Crime Fiction Links of the Week for February 18, 2023

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 Sharper, Better, Poker Face, series 4 of You, tributes to Raquel Welch and much more:

Crime fiction in general:  

• Laura Wilson shares a round-up of the best recent crime novels and thrillers.
  
• Crime Reads shares ten new crime novels coming out this week. 
• Michelle Hillen Klump shares cozy mysteries set in big cities. 
• Kimberly Giarratano shares her favourite crime novels set in New Jersey.
  
• Lexie Elliott explains why business trips are the perfect premise for a thriller. 
• Michael Robotham explains why so many journalists become crime fiction writers. 
• William Kotzwinkle explains how he failed to become a monk and became a crime fiction writer instead. 
• Frank Sennett shares five crime novels set in the aftermath of various US national traumas. 
• Rachel Koller Croft shares her favourite mysteries and thrillers featuring antiheroes.
  
• Hank Philippi Ryan wonders how it's possible that the partners of criminals sometimes have no idea about what their significant other is doing. 
• Erin Kelly shares classic literary puzzles and treasure hunts.
  
• M.E. Hilliard lists the best and creepiest old houses in fiction. 
• Molly Templeton points out that there is no wrong way to read a book. 
• Several authors share their favourite romance novels at The Guardian. 
• Abe Asher reports that Faleena Hopkins, the romance writer who tried to trademark the word "cocky", has gone missing after a police chase in Grant Teton National Park in Wyoming.  
• Shann Maureen, a relative of Faleena Hopkins shares their side of the story of Hopkins' disappearance. 
  
• Sarah Shaffi reports that John Finnemore will write a sequel to the infamously difficult 1934 puzzle mystery Cain's Jawbone by Edward Powys Mathers.
  
• Dean Jobb explores the real life mystery behind Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat". 
• Mark Davidziak wonders why the mystery of Edgar Allan Poe's death still haunts us. 
  
• Sam Jones and John Bartlett report that an autopsy has shown that Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, already suffering from cancer, was murdered with botulinum toxin in 1973.  
  

 

Film and TV:

• Ray Green calls Marlowe a noir misfire.
  
• Matthew Jackson calls Devil's Peak a bland thriller.
  
• Ellen E. Jones calls The Gold a true crime drama about one of Britain's most shocking robberies. 
• Paul Hirons finds Copenhagen Cowboy far stranger than the crime drama he expected.
  
• Peter Bradshaw calls Nostalgia a bittersweet crime drama from Naples, Italy.
• Rebecca Nicholson calls The Twelve a soapy legal melodrama from Australia.
  
• Phil Hoad calls The Subject a timely but unsubtle crime drama.
  
• Matt Schimkovitz calls Animal Control a lighthearted cop comedy without cops.
  
• Cath Clarke calls Daughter a creepy kidnapping horror film.   
• Swati Sharma finds an unexpected subversive message in the Bollywood action film Pathaan.
  
• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts about the latest episode of Criminal Minds Evolution.
• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts about the latest episodes of Your Honor. 
• Garrick Webster looks ahead at series 5 of Unforgotten.
  
• Jorge Molina shares his favourite movie detectives.
  
• Samantha Jacobs ranks every season of Law and Order.
• J.M. Asmi lists twelve crime movies that won Oscars. 
• Martin Edwards revisits the 1964 crime movie The Third Secret.
  
• Michael Segalov interviews Bruce Dern, star of Silent Running, Family Plot, Black Sunday and many others.  
• io9 interviews Alan Cumming, who appeared X-Men 2, Doctor Who, James Bond: Goldeneye and many others.  
• Stuart Jeffries interviews Vincent Cassel, star of Liaison.
  
• Valerie Ettenhofer explains why preserving TV shows is more important than ever in the age of streaming. 
• Amelia Tait reports about collectors of film and TV memorabilia.
• Laura Barton talks about the Hallmark Channel's romance movie empire. 
  
• The AV-Club share their favourite tragic TV romances.  
• Rob Bricken reports that Warren Beatty will be reprising the role of Dick Tracy 33 years after the original film,  
• The Guardian reports that Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof has been released from prison
• Lottie Elizabeth Johnson shares an update about the health of Jeremy Renner, best known for playing Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, who suffered a serious snow plough accident in January.  
• The Observer reports about the state of the search for actor Julian Sands, who went missing while hiking in California.  
• Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura, director of Carmen, Blood Wedding, Ay Carmela, Peppermint Frappé, Cousin Angelica and many others, has died aged 93.   
• Hugh Hudson, director of Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan and Chariots of Fire, has died aged 86
• Peter Bradshaw shares a tribute to Hugh Hudson. 
• Former child star Austin Majors, best known for his roles in NYPD Blue and Treasure Planet, has died aged only 27.  
• Jeff Vlaming, writer and producer on TV shows such as Northern Exposure, Xena: Warrior Princess, The X-Files, Numb3rs, Hannibal, Fringe, The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. and many others, has died aged 63.  
  

