicts the university and the local branch of the Society of Authors. He suspects that his neighbour's death was no accident.

But how can he prove it? How can he find out who killed the little creep? How come this writer came to be his neighbour? And how can he keep 'Sir' off his back until he finds out?

Most importantly, how is he going to make out with Julia, that highly intelligent, highly motivated, highly strung literary agent who so longs to find a man for whom she can be a doormat?

Will luck and blind chance once more come to the rescue of our hero?

Of course.

North and South (a very good New Zealand magazine) said that "Gordon never takes herself too seriously... and is always entertaining. We need more writers like her."

Have you read any of Gaelyn Gordon's work, whether adult crime novels, children's books, or otherwise? What do you think of writers who write across a broad range of genres/ages etc? Do any of your favourite authors do this? Comments welcome.

Christchurch earthquake - how you can help

As many of you will know, yesterday at 12:51pm NZT the city of Christchurch, which suffered a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in September last year, was struck by another massive earthquake - this time much shallower and more violent.

While the September earthquake caused significant infrastructure and property damage, there was fortunately no loss of life. The city has not been so lucky this time. The 6.3 magnitude earthquake has claimed many lives, and some people remain trapped in buildings which have come down with the force of the 'quake. Buildings facades have crushed cars and buses. The iconic Cathedral in the heart of the city, which survived the earlier 'quake and more than 1000 aftershocks, has been badly damaged (see photo), and many other historic buildings have been destroyed. The city, and the country, is in shock.

Thank you for all the messages of support I've received over email and Facebook etc. I now live in Auckland (far from the 'quake zone), but lived for five years in Christchurch, which is a wonderful city, and I have many friends who still live there. Some with young families. Those I have been able to contact thusfar are all safe, if badly shaken.

In terms of books and crime fiction related people in Christchurch, crime writer Paul Cleave has said he is okay, but feels devastated at the destruction and loss of life. Thriller writer Andrew Grant has confirmed he and his family are well, although some of his friends have lost their homes - he's taken some in. Thriller writer Steve Malley has posted on Facebook saying he is okay too. I have yet to hear from many of the fantastic people involved with the Christchurch Writer's Festival, the Ngaio Marsh Award, or the Ngaio Marsh House, but have my fingers crossed that they are all okay too. It's a terrible time for a great city, and we can only hope that the emergency service personnel continue to pull survivors from the rubble, not just bodies.

Many people from around New Zealand and around the world are watching on, concerned, feeling helpless, and wishing there was some way they could help. Christchurch is a great city, but it is going to be facing a long road to recovery. While in some ways I want to jump on a plane and go down to help hands-on, the fact is that there are many terrific, capable, expertly-trained people there (and heading there from our friends in Australia and elsewhere around the world, with many countries generously pitching in, immediately offering/sending help and resources) who are doing a great job in a tough, tough situation. Those urban search and rescue and Civil Defence volunteers are just doing an amazing job, in concert with the police, defence force, and other emergency service personnel. Let alone all the 'average citizens' who've just stepped up to help friends, colleagues, and random strangers in need. I, and many others who would like to help, would simply be getting in the way at this stage. So how can we help?

Well, a number of emergency and relief funds are starting to be activated, and many organisations are taking donations to help with relief. Prime Minister John Key has said the best way people from around New Zealand and the world can help is to make cash donations to help the city and its residents get back on their feet. Here is some donation and relief information, courtesy of the New Zealand Herald website:

Donations
People can make a donation to the Canterbury Earthquake Appeal either at an ANZ Branch (account number 01-1839-0188939-00) or at the National bank (account number 06-0869-0548507-00).

Donations can be made to the Red Cross online or via the GrabOne website, as the Red Cross site has been crashing.

Offers of goods or services can be sent to the National Crisis Management Centre in Wellington, email here.

Donations can be made to the Westpac Canterbury Care Fund, which is in partnership with the Salvation Army, either at branches nationwide or to the account number 03-0207-0617331-00.

People can donate to the Salvation Army Earthquake appeal online here or by calling 0800 53 00 00.

Donations can be made to the Rotary New Zealand World Community Service here.

Donations can be made to the Christchurch Earthquake Support Fund in ASB branches or online (account number 12-3205-0146808-00). Across the Tasman, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, is also accepting donations for the New Zealand Red Cross.

The Christchurch SPCA has opened a Pet Emergency Earthquake Fund. You can donate money here or to the Westpac account 030802 0586429 00.

Vodafone users can donate to the Red Alert Canterbury Earthquake Appeal by texting "Quake" to 333 to make a $3 donation to the Red Cross Canterbury Earthquake Appeal.

Whether you are in New Zealand or overseas, I hope that you will find at least one organisation above that you feel comfortable contributing towards. Our friends in Christchurch are going to need a lot of help in the coming days, weeks, and months.

Louise Penny in line for four-peat at upcoming Agatha Awards

After claiming an unprecedented third consecutive Best Novel Agatha Award last year, popular Canadian mystery writer Louise Penny is now in line to score four, with the nomination of her novel BURY YOUR DEAD for Best Novel at this year's instalment of the Agatha Awards - which focus on 'traditional mysteries' (ie cosies, or mysteries with less violence, blood and sex, that usually focus on confined settings and often have amateur detectives).

The 2010 Agatha Awards (yes, we're in 2011, but they seem to name them for the year the books came out, rather than the year of presentation) are given for materials first published in the United States by a living author during the calendar year 2010 (January 1-December 31), either in hardcover, as a paperback original, or e-published by an e-publishing firm. The Agatha Awards will be voted on by attendees and then presented at the upcoming Malice Domestic convention, to be held in Bethesda, Maryland from 29 April to 1 May 2011.

Here is the full list of nominees:

Best Novel:
Stork Raving Mad by Donna Andrews
Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny
The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard
Drive Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan
Truly, Madly by Heather Webber

Best First Novel:
The Long Quiche Goodbye by Avery Aames
Murder at the PTA by Laura Alden
Maid of Murder by Amanda Flower
Full Mortality by Sasscer Hill
Diamonds for the Dead by Alan Orloff

Best Non-fiction:
The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum
Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks: 50 Years of Mysteries in the Making by John Curran
Sherlock Holmes for Dummies by Stephen Doyle & David A. Crowder
Have Faith in Your Kitchen by Katherine Hall Page
Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History by Yunte Huang

Best Short Story:
"Swing Shift" by Dana Cameron, Crimes by Moonlight
"Size Matters" by Sheila Connolly, Thin Ice
"Volunteer of the Year" by Barb Goffman, Chesapeake Crimes: They Had it Comin'
"So Much in Common" by Mary Jane Maffini, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine
"The Green Cross" by Liz Zelvin, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

Best Children's/Young Adult:
Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer by John Grisham
Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus by R. L. LaFevers
The Agency: A Spy in the House by Y. S. Lee
Virals by Kathy Reichs
The Other Side of Dark by Sarah Smith

Of the nominees, I have only read THEODORE BOONE by John Grisham (it was an enjoyable read, and a well-told tale for teenagers). I also have a copy of BURY YOUR DEAD in my TBR pile (I think). Interestingly, I only found out about VIRALS recently, in conjunction with Kathy Reichs's brief visit to New Zealand - it sounds like an interesting novel too, and good to see some big-name crime and thriller writers penning tales for younger readers. I think it's so important that reading is encouraged with children, and things are done to develop or cultivate the lifelong love of stories and reading that many of us share.

Have you read any of the nominees? Thoughts welcome.

Michael Connelly reveals his thoughts on the upcoming LINCOLN LAWYER film

As I've said recently, along with all the books I am looking forward to in 2011, there are a also a few films that I can't wait to see. And perhaps the one I am most excited about is THE LINCOLN LAWYER, based on the superb Michael Connelly book of the same name.

You can watch Michael Connelly discuss some aspects of writing the book, and the film adaptation, in a brief but interesting YouTube piece above.

