Crime Fiction Links of the Week for August 26, 2017

It's time again for Crime Fiction Links of the Week, our weekly round-up of interesting links about crime fiction from around the web, this week with Val McDermid, Agatha Christie, The Defenders, The Prisoner at fifty, Vera and much more.

Crime fiction in general:

• Jo Furniss shares recommendations for five twisty thrillers to be released this fall. 
• Margot Kinberg discusses some examples of crime novels where old beliefs and superstitions play an important role.
• Katy Guest profiles Val McDermid. 
• Kate Young shares her love for Agatha Christie's mysteries and cooks a recipe inspired by Agatha Christie's novel Crooked House.
• Adam Christopher shares his love for pulp fiction and talks about writing the retrofuturistic Ray Electromatic Mysteries.

Film and TV:

• Margot Kinberg shares her love for classic film noir.
• Peter Bradshaw reviews the thriller movie American Made. 
• Mike McCahill reviews the action film The Hitman's Bodyguard.
• Angie Barry revisits the 1994 movie adaptation of The Shadow.
• Matthew Sweet revisits The Prisoner on the event of its 50th anniversary.  
• Graeme Virtue revisits 1980s action show MacGuyver and explains when it jumped the shark for him.
• Crime Fiction Lover reviews the retro crime drama Comrade Detective.
• Rebecca Nicholson discusses the latest episode of Top of the Lake: China Girl.
• Leslie Gilbert Elman reviews the first episode of the fourth season of the crime drama Endeavour. 
• Oline H. Cogdill praises Brenda Blethyn's performance as DCI Vera Stanhope in Vera.
  

Comments on The Defenders: 

• Katharine Trendacosta calls The Defenders an excellent show that is greater than the sum of its parts.
• Charles Pulliam Moore declares that the greatest strength of The Defenders is that they are all strong, but broken people.
• Dave Richards calls The Defenders binge-worthy.
• Stuart Heritage calls The Defenders Avengers lite, but praises Sigourney Weaver's performance. 
• Keith DeCandido praises the characters of The Defenders, but finds the plot lacking.
• Adam Gabbatt praises the high voltage fight scenes of The Defenders.
• Camestros Felapton calls The Defenders "Inside Out for grown-ups". 
• Graeme Virtue calls The Defenders supremely daft.
• Keith DeCandido shares his thoughts on the first few episodes of The Defenders. 
• David Bianculli shares his thoughts on The Defenders.
• Kevin Melrose explains how The Defenders brings the character of Misty Knight in line with her comic counterpart.
• Kevin Melrose also explains just what the Hand wants with Iron Fist in The Defenders.
• After The Defenders, Ian Cardona would really like to see a Heroes For Hire miniseries, featuring Luke Cage and Iron Fist. 
• Dave Richards shares a primer to The Defenders and its individual characters.
• Neda Ulaby points out that Hell's Kitchen no longer looks like it does in The Defenders.
  

Writing, publishing and promotion:

•  Sarah Joy Shockey offers a pep talk for creative people and those who want to be.
• Gene Doucette talks about not writing to market.
• Julie Zhuo talks about the importance of side projects. 
• Chris Winkle shares five essentials of omniscient narration.
• The Puppet Show revisits Raymond Chandler's ten commandments for writing a detective novel.
  

Interviews:

• Crime Fiction Lover interviews Lynda La Plante.
• Female First interviews Emma Viscic.
• The Real Book Spy interviews Paul Cleave. 
• B.J. Bourke interviews Sandra Bretting.
• The Puppet Show interviews Kevin N. Robinson. 

Reviews:

• Crime Fiction Lover reviews Insidious Intent by Val McDermid.
• Claire Knight reviews Two Nights by Kathy Reichs. 
• Katherine Tomlinson reviews The Lost Girls by Allison Brennan. 
• Terrie Farley Moran reviews Telling Tales by Ann Cleeves.
• Crime Fiction Lover reviews If I Die Tonight by A.L. Gaylin.
• Betty Webb reviews Water Signs by Janet Dawson.
• Liz Barnsley reviews Western Fringes by Amer Anwar.
• Hannah Beckerman reviews Safe by Ryan Gattis.
• Kristin Centorcelli reviews The Room of White Fire by T. Jefferson Parker.
• Rather Too Fond of Books reviews The Room by the Lake by Emma Dibdin. 
• Craig Sisterson reviews The Long Drop by Denise Mina.
• John Valeri reviews Snap Judgment by Marcia Clark. 
• Gabino Iglesias reviews A Thousand Cuts by Thomas Mogford.
• Always Trust In Books reviews Last Stop Tokyo by James Buckler.
• Doreen Sheridan reviews Orphan Agent Prima Pawn by Elizabeth Kiem.
• Doreen Sheridan also reviews Treble at the Jam Fest by Leslie Budewitz and tries out a recipe from the novel.
• Jeff Somers reviews Fifth Ward: First Watch by Dale Lucas.

Crowdfunding: 

• The Black Prince, a historical novel by Adam Roberts based on an unfinished manuscript by Anthony Burgess, is looking for funding. 

Con reports:

• Cora Buhlert shares her experiences and photos of WorldCon 75.
• Marion Deeds shares her experiences at WorldCon 75 as well as several photos. 

Research:

• 21 patterns of behaviour found in serial killers.
  

Free online fiction:

• "The Fire Club" by Nathan Ward at Akashic Books.
• "I Love a Sunburnt Country" by Kieran Shea in Beat to a Pulp.
• "Cold Turkey" by Patricia Dusenbury in Flash Bang Mysteries.
  

Odds and ends: 

• Watch a trailer for Strong Island.