Crime Fiction Links of the Week for July 30, 2021

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 Black Widow, Stillwater, Riders of Justice, Jungle Cruise, Why Women Kill, Enemies of the State, The Suicide Squad, tributes to Mo Hayder and much more.

Crime fiction in general:

• Crime Reads shares ten new mysteries, thrillers and crime novels coming out this week. 
• Crime Reads shares the best debut crime novels for July. 
• Molly Odintz shares five international crime novels to read this July.
  
• Darynda Jones shares thirteen laugh-out-loud mysteries. 
• Glen Erik Hamilton explains why crime writers are drawn to Seattle, Washington.
  
• Paul French talks about crime novels set on Greek islands.
• Caitlin Wahrer talks about toxic masculinity of psychological thrillers.
• Brad Parks wonders why there are so few stay-at-home dads in crime fiction.
• Lindsay Cameron shares five thrillers about social media.
• Lindsey Davis explains why writers of historical mysteries and historical fiction are so fascinated by the Roman Empire.
• Richard Lange explains how he came to write a vampire revenge thriller set in the US Southwest in the 1970s. 
• Molly Templeton asks what we talk about when we talk about our favourite books. 
• Mystery writer George Weir has died.
  
• Belgian writer Henri Vernes, creator of Bob Morane, has died aged 102.
  
• Crime fiction writer Mo Hayder a.k.a. Clare Dunkel has died aged only 59. 
• Heloise Wood remembers Mo Hayder. 
  

Film and TV:

• Phil Hoad calls The Boy Behind the Door a child kidnapping thriller that remains just on the side of the plausible. 
• Phil Hoad calls The Offering a Hitchcockian neo-noir love triangle.
  
• Peter Bradshaw calls Out of Death a generic wilderness thriller. 
• Gwen Ihnat calls season 2 of the adventure series Outer Banks dumb but fun.
  
• Cath Clarke calls The Garden Left Behind an unsettling portrait of transphobic violence.
  
• Stuart Heritage wonders whether Dexter: New Blood can revive the popular serial killer drama. 
• Sarah Langan shares five movies and TV shows, mostly crime movies and thrillers, she never wants to see again.
  
• Mark Lawson wonders whether gender swapped TV has gone too far, considering that Doctor Who, Sherlock Holmes and Rumpole of the Bailey are all being played by female actors now.  
• Lucy Mangan calls Taken: Hunting the Sex Traffickers a stomach-turning documentary. 
• Lucy Mangan calls India's Rape Scandal a harrowing and unflinching documentary. 
• Peter Bradshaw calls The Most Beautiful Boy in the World a devastating documentary about the abuse of child stars in show business.
• Carlos Aguilar calls Sabaya an intense but incomplete documentary about girls abducted by the Islamic State. 
• Martin Edwards revisits the 1974 thriller The Conversation. 
  
• Scott Tobias revisits Brian de Palma's 1981 thriller Blow Out for its fortieth anniversary. 
• Olivia Rutigliano revisits the 1992 heist movie Sneakers.
  
• Martin Edwards revisits the 2002 historical crime drama Dead Gorgeous. 
• Rob Freeman revisits the 2009 action film G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra and finds it better than its reputation. 
  
• Hannah J. Davies interviews the cast of Cruel Summer. 
• Inverse interviews Henry Golding, star of Snake Eyes.
  
• Michael Hogan interviews David Thewlis, who appeared in the Harry Potter movies, Wonder Woman, Fargo and many others.  
  
• Tess McClure reports that They Are Us, a planned film about the 2019 islamophobic shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, has been put on hold following protests.
• Ryan Gilbey reports how the children of blaxploitation directors Melvin van Peebles and Perry Henzell are rescuing and preserving their fathers' work.
  
• The Guardian reports that actor Bob Odenkirk, star of Better Call Saul, has collapsed on set and was taken to hospital. 
• The Guardian also reports that Bob Odenkirk is in stable condition after a heart-related incident.
  
• Australian actress Mary Ward, best known for her role in Prisoner: Cell Block H, has died aged 106.
  

