Wednesday Wanderings

 

From around the blogosophere, here are some interesting tidbits which include a couple of book giveaways (proving sometimes there is a free lunch, or at least, a free book), interviews ranging far and wide, and essays on topics such as "why we don't need stupid characters" and "lady killers of the 1940s."

• Over at the Women of Mystery blog, Lois Karlin reviewed British crime writer Martina Cole’s Faces and has info on a chance to win a copy of the just-released American edition of the novel.

• Meanwhile, the Book Bitch has the lowdown on how to win a signed copy of Ridley Pearson's Killer Summer and two unsigned paperbacks from that same series.

• On the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel's blog, Oline Cogdill notes that Chauncey's Book Group on Facebook is hosting James O. Born in their online discussion of his book The Human Disguise, tomorrow at noon.

• The busy Cogdill also writes for the Mystery Scene Magazine blog, taking inspiration from a discussion on the Dorothy-L list as she opines about why we don't need stupid characters in mystery fiction.

• Ali Karim over at the Rap Sheet has a great interview with Joseph Finder, who switches from standalone thrillers to a series character, corporate investigator Nick Heller, in his novel, Vanished.

• Speaking of Joseph Finder, his latest column for the Daily Beast features Stephen L. Carter, Yale law professor and author of the new novel Jericho’s Fall, who reveals he wrote his latest novel in eight weeks.

• Martin Edwards of Do You Write Under Your Own Name? reviewed an episode of the Wallander series produced by Swedish television (not to be confused with Kenneth Brannagh's production) which was recently shown on BBC4. Starring Kirster Henriksson in the title role, Edwards pronounces it "first-rate viewing."

• Mysterious Matters looked back at some of the lady killers from the 1940s, including Elisabeth Sanxay Holding (The Innocent Mrs. Duff and The Blank Wall), former MWA Grand Master Dorothy B. Hughes, Margaret Millar (In a Lonely Place) and Celia Fremlin. 

• Mysterious People held a conversation with Scottish novelist Gillian Philip, who actually began her writing career while living in Barbados. 

• The Beatrice blog interviewed Rennie Airth about his series of police procedurals (Scotland Yard) set in England a few years after the First World War.

• Sandy Parshall interviewed Katy Munger for Poe's Deadly Daughters. Munger took a few years off from publishing but returns with two new novels, the debut of the Dead Detective series (written under the pseudonym Chaz McGee), and Bad Moon on the Rise, the latest in her Casey Jones series.
  

• The Guardian wrote an obit for Gordon Burn who died this past Friday, calling him "one of the greatest – and arguably underrated – British writers of his age" who influenced other writers like David Peace and turned northern England into as foreboding a backdrop as James Ellroy's Los Angeles or Ian Rankin's Edinburgh.

The Dynamics of Dillinger

The new film Public Enemies starring Johnny Depp as John Dillinger has brought the notorious bank robber back into the spotlight, spurring a mini-boom in Dillinger books, articles, and festivals. The Hotel Congress in Tucson, Arizona, where Dillinger was arrested in 1934 had a commemoration timed to coincide with the premiere of the movie, and in St. Paul, Minnesota, there's a Public Enemies Festival with author lectures, exhibits, and a reenactment of the trial of Dillinger’s girlfriend, Evelyn Frechette. You can even bid on Dillinger's derringer pistol, which is going up for auction on July 25 (although you'd better have about $45,000 on hand).

Although there have been many books on the life of the legendary Dillinger, there have been fewer on the gang members associated with him during his life, many of whom had even more colorful lives and committed more crimes that Dillinger himself. One such book is The Rise and Fall of the Dillinger Gang by Jeffery S. King (who also penned The Life and Death of Pretty Boy Floyd), which provides biographical information on nine of Dillinger's associates, their upbringing and how they drifted into -- or in some cases like Homer Van Meter -- actively sought out a life of crime. King delved into FBI files, court and prison records, and local newspapers to write this well-documented account of the supporting cast who supported Dillinger, most of whom would make fascinating biographical studies all their own.  As William Helmer comments on the back cover, "Dillinger didn't do it alone."

King includes some of the bizarre events from their escapades, such as Baby Face Nelson taking a perverse pleasure in Homer Van Meter's distress at the look of his face after Meter's plastic surgery, and firefighters helping Russell Lee Clark and Charley Makley during a fire at the Congress Hotel save their baggage which included a heavy fabric box where several machine guns were hidden. The book has several photos, some of morgue shots, and extensive bibliographical notes.

A companion book to Dillinger and the era of the gangster and outlaw era from 1920-1940 is The Complete Public Enemy Almanac by William Helmer and Rick Mattix. A valuable reference resource, the book has encyclopedic entries with outlaw bios and the FBI Gang Membership List, timelines of crime, interesting articles and sidebars such as info on the state of the police radio and bulletproofing and a listing of local and federal officers killed in the line of duty during the period, as well as what's billed as "the first comprehensive true-crime bibliography."

Both are good resources to have in your library if you're a fan of the gangster and outlaw era, or if you're researching or writing historical crime fiction set in that time period.

