Crime Fiction Links of the Week for October 28, 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 The Killer, Killers of the Flower Moon, season 2 of Our Flag Means Death, the SAG-AFTRA strike, tributes to Richard Roundtree and Marv Lachman and much more:

Crime fiction in general:  

• Crime Reads shares ten new crime novels coming out this week. 
• Crime Reads share their favourite debut crime novels coming out in October.
  
• Katharine Schellman shares five new Christmas mysteries.
  
• Paul French shares crime novels set in Las Vegas, Nevada. 
• Stephanie Barron shares seven great mystery novels with academic settings.
  
• Vanessa Riley explains how the soap operas Dallas and Dynasty influenced her mystery novels.
  
• Dann McDormann shares the classic mysteries that inspired his new crime novel. 
• Amanda Craig declares that the intellectual relationship between Harriet Vane and Lord Peter Wimsey is at the heart of Dorothy L. Sayers' work
  
• Ronald E. Franklin wonders whether Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason and his secretary Della Street were ever romantically involved.
• Maria Fabrá reports that according to Spanish criminology professor Vicente Garrido and criminal lawyer Virgilio Latorre, nineteenth century gothic fiction foreshadowed modern concepts of medical psychopathy and the characteristics of serial killers.
  
• Birdie Pearson-Jones reports that singer Taylor Swift is suspected of being Elly Conway, the pseudonymous author of the meta spy novel Argylle.
  
• Crime fiction reviewer and scholar Marv Lachman has died aged 91. 
• J. Kingston Pierce remembers Marv Lachman. 
• Molly Templeton talks about managing reading expectations. 
  

 

Film and TV:

• Hector DeJean calls season 3 of Lupin extravagant, spectacular and occasionally hard to believe
• Paul Hirons shares his thoughts on series 1 of Bodies.
  
• Peter Bradshaw calls Retribution the sort of action thriller Liam Neeson is known for.
  
• Manuel Betancourt calls Pain Hustlers a satire that misses the mark.
  
• Lucy Mangan wonders whether the documentary The Met: Policing London should have been made at all, given the many scandals at the London Metropolitan Police
• Julia Sirmons calls The Pigeon Tunnel an intimate and illuminating documentary about the late John Le Carré. 
• Paul Hirons shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Long Shadow. 
• Terence Towles Canote revisits the 1958 detective series 77 Sunset Strip for its 65th anniversary. 
• Steve Aldous revisits the short-lived 1973 TV incarnation of classic black detective Shaft. 
• Gus Mitchell revisits the 1973 crime thriller Badlands.
  
• Nat Segaloff revisits the 1983 gangster film Scarface and recounts how it was discovered by audiences of colour and turned into a cult film.
  
• Nick Kolakowski shares five films about existential assassins.
• Michael Gonzales shares his appreciation for the neo noir movies of Alan Rudolph 
  
• Tara Conlan interviews producer Barbara Broccoli about the future of James Bond on screen.
• The Guardian interviews Richard Armitage, star of The Hobbit trilogy, Spooks and many others as well as debut crime fiction author. 
  
• Ryan Gilbey shares an obituary for the late Burt Young.
  

 

Comments on The Killer:

• Peter Bradshaw calls The Killer a terrific David Fincher thriller about a philosophising hitman 
• Brent Simon calls The Killer an off target thriller and praises the performance of Michael Fassbender. 
• Steve Rose interviews David Fincher, director of The Killer.
  

 

Comments on Killers of the Flower Moon:

• Hugh Verheylewegen calls Killers of the Flower Moon an excellent and very well crafted film
• Emma Keates reports that Apple Original Films has defended Brendan Fraser's controversial performance in Killers of the Flower Moon. 
  
• Steve Vertlieb reminds everybody that the true case behind Killers of the Flower Moon was already filmed once in 1959 as The FBI Story.
  

 

Comments on season 2 of Our Flag Means Death:

• Jenna Scherer shares her thoughts on "Mermen", the season 2 finale of Our Flag Means Death.
• Saloni Gajjar interviews David Jenkins, showrunner of Our Flag Means Death. 
• Linda Codega also interviews David Jenkins.

 

Tributes to Richard Roundtree:

• Actor Richard Roundtree, star of Shaft, Roots, City Heat, Q - The Winged Serpent, Earthquake and many others, has died aged 81.
• Steve Rose recounts how Richard Roundtree and his black action hero Shaft changed culture forever.  
• Ryan Gilbey shares an obituary for Richard Roundtree.
  
