Lis for LETHAL DELIVERIES by Ken Benn

For my second go around at the Crime Fiction Alphabet (read my 2010 posts here), I've set myself the 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 I'm featuring LETHAL DELIVERIES, a young adult murder mystery by Palmerston North-based physics teacher Ken Benn that was published by Penguin early last year (I believe it may have been released earlier by a smaller publisher, achieved bestseller status, and then was picked up by Penguin as the first in a trilogy). I understand the books TRAPPED OUTSIDE THE CAGE and GUTTED also on the way in future.

In LETHAL DELIVERIES, "Rochelle has her hopes set on one day playing in the National Women's Inline Hockey team. Her goal seems to slip from her reach as she gets sucked into her brother, Jack's world of gangs and drug dealing. But is the gang life what Rochelle's brother really wants or is it a choice his father has made for him? Rochelle finds herself in a dangerous world supported by the most unlikely companions and soon learns there's a price to be paid for these friendships – an ultimate price." I understand Benn's next book should be out at some stage this year. Teenage readers who've commented online about LETHAL DELIVERIES have said things like:

• "Exciting, well written and full of dialogue. It has highly realistic characters ... Best of all, it has that rare thing in a book that makes you not want to put it down... the writer has taken the time to get into the minds of the characters while writing it... It doesn’t try to be like those goody-goody books where no one gets hurt or killed in case the readers get sad; it is realistic. In my opinion it is just as desirable to read as the Harry Potter books, just not as famous."


• "What I loved about this book is it’s not what everyone wants to hear. It opens our eyes to what is really happening in our communities. It has suspense, excitement, twists, turns and characters that, in many ways, were very real to me. The book made me feel many emotions—happy, sad, angry, scared."


• "I think that it’s a very good book because it relates to the problems that some of us have today for both teenagers and adults. I thought the book was great because it shows what homeless people have to go through ... and how some of them are not as bad as people think they are."

So that's some pretty great praise from the target audience. Penguin also created high school study notes and reader questions for LETHAL DELIVERIES, getting students to think and talk about narrative, and themes such as family relationships and loyalty.

In a newspaper interview last year it was reported that schoolteacher Benn had spent five years researching tbe book, including time talking to both the victims of and perpetrators of youth crime, visiting the Palmerston North youth justice facility and talking to social workers. Also, in Wellington, he slept under a bridge with a group of streetkids "who had decided to opt out of society," to try to understand what their life was like.

Did you like reading crime fiction as a teenager? Do you think it's good for adolescent and teenage readers to read books with 'serious' content like murder, homelessness, drugs, etc? Have you read LETHAL DELIVERIES? Comments welcome.

My HOS crime round-up: Druett, Grant, McNeish

This year I've been asked to provide a monthly crime fiction round-up for the Herald on Sunday, one of New Zealand's most well-read newspapers. It's terrific to see some of New Zealand's larger media (big newspapers, magazines, TV shows etc) starting to include a little bit more crime fiction in their review pages. I'm very pleased to be able to contribute in my small way as well.

My third 'column' was published yesterday, Sunday 27 March 2011, in the 'Detours' lifestyle supplement to the newspaper (see right), and now I can share it here with you. Each month I pick 2-3 books that I have read recently (usually new or recent releases, but not always), and talk a little about them. Due to space constraints I don't have a lot of words to play with, but I'll be doing my best to highlight some good and great crime fiction, that could be enjoyable for some of the Herald on Sunday readers to try, as best I can. So here is yesterday's column:

Crime Picks

Book blogger Craig Sisterson reveals his top picks from his recent reading

Since it's New Zealand Book Month edition, I'm looking at crime-centred novels from three terrific local authors that are well worth a read.

