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May 16, 2012 FM: Don't Ever Get Old by Daniel Friedman Terrie Farley Moran The most unlikely of heroes... May 15, 2012 Fresh Meat: The Dead of Summer by Mari Jungstedt Jordan Foster Nordic Island Crime May 15, 2012 Cryptos Conundrum: New Excerpt Chase Brandon No one had decoded it until now... May 12, 2012 FM: Richard Lloyd Parry's People Who Eat Darkness Richard Z. Santos What happens after the story's over?
From The Blog
May 16, 2012
You can't forget it—It's Chinatown!
John Geraci
May 16, 2012
No Place is Safe: The Perils of Interstellar Crime
Leslie Gilbert Elman
May 15, 2012
Ew. And Also, Ow: Public Naked Unicycling is Illegal.
Crime HQ
May 14, 2012
Westerns of the Sixties: Hombre
Jake Hinkson
May 14, 2012
Walt Disney's Taxi Driver?
Crime HQ
Showing posts by: Crime HQ click to see Crime HQ's profile
Wed
May 16 2012 12:00pm

Maria Bello as Jane Timoney in Prime SuspectWe told you about CBS canceling CSI: Miami, Unforgettable and NY-22, but of course networks all like to do things at the same time, so here are the crime shows that have gone belly up on the other networks and won’t be returning.

ABC: Missing and Charlie’s Angels (blogger Rachel Hyland knew that one would fail by episode 2)

NBC: Awake, Harry’s Law, The Firm (our commenters were split on the pilot), and Prime Suspect (which created controversy)

FOX: Alcatraz (blogger Clare Toohey didn’t care for this one) and The Finder

How do you feel about the cancellations?  Anything you’re going to miss, or is it “good riddance to bad rubbish?”

Tue
May 15 2012 12:00pm

CLICK HERE TO ENTER for a chance to win a trade paper-back copy of People who Eat Darkness by Richard Lloyd Parry.

People Who Eat Darkness by Richard Lloyd ParryClick here to enter for a chance to win!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING. You must be 18 or older and a legal resident of the 50 United States or D.C. to enter. Promotion begins May 15, 2012, at 12 pm ET, and ends May 22, 2012, 11:59 am ET. Void in Puerto Rico and wherever prohibited by law. Click here for details and official rules.

[About the book...]

Tue
May 15 2012 8:45am

Joseph FarleyThe headline pretty much says it all: “Police Arrest Naked Man Riding Unicycle Over Texas Bridge.” But in case you were wondering, no, he wasn’t drunk. And no, he’s not a kid. That’s him at left in his mug shot (courtesy of The Smoking Gun, the mug shot experts, who also have the dashcam record of the incident).

Joseph Farley is forty-five years old and apparently enjoys “the experience of naked unicycling.”

He doesn’t seem to care what other people enjoy, however. Or, more to the point, what they probably don’t enjoy, like being forced to watch him take his afternoon constitutional with his dangly bits swaying hither and yon.

Mon
May 14 2012 2:30pm

David Caruso as CSI:Miami’s Horatio CaineCaine disappears into the sunset?! Considering its crime shows, CBS has just announced that it’s pulling down the shades on Poppy Montgomery’s Unforgettable, which wasn’t unpopular, but suffered in comparison to blockbusting shows. Rookie cop drama NYC-22 also fell off the pier and, after a gigundous ten seasons, stalwart CSI: Miami.

Still enjoying a place in the sun are several upcoming crime series, including the modern Sherlock-in-NYC of Elementary, Vegas (perhaps sadly, not with awesome Dan Tanna, but a 1960s crime drama based on a real sheriff), and cop-to-commissioner story Golden Boy.

Perhaps you’d argue, but if Archie Bunker’s chair belongs in the Smithsonian, don’t Horatio Caine’s shades? Of course, we’ll always savor Scott D. Parker’s spirited explanation of why CSI:Miami was beloved by its fans, but if you haven’t seen this in a while, let’s enjoy this sunset-kissed montage together.

Hat tips: Zap2it and Omnimystery News

Mon
May 14 2012 8:45am

In the world of mash-ups, there’s weird and then there’s Walt Disney’s Taxi Driver.

Sun
May 13 2012 12:00pm

Bill Paxton in The Hatfields and the McCoysMemorial Day is a day to remember. This year, the History Channel wants you to remember one of bloodiest feuds in history, that between the Hatfield family and the McCoy family. Perhaps you don’t recall the exact details of the feud, in which case you may want to check out Tony Hays’s excellent refresher.

Below, you will find the theatrical trailer for the miniseries. (As an aside, I really like this trend of doing television trailers for big premieres in the theater.) And the History Chanel has poured serious bucks into the production. It stars Kevin Costner, Bill Paxton, Tom Berenger, Powers Boothe, and Mare Winningham. That’s some star power for a miniseries!