• Steve Aldous remembers Richard Roundtree.
  
• Abené Clayton shares tributes to Richard Roundtree. 
• The Guardian shares photos from Richard Roundtree's long career.
  

 

Comments on the SAG-AFTRA strike:

• Justin Carter reports that after one hundred days, SAG-AFTRA is still fully committed to the strike.
• SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher weighs in on one hundred days of strike and the studios' continued refusal to negotiate. 
• Linda Codega reports that the SAG-AFTRA strike continues in the face of various networks and streaming services threatening to cancel TV shows.
  
• Justin Carter reports that SAG-AFTRA and the studios will resume negotiations this week. 
• Gene Maddaus reports that the studios are preparing a new offer to SAG-AFTRA.
  
• Justin Carter also reports that SAG-AFTRA has issued guidelines regarding acceptable Halloween costumes for members. 
• Ethan Shanfeld reports that former SAG-AFTRA president Melissa Gilbert has slammed the Halloween costume guidelines as silly bullshit.

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 2023 Macavity Awards have been announced.
• The winners of the 2023 Will Rogers Medallion Awards have been announced.
  

 

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Lincoln Michel shares some tips for evoking the eerie in fiction.
• Cass Morris shares worldbuilding tips for NaNoWriMo.
  
• Ella Creamer reports that Salman Rushdie has said that writers should be allowed to write about characters and events outside their experience, otherwise the novel is dead. 
• Lincoln Michel talks about bad criticisms and variations on the death of the author.
  
• SFWA shares some tips for establishing and using a pen name. 
• Alex Shvartsman explains why anonymous submissions are a bad idea.
  
• Victoria Strauss explains why Writer Beware does not recommend or endorse agents or publishers. 
• The Publishing Rodeo Podcast explains why some books just don't sell. 
  
• Kalyeena Makortoff reports that the publishers Bloomsbury reports record profits for the first half of 2023 due to the ongoing fantasy boom and the popularity of Sarah J. Maas, Samantha Shannon and Harry Potter.
  
• Chris Vognar profiles the mystery bookshop Murder by the Book in Houston, Texas. 
• Matthew Weaver reports about a plagiarism scandal involving British Labour politician Rachel Reeves.
  
• Fiona Morgan reports that more than one hundred books have been removed from school libraries in Boyle County, Kentucky, in response to a new anti-LGBTQ law. 
• Jess Clark also reports about the book banning in Boyle County, Kentucky. 
• Linda Codega reports that children's book publisher Scholastic has reversed the decision requiring schools to opt in to offering diverse books, i.e. books by and featuring people of colour and LGBTQ+ people, for Scholastic's school book fairs.

 

Interviews: 

• Paulette Cohn interviews Michael Connelly.
  
• Andrew Limbong interviews John Grisham.
• Paul Burke interviews Harriet Crawley.
• Debbi Mack interviews Kristen Bird.
  
• The Girl With All The Crime Books interviews E.S. Thompson,
• Jenna Bartoy interviews Dann McDorman 
• Paul Burke interviews Martin Patience.
  
• E.B. Davis interviews Heather Weidner.
  
• Tim Adams interviews Adam Sisman.
• Shane Whaley interviews Liza Mundy.
  

Reviews:

• BOLO Books reviews The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen.
• Mary Picken reviews Nowhere to Hide by Max Luther 
  
• Mandie Griffiths reviews See No Evil by David Fennell
• Lesa Holstine reviews Some of Us Are Looking by Carlene O'Connor.
  
• Aunt Agatha's reviews Some of Us Are Looking by Carlene O'Connor.
• Lesa Holstine reviews Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger
  
• Blue Book Balloon reviews White As Snow by Lilja Sigurðardóttir, translated by Quentin Bates.
• The Book Decoder reviews A Lonesome Blood-Red Sun by David Putnam
  
• Dave's Pulp and Mystery Reads reviews Too Many Bullets by Max Allan Collins 
• Oline H. Cogdill reviews Come With Me by Erin Flanagan
  
• Tzer Island reviews Distant Sons by Tim Johnston
  
• Jen Lucas reviews The Heights by Parker Bilal
  
• Marlene Harris reviews Keep by Anna Hackett
• Colleen Mondor reviews Rook by William Ritter   
• The Quick and the Read reviews Jackdaw by Daniel Cole
  
• Jen Lucas reviews Stigma by Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger, translated by Megan Turney. 
• Raven Crime Reads reviews Stigma by Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger, translated by Megan Turney. 
  