A Watery Grave By Joan Druett (Allen & Unwin, $30.99)

It’s 1838 and part-Maori Wiki Coffin is scheduled to embark with the US Exploring Expedition from Virginia when he’s mistakenly arrested for murder before being tasked with surreptitiously investigating the expedition, on the high seas, to find the real killer. Druett marvellously combines mystery and history in a unique crime novel setting. Wiki is a terrific and engaging lead, the book is drenched in maritime colour and detail, and the murder mystery itself twists to a satisfying end.

Death in the Kingdom

By Andrew Grant (Monsoon, $32.95)

A British secret agent is back in Thailand for the first time since he killed a top underworld boss’s son, ordered by his government to recover a small black box from the bottom of the ocean. But as his friends are beheaded one by one and he’s pursued by the CIA, he realises maybe he can’t trust his own handlers either, forcing him to turn go underground. Canterbury author Grant creates a terrific narrative drive, a nice sense of Southeast Asian setting, and memorable characters; a world-class spy thriller with layers and depth.

The Crime of Huey Dunstan

By James McNeish (Vintage, $36.99)

Blind psychologist Professor ‘Ches’ Chesney recounts a court case from years past where he was called in as an expert witness by the defence counsel of a young man accused of murder. There’s no doubt Huey battered an older man to death, but why? Did he really lose control, flashback to a suppressed, disturbing event from his childhood? Should he be guilty of manslaughter rather than murder, in the circumstances? McNeish takes readers on an intriguing ride, touching on thought-provoking issues of law and justice and humanity, as we discover what really happened to Huey.

Craig Sisterson was one of the judges of the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel last year. He blogs about crime and thriller fiction at http://kiwicrime.blogspot.com

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This column was first published in the Sunday 27 March 2011 issue of the Herald on Sunday, and is reprinted here with permission.

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What do you think of my mini-reviews? Of having such a regular column in one of New Zealand's major newspapers? Have you read (or do you intend to) any of these titles? What are some of the upcoming titles I should definitely include in future columns? Comments welcome.

9mm interview with CJ Box

Welcome to the fifth instalment of Crime Watch's exclusive 9mm author interview series for this year, and the 49th instalment overall. You can check out some of the previous author interviews by clicking on an author's name on the sidebar to the right, on '9mm' on the header bar above, or you can see the first 44 instaments here.

But for now 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 as to who else you'd like to see interviewed. Upcoming interviews include the likes of Kathy Reichs and Robert Crais, amongst others.

But today I am very pleased to share the thoughts and answers of Edgar Award-winning author CJ Box, creator of the terrific Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett series, along with some outstanding standalones, such as BLUE HEAVEN, which won the Edgar Award in 2009 and was one of my 'crime picks of 2010' for the Herald on Sunday (the book was released in New Zealand last year). For that article I described BLUE HEAVEN as: "An absorbing tale of frightened children on the run after witnessing four corrupt policemen gun down a man in rural North Idaho. Something of a crime fiction and classic Western love-child, this is a gripping, intelligent thriller with complex characters, a beautifully-evoked setting, and a ferocious conclusion."

In January I read my first Joe Pickett novel, IN PLAIN SIGHT, and enjoyed it greatly. You can read more about CJ Box at his website here. For those in the UK, you have an opportunity to meet him later this year when he is a guest at the terrific Harrogate Festival (yet another reason to make that event a must-attend). His newest Joe Pickett novel, COLD WIND, isc scheduled for release in the US later this month, and a standalone thriller called BACK OF BEYOND will be released in August 2011. But for now, CJ Box stares down the barrel of 9mm.

9MM: AN INTERVIEW WITH CJ BOX

Who is your favourite recurring crime fiction hero/detective?
I'm a fan of John Sandford's Lucas Davenport, Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, and Denise Mina's Paddy Meehan -- although I think she's discontinued that series.

What was the very first book you remember reading and really loving, and why?
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller was the book that turned me all around. I'd read plenty up to that point, but Catch-22 made me realize for the first time that a book could rattle the reader to the core and make him think differently about... everything. I've since re-read it four times and get something new out of it every time.

