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

Ellis Peters Historical Award 2009

Last night, the Ellis Peters Historical Award for 2009 went to Philip Kerr for If the Dead Rise Not, Quercus.

Philip Kerr being congratulated by Janet Laurence, Chair of the Judges.

Philip Kerr delivering his witty acceptance speech.

Note: there are two outgoing people on the judging panel this year (I forget which).  Replacements are Barry Forshaw of Crime Time and The Independent, and the youthful Jake Kerridge of the Daily Telegraph.

The evening was organised with aplomb by Sam Eades of Headline.

For some, tweeting was put aside for a bit of real face to face contact lubricated with wine.  On my part, how good to meet you all and to put faces and voices to the maximum 140 character tweets!

Jessica Mann and Sadistic Misogyny and Newspaper Accuracy

I just happened to be on twitter yesterday evening when tweets came through about the articles in the weekend's Daily Telegraph and The Observer.  Needless to say, so were a few others and a debate ensued.  What surprised me then was how this was suddenly news.  It had been debated before, on a couple of blogs, at the time Jessica Mann's original article was published in Standpoint Magazine.  But what appalled me yesterday was the inaccuracy in the reporting and it has now spread across the net today.

First the DT.  The headline was "Book reviewer quits over 'increasing sexist violence'". Well, no, she hasn't actually.  In Standpoint Mann concluded "So however many more outpourings of sadistic misogyny are crammed on to the bandwagon, no more of them will be reviewed by me."

The Observer. The headline was accurate, but oh no, the standfirst then said "Leading novelist says graphic depictions of sadistic misogyny have become so extreme she refuses to review any more fiction".  Again, no, Mann did not say she wasn't going to review any more fiction.  See above.

Today, this piece of news has been picked up across the Alantic.  Canada's Quill & Quire carries the heading: "Novelist stops reviewing because of rampant misogyny in crime fiction".  The first paragraph ends "...that she’s giving up reviewing any more fiction".  (Again see above.)  The New York Times kept it short and snappy and accurate.  The New Yorker also managed to maintain accuracy on Mann's words but shunted off into the big feminist debate.

Now for some perspective.  Jessica Mann is declining to read crime novels of a certain type.  These are the ones she sees as:

"Each psychopath is more sadistic than the last and his victims' sufferings are described in detail that becomes ever more explicit, as young women are imprisoned, bound, gagged, strung up or tied down, raped, sliced, burned, blinded, beaten, eaten, starved, suffocated,  stabbed, boiled or buried alive."

On this morning's Today programme, she was given just over five minutes to debate her thoughts, along with Selina Walker, Publishing Director at Transworld with responsibility for their crime list.  You can listen to that section here.  But for the perspective, do note that Mann said this type of novel for her was "a very small proportion" and probably less than one tenth of the 600 crime novels published annually in the UK.

She added that this "small proportion of books will not be in my review list any more".

So she's not giving up, she's merely passing on a few that don't suit her tastes and she's had the courage to say so.  I'd guess that others have already been doing this for a while, but in silence.

Family Life - Paul Charles

I first came across Paul Charles at the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival; last year, I believe.  He sounded interesting, with a series set in Camden, London, so I made a note to follow up.  It took a while to do so and by the time I did, he was also on to his second series, this one with an Irish setting.  Thanks to some pretty good PR people at FMcM Associates in London, I have now read the second in this second series: Family Life.

And what a perfect title for this novel, published by Brandon.  At the start of Family Life, various members of the Sweeney family arrive at the farm home of grandparents Liam and Colette for Liam's birthday.  However, one of the offspring is late - the youngest son Joe, who has inherited the farm to continue Liam's good work - and it is Inspector Starrett who arrives in his place and to deliver some heartbreaking news, for Joe's body has been discovered at a site that was one of the sets for the TV drama The Hanging Gale.

All in family Sweeney are in shock and we soon learn that Joe was a 'good man' in all aspects.  So why did the best of the clan die in such suspicious circumstances?  Was he murdered?  And if so, why?

Cardiff University Crime Fiction Event

Cardiff University is holding a crime fiction event on the evening of Thursday 28 October, Capital Crimes: Writing the City.

Please note that you need to contact the email address on the page link to ensure a place.  (There are only a few left.)

Authors at the event include Ann Featherstone; Cormac Millar; Lindsay Ashford; Richard Gwynn; John Williams and Struan Sinclair.

Themes and topics of interest that may be discussed are:

• space and place in the construction of crime
• the capital city as crime metropolis and magnet
• the relationship between real and imagined perpetrators and crimes
• national crime and circulation of criminal archetypes and myths.

CWA/ITV3 Thriller Awards & latest...

...here.

Link Update & Book Sites

I've created another set of links in the sidebar for 'Book Sites'.  Flashlight Worthy is my first add.  I like them because they are different: they provide book recommendations in the form of lists.  Do check them out.  I've been asked to contribute a list and I'm thinking about it right now.

