Your Friday morning Cramps.
Panel assignments for Crimefest have been issued. I'm moderating a panel called Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know, with Helen Fitzgerald, Douglas Lindsay, Michael Malone and Damien Seaman. I'll leave you to decide which of them are mad. I am currently thinking about the fiendish homework I am planning to set...
A review of Ian Rankin's THE IMPOSSIBLE DEAD, reviewingtheevidence on Aly Monroe's ICELIGHT and Lin Anderson's PICTURE HER DEAD, The Game's Afoot reviews Val McDermid's A PLACE OF EXECUTION and a review of Stuart MacBride's SHATTER THE BONES.
Several Denise Mina events at the New Zealand International Arts Festival.
Alexander McCall Smith in St Louis, Missouri on April 16th.
Douglas Lindsay on naming THE UNBURIED DEAD.
North East Life talks to Val McDermid.
Tony Black's GUTTED becomes GELYNCHT in German (which, if my German is up to it, translated as LYNCHED). Gratuliere, Tony! There's also a wee video auf deutsch to go with it.
Norfolk is a big fan of crime fiction - some nice events in March and it's the most borrowed genre in local libraries.
Edinburgh Book Festival Director says that the book festival should be about books, not celebrities. Well done, that man.
Kate Atkinson on her MBE.
Finally, a rather sneery article about genre fiction.
Showing posts with label michael malone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label michael malone. Show all posts
Friday, 10 February 2012
Sunday, 29 January 2012
Kill The Poor
I thought this track from The Dead Kennedys was apt, since I believe it is Her Maj's favourite punk song. I appear to have been invited to a Royal Garden Party. Thinking fast, I said I would only go if my Mum wanted to go. Since, apparently "Scotland's too far to come and visit you now I'm 80, our Donna", I thought I would be safe. How wrong I was. Apparently, Scotland is now a mere sparrow's fart away. Her only worry is that she now has to find a fascinator. And now I, too, am left with the terrible dilemma of finding a fascinator that matches my Docs.
My Mum now has the other residents of the retirement community curtseying to her when they meet in the hallways. And then there's my poor Dad...I said to Mum that she needed photographic ID to get into the Palace, and no, that her pension book wasn't enough. "What about your passport?" I said.
"I think my passport's out of date since my ankles are too big to fly, these days," (don't ask).
I heard my Dad in the background "My passport's in the kitchen drawer."
"We don't care about your passport, Patrick," came the scathing response. "Who is it that's going to the Royal Garden Party?" Silence. "Who, Patrick, who?"
"You, dear."
"That's right. So, what don't we care about?"
"My passport, dear."
"Exactly."
I have created a monster. A monster who is now on the hunt for a fascinator.
Irvine Welsh's ECSTASY is screened in London on February 9th.
A review of Val McDermid's THE RETRIBUTION.
Ian Rankin's THE IMPOSSIBLE DEAD on ABC Radio National. And Mr Rankin himself on his best story ever.
Gordon Ferris' THE HANGING SHED has, apparently, sold 150,000 e-copies.
Alexander McCall Smith to appear at Scotland's most remote literary festival.
An interview with Michael Malone.
A set of first editions by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is discovered in a charity shop.
Denise Mina wonders if sentiment is the new taboo.
For my latest blog post over at Blasted Heath, the talented Smudge doctors a poster for Nightmare Alley to make me look almost attractive. Well, from the neck down, anyway.
Tomorrow, it's the last proper day of lectures on my course before I start on my placement, and then I'm off to Allan Guthrie's event at Strathclyde University before going out to dinner with lovely pals Tony Black, Michael Malone and Kieran G. I'm planning to get them drunk so they will tell me all their secrets. I will, of course, share those secrets with you, dear Reader.
My Mum now has the other residents of the retirement community curtseying to her when they meet in the hallways. And then there's my poor Dad...I said to Mum that she needed photographic ID to get into the Palace, and no, that her pension book wasn't enough. "What about your passport?" I said.
"I think my passport's out of date since my ankles are too big to fly, these days," (don't ask).
I heard my Dad in the background "My passport's in the kitchen drawer."
"We don't care about your passport, Patrick," came the scathing response. "Who is it that's going to the Royal Garden Party?" Silence. "Who, Patrick, who?"
"You, dear."
"That's right. So, what don't we care about?"
"My passport, dear."
"Exactly."
I have created a monster. A monster who is now on the hunt for a fascinator.
Irvine Welsh's ECSTASY is screened in London on February 9th.
A review of Val McDermid's THE RETRIBUTION.
Ian Rankin's THE IMPOSSIBLE DEAD on ABC Radio National. And Mr Rankin himself on his best story ever.