Although book-to-film adaptations don't always go well, and can fall very flat at times, I am hopeful about this film for a number of reasons, including the trailer, the stellar cast, and the fact that when I interviewed him late last year Connelly himself seemed very happy with the script adaptation, and how it was looking (having been on set). So fingers crossed THE LINCOLN LAWYER delivers.

You can watch the first trailer here, and also read some comments from Connelly to me about the movie. You can also read my Weekend Herald feature interview with Connelly here, and his 9mm interview here.

Are you looking forward to THE LINCOLN LAWYER? Have you read the book? What crime novels would you most like to see turned into films?

Kathy Reichs impresses fans during her whistle-stop Auckland visit

Last Sunday I headed up to Dymock's Newmarket to listen to and meet Kathy Reichs, the creator of the acclaimed Temperence Brennan series of forensic thrillers that have been (loosely) adapted into the popular Bones TV show.

Despite the fact her visit was on pretty short notice, and it was something of a perfect 'head to the beach' day outside, a large crowd still packed the bookstore to meet Reichs. Interestingly, it was quite a young crowd compared to some I've seen for other crime writer visits - predominantly female (about 80%), with a lot of people in their 20s and 30s. One person said to me in an aside that perhaps it was because Brennan is one of those heroines that younger females can look up to, as well as the books being interesting reads for m/any crime fiction fans.

Reichs had been giving lectures on a cruise ship that had docked in Auckland, so took the time to meet readers at Dymocks on Sunday, as well as two Whitcoulls book signings on Monday. Along with her most recent Temperence Brennan tale, MORTAL REMAINS, she has also recently released her first young adult thriller, VIRALS.

She took the time to talk to the audience about both novels, as well as how she got into writing, her involvement with the Bones television series, and more. Surprisingly for a New Zealand audience (Kiwis can be quite reticent and laidback), there were plenty of questions asked when she opened things up to the floor. A few snippets from a wonderful afternoon:

• Reichs is a producer on the popular TV series, and has in fact written one episode herself. She also provides scientific knowledge during the 'ideas' phase, and reviews the scripts of all of the episodes as well. At first she was surprised how slim the manuscripts for an episode are (50 pages or so, at one minute of screentime per page) compared to novels, but she has got used to it and enjoys being able to read the entire TV story so quickly.
• The writers and producers want to take viewers into a 'different world' with each episode of the show, whether it is something like Wiccan and witches (the episode Reichs wrote), or a particular culture or profession.
• Although there are some big differences between the Bones TV show and the 'Bones' books, Reichs now likes to see the TV show as something of an alternate-world prequel to the books - Brennan's life when she was younger, before she got married and had a family, started working in NC and Quebec, and met Ryan etc. Reichs also likes the way that Bones is set in the Smithsonian in Washington DC, as she herself did her first forensic procedure in that very city, many years ago.
• MORTAL REMAINS was actually called SPIDER BONES in the United States. Reichs isn't entirely sure why her North American and UK/Commonwealth publishers sometimes use different titles for her books.
• The idea for MORTAL REMAINS came from Reichs' own real-life work for JPAC, where she aided in the identification of war dead from World War II, Korea, and Southeast Asia.
• She talked to the audience about the importance, in both novels and TV, of having multiple layers to a story - an 'A' story that might involve a particular plot/incident, and a 'B' story involving ongoing things about characters, along with perhaps a 'C' story and other strands for plots and characters.
• VIRALS, her first book for younger readers, is the debut in a series starring Tory Brennan, niece of Temperence, and her 'science geek' friends. After rescuing a caged animal from a supposedly deserted science lab, Tori and her friends begin to exhibit physical changes to their senses - they become 'the Virals'. At the same time they are caught up in a murder mystery dating back decades, and tied in with the laboratory.
• Two of Reichs' children are now also writers, at least one having given away a career in the law to do so (something I could relate to). Reichs co-wrote VIRALS with her son Brendan, and her daughter Kerry, a former Washinton DC lawyer, has also published three books. You can listen to a radio interview with the three writing Reichs's here.

I really enjoyed listening to Kathy Reichs on Sunday afternoon. She came across as very down-to-earth, friendly, and funny. She seems to have a real energy and love of life, had the large audience chuckling quite often, was very patient with those wanting autographs and photos, and everyone had a great time. Despite her tight schedule she also kindly spent a few minutes chatting to me afterwards (see photo above), including answering the 9mm questions - keep an eye out for her 9mm interview here on Crime Watch in the near future. Thanks to publicist Jennifer Balle, and the rest of the team at Random House and Dymocks, for putting on such an enjoyable event.

In the meantime, you can read more about Kathy Reichs at her website here, and about her new series and young adult novel VIRALS, here.

Have you read any Kathy Reichs novels? Do you enjoy forensic thrillers, in books or on TV or film? Do you watch Bones? Do you enjoy meeting authors? Thoughts and comments welcome.

MURDER NOT SO SWEET - more Kiwi crime in 2011

Recently I've become a user of the Smashwords website, where you can buy e-books in a variety of formats at some very reasonable prices. There are many books on the website that aren't necessarily available in print yet (or are hard to find or costly), so although I'm not a Kindle, Kobo, or iPad owner, I've made a couple of purchases of lesser-known Kiwi crime/thriller novels - printing them out to read at my leisure; old school I know.

I first came across the website when I purchased MURDER IN THE SECOND ROW by Bev Robitai, an enjoyable murder mystery set in the theatre, that harkened back to the Ngaio Marsh/Agatha Christie style, just in a contemporary setting.

You can read more here, or in a great review at Reactions to Reading here.

I've since purchased a couple more Kiwi-written crime novels, including CROSSROAD BLUES by Steve Malley, whose second novel, POISON DOOR, was released this month. I've now discovered another 2011-released Kiwi-written mystery novel is available on Smashwords - MURDER NOT SO SWEET by PM Hayes.

Here's the blurb: "Sebastian, a retired detective living on a quiet little island, finds his skills are still needed as he investigates the mysterious death of Rufus, the island’s beekeeper. Among the ordinary people he sees every day is someone capable of sending Rufus' van plunging over a cliff. There are secrets beneath the surface of many lives on this idyllic island."

PM Hayes is a hospital worker who lives in Auckland, and was brought up in Gisborne, a city on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. She has completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree at Auckland University, as well as creative writing courses. MURDER NOT SO SWEET is her first novel, after having some short stories published in writing group magazines.

MURDER NOT SO SWEET, which a reviewer has said is an enjoyable read "in the genre of the traditional 'whodunnit'", is available here.

It's great to see more NZ-penned crime, thriller, mystery and suspense fiction becoming available, both through the local arms of the larger international publishers picking up some Kiwi writers, and smaller and online publishers doing the same.

Do you like the sound of MURDER NOT SO SWEET? What do you think of e-publishing, and more authors getting more opportunities to publish online? Have you found any 'gems' in e-books that weren't yet in print? Comments welcome.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo wins and loses at Baftas

While the mainstream media has focused on the unsurprising ‘home ground’ success of the Colin Firth-led The King’s Speech at the recent British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) Awards, for crime fiction fans there was also some interest in a few of the lesser-publicised awards.

In a well-deserved nod, the Swedish-language film adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s juggernaut THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO won the Best Film not in the English Language (equivalent of the Oscars’ Best Foreign Film). This was a truly terrific film - well written, acted, and directed. It actually showed in New Zealand in late 2009 (see my review here), but because of release dates has been eligible for this year’s awards round in England and the USA. Both at the time, and now in hindsight, this was one of the best films I’d seen on the big screen in a long time. It’s a shame it hasn’t got even more attention at the English-speaking awards.