Before your debut crime novel, what else had you written (if anything) unpublished manuscripts, short stories, articles?
I was a newspaper journalist prior to writing fiction. The newspaper I worked for was a very small Wyoming weekly, meaning I did everything -- features, sports, investigative, outdoor, a column, etc. It was the best training ground I can think of for what I do now because it exposed me to every level of small-town life from billionaire ranchers to low-rent survivalists.

Outside of writing, and touring and promotional commitments, what do you really like to do, leisure and activity-wise?
I love to fly-fish. And hunt. And ski. Outdoor stuff. But I'm passionate about fishing and I've been able to fish some of the best trout waters in the U.S. and blue-water ocean fishing outside the U.S.

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?
We live outside Cheyenne, Wyoming, home of the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo which is the largest outdoor rodeo in the world. I'd encourage visitors to go to the rodeo grounds even then the event isn't taking place to soak in the magnitude, culture, and unique nature of the place.

If your life was a movie, which actor could you see playing you? Ha! Any answer I could come up with would be ridiculous.

Of your books, which is your favourite, and why?
Very tough question, so I'll duck it. I'm very proud of OPEN SEASON because it launched my career. BLUE HEAVEN is a favorite because of it's structure and depth. It's a big story that is told in 60 hours of real time. NOWHERE TO RUN elicited some strong feelings from readers, and that's a good thing.

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 had three goals. One was to see my book in a library. The other was see it in a bookstore. The third was to see someone reading my book in an airplane. I'm happy to say all those goals have been achieved. I was thrilled...

What is the strangest or most unusual experience you have had at a book signing, author event, or literary festival?
Every year, I sign books in the lobby of Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone Park. It's a humbling experience. Many people come to my table simply to get directions to the toilets or to ask when the geyser will erupt. A few years ago, though, a woman stood in line glaring at me. When she reached the table, she leaned over and spat, "I knew your first wife Linda, you bastard!" and stomped away. The thing is, I'm still married to my ONLY wife, Laurie. I have no idea who Linda is, or was.


Thank you CJ Box. We really appreciate you taking the time to talk with Crime Watch.

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Have you read BLUE HEAVEN? Any of the Joe Pickett novels? What do you think of CJ Box's writing? Do you like crime fiction set in rural or wilderness areas?

NZBM Review: DIED IN THE WOOL by Ngaio Marsh

Died in the Wool
By Ngaio Marsh (HarperCollins, 1945)

Reviewed by Craig Sisterson

To close out NZLawyer’s celebration of New Zealand Book Month, it seems only fitting to look at a book from one of our all-time greatest authors, perhaps our most popular ever on the global stage, whose books are still in print more than 75 years after she was first published – our Grande Dame of mystery writing, Ngaio Marsh.

Christchurch born-and-raised Marsh penned 32 murder mysteries starring her English gentleman detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn between 1934 and her death in 1982, and is world-recognised as one of the ‘Queens of Crime’ of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction (alongside Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, and Margery Allingham), with international critics even calling her “the finest writer in the English language of the pure, classical, puzzle whodunit”.

Died in the Wool is one of four Alleyn tales Marsh set here, and is made even more interesting as it was actually published during the Second World War, and incorporates aspects, issues, and perspectives on the war climate into the murder mystery plotline. Being written before Marsh would have even known when or how the war would end, some of the settings and characterisations can give insights into New Zealand at that time that no recently written historical novel, no matter how well researched, can match.

One summer evening in 1942, formidable Member of Parliament Florence “Flossie” Rubrick goes to the wool shed on her high country property to rehearse a patriotic speech, and disappears. Three weeks later, she’s found – dead inside a bale of wool at an auction. Inspector Alleyn, in New Zealand on war security matters, comes to the high country sheep station more than a year later, after Rubrick’s husband has also passed away from illness, and tries to piece together what really happened to the polarising MP, based on the testimonies of several acquaintances. At the same time, concerns are raised about the top-secret security work being carried out by two young men – have the blueprints for the new anti-aircraft device been leaked?