• Paul Burke reviews The Exploit by Daniel Scanlan
• Susan O'Bryan reviews The Exchange by John Grisham.
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Later by Stephen King. 
• Linda M. Castellitto reviews West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman
  
• Andrew Smith reviews Beirut Station by Paul Vidich. 
• Publishers Weekly reviews Thirteen Question Method by David L. Ulin 
• Doreen Sheridan reviews Your Lonely Nights Are Over by Adam Sass
  
• Sonja van der Westhuizen reviews This is How We End Things by R.J. Jacobs
• Doreen Sheridan reviews This is How We End Things by R.J. Jacobs 
• Joseph B. Hoyos reviews With Regrets by Lee Kelly
• Doreen Sheridan reviews The Spanish Diplomat’s Secret by Nev March
• Pamela Kramer reviews A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly
  
• Beth Kanell reviews Jane and the Final Mystery by Stephanie Barron.
  
• Doreen Sheridan reviews Enola Holmes And The Mark Of The Mongoose by Nancy Springer 
• Kirkus reviews Hercule Poirot's Silent Night by Sophie Hannah. 
• The Book Decoder reviews The Body in Seven Dials by H. L. Marsay
  
• Aunt Agatha's reviews Murder in Drury Lane by Vanessa Reilly.   
• Aunt Agatha's reviews Murder on Mistletoe Lane by Clare McKenna. 
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel reviews The Twelve Days Of Murder by Andreina Cordani
  
• Lesa Holstine reviews The Twelve Books of Christmas by Kate Carlisle 
• Jen Lucas reviews The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett   
  
• Erin Britton reviews The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett   
• BOLO Books reviews The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett  
  
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel reviews The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett 
  
• Aunt Agatha's reviews Snow Place for Murder by Diane Kelly. 
• The Shelf of Unread Books reviews Mrs Sidhu’s Dead and Scone by Suk Pannu
  
• Doreen Sheridan reviews Grave Expectations by Alice Bell
  
• Doreen Sheridan reviews A Tall Dark Trouble by Vanessa Montalban
• Lesa Holstine reviews Dangerous Women by Mark de Castrique
  
• BOLO Books reviews Murder on the Orient Express The Graphic Novel by Agatha Christie, adapted and illustrated by Bob Al-Greene
• John Simpson reviews A Death in Malta by Paul Caruana Galizia 
• Lesa Holstine reviews Wandering through Life by Donna Leon
  
  

Classics reviews:

• Happiness is a Book revisits the 1941 Ann Thorne mystery Murder of a Novelist by Sally Wood.
• Alpha-60 Books revisits the 1958 crime novel Night Lady by William Campbell Gault
• Martin Edwards revisits the 1963 Carolus Deene mystery Crack of Doom a.k.a. Such is Death by Leo Bruce.
  
• Joe Kenney revisits the 1966 Nick Carter: Killmaster men's adventure novel The Terrible Ones by Valerie Moolman.
• James Reasoner revisits the 1967 thriller Acapulco G.P.O. by Day Keene.
  
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel revisits the 1979 holiday mystery The Twelve Death Of Christmas by Marian Babson
  

 

Con and event reports:

• Claire Moses reports about the proliferation of Jack the Ripper tours in Whitechapel, London, UK.
• Ella Creamer reports about the Black British Book Festival in London, UK. 
• Kristine Kathryn Rusch explains why she rarely attends book festivals.
  
• Kelly Burke reports about an interview with Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker at SXSW Sydney in Sydney, Australia.

 

Research: 

• Cara Ocobock and Sarah Lacy point out that the theory that men evolved to hunt and women evolved to gather is just plain wrong.
• Emma Smith wonders whether our attention spans are really getting shorter. 
• Kenny Biddle talks about his life as a paranormal investigator. 
  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "The Locked Coffin: A Judge Dee Mystery" by Lavie Tidhar in Tor.com.
• "The Big Nap" by Dave Agans in Shotgun Honey.
• "Patience and Rage" by Beau Johnson in Shotgun Honey.
• "Smaller Fries" by Beau Johnson in Shotgun Honey.
  

 

Trailer and videos: 

• Watch a trailer for series 8 of Shetland.
• Watch a trailer for Eileen. 
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Dr. Death.