Friday's "Forgotten" Books: Death on Remand

John Michael Evelyn (1916-1992) was born in Britain and privately educated before going to Oxford University. He was called to the Bar in 1939, but immediately joined the Army where he served during WWII until 1946, attaining the rank of Major. From there, he did go on to a career in law with the Department of Public Prosecutions, serving for some thirty years.

Adopting the pseudonym of Michael Underwood, he published his first mystery novel, Murder on Trial in 1954, which introduced one of his main protagonists, Inspector Simon Manton. The Inspector was featured in a dozen novels that stretched into the 1960s and included Lawful Pursuit, The Case Against Phillip Quest and The Crime of Colin Wise.

Underwood also supported his fellow crime authors as chairman of the Crime Writers Association in 1964-65 and was elected a member of the Detection Club in 1959. This was during the presidency of Dame Agatha Christie, who had agreed to take the position as a successor to Dorothy L. Sayers, but only on the condition she didn't have to speak at public meetings. Michael Underwood essentially served in her stead for that purpose during Christie's tenure.

Underwood frequently drew on his legal expertise in his plots, as you might imagine, although as in the case of novels like Death on Remand, the courtroom scenes are kept to a minimum and more in a Perry Mason style—with the investigation happening during the bulk of the book until the suspect is apprehended, followed by the final courtroom finale, sometimes with a twist.

Death on Remand starts off with the attempted car bombing of a small-time crook, Julian Prentice, who has just been released from prison for a car theft. The investigation falls upon the desk of Detective-Inspector Playford of the Wenley Borough Police C.I.D., who is as perplexed as other people in the community that Prentice had been defended by the father of the young woman whose car was stolen, the man known as "The Shady Solicitor," Augustus Jason. When the chief suspect in the bombing, Prentice's former boss, also meets with violence and Prentice himself disappears from the hospital, Playford is more than happy to let Scotland Yard step in, led by the efforts of Detective Superintendent Manton. Manton faces seemingly fool-proof alibis for everyone connected to the victims as well as general antagonism from the locals, but in his own quietly plodding, tenacious way, he manages to uncover the truth.

The central gist of the plot probably had more of an impact back in 1956 than it does now. Without giving too much away, suffice it to say that cultural mores and accepted standards have changed quite a bit in 54 years, although the basic human vices of lust, pride and greed probably haven't changed much in millennia. Criminal investigation methods have changed a bit since 1956, but in the book as is the case today, it's good old-fashioned legwork and evidence collection that saves the day As Inspector Manton observes after the suspect has been arrested, "Tactics play as important a part in forensic contests and their menoeuvres as in military battles."

Like most third-person omniscient narratives that hop back and forth between characters, it's a little difficult to develop characters fully. In this particular case, there really aren't any truly sympathetic characters to root for other than the detectives, but as legal/police procedurals go, Death on Remand is a fairly quick read and a pleasant enough way to spend a hour or two.

Mystery Melange

On September 12, Writers Online, Writing Magazine, and Alex Davis Events are teaming up for Make Crime Pay, a lively online (via Google Meet) one-day writing workshop for crime and thriller fiction. Panels and workshops will be led by Jane Bettany, Paul Finch, Louise Jensen, and there also be an interview with author Sarah Pinborough. For registration information, follow this link.


The Richmond Walking & Book Festival taking place in the UK on Friday, September 25 will include a Peter Robinson Memorial event at Richmond Town Hall in North Yorkshire. Crime writers Robert Rutherford, a founding member of the Northern Crime Syndicate Crime Writers group, Chris Speck, and Ben Kennedy will participate in a panel discussion beginning at 7:30. Peter Robinson (1950-2022), was a British-born Canadian crime writer who was best known for his crime novels set in Yorkshire featuring Inspector Alan Banks, and was honored with the Grand Master Award from Crime Writers of Canada. (HT to Shotsmag Confidential.)


Westminster, Colorado will be the site for a two‑night celebration of mystery writing, featuring an Authors Panel on September 25, discussing emerging trends in contemporary mystery, from new subgenres to emerging female protagonists. Then on September 26h, there will be an after‑hours Whodunit Evening with author meet-and-greets, mysterious activities, themed prizes, and refreshments. To register, follow this link for the panel and this link for the Whodunnit Evening.


Noir at the Bar heads to the South Tyneside Libraries in the UK as part of the the Write Festival (at The Word) on Friday, September 25 from 6pm. The event, organized by Vic Watson-Logan, is free and open to the public. The slate of authors scheduled to appear will be announced later this month.