In effect, Marsh has transported the classic British ‘country house’ murder mystery, with its closed environment and small amount of characters – all of whom have a motive for killing the victim, into a rural New Zealand setting during the war. But she also does a few things differently that help Died in the Wool stand out. Alleyn arrives months after the murder, so can’t rely on the crime scene clues and observations usually available to detectives – instead he has to weigh the differing recollections of the residents (each has its own chapter, eg “According to Terence Lynne”). This device gave Marsh not only a different structure and investigative method, but the opportunity to ‘voice’ varying views and concerns about what was going on during the war, through her different characters.

In general, Marsh’s plots weren’t quite as intricate as Christie’s puzzles, but she was the superior writer when it came to setting, description, and giving her characters more depth and layers. Compared to today’s crime novels, the pace is somewhat languid, and at times, the language used dates the book, but decades after it was published, Died in the Wool remains an absorbing, enjoyable read.

Reprinted many times over the decades, Died in the Wool is now available as Volume 5 (in trio with Final Curtain and Swing, Brother, Swing) of the Ngaio Marsh Collection set of omnibus editions, published by HarperCollins UK to commemorate Marsh’s Diamond Anniversary.

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This article was published in today's (25 March 2011) issue of NZLawyer, and is republished here with permission.

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Have you read DIED IN THE WOOL? Any of Ngaio Marsh's murder mysteries? Do you still enjoy 'old style' cosy mystery novels? What makes them so re-readable decades later?

Nancy Drew KOs Jack Reacher!

Okay, so that's an unexpected headline. But it's not some cross-over mystery from Lee Child and Carolyn Keene, no it's courtesy of the online poll to find the world's favourite amateur sleuth.

As I said earlier this month, following her popular 'World's Favourite Detective' online vote last year (won in the end by Michael Connelly's terrific creation Harry Bosch, over Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlowe in the final), award-winning crime fiction reviewer and book blogger Jen Forbus of Jen's Book Thoughts has now launched another worldwide vote - this time to find the favourite amateur sleuth.

Like last year, the vote is in the form of a knockout tournament bracket, similar to the FA Cup or Wimbledon etc (for those in Europe) or the NCAA basketball tournament (for those in North America). It started with 64 sleuths, who were put into 32 pairings. Voters chose their favourite from each pair, the winner goes through, the loser is out.

Due to the vagaries of a random rather than seeded draw, and some interesting voting, there have already been some terrific sleuths (eg Wiki Coffin) knocked out far too early (in my opinion), and there have been some early head-to-head battles between sleuths that perhaps both should have been making it further through, while others of lesser quality, influence, or importance have sailed through 'easier brackets'.

The results of the second round (32 sleuths cut down to 16) were announced earlier this week, with perhaps being the biggest headline the one above - Jack Reacher (an early favourite to win it all) is gone! Certainly Nancy Drew would have been a pre-tourney favourite to make it at least as far as the Sweet 16, if not the Elite Eight/Final Four (to continue the NCAA vernacular), but at Reacher's expense? Wow. I was feeling bad for Nancy being up against Jack, and undeservedly being gone too soon, but with this voting group, it seems it was vice versa.

Amelia Peabody was likewise knocked out by another favourite, Jane Marple (harsh draw there for Peabody), while in another shocker, Harlan Coben's immensely popular Myron Bolitar also fell by the wayside in the second round, being pipped 51% to 49% by Gordy Schultz.

So it's a topsy turvy poll this time around - with plenty of fireworks left to come, as Round Three (you can vote now, here) is underway. And again, two all-time-classic sleuths that could deserve to be in the semifinals or final are head to head; The Hardy Boys and Jane Marple.

