IT'S A CRIME! (OR A MYSTERY...)

October promotions - breast cancer awareness month

Inspired by John Baker's blog where he asks "October is breast-cancer awareness month. Have you put something pink on your site?" and having read this article today in The Times, I'd like to draw your attention to something: breast cancer in younger women.

Kylie Minogue is probably the most notable sufferer and it's so good to see her return to health and life as she knew it before she felt the blow of that diagnosis.

However, on a personal level, my best friend died in 2003 some four months short of her 39th birthday.  In the year in which she was first diagnosed, she told me something of note.  She was diagnosed in the January and said that the hospital had told her that they'd had the same number of diagnoses for breast cancer in women under 40 in that month alone, as they had had in the previous year. 

The Times article says "The number of women with breast cancer has rocketed in the past 30 years, but death rates for the disease are falling, researchers say".  Improved care and treatment methods help no end.  Reasons for the increase are stated as:

"The rise has been blamed on dietary changes, an ageing population and because women are having smaller families and breast-feeding less.

Mark Matfield, scientific consultant for the Association for International Cancer Research, said: 'It is hard to pin down exactly what has caused this rise.' Lifestyle factors, such as the increase in obesity and alcohol consumption, had a significant impact 'but so has the introduction of the national screening programme in the late 1980s'.

He added: 'Better nutrition also means that the age of the first period in women is falling and this increases risk later in life. It is a complex picture'.”

Life is ever changing.  Please don't think of this as a disease exclusive to the over 50s.  Experience leads to awareness.

"Ruth Picardie and Beth Wagstaff were both in their early thirties when they were diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996, and they felt that there was very little support available at the time that addressed younger women."  The idea for The Lavender Trust came from those two women.  The Trust at Breast Cancer Care raises money specifically to fund information and support for younger women with breast cancer.

From Cancer Research UK: "In men, breast cancer is a rare disease.  There are about 300 cases diagnosed each year in the UK, compared with almost 42,000 cases of breast cancer in women.  That's about one man for every 140 women diagnosed".

We all have breasts and we all need to check them out - regularly and whatever sex or age we are.  The activities of prevention measures are what save lives.

Let this October be your start, if you've taken that part of your body for granted before.

More Friday night "celebrity book" diatribe...

Thanks again to booktradeinfo, my "celeb" rattle has been rattled again.

It seems that "Jake Lingwood, who became Publisher of the Ebury Publishing Division this week and who now oversees Ebury Press, Vermilion, Rider and BBC Books, believes celebrity books have to be treated seriously."  He went on to say/be quoted at the site of Publishing News:

“Everybody is jumping on the bandwagon now,” he told PN. “There are publishers who think that if you just put a picture on the cover and throw money at it, that’s the answer. But it won’t work. It needs to be thought out. I think you have to understand that this is a market not to be underestimated.

“... What we try and do here is work the projects hard and create the best possible book. We have a deep understanding of the market and we don’t publish things that we don’t understand.”

Hmm.  It's late and I am not about to start a debate here.  Apparently some celeb books are deeply understood by their publishers.

It's just a shame they can't focus on good fiction.  Not all of us readers want to be encountering celeb books as the mainstay in offerings to the market place.

Interestingly, as booktrade.info now welcomes reader feedback - at the time of reading, 80% of readers of that article found it "amusing" and 20% found it "irrelevant".

As I said earlier, I'll let you cogitate on this.

Just in from the Hay Festival...

I'm copying an email's contents directly here.  It's up to you to read, digest, assimilate, cogitate etc.  The Hay Festival is active throughout the year with other events and wider than Hay on Wye when it comes to geography, so do check out the site.  You might find something of interest to you.

Contents of email:

PLEASE JOIN US FOR:

London Season

Garrick Theatre, Charing Cross Road

JONATHAN FRANZEN - Monday 2 October, 6.30pm

ETHICAL FOOD DEBATE - Tuesday 3 October, 6.30pm

ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH - Tuesday 24 October, 6.30pm

on sale now. tickets (£5 or free to students) & info - www.hayfestival.com/london

Hay Winter Weekend

1st - 3rd December

JPR Williams, George Monbiot, Leslie Phillips and more

on sale 1 November from www.hayfestival.com

Hay Festival Cartagena

25-28 January 2007

Richard Ford, Guillermo Arriaga, Laura Restrepo

on sale 1 December - www.hayfestival.com/cartagena

The Guardian Hay Festival 

24 May to 3 June2007

James Watson, David Puttnam, Baaba Maal and more

on sale 1 April 2007

Just in case you missed it, Sony Reader has arrived...

Today John Baker draws attention to the fact that the Sony Reader has arrived.  His post includes a link to an online demonstration.

I know that some who read this blog like to debate the technical/digital future of book reading, so I thought I'd draw your attention...

More on the celebrity book (for Christmas - optional) diatribe...

The Guardian's now onto it with an article by D J Taylor entitled "Won't somebody publish Abi Titmuss?"