 

Comments on Stillwater: 

• Jesse Hassenger calls Stillwater an unusual crime drama. 
• Marah Eakin interviews Matt Damon, star of Stillwater.
  

 

Comments on Riders of Justice:

• Wendy Ide calls Riders of Justice an oddly life-affirming revenge comedy.
  
• Steve Rose calls Riders of Justice a far-fetched revenge thriller. 

 

Comments on Why Women Kill:

• Gwen Ihnat shares her thoughts on the season 2 finale of Why Women Kill.
• Gwen Ihnat interviews Marc Cherry, creator of Why Women Kill.
  

 

Comments on Jungle Cruise:

• Peter Bradshaw calls Jungle Cruise a predictable action film. 
• Jesse Hassenger calls Jungle Cruise and effects heavy African Queen remake based on a Disney theme park ride. 
• Valerie Complex praises the chemistry between Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt in Jungle Cruise.
  
• Mara Renstein interviews Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, stars of Jungle Cruise.  
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw declares that Disney is still mishandling gay characters in Jungle Cruise.
  

 

Comments on Black Widow and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general (spoilers):

• Bill Capossere calls Black Widow enjoyable, but not the best Marvel movie. 
• Sam Barsanti reports that Scarlet Johansson is sueing Disney over the simultaneous release of Black Widow in cinemas and on streaming.
  
• Jeremy Mathai reports that Hawkeye and Ms. Marvel will premiere on Disney Plus later this year.
• Molly Templeton reports that Hawkeye will debut around Thanksgiving. 
• Watch a trailer for What If?
  
• Watch a trailer for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
  

 

Comments on The Suicide Squad:

• Peter Bradshaw calls The Suicide Squad an eyeball blitzing supervillain film.
• Katie Rife calls The Suicide Squad vulgar, immature and gratuitous, which is what's great about it.  
• Charles Pulliam-Moore declares that The Suicide Squad has put the DC Cinematic Universe back on track after the lackluster first movie.
  
• Tara Brady interviews James Gunn, director of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and The Suicide Squad. 
  
• Charles Pulliam-Moore interviews Beth Mickle, production designer for The Suicide Squad.

 

Comments on Enemies of the State:

• Mike D'Angelo calls Enemies of the State a whistleblower documentary where nothing is as it seems. 
• David Smith shares the twisty true story behind the documentary Enemies of the State.  

 

Awards: 

• The winners of the 2021 Shamus Awards have been announced. 
• The shortlist for the 2021 Ned Kelly Awards has been announced.
• The shortlist for the 2021 Davitt Awards has been announced.
  

 

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Terry Roberts shares a recipe for hardboiled fiction.
• Meg Tilly shares rules for writing romantic suspense.
• Ann Langley explains how summer influences her writing. 
• Scott Oden talks about writing and hope.
• Lincoln Michel asks if characters necessarily have to change. 
• Dea Poirier explains how she builds fictional worlds, even though she has aphantasia. 
• Jenny Milchman recounts how she became a thriller author.
  
• Barry Hoffman, publisher of Gauntlet Press, explains how they handle limited editions signed by the author.
  

 

Interviews:

• Caroline Carpenter interviews L.J. Ross. 
• Stephen J. Golds interviews Trevor Wood.
  
• Johanna Thomas-Corr interviews Leila Slimani.
• Lesa Holstine interviews Dianne Freeman.
• Brad Shreve interviews Chris Holcombe. 
• Marshal Zeringue interviews Hilary Davidson.
  
• Alan Petersen inteviews M.J. Polelle.
• Ayo Onatade interviews Maria Reijt. 
• Ayo Onatade interviews Jean Harker.
  
• Stephen J. Golds interviews Chandler Morrison.
  

Reviews:

• Adam Colclough reviews Mimic by Daniel Cole. 
• For Winter Nights reviews Hostage by Clare Mackintosh.
  
• Alasdair Stuart reviews Dog Rose Dirt by Jen Williams.
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Dog Rose Dirt by Jen Williams. 
• Paul Gitsham reviews Traitors by Alex Shaw.
  
• Michael Jecks reviews The Saboteur by Simon Conway. 
• Doreen Sheridan reviews The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish.
  
