Smatterings

Add Janet Maslin to the list of those who are big Martin Cruz Smith fans.

Patrick Anderson runs out of patience with Bernard Schlink's second Self novel.

New York Magazine picks thrillers to buy, wait for paperback or skip altogether.

Nick Stone talks to Chauncey Mabe about Haiti, the influence of Pelecanos and Peckinpah and the US release of MR. CLARINET.

The Detroit News has a lengthy piece on Elmore Leonard's Detroit as seen through his novels.

The Bookseller talks to Minette Walters about her upcoming novel, THE CHAMELEON'S SHADOW.

Alex Good comments on the state of book criticism in Canada. (via)

Ali Karim gives his Dagger Awards report to the Rap Sheet.

And finally, this is an anniversary worth celebrating. (thanks, Keith!)

Comments

[Graham Powell]

Meh. ONE FROGGY EVENING was better.

[Constance]

I am very happy to hear about a new Minette Walters (although the last one was so disturbing I couldn't recommend it to my nightmare-prone sisters, and this one also sounds traumatic). I do admire the fact that she does something few authors do: write a completely book each time. Of course, I also realize that publishers discourage this. It is doubtless why MW has not taken off in the US, where sales at mass merchandisers almost require the same novel every year, so much as in the UK.

I just enjoyed Hank Phillippi Ryan's novel, Prime Time, after attending a reading two weeks ago. Perhaps you mentioned it first? The Boston setting was fun too.

[anne]

But Janet Maslin ALWAYS tells you more than you should know before reading a book! What's the point of reading it after reading her review????