Here's the line-up for this week's vote:

• Ellie Foreman vs Goldy Schultz
• James Qwilleran vs Nancy Drew
• Lord Peter Wimsey vs Stephanie Plum
• The Hardy Boys vs Jane Marple
• Carter Ross vs Amanda Pepper
• Benni Harper vs Flavia de Luce
• Lisbeth Salander vs Annie Darling
• Brett Kavanaugh vs Amlingmeyer Brothers

Wow - that's a tough top half of the draw still, even with Reacher and Bolitar already knocked out! Nancy Drew, Wimsey, Stephanie Plum, the Hardy Boys and Marple all on one side of the draw, talk about lop-sided. The path seems pretty clear for someone like Salander or Flavia de Luce to whip through the bottom half to the latter rounds.
Happy voting!
Who do you think should be named world's favourite amateur sleuth? What do you think of the voting and results thusfar? Of the upcoming battles?

Biography on le Carré planned for 2014

Recently I was lucky enough to be granted the only New Zealand interview with superstar Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell, whose 10th and final Wallander tale, THE TROUBLED MAN (written a decade after the ninth book) is about to be released downunder. I had a very enjoyable 40mins or so discussion with Mankell, who is a very interesting guy, passionate about many things. My feature article based on the interview will be coming out in an upcoming issue of the New Zealand Listener - I will let you know when it's available.

One of the things that was clear from our interview was that Mankell really, really rates thriller writer John le Carré (pictured) as a shining example of terrific writing, regardless of genre. As someone whom the 'literary establishment' should have far greater affection for when it comes to recognising the best in literature. Not just one of the 'greatest spy novelists of our time', as he's been described, but one of the greatest novelists.

As such, I'm pleased to note the news (hat tip to Graham Beattie for the heads-up) that a biography on le Carré will be written to mark the fiftieth anniversary of THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD. Here's the press release:

Adam Sisman is to write the definitive life of John le Carré. Bloomsbury plan to publish in 2014, half a century after the worldwide success of The Spy who came in from the Cold, which Graham Greene dubbed "the best spy story I have ever read."Le Carré will provide Sisman with information and introductions, as well as access to his hitherto unseen private archive but he will have no control over the biography. Sisman will have a free hand, which is at the wish of both the biographer and his subject.

Sisman approached le Carré, whose real name is David Cornwell, last summer. Sisman says: "David Cornwell is a rich subject for a biographer. His writing is intensely personal, and permeated by strongly-held values. From the moment when his identity became public, readers around the world have speculated about the degree to which he has drawn on his own experiences in his fiction, in particular on his career with the intelligence services. His semi-autobiographical novel A Perfect Spy provided tantalising clues to his extraordinary childhood."

The book will deal openly with these subjects, and with Cornwell's personal life, including the difficulties that led to the breakdown of his first marriage, depicted in his novel The Naive and Sentimental Lover."I have admired and enjoyed David's work since I discovered him in my teens," Sisman continues, "and believe that his enormous commercial success has hindered recognition that he is writer of the highest quality, who will eventually be acknowledged as one of the finest British post-War novelists. Philip Roth rated le Carré's A Perfect Spy as "the best English novel since the war".

Le Carré's twenty-second novel, Our Kind of Traitor, was published in September 2010 by Penguin. Le Carré's agent is Jonny Geller at Curtis Brown.

Sisman has written four previous biographies, including Boswell's Presumptuous Task, which received a National Books Critics Circle award. His most recent book, a life of the historian and intelligence officer Hugh Trevor-Roper, was published in the UK in July 2010, and will be published in the US later this year. He is represented by Andrew Wylie.

You can read some of Le Carre's own thoughts on himself and his work at his website here.

Have you read any of John Le Carre's work? Is THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD an all-time classic, of any type of literature? Should thriller and crime novelists be more recognised by the 'mainstream' literary awards like the Booker Prize or Nobel Prize?