The Whitby Lit Fest unveiled its program with over 50 author events scheduled across four days from November 19–22. Crime fiction authors scheduled to take part include former BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin (Isolation Island, Last Breath), Ann Cleeves (the Vera and Shetlands series), Diamond Dagger winner Mark Billingham, Elly Griffiths (The Case of the Christmas Card), and Jo Murray, Martin Edwards, and Sarah Hilary.


HarperCollins Publishers UK's One More Chapter has launched a new crime and thriller imprint, Cliffhanger, with Jennie Rothwell and Katie Sadler leading the imprint. The list will include existing OMC authors, including Michael Wood, Fiona Leitch, Jackie Kabler, and DB Stephens, plus new acquisitions. Rothwell said, “I could not be more excited to build a list that will keep readers up past their bedtimes and have them reaching for the next book before they have even finished the last.”


Following on the heels of the NYT list of "Best Thriller Books of the 21st Century," (chosen by 291 crime novelists, editors, booksellers, librarians and other book lovers) the editors also had readers pick their "100 Best Thrillers of the Century." The core of the list included nine novels by Tana French, and five novels each from John le Carré, Kate Atkinson, and Mick Herron.


Mystery Readers Journal editor Janet Rudolph has extended the deadline to August 30 for essay and article submissions for the upcoming themed issue on "cross-genre mysteries." Cross-genre mysteries retain a central investigation or puzzle at its heart, but layers in other distinct genre such as science fiction, fantasy, true crime, and Westerns. For more information follow this link.


Art Taylor's "The First Two Pages" featured Josh Pachter discussing how he co-wrote a short story with William Bankier...twelve years after Bankler passed away.


Kevin Tipple's Thursday Treats blog has news of short crime fiction in Yellow Mama, Black Cat Weekly, the upcoming Capital Crime Writers Presents: A Capital Mystery, and also new releases from James L'Etoile, D. V. Berkom, and Colin Conway.
 

This week's crime poem up at the 5-2 Crime Poetry Weekly is "Murder One" by David Bond.


In the Q&A roundup, author and screenwriter Gloria Chao applied the Page 69 Test to her latest novel, The Mortal Enemy Murder Club; Jasper Fforde spoke with Publishers Weekly about his mind-bending Thursday Next series and Dark Reading Matter, the series’ eighth and final installment, which will be published in October; Carolyn Haines stopped by Kevin's Corner to discuss her novel, Joy to the Bones, and why she decided to stop writing this very successful thirty-odd book series; and Crime Fiction Lover interviewed debut author Neville Blackwood about Covert, a novel based on his experience of working as an undercover cop in 1990s London.

Hammett's Hero

 

 

The International Association of Crime Writers, North American Branch announced this year’s winner of the Dashiell Hammett Award for Literary Excellence in Crime Writing. After examining approximately two hundred fiction and nonfiction books with a 2025 copyright and crime as their theme, the judges selected The Savage Noble Death of Babs Dionne by Ron Currie (G. P. Putnam's Sons) for the top prize. The other finalists include:

• El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott (G.P. Putnam's Sons)
• Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox (Minotaur)
• The Big Empty by Robert Crais (G. P. Putnam's Sons)
• The Lizard by Domenic Stansberry (Molotov Editions)

The winner will receive the Hammett trophy, designed by artist Peter Boiger, which depicts a falcon-headed figure based on a celebrated photograph of author Dashiell Hammett, for whom the award is named.

The Indie Mystery/Thriller Bestseller List

The American Booksellers Association’s specialty bestseller lists provide a current snapshot of what’s selling in indie bookstores nationwide. Here is the Indie Mystery/Thriller Bestseller List, based on sales for the eight-week period ending August 2, 2026. It's interesting to me how many of these were actually published last year or even much earlier, as is the case with 2021's The Silent Patient, although the New York Times' recent list of the "Fifty Best Thrillers of the 21st Century" might have something to do with that.

