Mystery Melange

Noted true-crime writer Ann Rule died last week, and the Guardian paid tribute by looking into her gift for tapping into our collective obsession with crime, while the Washington Post took a look at the strange relationship between Rule and serial killer Ted Bundy.

The shortlists were announced for the Davitt Awards presented annually by Sisters in Crime Australia. Named in honor of Ellen Davitt (1812-1879) who wrote Australia's first mystery novel, the awards are presented for Australian crime fiction by women authors.

The Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter will hold its 12th annual Write Now! conference, “Locked and Loaded: Set Your Sights on Writing Success” Aug. 14–15 in Scottsdale, Arizona. This year's keynote speaker is Sara Paretsky (the V.I. Warshawksi series), with other featured authors to include Simon Wood, Hilary Davidson, Christina Cox, Deborah J Ledford and Terri Bischoff.

Crime writer Mark Billingham and the Kirkgate Centre in Cockermouth in the UK are teaming up for a short-story contest. Budding UK crime writers are encouraged to submit stories can be up to 1,000 words centered on the theme of Crime in Cockermouth, with two categories for entries: writers aged 11 to 18 years and writers aged 19-plus. The competition closes on Monday, September 7, and a panel that includes Billingham will judge the submissions.

On September 16, the British Library's Rob Davies and crime author Martin Edwards will discuss the library's recent successes republishing forgotten titles from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.

The Crime Writers' Association has launched Dagger Reads, an online literary showcase for the 2015 Dagger Awards shorlist, including the CWA Goldsboro Gold, the CWA Ian Fleming Steel and the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Daggers. Resources will include a comprehensive guide to each book and its author, an explanation of why the judges selected each book, and reading guides. Every two weeks leading up to the awards ceremony in September, Dagger Reads will focus on a different Dagger with an online book club for that book.

Fans of all things Scandinavian will enjoy The Globe and Mail's exploration of Olso, Norway, through the eyes of homegrown crime author Jo Nesbo and a a Harry Hole walking tour.

In a separate northern clime, MPR News profiled "Dark reads: 16 Minnesota murder mysteries," wondering what it is about the land of 10,000 lakes that inspires such dark tales of murder and mayhem.

Ever wondered if there was a secret formula behind Agatha Christie's plotting? Research commissioned by UKTV channel Drama for their Agatha Christie Hour says it looks a little something like this:  
k l,n,s=f[m-lkf+lk+n+s].

The UK-based Sofeminine website put together a list of the "10 Murder Mystery Thriller Novels Every Woman Should Read," focusing, as you might expect, on novels written by women authors.

Meanwhile, Marie Claire Online also compiled a roster of mostly women authors and "The 8 Best Thrillers That Will Keep You Up All Night."

The Sydney Morning Herald's Jane Sullivan took a look at why authors like to kill off their characters, with a look at authors like Karin Slaughter and Tess Gerritsen.

Luke Slattery in The New Yorker took on a Renaissance murder mystery:  the glamorous philosopher Giovanni Pico della Mirandola’s death and that of his lover may have been murder, after modern scientists found toxic levels of arsenic in their disinterred remains.

If you happen to have a spare $1.6 million, you can buy Jesse Pinkman's Albuquerque, New Mexico, house from Breaking Bad.

In the Q&A roundup this week, author Allan J. Emerson stops by Omnimystery News to discuss the first in a new series, titled Death of a Bride and Groom; the Mystery People snagged Rob Hart to talk about his new novel New Yorked, a quirky take on the the hard boiled crime novel and a heartbroken valentine to his ever-changing city; Ace Atkins talked living in the South and his Quinn Colson series; J.J. Toner takes Paul D. Brazill's "Short, Sharp Interview" challenge; and Linwood Barclay stops by the Huffington Post to chat about his new thriller, Broken Promise.