Vanda Symon tours West Coast next week

As part of the New Zealand Book Month celebrations, acclaimed Kiwi crime queen Vanda Symon (whose latest Sam Shephard tale, BOUND, debuted at the #1 spot earlier this year, and has remained on the NZ bestseller list since) will be touring the West Coast next week.

Symon will be giving a series of author talks at local libraries.

It's great to see our local crime writers getting out and talking directly with readers, and I'm sure that those who head along to any of Symon's events will have a terrific time - as all of us who attended last year's Whodunnit and Whowunnit event in Christchurch (where Symon, along with Paul Cleave and Neil Cross, spoke) did.

Here are the event details for Symon's West Coast tour:

VENUE: Westland District Library, Hokitika.DATE: 28th March
TIME: 5.45pm - 6.45pm

VENUE: Grey District Library, GreymouthDATE: 29th March
TIME: 3.00pm - 4.00pm

VENUE: Buller District Library, WestportDATE: 30th March
TIME: 1.00pm - 2.00pm

You can read my recent feature article on Vanda Symon for the Weekend Herald here, and Symon's 9mm interview with Crime Watch here.

NZ Book Month vouchers extended for Christchurch readers

In the week before the devastating Christchurch earthquake in February, I shared the news about the $20 million worth of book vouchers that were being given away as part of New Zealand Book Month celebrations (4 million $5 vouchers, basically one for every person in the country). It is a fantastic initiative, and I have personally used a voucher to buy one of the few recent Kiwi crime/thriller novels I didn't already own (or hadn't read): THE CRIME OF HUEY DUNSTAN by James McNeish. Unfortunately for the bookloving people of Christchurch, along with everything else they've had to deal with, many of their NZ Book Month related events have also been cancelled or badly affected.

However, New Zealand Book Month is now pleased to advise that the delivery of the $5 book voucher put on hold to Christchurch is now underway. And in response to requests from Christchurch families, teachers, librarians and booksellers, residents will be able to take advantage of the voucher for an extended period of time.

Every child in school received a voucher via their principal on Monday 14 March. Two further vouchers will be delivered to 105,000 homes this weekend – Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 March. In addition vouchers will be available at Caltex and BNZ stores.

Eighteen out of the 28 local booksellers that had confirmed their support of the $5 book voucher are now open, with the remaining 10 closed until further notice. The eighteen open stores where Christchurch residents can redeem their vouchers are:

• Paper Plus: Barrington, Bush Inn, Ferrymead, Hornby, Merivale, New Brighton, Northlands, and South City;
• Take Note: Kaiapoi
• Picadilly Bookshop in Avonhead Mall
• The Reading Bug at 140 Colombo Street, Beckenham
• UBS Canterbury at the University of Canterbury in Ilam
• Whitcoulls: Bishopdale, Christchurch Airport, Clearance, Hornby, Northlands, Riccarton

In addition, thanks to the generosity and support of Booksellers NZ and over 130 participating publishers, the above 18 stores will now be able to redeem vouchers up to and including 31 May 2011, regardless of the date on the voucher, giving Canterbury readers much longer to take advantage of this great offer, and grab themselve a great Kiwi book to read to their kids, or otherwise take their mind off things for a while.
National Co-ordinator Beth Davies, herself a Christchurch resident, says "We are overwhelmed by the ongoing support to forge ahead with New Zealand Book Month, and by the events that are still taking place around the city. We've had fifteen events confirmed to go ahead over the next two weeks. Despite so many obstacles, the team at Christchurch City Libraries are still hosting eleven of those."

For full details of confirmed Christchurch events, please visit www.nzbookmonth.co.nz.

Bouquets all 'round, I say. Crime Watch heartily endorses the efforts of all the Christchurch booklovers, under very trying circumstances. In fact, I think we should all go out and celebrate NZ Book Month by buying a book from a Christchurch author - whether it's a classic Margaret Mahy tale to read to the kids, or a Paul Cleave, Andrew Grant or Steve Malley thriller for ourselves. Kia Kaha Christchurch.