Crime Fiction Links of the Week for April 20, 2024

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 Ripley, series 2 of Blue Lights, Soy x Family: Code White, Civil War, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Shogun, Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead and much more:

Crime fiction in general:  

• Crime Reads shares ten new crime novels coming out this week. 
• Alison Flood shares her favourite thrillers of the month. 
• Crime Reads shares their favourite debut crime novel of April 2024. 
• Molly Odintz shares her favourite international crime novels for April 2024.
  
• Molly Odintz lists upcoming true crime book.
  
• Ajay Chowdhury takes a look at how South Asian authors are changing British crime fiction.
  
• Harry Dolan shares five crime novels with dazzling opening scenes. 
• Megan Campisi takes a look at the true crime stories penned by Allan Pinkerton, founder of the eponymous detective agency.
  
• James Davis Nicoll attempts to explain why some readers like "bad" books. 
  
•  Ella Creamer shares Salman Rushdie's comments about the knife attack on him.

Film and TV:

• Tom Philip calls The Sympathizer a spy thriller with a lot to say and just as many dumb jokes 
• Saloni Gajjar calls Under The Bridge a hard-hitting, scattered true-crime drama 
• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the Danish crime drama Fatal Crossing.
• Chris Jenkins shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Astrid: Murder in Paris. 
  
• Hattie Lindert shares her thoughts on part 2 of the true crime drama The Jinx. 
• Diana Keng shares her thoughts on the series finale of Manhunt.
  
• Ian Spelling discusses the art of the training montage
• Olivia Rutigliano shares the ten best sunglass wearers in films and TV shows. 
• Daniel Bessner talks about the threats facing film and TV writers. 
  
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel revisits season 1 of the 2002 mystery series Monk
• Zoe Williams interviews Richard Gadd, writer of Baby Reindeer.
  
• Cinematographer Robin Browne who worked on Krull, The Jewel of the Nile, several Bond movies and many others, has died aged 82.  
• Film maker Eleanor Coppola, wife of Francis Ford Coppola and mother of Sofia Coppola, has died aged 87. 
   

Comments on Ripley: 

• Martin Edwards calls Ripley excellent television
• Paul Hirons shares his thoughts on Ripley.
• Stuart Heritage wonders why Andrew Scott has been cursed with such a terrible wig in Ripley.
  

 

Comments on series 2 of Blue Lights:

• Jack Seale calls series 2 of Blue Lights as beautifully tense as ever
• Michael Hogan calls series 2 of Blue Lights a blistering comeback
• Paul Hirons shares his thoughts on episode 1 of series 2 of Blue Lights.
  

 

Comments on Civil War: 

• Charles Bramesco calls Civil War an empty B-movie masquerading as something of substance
  
• Germain Lussier interviews Alex Garland, director of Civil War.
• io9 interviews Wagner Moura, one of the stars of Civil War. 
• Tatiana Siegel interviews Kirsten Dunst, one of the stars of Civil War. 
• Sarah Shachat shares five war movies which paved the way for Civil War. 
• James Whitbrook reports that the studio A24 has been criticised for using AI-generated ads to promote Civil War.
  

 

Comments on Shogun:

• Meredith Hobbs Coons shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Shogun. 
• Saloni Gajjar interviews Anna Swai who plays Mariko in Shogun.

 

Comments on Spy x Family: Code White:

• Cindy White calls Spy X Family Code: White a delightful and ambitious feature-length film based on the popular anime series. 
• Justin Carter interviews  Megan Shipman and Natalie Van Sistine who play Anya and Yor in Spy x Family: Code White

 

Comments on The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare:

• Benjamin Lee calls The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare a fun wartime romp 
• Lauren Coates declares that even Henry Cavill and Guy Ritchie cannot save The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare from its own banality
• io9 interviews Babs Olusanmokun, one of the stars of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

 

Comments on Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead:

• Liz Coopersmith calls Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead a breezy remake  
• Andrew Lawrence calls Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead a worthwhile comedy remake 
• Matt Schimkovitz revisits the original 1991 Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead.
  

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 2024 Lefty Awards have been announced. 
• The shortlists for the various CrimeFest Awards have been announced.
  
• The winners of the 2023 Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine Readers Awards have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2024 Imadjinn Awards have been announced.  
  
• The winners of the 2024 Colorado Book Awards have been announced.

 

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Philip Miller talks about using ouija boards to fuel creativity
• Sara Koffi talks about writing in difficult times.
  
• Dane Bahr talks about writing while grieving.
• Ethal Rohan explains how her history as an abuse survivor influences her writing.
  
• Jeanne Veillette Bowerman explains how a book becomes a movie and how to spot scams related to this.
• Ella Creamer notes how translators feel their work is threatened by AI. 
• Locus reports that several publishers have joined a lawsuit against a proposed book ban law in Iowa.

 

Interviews: 

• John Valeri interviews Anthony Horowitz.
  
• Paul Burke interviews Stig Abell.
• The Red Hot Chilli Writers interview Erin Young. 
• Marshal Zeringue interviews Karen E. Olson.
  
• Deborah Kalb interviews Kara Thomas.
  
• Stephen J. Golds interviews Wilson Koewing.
• Shane Whaley interviews Jonna Mendez.
  
