The famously acerbic author, poet, and alcoholic Charles Bukowski once said, “Without literature, life is hell.” Sure, he was likely drunk and didn’t remember saying it, but that doesn’t make the quote any less profound. Great works of fiction entertain and inspire. They educate and heal. Yes, even crime fiction. In fact, especially crime fiction.…
Regardless of characters, setting, or storyline, a single word always comes to mind when I read a Michael Connelly novel: authenticity. The details of how Harry Bosch, Mickey Haller, and Renée Ballard investigate crimes, identify suspects, and interact with their colleagues always withstand scrutiny. In a recent review of Connelly’s newest book The Night Fire,…
At a time when extremism seems to be on the rise on both sides of the American political spectrum, it is worth noting the arch words of Tom Wolfe: “the dark night of fascism is always descending in the United States and yet lands only in Europe.” The recent experience of Sweden arguably bears this…
This week's guest columnist is Lisbeth Salander, who's a hacker but not a hack, Wasp but not a WASP, and an all-around tough-as-nails badass. Dear Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Recently, I found out that someone whom I had believed to have died, my uncle, is more than likely still alive. The story I…
My TBR confessions include the world’s favorite tattooed Swedish hacker, disease-ridden murderous blonde women, and a drunken woman sitting on a locomotive. CURRENTLY READING: The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz I was absolutely enthralled with the original Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson, so when I found out that David Lagcrantz had been…
An observation I had in my years working for Sports Illustrated: athletes and the heroes of crime fiction have much in common, but most simply this—a ruthless clarity of purpose and an ability to perform at their best when the action reaches its climax. Below I’ve assembled a football team populated by great characters from…
Open Grave by Kjell Eriksson is the 6th Nordic mystery featuring Police Inspector Ann Lindell where a Nobel Prize winner is greeted with jealousy and violence (available July 14, 2015). I don’t have a great deal of experience with Scandinavian authors. I have read the Stieg Larsson novels. And I’ve read a couple books by…
The reputation of Scandinavian thrillers has really taken off in recent years. Stieg Larson was the first author to gain international fame, but other writers such as Jo Nesbø, Henning Mankell, and Camilla Läckberg are equally well regarded. At the moment, there’s also a great deal of Scandinavian crime drama available on television and given…
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!
Back in December, we told you that Denise Mina had taken on the project of adapting Steig Larsson’s work for graphic novels. The full comic of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo won’t be out until November, but as of yesterday ComiXology has a free first chapter preview (you do have to create an account…
