Notes from Low Places

Black and Child and Deighton and Indridason and Paretsky and…

Jason M. — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:04:24 +0000

The Guardian UK has a nice (and lengthy!) roundup of many of the current crop of top-tier crime novelists’ favorite fictional detectives and villains. It’s a good list, but I have to give special notice to Lee Child for calling attention to the most un-Reacher like Martin Beck novels of Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö.

Womanthology

Jason M. — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:54:12 +0000

This is excellent, and the roll call of talent involved is just an amazing thing to behold.

Update: The Twitter Machine informs me that the initial funding goal for the book has been met in about twenty hours. That’s excellent news. Here’s hoping they raise lots more.

CCTV Everywhere

Jason M. — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 20:38:00 +0000

Pics from the Scotland trip.

Oban…

Tobermory…

West coast of Mull…

Edinburgh Castle…

Me and hated IRN-BRU (I never finished the bottle)…

Home Again, Home Again

Jason M. — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 14:17:20 +0000

After two weeks in Scotland. Blogging of one kind or another to resume shortly.

Ending Massey Energy

Jason M. — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 16:25:59 +0000

The notorious energy producer has been absorbed by Alpha Natural Resources. Alpha is, as you might imagine, promising “great things” in terms of safety improvements and environmental protections, but a good start would be just not killing coal miners through a malicious campaign of neglect and corporate stupidity.

Stating the Obvious

Jason M. — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 16:19:48 +0000

“The global war on drugs has failed.”

Here’s the report from the Global Commission on Drug Policy.

Three Westerns

Jason M. — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 16:13:17 +0000

Summer has come crashing into Tennessee, and with it summer movie time. I’m introducing western films to the Good Dr. soon. She’s curious—or, at least, patient—but doesn’t know the genre, really, and her brief encounter with (the tail end of) Rio Bravo was…how do you say?…not good. Making things more difficult, I’ve been limited to three movies. I’d like to hit the Big Classics, of course, while possibly offering a look at different eras and film styles. Also, no goddamn Silverado.

So far, here’s what I’ve got:

1. The Searchers

2. High Noon

3. Unforgiven

4. Shane

5. My Darling Clementine

6. Bad Day at Black Rock

7. Stagecoach

8. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Obvious choices, but that’s kind of the point. I basically think I have to do The Searchers, but I think you could make a case for swapping out the other two for anything else on the list.

When Mystery Novel Covers Attack

Jason M. — Fri, 27 May 2011 16:11:54 +0000

Oh, my. Via Sarah Weinman, I see that the new Ken Bruen novel has a cover:

Words just kinda fail.

Beams Falling

Jason M. — Fri, 27 May 2011 16:05:55 +0000

Today is Dashiell Hammett’s birthday, so be sure to celebrate by sending your lover up for a capital crime.

Crime and Punishment

Jason M. — Tue, 24 May 2011 17:27:20 +0000

Crime is down, despite the recession.

…Adding: Adam Serwer has thoughts on the persistent belief among the commentariat that recessions spur a growth in the crime rate, despite the fact that the available evidence says otherwise.