So, will you watch?

Fri
May 11 2012 12:00pm

CLICK HERE TO ENTER for a chance to win an Uncorrected Advanced Reader’s Copy of Cliff Walk by Bruce DeSilva.

Cliff Walk by Bruce DeSilvaClick here to enter for a chance to win!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING. You must be 18 or older and a legal resident of the 50 United States or D.C. to enter. Promotion begins May 11, 2012, at 12 pm ET, and ends May 18, 2012, 11:59 am ET. Void in Puerto Rico and wherever prohibited by law. Click here for details and official rules.

[About the book...]

Fri
May 11 2012 8:45am

Last weekend, The Avengers broke box office records. So maybe you want another Avengers-style treat. Some enterprising soul has created this hilarious trailer out of silly ’70s television superhero shows. It’s the perfect start to a weekend!

Tue
May 8 2012 12:00pm

Sorry, this sweepstakes has ended.

Stay tuned on our Sweepstakes page for more offers!

The Brothers of Baker Street and The Baker Street Letters by Michael RobertsonClick here to enter for a chance to win!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING. You must be 18 or older and a legal resident of the 50 United States or D.C. to enter. Promotion begins May 8, 2012, at 12 pm ET, and ends May 15, 2012, 11:59 am ET. Void in Puerto Rico and wherever prohibited by law. Click here for details and official rules.

[About the books...]

Tue
May 8 2012 8:45am

Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone, police chief of Paradise, MassachusettsThe next installment of the Jesse Stone movies airs on CBS Sunday, May 20th. These films—starring and produced by Tom Selleck and based upon the novels by Robert B. Parker—have consistently been fan favorites among book-to-screen TV adaptations. But will Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt be the last one?

According to Jay Bobbin at Zap2it, maybe, and almost certainly at CBS. Selleck explains:

“Bless them, they’ve done eight of these and they always perform far above what’s normally in the time slot, but they are constantly perplexed: ‘We’re not in the two-hour movie business.’ That being said, that’s not the end of Jesse, or at least I don’t think so. There are a lot of other entities, whether cable or even feature films, but this is most likely the last one on CBS. I’m not done with the character, though.”

So, enjoy the next movie (and the trailer below) because there are doubts as to where Jesse will turn up next!

Mon
May 7 2012 8:45am

Hitchcock Bond mashupOver at the endlessly fascinating Letters of Note, they have a telegram from Ian Fleming to Eric Ambler, asking Ambler to see whether his friend Alfred Hitchcock might be interested in directing the first Bond flick. Hitch was busy with Psycho, so the answer was no, but isn’t it something to imagine?

You can read the whole telelgram at Letters of Note. In part, it reads:

WOULD HITCHCOCK BE INTERESTED IN DIRECTING THIS FIRST BOND FILM IN ASSOCIATION WITH XANADU QUERY PLENTIFUL FINANCE AVAILABLE STOP

Ah, yes. Plentiful finance. Those were the days.

Sun
May 6 2012 6:30pm

Our pals at Omnimystery News, who brought this funny teaser to our attention, note wryly that it’s “really really brief.”

That’s one way to put it! Mostly big words and names spelled in red letters, as for actual footage of the look and feel of the show, don’t blink or you’ll miss four whole seconds of a slivered face. Revolver, lips, eyes, not to mention some distressed wood framing it and a hint of mustache. Okay, he’s right-handed. There’s also a shout for police.  Unless there’s something subliminal, guess we’re not good enough detectives to deduce anything further, and we’re not sure it merits the Zapruder treatment.  What do you take away?

We’ve been unabashed about our anticipation for Copper here at Criminal Element. In return for this teaser, we’re happy to tease back, because this stingy clip is a bit ridiculous. We sure hope BBC America will get more generous with the sights and sounds already!

Fri
May 4 2012 2:30pm

Cowboy by Nate Cosby and drawn by Chris EliopoulosYes, Marvel’s Avengers comes out today, but the comic book world is only just getting going this weekend. If you really want to get into that comic book groove, then tomorrow you’ll be celebrating Free Comic Book Day! Thousands of stores are now participating worldwide, giving away millions of comics each year. So use the participating store locator and start reading! Maybe it’s all the talk about Justified and The Magnificent Seven, but the comic above caught our eyes right away.

Cow Boy is written by Nate Cosby & drawn by Chris Eliopoulos. It’s about a 10 year-old turned bounty hunter, determined to send his entire outlaw family to jail.  This one will be part of a unique giveaway by Archaia, who’s including it with other comics in a hardback volume. But wherever you are and whatever injustice or payback story floats your boat, don’t forget to pick up your free comics tomorrow!