Unfortunately (but not unexpectedly) Noomi Rapace missed out on the Best Actress nod to Natalie Portman’s much-acclaimed and publicised performance in Black Swan. Rapace was truly brilliant as Lisbeth Salander, but Portman has had the Best Actress awards locked up across the board this year, and it would be a massive surprise if anyone other than her took out the biggest of all, the Oscar, in the near future. In a kudos to the Bafta judges, it was great to see Rapace recognised with her Bafta nomination for Best Actress - it’s a real shame Hollywood overlooked her for an Oscar nomination, given her terrific performance.

Have you watched m/any of the nominated or winning films? What do you think of the Bafta results? Has TKS built up some Oscar momentum, or will its hometown advantage come to much less when the Hollywood red carpet is rolled out and the likes of The Social Network, Christian Bale in The Fighter, and Amy Adams, might once again walk away with some of the major awards? Thoughts welcome.

$20 million in book vouchers to be distributed as part of New Zealand Book Month

New Zealand Book Month has now secured all necessary sponsorship to print and distribute 4,000,000 $5 book vouchers during March 2011. Under the headline Books Change Lives, New Zealand Book Month will deliver the biggest ever national book promotion by putting $20,000,000 worth of “book money” into the hands of New Zealanders.

Distribution will begin on 23rd February with 750,000 vouchers distributed nationally to children in schools, courtesy of Chevron New Zealand, under the brand Caltex Energy for Learning, in association with The National Library.

Chevron NZ spokesperson Sharon Buckland says, “Chevron New Zealand is very supportive of schools and literacy programmes as part of our strong community focus. Last year alone, we donated $70,000 in individual school grants for reading recovery resources – ensuring that schools and communities had much-needed materials to help children learn to read. Now, in support of New Zealand Book Month, Caltex Energy for Learning is continuing this literacy focus by encouraging people to ensure there are books in as many New Zealand homes as possible.”

A further 2.2 million vouchers will be posted into residential letterboxes by Reach Media on 1st and 2nd March. This distribution is fully funded by TVNZ7, supported by Reach Media.

Under the banner of BNZ Literary Awards, BNZ will include 560,000 vouchers in its credit card statements during the weeks commencing 9th and 16th March. A further 360,000 vouchers will be included in the 13 March issue of the Sunday Star-Times.

Securing print and paper has been a significant element of sponsorship. This has been provided thanks to generous sponsorship from book printing specialist Printlink – part of Blue Star NZ. Nikki Crowther, Project Director, says, “The teams at Printlink and Blue Star NZ have been very supportive of what we are looking to achieve with New Zealand Book Month this year. As a well-established and highly pro-active book printer, Printlink is keen to work with us, with publishers and with booksellers to deliver powerful campaigns to encourage book sales in New Zealand.”

In June 2010, New Zealand Book Month announced its intention to create a wide celebration of books, reading and literacy that would reach out to new, lapsed and infrequent readers. Key to that goal has been the creation of a book promotion that would exist in “everyday places” outside of bookshops and libraries – to bring the importance of books, reading and literacy to the widest possible audience. A further 160,000 vouchers will be made available at BNZ and Caltex counters nationwide for customers to collect.

The Books Change Lives campaign has been developed in close consultation with the Book Trade Liaison Committee, which comprises representatives from the book industry organisations Publishers Association of New Zealand and Booksellers New Zealand. Tony Fisk, chairperson says,“BTLC is tremendously excited to be associated with this promotion which is a truly collaborative effort between publishers and booksellers. The potential social benefits associated with encouraging people to bring books into their homes are immense and we are thrilled that NZ Book Month has managed to engage with such illustrious partners to make the vision of a truly national campaign a reality”.

At time of last week, 133 publishers have committed to supporting the $5 voucher campaign together with 288 booksellers. Click here for full details of participating booksellers and here for participating publishers.

F is for FRIENDLY FIRE by Michael Wall

It's that time of the week again, as the Crime Fiction Alphabet rolls on and our intrepid book bloggers out there around the blogosphere (and the globe) now find themselves frantically tapping away at their keyboards in creation of fantastic posts related to the letter 'F'. Fantastic, fun times.

For my second go around at the Crime Fiction Alphabet (read my 2010 posts here), I've set myself the very challenging task of focusing not only just on New Zealand-themed posts, but just on Kiwi crime fiction books (ie I won't do any author profiles etc this time around) - although sometimes it may be the author's name that is relevant to the letter of the week.

So this week I'm featuring FRIENDLY FIRE, a fast-paced thriller by Kiwi author Michael Wall, who wrote several thrillers, getting some pretty good reviews, back in the mid-late 1990s and early 2000s. Wall is a former Chief Press Secretary for the New Zealand Government. He also worked in the Office of the Prime Minister, for Jim Bolger (New Zealand Prime Minister from 1990-1997). He had previously been offered a job by David Lange (New Zealand Prime Minister 1984--1989), but turned him down.

Wall later moved to Te Ore Ore in the Wairarapa where he wrote, and bred sports horses. He was also Deputy Chair of the Tourism Board. He has written a series of thriller novels, including Museum Street, Friendly Fire, The Cassino Legacy, The Temptations of Frederick Weld, and Cardinal Sins. He has also written other books, including the non-fiction book Wairarapa: A Place Apart. Although his books are no longer in print, they can be found online from secondhand dealers and auction websites.

FRIENDLY FIRE was his second political thriller - a type of book that although very popular overseas hasn't seen many exponents in New Zealand. For a time he was also rumoured to be the author of SPIN, a highly-politicised thriller written by 'Anonymous', although Wall denied this and had his own suspicions of who else within the inner circle may have written that book.

Here's the blurb for FRIENDLY FIRE:

"Journalist Erin Florian returns home from Europe seeking silence and solitude, only to be sucked into a whirlwind of passion, political intrigue and sudden death on the windy streets. FRIENDLY FIRE is an incandescent novel.

In this stylish, fast-paced thriller the author of the best-selling MUSEUM STREET writes of teh dangerous world of MMP politics... fills his capital with a cast that is evil, brutal, ruthless, funny and lethal... and gives us a 'behind the bullet-proof doors' insight into the shadowy world of New Zealand's secret services and the sinister power they wield over our political mistresses and masters."

Sounds intriguing, that's for sure (especially being a Kiwi, to read a political thriller set in our otherwise-rather-benign democracy). I've got my hands on a copy of FRIENDLY FIRE, and am looking forward to reading it.

Are you taking part in the Crime Fiction Alphabet series? What do you think of my 'Kiwi crime only' challenge-within-a-challenge? Do you like political thrillers? Have you read any of Michael Wall's novels? Comments welcome.

POISON DOOR by Steve Malley now available

Following the publication of Vanda Symon's BOUND (now a #1 bestseller) and Cat Connor's EXACERBYTE in recent days, another Kiwi crime writer has had his latest novel released this weekend - Steve Malley's second thriller, POISON DOOR is now available on Amazon Kindle (for the very reasonable 'he's an unknown author to me but definitely worth trying at that price' price of USD$0.99). I have a copy of POISON DOOR, and am looking forward to reading it soon.

Here's the blurb:
"Sarah Crane is one tough cop. In a country where police don't carry guns but criminals do, she has to rely on the strength of her wits and the skill of her bare hands. Faced with a series of brutal murders and the disappearance of young women no one else seems to miss, she'll stop at nothing to get to the truth. In troubled young Michelle, Sarah sees a reflection of her own dark past.

Tommy Knowles is a vicious killer. From a London orphanage to the shores of New Zealand, he has risen from life on the streets to control this small country's heroin trade. Now his own success has led him to the edge of disaster. To secure the weapons he needs in the fight for his life, Tommy will trade as many innocent lives as necessary to secure his survival.

Michelle Swanston is fourteen and in danger. Safer on the Christchurch city streets than she is in her own home, Michelle's night wanderings take her into a hell worse than any she ever imagined. With no way of knowing who she can trust, no one else she can rely on, this terrified young girl is determined not to go down without a fight..."