Conference Close-Up

 

 

 

In case you hadn't heard the news, Poisoned Pen is putting together the very first virtual crime fiction conference, to be held on October 24.  In an era when folks are having to cut back on expenses (including travel to traditional conferences), this is a good alternative to participate without leaving your home. Guest of Honor Dana Stabenow and International Guest of Honor Lee Child will join a stellar list of other authors for online discussions, interviews, and presentations. There will even be agent pitch sessions for a lucky few (assigned by random draw). A registration fee of $25 "gets you in the door."

The 2009 National Book Festival from the Library of Congress, to be held on the National Mall September 26th, has a distinguished group of crime fiction authors included in their Mysteries and Thrillers lineup, including David Baldacci, Lee Child, Mary Jane Clark, Margaret Coel, Michael Connelly, Craig Johnson, Walter Moseley, S.J. Rozan, and Lisa Scottoline. If you can't make it, C-Span TV will be covering some of the events.

Crimetime UK has some highlights of the upcoming Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival July 23-26, including the "New Blood" panel moderated by Val McDermid, "Music to Murder By," and "Emerald Noir," which takes a look at Irish fiction.

Other conferences coming up this month include the 16th annual Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference in Corte Madera, California, with pre-conference classes led by Hallie Ephron and David Hewson. The list of authors who will be presenting is quite long and includes many of the best and brightest writing today.

San Diego Comic Con on Thursday, July 23rd, will feature panels on crime fiction in graphic novel format, including panels on "Crime: Usual and Unusual"; "A Darker Shade of Ink: Crime and Noir in Comics"; "Vertigo New Ongoing Series/Crime Line", and more.

And PulpFest takes place July 31st to August 2nd in Columbus, Ohio, with Guest of Honor Otto Penzler.

 

Have Some Boston Scream Pie

 

In addition to writing short stories, articles, and essays, husband and wife co-authors Rosemary and Larry Mild author a mystery series set in a small Maryland village featuring Paco LeSoto, a dapper retired Baltimore detective, and Molly Mesta, a witty housekeeper and cook whose cleverness, skewed language and culinary skills are matched only by her girth. The pair hit it off well enough in the first book of the series, Locks & Cream Cheese, that they got married in the second installment, Hot Grudge Sunday.

In the third novel featuring Paco and Molly, Boston Scream Pie, high school student Caitlin Neuman is plagued by a series of bizarre nightmares from a car accident which claimed both her parents and twin sister years earlier. Convinced there is more to the nightmares than she knows, Caitlin seeks out Paco and Molly's help, leading the duo to uncover a trail of unsolved deaths surrounding the former husbands of newlywed Delylah Boston, and a case of mistaken identity buried deep in the past. When another Boston family member dies under suspicious circumstances, the clues point to murder, leaving Paco and Molly to wonder whether they've uncovered a long-hidden secret, or stirred up a recipe for disaster.

The Milds are on a book blog tour starting this week and agreed to stop by In Reference to Murder for an interview:

Q: In a recent blog posting, Larry mentioned he enjoys adventure novels that give him a taste of foreign lands and cultures, and Rosemary chose a novel set in India (The Life of Pi) as a favorite book. Since you are both well-traveled and also divide your time between Maryland and Hawaii, what made you decide to set your Paco/Molly series in Maryland (although the second book was set out west)?

LARRY: There were three reasons for choosing Maryland. First, I believed that a coastal setting was integral to the Marche House manor. Second, the Chesapeake Bay is home base, and we could expect more publicity for a Severna Park homie. Third, we know the region really well—well enough to sprinkle sufficient real locations to give validity to the made-up Black Rain Corners. However, this does not mean we have neglected our world travels. They have found their way into many of our short stories, including Hawaii and Asia.

ROSEMARY: The Maryland climate works especially well for Boston Scream Pie.  

Q: Where did the idea for Molly's language-twisting "Molly-props" (a play on the word malapropism) come from? Anyone we know?  (I really loved "defecation of character.")

ROSEMARY: The original Molly (not her real name) was my psychoanalyst father’s housekeeper and gourmet cook. My father kept a list of all her clever sayings. She was a born snoop, who knew the secrets of every family member and friend. Her snooping skills have translated well to our novels and prove to be of great help to Paco. In Locks and Cream Cheese, she overwaters all the plants (leaving white rings) and overfeeds Dr. Avi Kepple’s golden retriever, who lunches on filet mignon and scalloped potatoes. All of this is true to the real-life Molly. Both she and my father have passed away, but we’re delighted to have immortalized them.

Q: I read that Larry claims to be more devious than Molly, so he conjures up the plots for the books and Molly conjures up characters and scenes. Is this true and just how does that process work?

LARRY: Close, but no cigar. I do conjure up the plots, but only after we’ve hashed over the details for some time during long walks on a nearby trail, while swimming, etc. I also write the first draft, setting skeletal requirements for scenes and characters in doing so. Then Rosemary brushes color and a sense of place into the scenes and breathes life into the characters, giving them appearance, personality, reactions, needs, and cravings. It is a serial process of handing the developing manuscript back and forth.   

