Murderous holidays, history, headlines, triffids

A bit of book news from the past couple of days.

Martin Edwards has a new section of his website devoted to Crippen. I'm not much of a one for true crime as a rule - preferring the fictional explorations of the associated mysteries and effects of such events - but Martin's new book out this month, Dancing for the Hangman, looks pretty intriguing. Read more about it here.

But if fictional, and seasonal, mysteries are more your scene, Janet Rudolph links to the Cozy list of Thanksgiving mysteries. "With dysfunctional families coming together for a big turkey dinner, its no wonder there should be so many on this list". Please note, an American said this, not me! 

The Bookseller blog reports on Headline's new thriller titles. After they lost James Patterson to Random House last year (I know, I know- but he sells by the bucketload), the publisher has picked up Jonathan Kellerman, Quintin Jardine, Carol O'Connell and an author not read by me (possibly because not before published in the UK), but for whom they have big plans, Suzanne Brockmann (or Brockman as she is also called in the same blog post).

And, exciting news, the BBC is yet again going to remake The Day of The Triffids, from the novel by John Wyndham. Previous versions (or the two I have seen, one movie and one BBC production from the 1980s on DVD rental a year or so ago) suffered dreadfully from budgetary constraints and risible special effects. As did, in my opinion, the clone of the book, 28 days later, which also suffered in other ways. But the computer-graphics era should take care of that, so maybe we'll get an unbeatable combination of great acting/production, with decent set-pieces. There will be two 90-minute films as well, so the book won't be truncated as much as it was in the movie. Now, all I have to do is to make the time to watch all the other programmes I keep recording (to include Wallander this Sunday) and I'll be well-set for Wyndham.

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Comments

[djpaterson]

As I love all things apocalypse, I read about Day of the Triffids with some excitement earlier today.

Must be the new thing for the BBC, following the current remake of Terry Nation's survivors.

[crimeficreader]

Great that Carol O'Connell has a continued UK publisher. She deserves to have more attention in the UK and writes a fine novel, though I've not been able to keep up with her of late.

But I also note that Headline's main fare is importing from the US. How depressing that must be for UK authors! But are the ones noted of the same quality as Carol O'Connell? If yes, then I have been losing out.

But let's take Karen Rose as one example. I have found the covers and the titles distasterous - totally uninviting (especially the covers). Can anyone out there tell me these books are good and why? Interested to know others' thoughts on this.

[Maxine]

Good to hear from you, CFR - noted on your blog you are "somewhere without much internet access" (probably not a direct quote) - sounds mysterious! I tried a few Carol O'Connnells a while back, if she is the Mallory one, and did not find them totally compelling, though quite good. Karen Rose - she seems to be heavily promoted on Amazon, I read one of hers once and again, thought it was OK but not stellar. In W H Smiths they are selling off her hardbacks at an incredibly cheap price. Have you read any? I vaguely remember the one I read as a "woman in peril" type of book.

[Maxine]

Have you read Stephen King's The Stand? That is a great apocalypse theme. I am vaguely wondering whether to read the "extended edition" book.

[Meg Gardiner]

I look forward to the Day of the Triffids remake, but will always have a soft spot for the original film -- all those papier mache vines and blooms attacking humanity! It's like watching a school play. Wonderful.

And I don't go to the barricades solely for the USA. If you find any articles that malign the UK, let me know, and I'll rant for Britain.

[Clare D]

My preference is for no effects at all - as in a play on a stage. What is never seen is more sinister and threatening when the imagination has to work.

[crimeficreader]

Yes Maxine, I have been away and then came back to a stint of stewarding at the Hay Winter Weekend - my first experience of this. No more trips planned until January now, albeit very short ones.
Carol O'Connell is indeed the author of the Mallory novels. Of the first few there was only one that I did not take to and this involved a magician. But I really did like the others I read, quite a lot actually.
As for The Day of the Triffids, I note from the Welsh national rag that it's a BBC Wales production, so when further news comes up I'll let you know. All they've reported so far is that it is in planning and that casting along with many other things are TBD. BBC Wales drama is on a roll recently, so I am expecting a good re-make. I have vague memories of the killer plants in misty black and white in the original and it was enough to frighten me back then...