1. Angel Down by Daniel Kraus, Atria Books

2. The Divorce by Freida McFadden, Poisoned Pen Press

3. Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth, St. Martin's Press

4. It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell, Atria Books

5. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

6. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

7. Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden, Poisoned Pen Press

8. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, Celadon Books

9. Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson, Bantam

10. Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology by Shane Hawk (Ed.), Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. (Ed.), Vintage

11. Heather by Caitlin Mullen, Celadon Books

12. The Keeper by Tana French, Viking

13. Strange Houses by Uketsu, Jim Rion (Transl.), HarperVia

14. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, Penguin

15. Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben, Reese Witherspoon, Grand Central Publishing,

16. Death on the Lanai (Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Series) by Rachel Ekstrom Courage, Hyperion Avenue

17. Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell, Atria Books

18. Strange Buildings by Uketsu, HarperVia

19. Never Flinch by Stephen King, Scribner

20. My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney, Flatiron Books: Pine & Cedar

21. Strange Pictures by Uketsu, HarperVia

22. Want to Know a Secret? by Freida McFadden, Poisoned Pen Press

23. Ironwood by Michael Connelly, Little, Brown and Company

24. The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke, Harper

25. The Housemaid's Wedding by Freida McFadden

Media Murder for Monday

It's the start of a new week and that means it's time for a brand-new roundup of crime drama news:


THE BIG SCREEN/MOVIES

Netflix has announced the start of principal photography on a sequel to the 2025 action thriller, Ad Vitam, starring Guillaume Canet. With a working title of Ad Vitam Eternam, the new film sees Canet return in the role of ex-elite agent Franck Lazareff who spent the first installment investigating a deadly conspiracy plot after his pregnant wife was kidnapped by masked men. Per the synopsis, in the new film, Franck sets out to find out who wants him dead after surviving an assassination attempt upon his release from prison. He hides away with his family in the mountains, but French intelligence services track him down and offer him a deal: a covert mission in exchange for the truth Franck is seeking. Ludovic Colbeau-Justin (How To Make A Killing) takes over as director from Rodolphe Lauga, who shot the first film.


Actress Charlotte Kirk (The Reckoning, Compulsion) is reuniting with writer Neil Marshall for the psychological thriller, The Spiral Down, directed by Aaron Mirtes (Whiskey Run) with cameras set to roll in Kentucky next month. In the film, Kirk plays Mary Doyle, who is kidnapped by a serial killer obsessed with perfection. But as detectives close in, they discover that Mary is far from a victim and is in fact a dangerous escapee from a psychiatric institution with a violent past of her own. After killing her captor and disappearing without a trace, the investigation is turned on its head, leaving law enforcement hunting an even greater threat.


Newly minted Tony winner, Alden Ehrenreich (who's also known for his turn in Solo: A Star Wars Story) is set to join Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler in the Universal Pictures film, Miami Vice ’85, an original take on the classic 1980s drama series. Joseph Kosinski is directing the picture from a script by Dan Gilroy. The film explores the glamor and corruption of mid-’80s Miami in an all-new version of Miami Vice, inspired by the pilot episode of the landmark Universal Television series that influenced culture and set the style of everything from fashion to filmmaking. Miami Vice ‘85  will be filmed for Imax and is set for release on May 19, 2028.

 
TELEVISION/STREAMING

The Lincoln Lawyer is eying a franchise expansion at Netflix with a spinoff series headlined by Cobie Smulders, reprising her role as Mickey Haller’s half-sister Artemisia "Emi" Finch. Emi was introduced at the end of Season 4, with Smulders promoted to a series regular for Season 5. In the upcoming fifth season, Mickey Haller’s (Manuel Garcia Rulfo) world is upended when the half-sister he never knew existed, Emi (Smulders), comes to him with a plea to help free a wrongfully convicted woman, a case he takes on, determined to set right an enormous miscarriage of justice. Emi is an original character who is not in Michael Connelly’s books, on which The Lincoln Lawyer is based. She fills a void in Mickey’s family dynamic caused in part by his half-brother, Harry Bosch, not being in the picture due to the rights to the character being owned by Amazon.


Sophia Stallone's Callisto Media and Sylvester Stallone’s Balboa Productions are teaming up on Bourbon & Lies, a romantic suspense series for MGM Television based on the bestselling book series by Victoria Wilder. Set in Fiasco, Kentucky, the series follows ex-cop Grant Foxx, a man trying to keep his life quiet after leaving the force, and Laney Young, a beautiful stranger who arrives in town with too many lies and too much danger behind her. When Laney begins working at the Foxx family distillery, she pulls Grant back into a world of instinct, suspicion, and desire. What begins as distrust turns into something far more combustible as their pasts collide, the town’s mythology darkens, and the truth threatens to burn through everything they are trying to protect.


More than a year after FBI: International was canceled, the series’ star Jesse Lee Soffer and showrunner Matt Olmstead are reuniting for another crime drama project at CBS. Strike Force (working title), from Jerry Bruckheimer Television and CBS Studios, is written by Olmstead and centers on a battle-tested DEA agent (Soffer) who returns home to Kansas City to lead a multi-agency strike force.targeting the violent criminals now trying to exploit America’s heartland.