Gordon Ferris' THE HANGING SHED has, apparently, sold 150,000 e-copies.
Alexander McCall Smith to appear at Scotland's most remote literary festival.
An interview with Michael Malone.
A set of first editions by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is discovered in a charity shop.
Denise Mina wonders if sentiment is the new taboo.
For my latest blog post over at Blasted Heath, the talented Smudge doctors a poster for Nightmare Alley to make me look almost attractive. Well, from the neck down, anyway.
Tomorrow, it's the last proper day of lectures on my course before I start on my placement, and then I'm off to Allan Guthrie's event at Strathclyde University before going out to dinner with lovely pals Tony Black, Michael Malone and Kieran G. I'm planning to get them drunk so they will tell me all their secrets. I will, of course, share those secrets with you, dear Reader.
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
The Bats Have Left The Bell Tower
Alexander McCall Smith on the etiquette of regifting. Of course, there is another alternative. I volunteer for a UK telephone helpline charity and if you got any unwanted gifts, or you have any books - signed or otherwise - that are looking for a good home, I'm helping to organise the annual conference in February, and those would make smashing raffle prizes, so please feel free to re-gift them my way and I will love you forever :o)
And now, we need to talk about Kevin... I haven't read any fiction since I started my Masters Degree in September but, coming back from my Mum and Dad's in the wilds of Mordor after Christmas, I fired up my Kindle and got stuck into K J Wignall (aka Lord Kevin of Wignall)'s BLOOD. It's not crime fiction (although there are crimes in it). It's Young Adult vampire fiction. No - definitely not my usual fare, but Kevin Wignall is one of my favourite writers (who deserves to be far better known than he is) so, since it's been far too long since he had some crime fiction out in English (come on publishers, am I really going to have to learn Finnish to read DARK FLAG? Sinun täytyy olla pilaa (that might be Finnish for 'you've got to be kidding'. Since I got it from an internet translation thingy, it is equally likely to mean 'I've just eaten your grandma's bullfrog')).
Anyway, back to vampires. My last (and probably only) enjoyable encounter with a vampire was with the brilliant Bela Lugosi's Dead by the equally brilliant Bauhaus. My least enjoyable encounter was with that self same Bela Lugosi's 1931 Dracula. I was 13 and babysitting for the Bysouths, who lived down the road. It was nearing midnight and I foolishly turned the TV over, only to discover Bela Lugosi saying "I bid you welcome." I was petrified. I had to phone my mum to get her to come and finish babysitting with me. She was not happy. When she arrived, I didn't
know whether to be more scared of her, or the creak of Dracula's coffin opening.
So...BLOOD. It's bloody brilliant. I'll do a proper review in January, but just in case you're looking for something a bit different, I thought I'd mention it as I absolutely loved it. It was totally captivating. Not your stereotypical vampire story - far from it, in fact. Great characters (I felt very sad for Will - the main character, who's been 16 for the last 750 years. There are also some wonderful wee snippets about how he got to where he is today, and the plot was deliciously twisty and turny. And it was as creepy as hell.
And now, on to Scottish crime fiction.
Our Michael Malone picks his top crime reads of 2011, including Tony Black's excellent TRUTH LIES BLEEDING. And the lovely Julie Morrigan interviews Tony (and look at that lovely snippet of news about a Blasted Heath publication).
Oooooh, doesn't the cover for Russel McLean's next book, FATHER CONFESSOR, look good?
Sherlock Holmes under investigation.
McDroll at I Meant To Read That loved Ray Banks' DEAD MONEY.
The Spectator reviews the Alexander McCall Smith writing machine.
James McAvoy talks about Irvine Welsh's FILTH.
Here's my latest Blasted Blog column at Blasted Heath.
This will probably be my last blog post until 2nd or 3rd of January as I will be partying Hogmanay away in the Lake District, so thanks everyone for being so supportive, and I hope that next year will be a brilliant year for all of you. And here's hoping that I get to hug at least some of you in 2012.
And now, we need to talk about Kevin... I haven't read any fiction since I started my Masters Degree in September but, coming back from my Mum and Dad's in the wilds of Mordor after Christmas, I fired up my Kindle and got stuck into K J Wignall (aka Lord Kevin of Wignall)'s BLOOD. It's not crime fiction (although there are crimes in it). It's Young Adult vampire fiction. No - definitely not my usual fare, but Kevin Wignall is one of my favourite writers (who deserves to be far better known than he is) so, since it's been far too long since he had some crime fiction out in English (come on publishers, am I really going to have to learn Finnish to read DARK FLAG? Sinun täytyy olla pilaa (that might be Finnish for 'you've got to be kidding'. Since I got it from an internet translation thingy, it is equally likely to mean 'I've just eaten your grandma's bullfrog')).