Malley is an expatriate American now living in New Zealand. Describing himself as "Tattooed, pierced and dreadlocked", he is a writer, graphic novelist and professional artist. His debut thriller, CROSSROAD BLUES, was published in Amazon Kindle format last year. It is also available from the Smashwords website, in a variety of e-formats. Unlike CROSSROAD BLUES, Malley's latest thriller is actually set in New Zealand as well.

You can visit Malley's website here, and his blog Full Throttle and F**k It! here.

Do you think low-priced e-books are a good way to try new, unknown authors? Are you a Kindle user (or other e-reader)? Have you read any of Malley's work? Thoughts welcome.

9mm: An interview with John Burdett

After a bit of a breather, following the 44 instalments of 9mm quickfire author interviews that were shared here on Crime Watch during March to November 2010, it is time to once again polish off the gun and point it towards a creator of tales mysterious and thrilling. Thanks to everyone for their comments and feedback on the series so far - I really appreciate it, as I know many of the participating authors do as well.

For those new to this rodeo, 9mm consists of the same 9 Murder Mystery questions put to a variety of New Zealand and international crime, thriller, and mystery authors. It’s been fun seeing the variety of answers the authors give to the questions - both in terms of great personal anecdotes and insights, and comparing the influences etc that many authors share. I hope you have all been enjoying the series as much as I (and the authors) have been. Suggestions are always welcome. .

To kick-start 9mm circa 2011, I am very pleased to share the thoughts and answers of another great international author with you; John Burdett, the creator of the truly excellent Thailand-set Sonchai Jitpleecheep series. I discovered the Jitpleecheep books when I picked up a copy of BANGKOK EIGHT, the first in the series, from the Kuala Lumpur airport last January. It was a fortuitous purchase, as it was one of the very best debut novels I’ve read in several years. There is just such a great mix of intriguing and unique characters, vivid settings, stylish writing, and exciting action, while the narrative also at the same time raises some thought-provoking questions on a number of levels - about ‘life, the universe, and everything’.

Just a terrific book - you can read my review here. I read, and equally loved, BANGKOK HAUNTS (the third in the series) while I was travelling through Southeast Asia over the past Xmas/New Year holiday period. If you haven’t tried Burdett’s books yet, then do yourself a favour and go grab one. Burdett is considered Thailand's 'top thriller writer'. English by birth, he started working in Asia for a Hong Kong-based British law firm, before switching to writing. He has spent many years living and working in Asia, and now divides his time between Thailand and France.But for now, the lawyer turned novelist stares down the barrel of 9mm.

Crime Watch 9mm author interview: John Burdett

Who is your favourite recurring crime fiction hero/detective?
I would have to say Arkady from the Martin Cuz Smith books, especially Gorky Park. He has a lot in common with Sonchai in that his author hails from a distant land and he does not get on too well with the system he was born into.

What was the very first book you remember reading and really loving, and why?
The first books I ever loved were boys' books about adventures in exotic lands - It was long before I learned to remember the names of authors. In teens I discovered D.H. Lawrence and became very excited at an English author who so well understood human sensuality.

Before your debut crime novel, what else had you written (if anything) unpublished manuscripts, short stories, articles?
I did a lot of law work with deprived monorities of one kind or another, this included a few articles in the altenative press at the time.

Outside of writing, and touring and promotional commitments, what do you really like to do, leisure and activity-wise?
In Bangkok I play a lot of pool, not because I'm good at it (I'm not) but because it's a great way of forgetting about writing and bonding with the locals who are the prime source of my stories. In France I work on the house and garden.

What is one thing that visitors to your hometown should do, that isn't in the tourist brochures, or perhaps they wouldn’t initially consider?
Eat directly on the street. Street hawker food can be the best Thai food, but visitors fear the conditions might not be hygienic. Actually, such places are probably more reliable that five star restaurants, since everyone sees everything the cook does.

If your life was a movie, which actor could you see playing you?
It would have to be someone from the distant past: Richard Burton, Alan Bates, Peter O'Toole - those kinds of guys

Of your books, which is your favourite, and why?
The last one is always my favorite. I've just finished the next, which is to be called Vulture Peak, and will hit the stores this year or next. The most recent remains in my mind and assumes enormous importance, until I'm able to forget it altogether and concentrate on the next.

What was your initial reaction, and how did you celebrate, when you were first accepted for publication? Or when you first saw your debut story in book form on a bookseller’s shelf?
I was in a state of shock. I'd wanted to be an author since I was about twelve, and I was just forty when my first novel came out, so there was quite a build up. In the end the experience was quite surreal: I had to adjust from being someone who always wanted it to someone who had it: only a psychiatrist could begin to untangle the psychic revolution that entails. Euphoric, of course, then the let down: it was great but not the meaning of life.

What is the strangest or most unusual experience you have had at a book signing, author event, or literary festival?
At a book shop in Denver. A wonderful little old lady asked: "Are there any more flesh eating worms in this your latest book?"
I was relieved to be able to reply: "No, ma'am, no more worms in this one."
She said: "Oh, that's such a shame, I love that kind of stuff."

Thank you John Burdett. We really appreciate you taking the time to talk with Crime Watch.

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Have you read BANGKOK EIGHT, or any of the other Sonchai Jitpleecheep books? What do you think of Burdett's writing? Do you like crime fiction set in 'exotic' places like Southeast Asia? Have you visited Bangkok? Comments appreciated.

Sneak Peek: the prologue and first chapter from Paul Cleave's upcoming thriller COLLECTING COOPER

Last week I shared the news that Paul Cleave's fifth Christchurch-set thriller, COLLECTING COOPER, would be published in the United States on 26 July, and that it would see the welcome return of Theo Tate, the very flawed but intriguing protagonist from CEMETERY LAKE, Cleave's third novel. I am really enjoying how Cleave is building a 'world' in his novels - although he doesn't have a series with a recurring hero as such, his books overlap and share minor characters and timeframes etc - so you get a very real sense that all the stories occur in the same world.

Now Cleave has made the prologue and first chapter of his upcoming novel available at his website - read here.

You can also follow Cleave on Facebook here.

What do you think of the opening of COLLECTING COOPER? Have you read any of Cleave's other novels? Thoughts and comments appreciated.

Kiwi readers starting to catch on to local crime wave?

In some more fantastic news on the New Zealand crime fiction front, the weekly bestseller lists published today have seen Vanda Symon's latest Sam Shephard novel, BOUND, deservedly debut at the #1 position on the New Zealand Adult Fiction bestseller list!

I'm very pleased for Symon, who has been writing terrific crime novels for several years. Hopefully this is a sign that her audience is growing, as I'm sure that many more readers would really enjoy her Sam Shephard tales, and become hooked on the series, if they just gave them a go.

On a wider New Zealand crime fiction front, it's also another push in what is hopefully a growing wave, in terms of recognition for our own good and great indigenous crime storytellers. After local crime fiction being overlooked for far too long, in recent times we've seen Lindy Kelly, Paddy Richardson, Ben Sanders, and now Vanda Symon all top the New Zealand Adult Fiction bestseller list, along with others like Paul Cleave and Paul Thomas make the top 5. I'm sure that the more New Zealand readers give New Zealand crime fiction a go, the more things will progress for our local authors. Their stories sure are good enough - they just need the readers to overcome any residual cultural cringe, give them a chance, and find out for themselves. In my experience, they won't be disappointed.

BOUND has been receiving many great reviews (I will post some links in the near future), so hopefully it will continue to sell well. Congratulations to Vanda Symon on her #1 bestseller - hopefully it's just the start of many more great things to come.

NB: For those in New Zealand, you should be able to pick up your own copy of BOUND from any good bookstore. You can also purchase it online at the likes of Mighty Ape, who are offering it at a special price at the moment (see here).