Alas, Taylor concluded with the words: "London publishing may well be in crisis, pitching serious novelists into the street in its anxiety to give Big Brother throw-outs the platform they so clearly deserve, but this is, above all, a free-speech issue: Titmuss and her kind have a right to be heard".

"...have a right to be heard?"

Hmm.  Who does?  All of us, given that thought.  Publishers take note.  You have to publish anyone who has anything to say, should they evoke that "right".  (The Human Rights Act perhaps?)

"Titmuss and her kind have a right to be heard."

Yes they do, and to those they engage with, in conversation, to those who are interested.  This doesn't necessarily mean a mass media frenzy and broad publication.  Time to get real!  All have a decent right to be heard, just as all have a decent right to decline the invitation to listen.   No one has a right to be published.  To suggest synchronicity of these "rights" is, at least misguided, at best, erroneous.

No one has a right, they have a potential market of readers, who are interested in what the author has to say.

Back to basics guys and gals - before it really does become a Christmas of shabby literary offerings!

Christmas is coming and British publishers seem to be getting excited about...

...****, according to me, from what I read in The Sunday Times.  (Thanks to booktrade.info for the link.)

The article concentrates on North American authors and thrillers at the start, but when it comes to considering the Brits, the opener is this little gem:

"In Britain, publishers are also releasing a Milky Way of star autobiographies.  Celebrities who have titles out for the holiday season include Adam Ant, Peter André, Gary Barlow, Rupert Everett and David Hasselhoff."

Note: it's only Monday here and another celebrity book diatribe has hit my decks.  What about fiction, I ask you?  Good fiction and crime fiction in particular?

But, words of wisdom are not too far away, thanks to Giles Elliott of industry magazine The Bookseller.  The Sunday Times article, (page 2), tells us "Elliott believes that celebrity fatigue may take its toll".

Finally, we have a quote from the erudite Jon Howells, Waterstone's spokesman.  "Howells said every Christmas season was a big one 'but with two Harrises (Thomas and Robert), Charles Frazier and John le Carré, this season looks rather special'”.

Sunday Times reporter Dominic Rushe concludes with the words "There’s still time to buy a bigger Christmas stocking."

I conclude with the words "Yes, there is and I hope you have some quality fiction in your stocking".  (As opposed to some celebrity lifestyle hype...)

I went to M&S last week and was shocked to see Christmas cards on display just inside the door.  (It's only September!)  If you're looking for some quality crime fiction for Christmas, come back in early November.  I'll have some suggestions for you.

Ann Cleeves - "Raven Black" - Winner of the 2006 Duncan Lawrie Dagger for Best Crime Novel

Set in the Shetlands, this novel's hook is the murder of a teenager, an incomer to the islands.  It's packed with psychological suspense, compelling characters and lean prose, making it a real page turner!

In a nutshell: the strangled body of Catherine Ross is discovered one cold and crisp January morning, lying in the snow.  As the islands' inhabitants and local police await the arrival of the mainland's murder squad, rumour and memory of an old unsolved child disappearance cause disquiet and point a finger at a local old man - the man who had been the prime suspect in the unsolved case...

It's an old chestnut, said many times before that contemporary crime fiction holds up a mirror to contemporary society.  In this novel, we get to know the victim from the police investigation and from the scenes involving family and friends.  We discover that Catherine Ross had one immediate ambition in life and that was to hold a mirror to the society in which she found herself and to prove that it doesn't matter where you are in the world, people are always the same.  This is also true of Ann Cleeves with this remarkable novel, where she illuminates, what is to some a peaceful holiday destination, and identifies that human life in a town or city is not so different to human life in such a serene, but in reality, hard working location.

There quite a few characters in this novel, but they are so well drawn and individual that it is impossible to lose track.  The horror of prejudice is seen through the eyes of a victim and the eyes of the insecure, who are looking for an easy explanation and an easy resolution.  The way life has changed over the last sixty or so years is also in evidence, portrayed sympathetically, with a keen eye on changes in culture and values in society.

As a writer, Cleeves is spot on and respectful to her readers.  There is no cheating to be found here.  The cast of suspects for the murder is wholesome - (this is like multi-seeded whole meal bread as opposed to a standard white sliced); but, I am pleased to say that there is one brilliantly placed clue within the novel that will satisfy the reader, if noticed.  (Don't blink and stay aware of every word - it's there for you to find!)  Also resolved, as I had suspected, is the old mystery of the child's disappearance and not how you might imagine.

It's a set of islands full of secrets within its communities, and Cleeves taps into it with a keen eye, great imagination and superb storytelling.  There is more than one mystery to solve within this novel, thanks to Cleeves and all are compelling and expertly resolved.

What might be perceived as a "police procedural" by some is also a great example of a psychological thriller.  From the early pages, Cleeves grabs you by the jowls and doesn't let go.  Neither do you want her to.  There is so much in this novel to "get to the bottom of" and Cleeves makes an excellent guide.  (You'd pay twice - honestly!)

Ann Cleeves is an accomplished writer, but is also someone who is yet to get into the bestsellers' lists.  I hope this award winning novel brings her the recognition she deserves.