  

Reviews:

• Gayle Surrette reviews Random in Death by J.D. Robb    
• Jen Lucas reviews The Kitchen by Simone Buchholz, translated by Rachel Ward
• Janet Webb reviews Cheater by Karen Rose
  
• Sharon Richardson reviews Pay Dirt by Sara Paretsky 
  
• BOLO Books reviews One of Us Knows by Alyssa Cole.  
• Aunt Agatha's reviews The Whole Truth by Cara Hunter.
• BOLO Books reviews You Know What You Did by K. T. Nguyen.
• Sarah Reida reviews She’s Not Sorry by Mary Kubica 
• Jeff Ayers reviews She’s Not Sorry by Mary Kubica 
  
• Marilyn Brooks reviews A Fondness for Truth by Kim Hays 
• Crossexamining Crime reviews End of Story by A. J. Finn 
  
• Tzer Island reviews The Darkest Water by Mark Edwards
  
• The Book Decoder reviews  A Killing on the Hill by Robert Dugoni
  
• Mary Picken reviews Death In A Lonely Place by Stig Abell 
• Sandra Mangan reviews A Lesson in Cruelty by Harriet Tyce
  
• Mandie Griffiths reviews Sixteen Horses by Greg Buchanan
  
• Mario Guslandi reviews Into the Night by Cornell Woolrich and Lawrence Block
• John Valeri reviews The Dredge by Brendan Flaherty
• Aubrey Nye Hamilton reviews Nothing But the Bones by Brian Panowich
  
• Jen Lucas reviews Five Bad Deeds by Caz Frear
• D.A. Roll reviews The Underhanded’ by Adam Sikes 
• Andrew Hill reviews The Spy by Ajay Chowdhury 
• Jen Lucas reviews The Silent Wife by Kerry Fisher
  
• Blue Book Ballon reviews The Sleepwalkers by Scarlett Thomas 
• Kirkus reviews Stag by Dane Bahr.
• Ray Palen reviews Black Wolf by Juan Gómez-Jurado 
  
• Lesa Holstine reviews Toxic Prey by John Sandford
  
• BOLO Books reviews The General’s Gold by Lyndee Walker and Bruce Robert Coffin
• Mary Picken reviews The Household by Stacey Halls
  
• Blue Book Balloon reviews Noise Floor by Andrew Cartmel
• Doreen Sheridan reviews How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin
  
• Doreen Sheridan reviews A Catered Quilting Bee by Isis Crawford and tries a recipe from the book.
  
• Janet Webb reviews A Deadly Walk In Devon by Nicholas George
  
• Marlene Harris reviews The House on Widows Hill by Simon R. Green 
  
• Mary Picken reviews The Gathering by C.J. Tudor   
• Rodd Lott reviews James Bond and the Sixties Spy Craze by Thom Shubilla.
  
  

Classics reviews:

• Crossexamining Crime revisits the 1935 Perry Mason mystery The Case of the Caretaker’s Cat  by Erle Stanley Gardner
• Curtis Evans revisits the 1942 noir novel Deadlier Than the Male by James Gunn.
  
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel revisits the 1952 Abercrombie Lewker mystery Death Under Snowdon by Glyn Carr 
• B.V. Lawson revisits the 1953 crime fiction collection The Saint in Europe by Leslie Charteris.
• James Reasoner revisits the 1954 crime novel The Steel Noose by Arnold Drake 
  
• Vintage Pop Fictions revisits the 1958 crime novel Let Me Kill You, Sweetheart by Fletcher Flora 
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1961 crime novel Never Forget, Never Forgive by Clayton Fox. 
• Martin Edwards revisits the 1968 crime novel The Etruscan Net a.k.a. The Family Tomb by Michael Gilbert.
  
• Curtis Evans revisits the 1972 non-fiction book Bloody Murder by Julian Symons. 
• Happiness is a Book revisits the  1974 Carolus Deene mystery Death of a Bovver Boy by Leo Bruce
  
• Joe Kenney revisits the 1981 crime novel The Ripper by William Dobson a.k.a. Michael Butterworth.
  
• Aunt Agatha's revisits the 1994 Mary Russell Holmes historical mystery The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King.
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel revisits the 2008 Mr. Monk mystery Mr Monk is Miserable by Lee Goldberg 
   
  

Con and event reports:

• Mark Coggins shares photos from the 2024 Left Coast Crime convention in Seattle, Washington.
• Ella Creamer reports that the Aye Write literary festival in Glasgow, Scotland, which was cancelled for lack of funding, has been saved due to a donation. 
  

 

Research: 

• Dean Jobs profiles John McCarthy, the legendary con artist who sold the Brooklyn Bridge among many other scams. 
• Josh Young and Manfred Westphal profile Hollywood fixer Frank Otash.
  
• Ben Hooper reports that a Stormtrooper cosplayer on his way to DeeCon in Dundee, Scotland, was arrested at a train station in Aberdeen, Scotland, because people mistook his prop blaster for a real gun. 
• Justin Carter reports that California’s Organized Retail Crime Taskforce busted a ring of Lego thieves.  
• Tom Philip reports that a woman in Brazil has been arrested after taking a corpse to a bank to co-sign for a loan. 
• I.S. Berry explains how moving to Prague in the 1990s led to a career with the CIA.
  
• Todd Lazarski talks about growing up in Buffalo, New York, where O.J. Simpson was revered, until he was charged with a double murder. 
• James T. Bartlett talks about the mysterious disappearance and murder of winemaker Frank Baumgarteker in California in 1929.

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Judge Dee and the Executioner of Epinal" by Lavie Tidhar in Reactor. 
  
• “The Spy” by A.A. Weiss in Mystery Tribune.
  
• "Squashed to Death" by Charlotte Morganti in Mysteryrat's Maze Podcast.
• "Behind The Eyes" by S.D.W. Hamilton in Punk Noir Magazine 
  
• "Be True To Your Bar" by Tabitha Bast in Punk Noir Magazine
  
• "High Impact" by David Milner in Punk Noir Magazine
• "Higher Aspirations" by Bill Baber in Shotgun Honey.
  
• "Asset Protection" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
  

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Trap.