Have you read BOUND? Do you intend to? Do you buy New Zealand novels, crime or otherwise? Should NZ readers support NZ writers more? Comments welcome.

Kiwi author Cat Connor's EXACERBYTE available today

Continuing the good start to the year in terms of Kiwi crime fiction, Upper Hutt author Cat Connor's third FBI Agent Ellie Conway tale, EXACERBYTE, has been released today (it has a 'pre-release' on Kindle, but becomes more widely available from a variety of sites and formats today).

Connor's first two Conway novels, KILLERBYTE and TERRORBYTE were originally published as e-books, and both have received some very good reviews and featured in the Top Ten bestsellers on the Mobipocket website, with KILLERBYTE making it to the #2 position (ahead of Lee Child's latest Jack Reacher thriller at the time). Her books are now available in digital form from a variety of websites, and also in paperback form from Amazon.com.

KILLERBYTE was a finalist in the 2010 EPIC Awards (electronic publishing awards), and also was voted No. 3 in eBookNewser's Top Ten eBooks. TERRORBYTE was rated one of the Top 10 thriller 'Best Reads for 2010' by the Preditors & Editors™ Readers' Poll. TERRORBYTE continues the adventured of FBI Agent Ellie Conway, and even sees her heading downunder to New Zealand as part of a case. Here's a blurb:

"After the violent death of a close friend, Supervisory Special Agent Ellie Conway realizes a child trafficker known as Hawk is back. She believes Hawk killed her husband and was responsible for her friend’s death.

A request for help sends Ellie to New Zealand, on Hawk’s trail. Her job; to locate missing children before they disappear forever. Meanwhile, back in Virginia a child with ties to Ellie is in danger. Can she uncover the hidden agenda of the suspected terrorist and his real identity in time to save the children?"

EXACERBYTE will now be available from Amazon (Kindle), Kalahari, Mobipocket, iTunes, Kobo and on order from book stores (or perhaps in a few hours, given the time difference). Here's an early review of the Kindle edition:

"After the gut-wrenching finish to Terrorbyte left me in tears, I had high expectations of what I can’t help but think of as Connor’s ‘difficult third album.’ (Hey, she’s the one who made it all about the music.) She didn’t let me down. Exacerbyte had me crying quietly into my coffee, giggling out loud and holding my breath, sometimes at the same time. A fantastically fun and entertaining series, which just keeps getting better."
– Un:Bound

You can read an excerpt from EXACERBYTE (the first chapter) here.

Comments welcome.

Edgar Awards Reading Challenge

There are some great reading challenges out there in 2011. I have of course once again signed up for one of the very best out there - the excellent Global Reading Challenge, created by crime fiction writer, reviewer, and blogger Dorte Jakobsen of DJ's Krimiblog. But there are other great reading challenges too, that may be worth joining.

The cool thing about reading challenges is they encourage people to widen their reading beyond their favourite 'go-to' authors and locales - they inspire them to think of new authors, settings, etc - and quite often we might find we really enjoy some of these new reads, and wonder why we didn't come across them or give them a go before. That's the beauty of a good reading challenge.

I came across another one today, that I decided to sign up for. Some of you may want to join me. It's called the Edgar Awards Reading Challenge, and involves reading some of the Edgar Award winners from days gone by. It has been created by iubookgirl at the Reader for Life blog.

Some terrific authors and great books have won Edgar Awards over the years, so it's not a bad way to introduce yourself to some high quality crime writing. Skimming over the winners from the past couple of decades, I realised I had actually read a few - James Lee Burke's CIMARRON ROSE, John Hart's THE LAST CHILD and DOWN RIVER, and CJ Box's BLUE HEAVEN. All were excellent, which inspires me to read more of the other Edgar Award winners.

Here are some challenge parameters, from the Reader for Life website:

What books are eligible for the Edgar Awards Reading Challenge?
Any Edgar Award winning books counts. Check out the possibilities here. Click on the banner at the top to access the database.

Do I have to choose what books to read before I sign up?
No, you can choose as you go.

What are the levels of participation?
Patrolman = 1-3 books
Sergeant = 4-6 books
Detective = 7-9 books
Lieutenant = 10+ books

If you achieve your goal, you'll be eligible to win a prize at the end of the challenge.

What are the dates of the challenge?
January 1, 2001 through December 31, 2011

When can I sign up to participate?
Feel free to enter anytime during the course of the year

You can sign up for the challenge here. I've signed up, and decided to aim for the Sergeant level. Normally I'd be keen to go for the highest level possible, but being that I've already read a few Edgar Award winners, and have so many new and recent books to read that I don't get a lot of time to go back and read many from days gone by (I'd like to do this more), I thought I would be a bit more realistic with this one. Can always upgrade as the year goes on, I guess.

So, what do you think of this challenge? Keen to join me? Have you enjoyed any Edgar Award winning crime novels over the years? Comments welcome.

Breaking news: Ngaio Marsh doco-drama rescheduled

Earlier this week I mentioned the upcoming screening of Ngaio Marsh - Crime Queen on TVNZ this coming Sunday night. The doco-drama, part of TV ONE's Artsville series, stars respected actor Peter Elliott (Until Proven Innocent, Shortland Street, Gloss, etc) as Ngaio Marsh's most famous fictional creation, Inspector Roderick Alleyn - who comes to life to go in search of his creator.

Alleyn is teased by 'glimpses' of 'Ngaio' during his investigation as she walks down a London street, sits reflecting in a café or slips into a radio studio for a recording. 'Ngaio' is adept at luring her Detective on, only to evade and escape revelation. This is a cat and mouse game played by two professionals. Who is stalking who and why? Does Ngaio want to be discovered, to finally reveal who she is behind her masks?

Producer/director Aileen O'Sullivan says of making Ngaio marsh - Crime Queen, shot in New Zealand and England, and learning more about Marsh: "It is a documentary I have wanted to make for several years and found the figure we discovered even more complex, more extraordinary and more engaging than I'd originally suspected."

I was speaking to TVNZ this morning about the upcoming screening, and was informed that a decision was made last night to push the screening until later in the year, preferably with a more viewer-friendly time slot (it was scheduled to be shown at midnight on Sunday). So unfortunately we won't be able to what sounds like a fascinating programme this weekend, but the silver lining is that when it is shown, it is likely to be at a much better timeslot.

Comments welcome.

Reminder: Kathy Reichs in Auckland on Sunday and Monday

Just a quick reminder that one of the biggest names in international crime fiction will be visiting New Zealand (Auckland) on this coming Sunday and Monday. Kathy Reichs (pictured right, photo credit: Marie-Reine Mattera), will be making three public appearances, being:

IN-STORE EVENT:
Sunday, 13 February, 4.00-4.45pm at Dymocks, Newmarket.
Entry is free but please call Dymocks 09-522 3343 by Thursday, 10 February (ie, tomorrow) to register.

WHITCOULLS STORE SIGNINGS:
Monday, 14 February
1.00-1.30pm at 210 Queen St
1.45-2.15pm, Westfield Downtown

For those who can’t make it to the events and signings, be sure to tune in to Radio New Zealand, 3pm, Monday, 14 February to catch Kathy’s live, 30-min interview with Jim Mora.

Reichs, who is in Auckland for just a couple of days having disembarked from a Crystal Cruise where she delivered a guest lecture, now has thirteen thrillers under her belt. Her acclaimed series, which features her beloved character Tempe Brennan, inspired the hit TV series, Bones.

She has also just published the first book in her thrilling new series called VIRALS, which she’s written for young adults.

From teaching FBI agents how to detect and recover human remains, to separating and identifying commingled body parts in her Montreal lab, as a forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs has brought her own dramatic work experience to her mesmerising forensic thrillers. For years she consulted to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in North Carolina. Dr. Reichs has travelled to Rwanda to testify at the UN Tribunal on Genocide, and helped exhume a mass grave in Guatemala. As part of her work at JPAC (Formerly CILHI) she aided in the identification of war dead from World War II, Korea, and Southeast Asia. Dr. Reichs also assisted with identifying remains found at ground zero of the World Trade Center following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

I am hoping to head along on Sunday to the Dymocks Newmarket event. Any Auckland-based Crime Watch readers going to join me?