 

Tributes to Raquel Welch: 

• Actress and model Raquel Welch, star of One Million BC, Fantastic Voyage, Lady in Cement, The Three Musketeers and many others, has died aged 82. 
• Anthony Hayward shares an obituary for Raquel Welch. 
• Peter Bradshaw remembers Raquel Welch.
  
• The Guardian shares photos from Raquel Welch's lengthy career. 
  

 

Comments on Sharper:

• Andy Klein calls Sharper a twisty thriller with a great cast. 
• Peter Bradshaw calls Sharper a stylish caper thriller and also praises the cast.
  

 

Comments on Better:

• Rebecca Nicholson declares that the corrupt cop drama Better gets stronger and stronger, as it goes on. 
• Paul Hirons shares his thoughts on the first episode of Better.
  

 

Comments on Poker Face:

• Saloni Gajjar shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Poker Face.
  
• The AV-Club interviews Natasha Lyonne, star of Poker Face.
• Vanessa Armstrong reports that Poker Face has been renewed for a second season.

 

Comments on season 4 of You: 

• Paul Levinson calls season 4 of You weaker than previous seasons.
  
• Jennifer Zhan reports that there are fewer sex scenes in season 4 of You, because star Penn Badgley is uncomfortable filming them.
• Michelle Jaworski reports about a backlash against those who want fewer sex scenes in films and TV shows, sparked by Penn Badgley's comments. 
• Inspired by Penn Badgley no longer wanting to film sex scenes, Adrian Horton bemoans the lack of sex scenes in movies and TV shows, ignoring that many actors don't want to film those and many people don't want to watch them. 
  

 

Awards:

• The finalists for the 2023 PEN America Literary Awards have been announced.
  
• The winners of the 2022 Cybils Awards have been announced.
  
• The longlists for the 2023 Yoto Carnegie Medals have been announced.
  
• The finalists for the 2022 International Film Music Critics Association Awards have been announced.
   

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Karen Schubert talks about the Inklings and the benefits of having other writers to talk to. 
• Anna Stephens talks about doing research. 
• Kristine Kathryn Rusch declares that some writer guarantee their own failure.
  
• SFWA shares tips for securing your author website.
• Leigh Stein sings the praises of BookTok.
  
• Victoria Strauss points out a problematic clause in the Findaway Voices distribution agreement.
  
• Jim Milliot and Emell Derra Adolphus report that an agreement has been reached in the HarperCollins labour dispute.
• Constance Grady explains what the HarperCollins agreement means for the future of books. 
• Sarah Shaffi reports that independent publishers in the UK are thriving in spite of Brexit and the covid pandemic. 
• Emily Rizzo reports that the Central Bucks school district in Pennsylvania is removing more than sixty books from the school library, including many highly acclaimed YA novels, following complaints about sexual content. 
• Jason Stanley declares that banning authors and ideas is not a culture war, it is fascism.
  
• Audiobook pioneer Marianne Mantell has died aged 93.

 

Interviews: 

• Paul Burke interviews Katja Ivar.
• Criminal Element interviews Mark Greaney. 
• Nancie Clare interviews Mariah Fredericks.
  
• John Mauro interviews Fonda Lee. 
  

Reviews:

• Marlene Harris reviews Encore in Death by J.D. Robb.  
• Beth Kanell reviews Encore in Death by J.D. Robb.  
  
• Mary Picken reviews The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths.
  
• Mandie Griffiths reviews Cast Iron by Peter May. 
• Adam Colclough reviews Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway.  
• Jen Lucas reviews Expectant by Vanda Symon.
  
• Mary Picken reviews Red Dirt Road by S.R. White. 
• Doreen Sheridan reviews Locust Lane by Stephen Amidon. 
• Jen Lucas reviews The Chase by Ava Glass.
  
• Jen Lucas reviews The Creek by L.J. Ross.
• Jen Lucas reviews The Dead of Winter by Stuart MacBride. 
• John Valeri reviews The Drift by C.J. Tudor. 
  
• Jen Lucas reviews The Dying Season by Rachel Amphlett. 
• Doreen Sheridan reviews The Hunter by Jennifer Herrera.
  
• Yvonne Ellis reviews Crow 27 by Matt Johnson.
  
• The Book Decoder reviews Fatal Secrets by Anita Waller. 
• Lucy Popescu reviews My Father's House by Joseph O'Connor.
  
• BOLO Books reviews The House Guest by Hank Phillipi Ryan. 
• Russell James reviews The Hand That Feeds You by Mercedes Rosende.
  