Shemar Moore, star of S.W.A.T.’s reboot, Exiles, posted an update about the show, announcing that Exiles has already been renewed for Season 2 ahead of the first season's premiere on the 2026 TV schedule. Moore plays Daniel Hondo Harrelson, a S.W.A.T. team veteran pulled out of retirement to lead a last-chance experimental unit composed of untested and unpredictable recruits.


Boris Kodjoe (Station 19, Soul Food) has joined the recurring cast of Fox's Memory of a Killer for its upcoming second season, set to premiere midseason 2027. Inspired by the book and award-winning 2003 Belgian film, De Zaak Alzheimer, Memory of a Killer stars Patrick Dempsey as Angelo Flannery/Doyle, who leads a dangerous double life while hiding an even deadlier personal secret: he is slowly losing his memory. Kodjoe will play Tré, the “Fourth Musketeer.” Tré is the closest childhood friend of Angelo (Dempsey), Dutch (Michael Imperioli), and Angelo’s brother Michael (Richard Clarkin). A high-level executive at a large company, he’s the only one out of the four who “broke good,” and is now being honored for saving their childhood community center.


The CBS series Marshals has added Marque Richardson (Unprisoned) to its Season 2 cast, recurring as Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Burns. In addition, Morgan Lindholm (Leverage: Redemption) will return to expand on her role as Maddie, the bartender at the local watering hole and Cal’s (Logan Marshall-Green) estranged daughter. Production on Season 2 began in Park City, Utah, in June, with the confirmed return of lead Luke Grimes playing Kayce Dutton, head of an elite unit of U.S. Marshals.


HBO Max has decided not to proceed with the drama pilot, American Blue, headlined by Milo Ventimiglia, although the studio behind it, Warner Bros Television, is looking to find a new home for the project. Written by Jeremy Carver and directed by David Ayer, American Blue centers on native son Brian “Milk” Milkovich (Ventimiglia), who returns to his hometown of Joliet, Illinois, to rescue a beleaguered police force while seeking redemption of his own. The series-regular cast also includes Kelly Jenrette, Carlito Olivero, Onye Eme-Akwari, Jess Gabor, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Paulina Olszynski, Algee Smith, Jeremy Bobb, Rich Sommer, Jesse Garcia, Wrenn Schmidt, Ellyn Jameson, and Maisie Merlock.


PODCASTS/RADIO/AUDIO
 
Murder Junction welcomed crime writer Chris McDonald to discuss his latest novel, The Wrong Man, and his side hustle as a rock musician.


Barbara Peters was in conversation with Chris Bohjalian on the Poisoned Pen Bookstore podcast, talking about Bohjalian's latest novel, The Amateur.


On Meet the Thriller Author, bestselling author, screenwriter, and television producer Kevin Wade discussed his latest crime novel, One Good Eye, the second installment in his Jeep Mullane series.


The Outliers Podcast welcomed veteran Navy helicopter pilot and mission commander-turned author, Ryan Pote, about his Blood and Treasure series, and also continuing the Fargo Series for the Clive Cussler Estate.


Authors on the Air spoke with Lucy Burdette about her writing and her Key West Mystery Series.


On the Sisters in Crime podcast, Deliah Lawrence, a Maryland-based attorney and award-winning author, stopped by to discuss her romantic suspense novels set in Baltimore.


House of Mystery Radio chatted with Bruce Borgos, author of the new novel, The Riddle Maker: A Porter Beck Mystery.


THEATRE

The Oakland Park, Illinois-based Ballet 5:8 has scheduled a national tour of its ballet, The Curious Life of Edgar Allan Poe, which "traces Poe's life through the short stories that made him immortal." Its creators are Ballet 5:8 artistic director Julianna Rubio Slager and choreographer Glorielle Niedfeldt. Upcoming cities in the tour include Baltimore, Maryland (October 3), Albuquerque, New Mexico (October 17), and South Bend, Indiana (March 6, 2027).

Sunday Music Treat

Music is naturally subjective, but I probably won't get much argument that one of the most sublimely lovely pieces ever composed is Beethoven's Piano Concerto #5 ("The Emperor"), with the middle movement being particularly haunting (it's one of Scott Drayco's favorites, and Beethoven is featured prominently in the next Drayco mystery, Lethal Lament). Here's a version played by the late Van Cliburn in Moscow in 1962 (the movement ends attaca into the 3rd, so if you want to "see how it ends," try this link):

 

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