The joy of hassling her own heroine: my Weekend Herald feature interview with Vanda Symon

The joy of hassling her own heroine
Kiwi crime queen Vanda Symon talks to CRAIG SISTERSON about accidental heroines and playing with swords

IN REAL life everything that happens to us has an effect on how we behave and how we act, so the same should hold true for literary characters, especially those who often populate the world of detective fiction, says Vanda Symon.

Symon, who was a finalist for the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Fiction in November, has certainly seen her own headstrong heroine, Sam Shephard, evolve professionally - from sole-charge Mataura police officer to young Dunedin detective - and personally over the course of her acclaimed series.

“Right from the outset I wanted to have a character who wasn’t static, and who was affected by the events that happen in each book,” says Symon, whose fourth novel, Bound, was launched this week.

In Bound, Shephard and her colleagues are investigating a brutal home invasion that left a dodgy businessman dead, and his wife hospitalised - she nearly choked to death after being tied to a chair, gagged, and left to watch his blood pool on the floor. When the evidence starts pointing to a couple of high-profile lowlifes, both prime suspects in an unsolved cop killing, many of Shephard’s colleagues are ecstatic.

But she’s not so sure, and decides to investigate further - much to their chagrin - while at the same time dealing with a dying father, ongoing family issues, and the stresses of a relationship. “I love writing about Sam, doing mean and nasty things to her,” laughs Symon. “She’s great to hassle.”

Talking to Symon, a former pharmacist and now “domestic goddess” and fulltime writer, is in many ways like reading one of her novels - there’s a real sense of fun, even when the subject matter might be serious, a southern sassiness amongst the dark deeds.

Unsurprisingly, Symon’s recurring protagonist likewise has plenty of personality. Detective Shephard is a heroine you want to follow - feisty, passionate, flawed. The latter is particularly important to Symon, who believes the best characters in crime fiction, such as Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch, aren’t always right. “They make mistakes, they get themselves into the poo,” she says. “And I wanted that, I wanted Sam to be human.”

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'When you're a terribly polite person and you don't swear much, you can have a character who lets rip every now and then and does things you wouldn't.'

Vanda Symon

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Another “lovely thing about writing fiction”, she adds, is being able to create main characters who, although they may have something of the author in them, are also “people who are the things you’re not”.

While Shephard shares her creator’s love of life and can-do attitude, the slightly younger, occasionally less-wise heroine is also a little blunter, a trait Symon enjoys writing. “When you’re a terribly polite person and you don’t swear much, you can have a character that lets rip every now and then, and does things that you wouldn’t do.”

Surprisingly, given that the character of Shephard (along with well-drawn southern settings, snappy repartee between characters, touches of humour, and visual storytelling) is a key part of what makes Symon’s writing stand out, the stroppy heroine wasn’t originally slated to be the star.

Symon says she originally envisaged a male detective hero when she started writing her 2007 debut, Overkill, until a real-life realisation changed things.

“I can’t even remember exactly what it was, but my husband did something completely daft, and I went ‘oh my God, I can’t even understand my own husband, how could I get into the head of a male’, so I changed it,” she laughs. “And the moment I changed it to a female, Sam Shephard stepped up fully-formed as a character, and it was like she attituded her way into my life.”

Symon’s life was already full. She was a busy young mother to two preschoolers, but decided it was time to kick-start her lifelong writing dream.

“Working in pharmacy you have to concentrate all day, because let’s face it if you make a mistake, you can kill someone,” she says. “I was just absolutely mentally shattered by the end of the night, so I didn’t actually get the opportunity to write until I had children.”

Not that it was easy. As many stay-at-home parents would understand, any fantasies of uninterrupted writing time quickly evaporated.

Symon began penning Overkill by snatching writing time in amongst a hectic maternal schedule.: “You know, you’re sitting at the dining table, wiping, feeding a child here, wandering over and playing LEGO there... having a discussion with your mother-in-law, making cups of tea for anyone who visits, all the while writing a novel at the same time,” she laughs. The result, Overkill, took four-and-a-half years to write and have published.

Now her children are older and at school, Symon admits she has a more settled writing schedule, and treats crime writing as her “day job”. She aims to write a novel every year, and is working on a “darker” standalone thriller set in Auckland, revolving around a brutal kidnapping, scheduled for release next year.

She also produces and hosts “Write On”, a monthly books show on Radio Toroa, is working towards a PhD in Pharmacy (focused on poisons used by Dame Ngaio Marsh in her best-selling crime novels), wanders Dunedin scoping “good places to hide dead bodies”, and crosses swords with other members of her classic fencing club. She loves the strategy that combines with physical skill in fencing.

“There’s also something terribly romantic about a sport that involves swords,” she says, laughing. “I feel like d’Artagnan.”

Dumas’s famous character was a hot-headed if talented youth who evolves into a beloved hero. Sort of like Sam Shephard.

Bound (Penguin, $30)

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This feature interview was first published in the Saturday 5 February 2011 issue of the Weekend Herald, and is reprinted here with the kind permission of Books Editor Linda Herrick.

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Ngaio Marsh docu-drama to screen on TV ONE next weekend

Last year I heard through the grapevine that a television documentary on our own Dame Ngaio Marsh was in the works. Now it appears the hard work of many people, including driving force producer/director Aileen O'Sullivan, has come to fruition, with the welcome news that Ngaio Marsh - Crime Queen will screen as part of TVNZ's Artsville series late next Sunday night (13 February). Here is the press release information from the Big Idea website:

[This week's] Artsville is a docu-drama about New Zealand’s iconic writer of detective fiction, Ngaio Marsh.

Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn (Peter Elliott, Until Proven Innocent), the urbane English police officer and detective who stars in all thirty two of Marsh's internationally renowned best selling detective novels, comes to life to go in search of his creator.

Respected Kiwi actor Peter Elliott (pictured above, as Alleyn) says of his role, "I found playing Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn one of the most peculiar experiences of my life. It was like shipping coals to Newcastle, interviewing Eton and Oxford educated personalities in England as a private school, University educated, upper class character. It was a phenomenon both very odd and most enjoyable, this process of sleuthing around."

Elliott concludes, "Ngaio Marsh has joined the company of people to whom I am very grateful. She came to feel like a compatriot, a parent, a friend. I came to feel like one of Ngaio's Boys."

Producer/ director Aileen O'Sullivan says of making the show and learning more about Marsh: "It is a documentary I have wanted to make for several years and found the figure we discovered even more complex, more extraordinary and more engaging than I'd originally suspected."

Sullivan discovered Marsh fans exist in all corners of the globe, she says "we shot in Christchurch, New Zealand and in England, and in both countries were given tremendous support by crime aficionados and the friends and colleagues who treasure and respect Ngaio Marsh's work. It was strange to realise that while Dame Ngaio Marsh has been well celebrated here as a theatre director, the huge reputation she enjoys internationally as one of the all time Queens of Crime Fiction, has never been fully appreciated in New Zealand."

In Artsville: Ngaio Marsh - Crime Queen Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn is teased by 'glimpses' of 'Ngaio' during his investigation as she walks down a London street, sits reflecting in a café or slips into a radio studio for a recording. 'Ngaio' is adept at luring her Detective on, only to evade and escape revelation.

This is a cat and mouse game played by two professionals. Who is stalking who and why? Does Ngaio want to be discovered, to finally reveal who she is behind her masks?

I understand Artsville is usually screened at approximately 11pm, so it will be a late night for the Ngaio fans out there (or perhaps some MySkying will occur). For those who can't watch it 'live' this Sunday, so to speak, I understand that TVNZ usually makes its Artsville programmes available online following screening - just go to http://www.tvnz.co.nz/ and look in the On Demand section of the website.

