Sunday Round-Up

An interview with Ken McClure, whose latest medical thriller WHITE DEATH is out this month. The nice people at Polygon have sent me a copy of the book. As I don't do well with medical thrillers (I once fainted on the bus when two women in front of me were swapping operation stories with ever increasing goriness, and on another occasion I threatened a dentist with violence - uttering the ill-considered line "If you think you're coming anywhere near my mouth with that thing, you can think again, matey.") So I will try and give it a more appreciative home than mine, so if you would like it (and, subsequently share your thoughts of it with me so that I can post them here, perhaps? (but don't feel obliged)) please either leave a comment in the comments section, or e-mail me at bigbeatfrombadsville at gmail dot com.

Was MacBeth set up? A story by Ian Rankin in The Times.

One minute with Denise Mina in the Independent. Plus a brief review of her new novel, STILL MIDNIGHT.

A couple of reviews of Irvine Welsh's REHEATED CABBAGE, one of which ends with news that he is working on a prequel to TRAINSPOTTING called SKAGBOY.

Three Emmy nominations for Alexander McCall Smith

Val Mc Dermid to appear at the Budleigh Salterton literary festival in Devon. Looks like a rather nice event by the sea.

And, on the topic of festivals, an interesting article on writers attending music festivals.