ROSEMARY: Then we roll up our sleeves and “negotiate!” Right now we’re tussling over a short story set in Cambodia, where I’m in love with my lavish detail and Larry isn’t.

Q: Speaking of characters, twins play an important role in this book, not to give anything away of course, but we know early in the book that the young teenager Caitlin is an orphaned twin. Are their twins in your family who inspired you to make them part of the plot?

LARRY: I’ve looked under the family tree and could not dig up any twins among the roots. The credits for wrapping twins around the plot are twofold. A childhood favorite, Alexander Dumas, wrote of one twin feeling the sword point pain of the second twin’s wound in The Corsican Brothers. Also, I’m nuts about Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, where the theme of misplaced twins comes up more than chance would have it.   

ROSEMARY: During one of our winters in Honolulu, I met a delightful woman in my Jazzercise class, who turned out to be both a nurse and a twin. She agreed to read our Boston Scream Pie manuscript, and gave us valuable advice.

Q: You recently appeared at the 2009 Malice Domestic conference on a panel titled "Cozy and Loving It: A Send-up to a Beloved Genre." But Boston Scream Pie doesn't neatly fall into the category of what many mystery fans think of as a "cozy."  How did you feel about appearing on a panel with that title and are you concerned about the "cozy" label for your novels? (I actually prefer "detective fiction" since it fits almost all crime fiction with a few exceptions.)

LARRY: Agatha Christie leads the parade in the traditional mystery genre, where a lone sleuth singles out a villain from a closed and isolated number of highly probable suspects, using clue and alibi reduction and logical deduction. The genre now includes whodunit, howdunit, and whydunit. It is my belief that the term “cozy” applies to traditional mysteries that abstain from gratuitous blood and gore as well as explicit sex. Boston Scream Pie is a whodunit devoid of these so-called evils. In addition, we’ve kept the “traditional” pledge to satisfy and revolve all questions raised in the story. There, innocent after all!

ROSEMARY: We felt fine appearing on the “Cozies” panel. Today there are what I call “crossovers” in many mysteries. Boston Scream Pie includes a dark side, which gives it muscle and depth and is absolutely essential for certain characters. 

Q: The early reviews for Boston Scream Pie are good and Suspense Magazine even added you to their recommended reading list. Hopefully this bodes well for another installment in the series. Are there any plans for that in the works? Or perhaps a new series set in Hawaii?

LARRY:  We feel that Paco and Molly have aged well, but a fourth book might be a burden to their retiring years. However, with the plethora of accumulated Mollyprops, we might fashion a short story or two. We do have other projects. First, there is the finished—still unpublished—novel, Cry ‘Ohana, A Young Hawaiian’s Search for His Family. It’s been around for a while, mainly because of its epic length (470 pages). ‘Ohana means family in the Hawaiian language. While its theme explores the wonderful multicultural nature of Oahu, the story is full of suspense, adventure, murder, despair, and romance.  It’s the novel Rosemary and I cut our teeth on. Second, there’s Death Goes Postal, A Dan and Rivka Sherman Murder Mystery. It traces printing artifacts from the time of Gutenberg to the present in a series of vignettes. Murder, kidnapping, and suspense accompany the search for the artifact cache. Third, we have a repertoire of short stories (dozens even), some already published. Our soft-boiled detective series (four Slim O. Wittz stories) will appear in the e-zine Mysterical-E, beginning in Fall 2009.

ROSEMARY: I also write nonfiction. Right now I’m working on my second edition of Miriam’s Gift: A Mother’s Blessings—Then and Now, my memoir of our daughter killed in the terrorist bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Eventually, I’ll publish a collection of my personal essays. One of my favorites is “Arigato” in Chicken Soup for the Coffee Lover’s Soul, about our visit to an unusual Starbucks in Kanazawa, Japan.  

Q: Since my hubster is an audio/radio engineer, I have to ask Larry if he's considered a thriller using any of his technical expertise as fodder, or if any of his experiences as an electrical/radio engineer have played a helpful role in your novels to date?

LARRY: Sure, I’ve considered thrillers, but none are in the works as yet. However, technology has worked its way into several of our short stories. “Assault and Battery” focuses on an all-electric car. “Art by the Numbers” depends upon an encrypted elevator. “Artificial Affection” is all about a loving computer with erotic needs. “Dream Channels” involves His and Hers remotes. There are others, too. 

Q: So, Rosemary -- any plans on trying out for Jeopardy again? 

ROSEMARY: Sigh . . . Probably not. We watch the show every night. I can do beautifully and horribly in a single half-hour. I suppose I could try the on-line test again. On-line the humiliation is so much less public.

Rosemary and Larry Mild are giving away a signed copy of their book, Boston Scream Pie, to one lucky tour visitor. Go to their book tour page, enter your name, e-mail address, and this PIN, 3901, for your chance to win. Entries from In Reference to Murder will be accepted until 12:00 Noon (PT) tomorrow. No purchase is required to enter or to win. The winner (first name only) will be announced on their book tour page next week.