"Raven Black" is a novel of the quality that should get noticed and eventually make it to screen.  Cleeves, in her prose, makes the setting very visual and I think this novel, superb as it is, also lends itself to a great TV presentation over two parts and two to three hours.

Cleeves is also a member of that remarkable band of UK authors who joined together to form "Murder Squad".

Please read the novel and please follow all the links; there's a great source of crime writing out there that is yet to be tapped to its full potential.

Finally, congratulations to Ann, a worthy winner of the inaugural Duncan Lawrie.  "Raven Black" really is such a good novel.  Not to be missed - and then get the backlist!

New crime fiction blogs...

Well, there are a few lately and Eurocrime did the highlights!  As did Maxine, crime fiction fan at Petrona, who has now gone all pink (exceedingly bright at that, never mind Mr Kipling's cakes...).

But never mind the colour, the important thing as a reader is access to all things good in crime fiction...

So here are the recent additives, I mean "Es", no, I mean excellent additions "to the purveyors of enthusiasm for the crime fiction genre"!

Here they come:

• Peter Rozovsky, a copy editor on the national/foreign desk at the Philadlephia Inquirer, who now blogs at "Detectives Beyond Borders", enthusing about crime fiction outside the US.  His posts also invite "debate", so do drop in and make a bite, I'm sure he's expecting it!
• Another newbie: "Crime Scraps" from Uriah Robinson, who seeks to concentrate on mainland Europe, when it comes to crime fiction...
• Been going for a while, but check it out as it's "International Noir", from someone who loves the international element of crime fiction...

Thanks to Petrona and Eurocrime for the "heads up".  And thanks to Peter (TecsBeyond) for finding his way to here to comment!

Best to all!  And thanks for bringing us more news of the crime fiction world!

Just a short note...

There will be a hiatus in posts on this site for a few days due to family commitments.

But I'll be back as soon as possible and hopefully having finished "Raven Black" from Ann Cleeves.  Time is quite limited at the moment.

Enjoy your reading and if you've read anything good lately, please drop in a comment!  Thanks.

Michael Connelly's "Echo Park" is out now and there's a promotional video to watch, in case you're interested.  (Plus links to other of his videos on that page.)  There are events to accompany the issue of "Echo Park", with only one in the UK - 25 September at Waterstone's Piccadilly, London at 7pm.  (Tickets £3, redeemable against book purchase, call 0207 851 2400 for details.)

And in the BBC news: Thomas Harris's Lecter makes a return to the bookshelves in December.  Apparently it's a chronicle of his early years...

Strike a match for a new crime wave anyone?

It's a multi-tasking "Bryant & May" duo - and thanks to The Independent for enlightening me!

I was seriously looking up something else when that link appeared.  It was simply too inflammatory to ignore.

The article was written by the author of the series, Christopher Fowler.  I may not have been aware of, let alone read the novels featuring the detective duo "Bryant & May", but I found the article itself of great interest.  It's inspiring to start with...

First, Fowler engages us with a lead into how childhood reading can influence adult imagination, as seen through his eyes.  Then, he analyses the current state of affairs in contemporary crime fiction protagonists and focuses on what makes a character "original" reading.  Finally, he explores the inspiration and building thought that led him to create "Bryant & May", his fictional duo.

And boy, do they sound different to anything that's come before!

Snippets of light, from the article:

"So how does a writer create a memorable detective these days? I started out with a matchbox that read 'Bryant & May - England's Glory'. The label gave me their names, their nationality, and something altogether more vague and appealing, the sense of a national institution with roots in London's sooty, dimly-lit past..."

"I decided that London would be the third character; not the tourist city of guidebooks but the peculiar London of invisible societies, hidden parks and drunken theatricals, the people and places I show to friends when they visit. Everyone remembers Soho's Coach & Horses for its rude landlord Norman Balon, but fewer realise that it's the drinking hole of the Prince Edward's scenery shifters."

"By making Bryant & May elderly, I could make them simultaneously behave like experienced adults and immature children. Bryant, I knew, came from Whitechapel, was tortoise-like, scarf-wrapped, esoteric, eccentric, bad-tempered and myopic. He would wear a hearing aid and false teeth, and use a walking stick. John May was born in Vauxhall, was taller, fitter, more charming, friendlier."

"I stuck by my character outlines, even though a radio interviewer told me I should have made everyone younger, which would allow for more sex and violence - the very thing I did not wish to do. It wasn't a matter of prudery; rather the fact that a sexual bout or a fist fight is too lazy an exit from an awkward scene."

The article concludes with the following: "To order a copy of Christopher Fowler's fourth Bryant & May mystery, 'Ten Second Staircase'..." 

The fourth?  How on earth did I manage to miss this?

But for now, I have managed to locate the author's website.  (To navigate, click on the big words in the box in the upper right hand corner - then you'll waste less time than me, unless you're a website "pro"!)

It seems Fowler has quite a few books beneath his belt.  He says that "Bryant & May" is a series of six novels.

It all looks intriguing, thanks to that well written article.  Do take a peak, starting here, then moving on to this.