Of Death and Texas

• Another good one gone: Mystery*File’s Steve Lewis reports that South African writer John Wright, who penned a number of private-eye novels and standalones under the pseudonym “Wade Wright” (Suddenly You’re Dead, No Haloes in Hell, The Girl from Yesterday, etc.) died this last week at age 75. Lewis interviewed Wright in February. You can read the results of their exchange here.

• As much as I might be jealous of James Bond for the women he attracts, I’m no less envious of him for some of the cars he’s driven.

• The TV series Monk will go off the air at the end of its eighth season. That means this coming summer.

• This is carrying one’s affection for a television show way too far.

• Can’t Rudy Giuliani just shut up and disappear?

• Stark House Press has already been reissuing works by the late American noir novelist Peter Rabe. Now it seems Hard Case Crime wants to get in on the act.

• It’s hard enough trying to keep up with high-quality new novels, much less read every winning book that’s out of print. Sheesh!

• And The Texas Observer offers a nice tribute to the late detective novelist James Crumley. Read it here.