Anyway, back to vampires. My last (and probably only) enjoyable encounter with a vampire was with the brilliant Bela Lugosi's Dead by the equally brilliant Bauhaus. My least enjoyable encounter was with that self same Bela Lugosi's 1931 Dracula. I was 13 and babysitting for the Bysouths, who lived down the road. It was nearing midnight and I foolishly turned the TV over, only to discover Bela Lugosi saying "I bid you welcome." I was petrified. I had to phone my mum to get her to come and finish babysitting with me. She was not happy. When she arrived, I didn't
know whether to be more scared of her, or the creak of Dracula's coffin opening.
So...BLOOD. It's bloody brilliant. I'll do a proper review in January, but just in case you're looking for something a bit different, I thought I'd mention it as I absolutely loved it. It was totally captivating. Not your stereotypical vampire story - far from it, in fact. Great characters (I felt very sad for Will - the main character, who's been 16 for the last 750 years. There are also some wonderful wee snippets about how he got to where he is today, and the plot was deliciously twisty and turny. And it was as creepy as hell.
And now, on to Scottish crime fiction.
Our Michael Malone picks his top crime reads of 2011, including Tony Black's excellent TRUTH LIES BLEEDING. And the lovely Julie Morrigan interviews Tony (and look at that lovely snippet of news about a Blasted Heath publication).
Oooooh, doesn't the cover for Russel McLean's next book, FATHER CONFESSOR, look good?
Sherlock Holmes under investigation.
McDroll at I Meant To Read That loved Ray Banks' DEAD MONEY.
The Spectator reviews the Alexander McCall Smith writing machine.
James McAvoy talks about Irvine Welsh's FILTH.
Here's my latest Blasted Blog column at Blasted Heath.
This will probably be my last blog post until 2nd or 3rd of January as I will be partying Hogmanay away in the Lake District, so thanks everyone for being so supportive, and I hope that next year will be a brilliant year for all of you. And here's hoping that I get to hug at least some of you in 2012.
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
"Like a lepidopterist mounting a tough-skinned insect with a too blunt pin"
The bad sex in fiction award has been...errrr...awarded.
A few days left to listen to Ian Rankin's favourite music of 2010. And Rebus' favourite pub is named as one of the Famous 100. While the pub featured in Trainspotting is up for a Pub Oscar.
News from Douglas Lindsay's blog that he's started work on a new non-Barney Thompson crime novel. Excellent news.
Charles Cumming in conversation with Dominic West.
A review of M C Beaton's DEATH OF A CHIMNEY SWEEP, the Washington Times reviews Alexander McCall Smith's THE CHARMING QUIRKS OF OTHERS, and Laura Wilson in The Guardian reviews Aline Templeton's CRADLE TO GRAVE.
And a couple of reviews for Philip Kerr - one for A QUIET FLAME, and one for THE ONE FROM THE OTHER. And the man himself talks about writing, his office and yoga on the Sky Arts Book Show.
Jane Hammons goes to Bouchercon to see Kate Atkinson.
New Zealander Andrew Porteous wins an international publishing competition with his book A POLITICAL AFFAIR, about a half-Maori, half-Scottish detective. Congratulations, Andrew.
The lovely people at Five Leaves on Scotland's apparent shortage of names - citing both Russel McLean and the newly signed up Michael Malone as examples.
A few days left to listen to Ian Rankin's favourite music of 2010. And Rebus' favourite pub is named as one of the Famous 100. While the pub featured in Trainspotting is up for a Pub Oscar.
News from Douglas Lindsay's blog that he's started work on a new non-Barney Thompson crime novel. Excellent news.
Charles Cumming in conversation with Dominic West.
A review of M C Beaton's DEATH OF A CHIMNEY SWEEP, the Washington Times reviews Alexander McCall Smith's THE CHARMING QUIRKS OF OTHERS, and Laura Wilson in The Guardian reviews Aline Templeton's CRADLE TO GRAVE.
And a couple of reviews for Philip Kerr - one for A QUIET FLAME, and one for THE ONE FROM THE OTHER. And the man himself talks about writing, his office and yoga on the Sky Arts Book Show.
Jane Hammons goes to Bouchercon to see Kate Atkinson.
New Zealander Andrew Porteous wins an international publishing competition with his book A POLITICAL AFFAIR, about a half-Maori, half-Scottish detective. Congratulations, Andrew.
The lovely people at Five Leaves on Scotland's apparent shortage of names - citing both Russel McLean and the newly signed up Michael Malone as examples.
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