Thu
May 3 2012 1:00pm

Donald Ray Pollack, The Devil All The TimeOne of coolest things about the Spinetingler Awards is the recognition that there’s not just one great book a year and that comparing relative newcomers to the field to legends is a tough bet. Thus the categories of “New Voice” (those who have published 1-3 books), “Rising Star” (4-8 books) and “Legend” (9+ books). We told you about the Spinetingler nominees back in March, and yesterday the winners were announced. Congratulations to all on a fine job!

 

 

Best Novel: New Voice
The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock

Best Novel: Rising Star
All the Young Warriors by Anthony Neil Smith

Best Novel: Legend
A Drop of the Hard Stuff by Lawrence Block

Best Short Story Collection
Volt by Alan Heathcock

Best Anthology
Beat to a Pulp: Hardboiled edited by David Cranmer & Scott D. Parker

Best Mystery/Crime Comic or Graphic Novel
— 99 Days by Matteo Casali & Kristian Donaldson

Best Crime Fiction Publisher
— New Pulp Press

David Thompson Community Leader Award
Musings of an All Purpose Monkey (Elizabeth White)

Best Zine
Crime factory

Best Short Story on the Web
— “Either Way it Ends with a Shovel” by David Jones Keaton from Crimefactory (link is to a pdf of the full issue)

Best Cover
Noir at the Bar

and last, but definitely not least...

The Fireball Award for Best Opening Line
— “This is Detroit, so welcome to the jungle.” from In Nine Kinds of Pain by Leonard Fritz

Again, congratulations to all and may you keep our spines a-tingle for years to come!

Thu
May 3 2012 8:45am

From the amazing and hilarious (if rude, crude, and occasionally completely unacceptable) Tumblr, Texts from Dog.

Text from Dog: Reward scheme comic

1. He doesn’t understand the concept of money or ownership. Well, except that he will happily “mark” anything you steal, which will lead the police right to both of you when his DNA shows up everywhere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text From Dog Cartoon: Gandalf2. He is easily distracted, regardless of what he’s supposed to be doing. Unless, of course, you are stealing something edible, in which case the bounty won’t make it to your car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text From Dog cartoon: Zombie Pigeon and Batdog3. Regardless of what he believes, he does not have superpowers. And, really, do you want the molding corpses of smaller animals along for the ride when you take off, tires screeching, Batdog’s ears flying back as he sticks his head out the window?

Wed
May 2 2012 1:00pm

The third (and final) trailer for The Dark Knight Rises is out. The movie comes to theaters July 20, and there has been a full court press on teasers and trailers. I have to admit, it’s working on me slowly but surely. What about you?

Mon
Apr 30 2012 2:30pm

Malice DomesticThis past weekend was the Malice Domestic conference, whose motto is “If traditional mysteries are your cup of tea...” And, as they do annually, they gave out the Agatha Awards for the best published in 2011:

 

 

Three Day Town by Margaret Maron

 

Best Novel: Three Day Town by Margaret Maron

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learning to Swim by Sara J. Henry

 

Best First Novel: Learning to Swim by Sara J. Henry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Books, Crooks, and Counselors by Leslie Budewitz

 

Best Non-Fiction: Books, Crooks and Counselors: How to Write Accurately About Criminal Law and Courtroom Procedure by Leslie Budewitz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disarmed by Dana Cameron, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazone, June 2011

 

Best Short Story: “Disarming” by Dana Cameron, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Black Heart Crypt by Chris Grabenstein

 

Best Children’s/Young Adult: The Black Heart Crypt by Chris Grabenstein

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Naughty in Nice by Rhys Bowen

 

Best Historical Novel: Naughty in Nice by Rhys Bowen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is always a fun conference with a special appeal for cozy and traditional mystery lovers, and the winners are voted by attendees. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees!

Mon
Apr 30 2012 8:45am

Book Cupcakes from London Bakery, Victoria’s Kitchen

This gives a whole new meaning to “devouring books.” These cupcakes are from London bakery Victoria’s Kitchen and look good enough to eat. We’re torn between wanting to gobble these up and shelving them!

Fri
Apr 27 2012 1:00pm

A few weeks ago we presented to you the Cumberb-otter sensation. Now we’re gearing up for a whole new season of Sherlock on PBS in just about a week and as we prepared our pipes and hunting hats, we happened to Google Sherlock and what to our wondering eyes should appear but... Sherlock pick-up lines. It tickled us so much that we thought we’d share a few here. Give us your best Sherlock Pick-Up Lines in the comments!

[I would follow you anywhere, even with a psychosomatic limp.]