• Joseph B. Hoyos reviews Every Missing Girl by Leanne Kale Sparks,
  
• Doreen Sheridan reviews Liar, Dreamer, Thief by Maria Dong. 
• Mike Parker reviews Death of a Dancing Queen by Kimberly G. Giarratano.
  
• Lesa Holstine reviews Before I Sleep by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. 
  
• Michael Jerks reviews Paris Requiem by Chris Lloyd.
  
• Marlene Harris reviews The Cliff's Edge by Charles Todd. 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Silence of Bones by June Hur.
  
• Lesa Holstine reviews Chalice of Darkness by Sarah Rayne. 
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel reviews Dark Queen Wary by Paul Doherty. 
• Doreen Sheridan reviews The Black Queen by Jumata Emill.
  
• Suzy Feay reviews Stolen by Ann-Helén Laestadius, translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews What July Knew by Emily Koch.
  
• John Valeri reviews Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
  
• The Book Decoder reviews A Killer Unleashed by Jackie Layton.
  
• Lesa Holstine reviews Wined and Dined in New Orleans by Ellen Byron. 
  
• Joseph B. Hoyos reviews A Good Day to Pie by Misha Popp.   
• Lesa Holstine reviews The Adventure of the Castle Thief and Other Expeditions and Indiscretions by Art Taylor.
  

 

Classics reviews:

• Bitter Tea and Mystery revisits the 1911 Sherlock Holmes mystery "The Sign of Four" by Arthur Conan Doyle.
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1930 Sam Spade hardboiled detective novel The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett.
  
• Crossexamining Crime revisits the 1931 mystery The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie,
• Crossexamining Crime revisits the 1937 mystery Death of Mr. Dodsley by John Ferguson. 
• Martin Edwards revisits the 1941 Nigel Strangeways mystery The Case of the Abominable Snowman by Nicholas Blake a.k.a. Cecil Day-Lewis.
  
• B.V. Lawson revisits the 1950 mystery Through a Glass, Darkly by Helen McCloy.
  
• Steven Nester revisits the 1951 suspense novel Beat the Devil by James Helvick a.k.a. Claud Cockburn
  
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1957 noir novel Come Night, Come Evil by Jonathan Craig a.k.a. Frank E. Smith. 
• Crossexamining Crime revisits the 1958 mystery The Death Dealers a.k.a. A Whiff of Death by Isaac Asimov. 
• Happiness is a Book revisits the 1963 John Putnam Thatcher mystery A Place for Murder by Emma Lathen.
  
• M. Porcius revisits the 1973 crime novel The Last Cop Out by Mickey Spillane. 
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel revisits the 1976 Inspector Morse mystery Last Seen Wearing by Colin Dexter. 
• Joe Kenney revisits the 1981 The Penetrator men's adventure novel Inca Gold Hijack by Lionel Derrick a.k.a. Chet Cunningham.
  

Con and event reports:

• The programming chair as well as several guests of the 2023 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, Yorkshire, have been announced.
  
• Joy Kluver reports about the Mystery & Menace author event featuring Elly Griffiths and Lesley Thomsen at the West Barnes Library in London, UK.
• Kate Connolly reports that Marco Goecke, ballet director at the Hannover State Opera House in Hannover, Germany, attacked dance critic Wiebke Hüster and smeared her with dog poo. 
• Inspired by the Marco Goecke case, critics of The Guardian report about artists who physically and verbally assaulted them. 
• Tim Crouch reports that regional theatres in the UK are suffering due to covid, rising energy costs and fundings cuts.
• Broadway set designer Eugene Lee, who worked on Wicked, Sweeney Todd and many others, has died aged 83.

 

Research:

• K.L. Cerra talks about poisonous plants and flowers and how they have been used particularly by women to kill.  
• Kathleen Kent talks about her time as an intelligence operative in Belarus in the 1990s.
  
• Susan Wels shares some little known facts about the assassination of US President John Garfield in 1881.
• Lizzy Steiner shares eight true crime podcasts to listen to this winter.
  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Two Wishes" by Simon Berry in Mystery Tribune.
• "Accidental Death" by Rob Pierce in Mystery Tribune. 
• “Exposing The Vast, Crime-Ridden Underbelly of New York City” by Arthur Davis in Mystery Tribune.
• "Rat" by Brandon Barrows in Guilty.
  
• "Hell Bent" by Doug Schlesser in Shotgun Honey.
  
• "Thrilled No More" by Chuck Brownman in Mysteryrat's Maze Podcast.
• "Detective Anne Boleyn" by Susan Breen in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine's Podcast. 
• "Valentine's Day Blind Date - Paulie" by Robert Cooperman in The Five-Two. 
  

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Luther: The Fallen Sun. 
• Watch a trailer for John Wick: Chapter 4. 
  
• Watch a trailer for Swarm. 
• Watch a trailer for Tetris.