I don't usually buy the Women's Weekly, but...

Some say that it's good to try to do something new every day - well, today I've definitely done that. For the first time in my 32 and a bit years on the planet, I've walked into a store, and bought a copy of the Australian Women's Weekly (New Zealand edition).

And it was even for myself, and not part of some prank or dare. That's not to say I've never browsed the magazine before, in doctor and dentist offices, or some of Mum's copies when I was growing up (I remember a pretty cool recipe book they put out that was in our Nelson home too). Just that I'm not really the Weekly's regular target readership; that is the 1 in 4 New Zealand women who apparently read it every month, and the 1 in 2 New Zealand women that read at least one copy each year. I'm not sure how that compares to other local publications, but given that annual readership would entail at least 1 million unique New Zealand women, that's a pretty impressive reach, and must make the AWW (NZ ed) close to the most well-read publication on sale here.

So why did I 'try something new' and buy the February issue (pictured above, with newsreader Wendy Petrie on the cover). Well, my sources told me there might be an article I'd be very interested in, within its pages this month. And sure enough, flicking through to the books and review section (page 163-164 in particular), I found it: an interesting two-page interview with our own crime queen Vanda Symon, listed as the Weekly's 'Author of the Month'.

Symon is interviewed by Weekly staffer Sarah Lynch about her new book BOUND, her fascinating heroine Sam Shephard, research and writing, her family life, finding inspiration, and future plans, amongst other things. Interestingly, Lynch also asked Symon whether she saw herself "as part of a golden age of New Zealand thriller writing" - perhaps further recognition that the 'big media' in New Zealand is picking up more and more on the (small but growing) wave of top quality Kiwi crime writers we have now.

Symon said: "Now is a very exciting time to be writing crime fiction in New Zealand, with a strong core of successful crime writers and lots of emerging ones. And now we have the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, which is fantastic as it finaly rewards and gives recognition to great New Zealand crime writing."

Hear hear!

Both Symon's BOUND and Stuart MacBride's SHATTER THE BONES are also reviewed in this issue of the Weekly (along with several non-crime books). Unfortunately the interview and reviews are not available online - however given the ubiquitous nature of the Weekly, local readers of Crime Watch should have no problem going and picking themselves up a copy this month.

After all, if I can, you can....

E is for ECHOES IN THE BLUE (Crime Fiction Alphabet)

It's that time of the week again, as the Crime Fiction Alphabet rolls on and our intrepid book bloggers out there around the blogosphere (and the globe) now find themselves frantically tapping away at their keyboards in creation of fantastic posts related to the letter 'E'. Exciting times. Exhilarating, even.

For my second go around at the Crime Fiction Alphabet (read my 2010 posts here), I've set myself the very challenging task of focusing not only just on New Zealand-themed posts, but just on Kiwi crime fiction books (ie I won't do any author profiles etc this time around) - although sometimes it may be the author's name that is relevant to the letter of the week.

This week, for the letter 'E', I thought I would feature an Eco-thriller written by environmentalist C. George Muller, entitled ECHOES IN THE BLUE. Here's the backcover blurb for this locally-written and very topical (given Japan's annual whale hunt - oops, I mean 'scientific data gathering' and Australia and New Zealand's moves to take Japan to the international court):

"Ignoring a 20-year moratorium on commercial whaling, Japan sends its whaling fleet deep into the Antarctic to kill whales under the guise of 'scientific research'. Thrust into this volatile situation is Richard Major, an unlikely hero accompanying a whale research expedition. On the High Seas he must confront a terrifying adversary -- a ruthless fishing industrialist who would wipe out entire species to satisfy an insatiable lust for money and power.

From the windswept Southern Ocean to the opulence of corporate Japan, the battle has many fronts. Mirroring a real-life tragedy looming in our own lifetime, this is a haunting exploration of mankind's continual conflict with nature, and the heroism of those who would risk everything to defend a future threatened forever."

It certainly sounds like an intriguing premise for a thriller, and given recent events, quite a 'newsy' one too. ECHOES IN THE BLUE hasn't been widely published (it's from a small publisher), but there are still copies available brand new from online bookstores like Amazon.com, Fishpond, Wheeler's Books, and Trade Me, amongst others.

ECHOES IN THE BLUE was also a finalist (Silver Medal) in the 2007 Nautilus Book Awards, and was criticised as "terrorism" by the Japan Institute of Cetacean Research, the organisation responsible for Japan's whaling programme.

Muller reportedly wrote ECHOES IN THE BLUE to raise awareness and speak out against what he calls, “The illegal slaughter happening just out of sight over the horizon.” His campaign includes a donation to 'Save the Whales' causes for every book sold. He has also set up his website to highlight the issue of illegal whaling and publicise the fight against it.

ECHOES IN THE BLUE received high praise from a Scientific Advisor to New Zealand’s IWC Commissioner, who described it as, “Very well researched including some extremely insightful observations about the nature of international politicking in the ongoing fight to protect whales.”

Are you taking part in the Crime Fiction Alphabet series? What do you think of my 'Kiwi crime only' challenge-within-a-challenge? Do you like environmental thrillers? Can crime fiction play a part in highlighting issues that may be overlooked by the general populace - whether it be domestic violence, child abuse, or whaling? Comments welcome.

Reminder: Luther starts on Kiwi TV screens tonight

I was browsing through the Sunday papers this grey Auckland afternoon (I enjoy reading both the Sunday Star-Times and the Herald on Sunday - there are others, but those are my go-to Sunday papers), when I glanced at the television section of the Herald on Sunday and saw that Neil Cross's acclaimed/criticised new cop show, Luther, was highlighted as the "Pick of the Day" from everything on TV on all channels, free-to-air and pay-TV, today and tonight. I have heard some very, very good things about this show, along with plenty of criticism and dislike as well. It seems to be a television show that is quite polarising; viewers and critics seem to either love it, or hate it. There doesn't seem much of a middle ground.

That can sometimes (but not always) be the sign of a good show - something that isn't middling and pandering to the widest audience - so I am very interested to see what my own response will be. Will I be a viewer who loves it, or one that doesn't? Will it resonate with me, or not? Will I care about the exceedingly-troubled cop played by the often-brilliant Idris Elba, or not?

Unfortunately, as I don't have the UKTV channel (part of the Sky pay-TV package) at home, I won't be finding out tonight. But for all of you Kiwi television watchers who do, go and check out Luther at 8:30pm tonight, and make up your own minds.

Comments welcome.

Paul Cleave's COLLECTING COOPER to be released in the United States on 26 July

One of the very best novels I read in 2010 was BLOOD MEN, the fourth dark thriller by Christchurch's Paul Cleave. In fact it was one of three crime novels I highlighted in the Herald on Sunday's end-of-year round-up, saying:

"Kiwi writer Paul Cleave’s fantastic Blood Men further underline his world-class talent for scary thrillers that mix depth and darkness. Told from the skewed viewpoint of Edward, an accountant losing the plot and worried that he hears the same monstrous ‘voice’ as his serial killer father. Cleave’s writing crackles with energy. The pages whir, but there’s also plenty of sly humour and thought-provoking themes beneath the blood."

I'm not alone in my praise for Cleave, who is a rising star on the world stage (and deserving of much more attention by his compatriots). Award-winning and bestselling authors like Mark Billingham, John Connolly, Tess Gerritsen and others are postively effusive. Here's what Billingham had to say after reading Cleave for the first time (note - Billingham doesn't share a publisher with Cleave, so it wasn't one of those in-house 'quotes' arranged by marketers, but a genuine response to another author's work he came across and enjoyed):

"Most people come back from New Zealand talking about the the breathtaking scenery and the amazing experiences. I came back raving about Paul Cleave. These are stories that you won’t forget in a while: relentlessly gripping, deliciously twisted and shot through with a vein of humour that’s as dark as hell. Cleave creates fictional monsters as chilling and as charming as any I’ve ever come across. Anyone who likes their crime fiction on the black and bloody side should move Paul Cleave straight to the top of their must-read list."