• Michael Jecks reviews A Cursed Place by Peter Hanington. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Good Neighbours by Sarah Langan.
  
• Doreen Sheridan reviews For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing.
  
• Stephen Thornley reviews The Good Death by S.D. Sykes.
  
• Beth Kanell reviews Clark and Division by Naomi Hirara. 
• Lesa Holstine reviews A Fiancée's Guide to First Wives and Murder by Dianne Freeman. 
• Sonja van der Westhuizen reviews Mammon in Malmö by Torquil MacLeod.
  
• Lesa Holstine reviews Murder in Connemara by Carlene O'Connor. 
• Doreen Sheridan reviews Draw and Order by Cheryl Hollon and tries a recipe from the book. 
• Doreen Sheridan reviews A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones.
  
• Doreen Sheridan reviews The Cider Shop Rules by Julie Anne Lindsey.
  
• Beth Kanell reviews A Scone of Contention by Lucy Burdette.
• Lesa Holstine reviews Much Ado About Nauticaling by Gabby Allan.
• Tobias Carroll reviews Midnight, Water City by Chris McKinney. 
• Mark Yon reviews V2 by Robert Harris. 
• Sandra Mangan reviews Fatal Infraction by Kevin G. Chapman. 
• Kathryn Hughes reviews The Truth About Lies: A Taxonomy of Deceit, Hoaxes and Cons by Aja Raden.
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Bending The Willow: Jeremy Brett As Sherlock Holmes by David Stuart Davies.

 

Classics reviews:

• Curtis Evans revisits the 1935 mystery Deathblow Hill by Phoebe Atwood Taylor.
  
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1950 suspense novel Do Evil in Return by Margaret Millar.
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1953 crime novella "The Collector Comes After Payday" by Fletcher Flora.
  
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1954 thriller The Woman Is Mine by Harry Whittington.
• Beneath the Stains of Time revisits the 1963 mystery Murder Among Actors by Tom Vervoort.
  
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1966 gothic romance The Secret of Haverly House by Carolyn Bauman.
• Joe Kenney revisits the 1977 Renegade Roe men's adventure novel The Emerald Chicks Caper by L.V. Roper.
  
• Sandie Herron revisits the 2001 legal thriller The Deadhouse by Linda Fairstein.
  

 

Con and event reports:

• Catherine Turnbull reports about the 2021 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Fetsival in Harrogate, Yorkshire.
• Martin Morse Wooster reports about a visit to Planet Word, a museum in Washington DC dedicated to words and language.

 

Research:

• Ben Blum asks why the infamous Stanford prison experiment persists, even though it has been debunked time and again. 
• The BBC reports that a 1989 murder in Las Vegas, Nevada, has finally been solved with the smallest ever amount of DNA.
• Vicki Delany talks about the history of class and tea.
• Dianne Freeman talks about the autocratic and heavy-handed rule of the Romanov dynasty in Imperial Russia.
• Alison Flood reports that a 3600-year-old tablet, which contains part of the epic of Gilgamesh, has been seized from the owners of US chain Hobby Lobby, who wanted to display it in their Bible Museum and has been returned to Iraq.

Free online fiction:

• "Numbers" by Stephen Cook in Shotgun Honey. 
• "The Last Night" by Alisa Cawley in Punk Noir Magazine.
  
• "Uncertain, Texas" by Peggy Healy Parker in Mystery Tribune. 
• "Not Okay, Boomer" by Michael Mallory in Mystery Tribune. 
• "Who Will Miss You, Martin?" by Karen Harrington in Mystery Tribune.
  
• "The Disappearance of Wicked" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
• "Teeter-Totter" by Tom Barlow in The Five-Two.
  

 Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Dexter: New Blood. 
• Watch a trailer for American Rust.
  
• Watch a teaser for Army of Thieves.  
• Watch a trailer for CSI: Vegas. 
• Watch a trailer for The Card Counter. 
  
• Watch a trailer for Blade Runner: Black Lotus.
  

 Odds and ends: 

• Reid Carter reports that there is now a Sopranos themed Monopoly game.