Also - with apologies to Bernadette for an overlook on my part the last time I updated my links - I have added Reactions to Reading to the Australian Crime Blogs section.  Do pay a visit!

Acts of Violence - Ryan David Jahn

In 1964, Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death outside her home in New York City.  It was thought that up to 38 people witnessed her attack, but did nothing to help, leading to what became known as the "Bystander Effect".  Debut author Ryan David Jahn was inspired by the case and in Acts of Violence brings us the fictional story of the night that Katrina Marino suffered the same fate.

This is a remarkable novel on more than one level.  First, its 280 pages of narrative span only a couple of hours during one night.  Secondly, it is dark, thoroughly compelling and emotionally engaging as it explores the lives of all those whose only true link is to be involved in what happened that night. "If only" comes to mind so many times when reading, as well as a feeling of violence in the reader: you really want to shake some bystanders away from what enthrals them into action for the victim.  Thirdly, it provides a realistic depiction of time and place, including all its prejudices as barriers were being broken down.

Acts of Violence is effectively a series of vignettes, moving from Katrina's heartbreaking experiences to those of the otherwise engaged witnesses and back again, to the police and ambulance crew who are eventually called to the scene, sadly all too late, and to the perpetrator of the crime.

Acts of Violence is a shocking and powerful literary thriller and without doubt, the most outstanding novel I have read this year.  I am sure we will be reading much more from Ryan David Jahn in the future.  Macmillan New Writing have found a great talent with this author.  Acts of Violence is published on 6 November in the UK (2 December in the USA and 1 February, 2010 in Canada).  Don't miss it!

Trevor Byrne, ghosts, lightning and a wee dram of whisky at the CheltLitFest

'Location, location, location' is a saying close to the hearts of estate agents, property dealers, property appraisers, surveyors, mortgage underwriters and the like.  It also applies to organisations with something to promote at a literary festival.  Canongate and Highland Park Whisky could not have found a better location for their marquee at Cheltenham's Literary Festival.  It was on prime walkway between the back entrance of the town hall and the rest of the tents, including the bookshop.  At times of heavy pedestrian traffic, the boys and girls were outside the tent offering a sample of their whisky and inviting you to join the latest Canongate author-in-attendance for their 15 minute sample read.  And so it came to pass that I became aware of author Trevor Byrne and also tasted my first Highland Park.

I hadn't tasted whisky for years and ventured into that first sip with some trepidation; it was rather nice and then a second flavour kicked in.  Peat.  Yes, Highland Park is a single malt of the peaty variety.  Not really for me, even after I confirmed my initial thoughts through another three free samples.

Waiting for the arrival of the author I found some blurb on him; I forget where exactly.  Trevor Byrne is currently a tutor in creative writing at Glamorgan University.  (Welsh connection.  Good. Definitely up for a blog post.)  Ghosts and Lightning is his first novel.  (Debut author. Doubly up for a blog post.)  It's the tale of someone trying to do the right thing surrounded by the wrong choices and a review said 'Revealing chronicle of our times from an exceptional new Irish talent.'  (Sounds interesting.)

And then came Trevor Byrne.  Before reading he gave a warning.  He explained that his novel Ghosts and Lightning is about 80k words long and that about 1 in 8 of them are that four letter word beginning with 'f' or derivatives thereof.  The two passages he chose to read had a higher proportion than average for the novel.  And then he read.  No one left.  More people joined.

Job well done, I think.

A Colourful Autumn in Cheltenham & A Little Bit of LitFest

Having arrived in Cheltenham, I picked up my tickets from the box office and then dashed into town for a few purchases.  However, the dashing became a meander as the north west side of Montpellier Walk beckoned due to colour and smells.  There was a market on that side of the road and beautiful it was too.  Here are some pictures:

A fantastic fruit and veg stall.  How could anyone avoid these fresh, healthy and colourful diet staples after seeing this?  They even had persimmons, juicy and ripe.

 
I'd never seen such a selection of wild mushrooms; the locals & visitors were in for a treat.

Acts of Violence - Ryan David Jahn from MNW on 6 November

It arrived in the mail yesterday, totally unexpected.  I thought I'd take a peek in bed last night before continuing with my current reading.  I had nearly finished Acts of Violence by this afternoon and then, I really, really had to go out.  I'll finish it tonight, no doubt.  No doubt at all.  (Using the new reading specs I picked up this afternoon.)

Will Atkins at Macmillan New Writing has found some fine authors with this venture and he adds to that list with Ryan David Jahn.  More next week on this one.  (Taking a day out to the Cheltenham LitFest on Saturday.  Telling a neighbour about that one earned me the nickname "Away Day Tart" this afternoon...)

Many thanks to the wonderful Sophie for this copy and congratulations to Will on his recent, well-deserved promotion at Macmillan.  Will has a special brief for new authors and crime fiction; both are areas in which he excels.