Cleave's novels have been published (or signed up for publication) in several countries, including New Zealand, France, Australia, Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, Poland, Japan, Taiwan, Turkey, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, and have hit the bestsellers lists in continental Europe. Three of his first four novels have also made the prestigious Listener 100 Best Books annual list (a very rare occurence for a crime writer).

His next thriller, COLLECTING COOPER, will be released in the United States on 26 July 2011, Cleave's second novel to be published there (after BLOOD MEN). I understand it sees the return of the intriguing Theo Tate character from CEMETERY LAKE, who I found quite compelling, despite his questionable practices and decisions. So, understandably, COLLECTING COOPER is one of my 'most anticipated' books of 2011, along with Vanda Symon's BOUND (which didn't disappoint), Michael Connelly's THE FIFTH WITNESS, Ben Sanders' BY ANY MEANS (his follow-up to his very good debut THE FALLEN), and whatever several of my other favourite crime writers might share with us in 2011.

Cleave has also just shared an early version of the US cover (see above) for COLLECTING COOPER on his Facebook page. You can follow Cleave on Facebook here, or at his website here.

Thoughts and comments welcome.

Vanda Symon's fourth Sam Shephard book launched this week (plus some thoughts on it)

Well, on Wednesday night those in the south of the South Island were able to head along to the UBS Bookstore in Dunedin to share in the launch of Vanda Symon's fourth Sam Shephard novel, BOUND. Being at the other end of New Zealand, I was unfortunately unable to make what sounds like was a great soiree. You can see a photo of Vanda from the book launch, right (photo from Vanda's blog).

However, I was fortunate enough to get an advance review copy of BOUND a couple of weeks ago. Mark Broatch of the Sunday Star-Times had earlier this year singled out the BOUND as a 'book to read' in 2011, and as Sam Shephard has become one of my favourite crime fiction protagonists over the first three books of the series, I was certainly looking forward to the read myself. And it did not disappoint. Not one iota. It's a terrific crime novel, full of verve, energy and life (even amongst the loss of it, so to speak).

Here's the publisher's blurb: "A brutal home invasion shocks the nation. A man is murdered, his wife bound, gagged and left to watch.

But when Detective Sam Shephard scratches the surface, the victim, a successful businessman, is not all he seems to be. And when the evidence points to two of Dunedin's most hated criminals, the case seems cut and dried... until the body count starts to rise.

Meanwhile, Sam is in big trouble again…"

You can read an extract of BOUND here,

Symon maintains the high standards of the overall series - the personality-packed characters and narrative, the visual storytelling and nice touches of humour amidst the mystery - while at the same time bringing a few surprises to the reader, in both character and plot. I found it a compelling, riveting read. Excuse the cliches - but they're appropriate here. It was a one-sitting book for me - with the only disappointment being that I'd now have to wait many months for a new Vanda Symon tale. As an author she's raised her already high standards, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. I understand she is now working on a "darker" standalone thriller, taking a (hopefully short) break from Sam and her Dunedin adventures.

I will hopefully write a full review of BOUND at some stage soon, and share it with you all here on Crime Watch, if possible. But in the meantime take my word for it - find a way to buy yourself a copy of BOUND, you won't regret it if you like lively and well-written detective fiction. Or if you want a second opinion, here's that of my fellow book blogger and Ngaio Marsh Award judge Graham Beattie, who said on his blog earlier this week: "I read a lot of crime fiction and I really rate Symon as up there among the best with this latest novel..."

You can read Beattie's full comments here, and Vanda Symon's own thoughts on her book launch here. It's great to see New Zealand crime fiction kick off so strongly in 2011. Hopefully there is plenty more to come.

Those in the upper North Island should also grab a copy of tomorrow's Weekend Herald, and take a squiz at the books section of the Canvas magazine, where you can get a Vanda Symon fix to ameliorate missing the book launch. My first author feature article for the Weekend Herald this year is on our very own modern-day Queen of Kiwi crime. So make sure you grab a copy.

Comments welcome.

Currently reading: HOLLYWOOD HILLS by Joseph Wambaugh

Although I've slowed from my fairly frantic book-a-day start to 2011, I'm still finding that I'm churning through the titles this year - and with plenty of great reading to be had both from my creaking bookshelves at home and the new books that find themselves in my hands on a regular occurence, that's a great thing. Though I do need to take a breath and catch up on some long overdue reviewing soon, both here on Crime Watch and for other fantastic outlets.

Now I'm a few chapters into HOLLYWOOD HILLS, the latest novel from iconic author Joseph Wambaugh. It's my first taste of Wambaugh, who has been on my 'must-read' list for quite a while - one of those greats who emerged in the 1960s-1970s-1980s and influenced the evolving genre after the likes of the cosy Golden Age Queens of Crime and the Hammett-Chandler hardboileds. An author that as any self-respecting crime fiction reviewer you 'should' read - along with the likes of Ed McBain, Tony Hillerman, Sarah Paretsky, Robert B. Parker, etc.

Wambaugh is a former Marine and active policeman who is credited as 'transforming the police procedural sub-genre' of crime writing. According to DetNovel.com, Wambaugh's "first four books and his work on the Police Story television series in the 1970s set standards of realism, dialogue, and character development for subsequent writers or turned them in new directions. In a very real sense he is the father of modern television police drama."

Looking at many things that have been said about Wambaugh over the years, it seems that it has been his 'authenticity' that really resonated, both in his novels and television work, and that this is something that has influenced a whole generation of novelists, TV and movie writers (even if some may not realise that their influences trace back to Wambaugh).

I have had a couple of Wambaugh books in my TBR pile for a while, but just hadn't got to them yet. When a copy of HOLLYWOOD HILLS arrived just after I finished Brian McGilloway's excellent debut BORDERLANDS earlier this week, I decided that now was the perfect time to address my Wambaugh-oversight, with a newer novel from the old master (I will still go back and read his classic ones from decades past). Here's a publisher's description of HOLLYWOOD HILLS, the fourth novel in Wambaugh's more recent 'Hollywood' series:

"For the streetwise cops of Hollywood Station, dealing with the panhandlers, prostitutes and costumed crackheads of the boulevard is all in a day's work. If they're lucky, surf-mad partners Flotsam and Jetsam can spend the morning calming the crazies and the afternoon policing the babes on the beach. But beyond the lights and the crowds on the Walk of Fame, the real Los Angeles simmers dangerously. And when things heat up, even veterans like Viv Daley will see things that they'll wish they could forget.In the hills above town, it's a different world, where sports-car-studded driveways lead to sprawling villas stuffed with clothes and jewels. Up here, pickings are easy for the Bling Ring, a group of photogenic young addicts who knock off celebrity cribs to fund their next fix.

Even experienced cop and wannabe filmstar Nate 'Hollywood' Weiss has struck gold in the hills. Leona Bruger, wife of an Industry Mover and Shaker, has taken a fancy to him. Although he knows the Hollywood maxim - you don't pet the cougars, especially if they belong to the boss - Nate reckons that a leg-over might be just the leg-up he needs. What Weiss doesn't realise is that his new flame's crooked art-dealer is about to pull a forgery scam right under his nose. And when a pair of desperate junkies hit on a foolproof plan to pay their drug debts with a stolen painting, things get very complicated indeed ..."

I'm enjoying it thusfar.

Have you read HOLLYWOOD HILLS, or any of Joseph Wambaugh's classic crime fiction? Do you enjoy 'police procedural' novels? Do you try to read some 'classic' or 'legendary' crime writers along with the plethora of newer authors clogging the shelves? Comments appreciated.