From Insights to Insults

• Mike Ripley’s new “Getting Away with Murder” column features a rundown of his favorite books from 2008, which includes Philip Kerr’s A Quiet Flame and Aly Monroe’s The Maze of Cadiz. In addition, Ripley remarks upon “dynastic connections in crime writing,” an anthology tribute to the late Michael Gilbert, Frank Tallis’ upcoming fourth Max Liebermann novel, Darkness Rising, the fetching Alex Barclay’s Blood Runs Cold, and Lee Child’s promotion of younger thriller writers. Referring to a tiny photo in the farthest-left column of the page, Ripley adds in an e-note to me that “The student lying in wait for him in his old college house was my daughter Beth, the current inhabitant! Small world, eh?”

• British novelist and onetime Granta favorite Nick Barlay (Hooky Gear) is interviewed by Tony Black for Pulp Pusher.

• Three entries worth reading from the so-called Campaign for the American Reader Network. First, Chris Ewan, authority on Amsterdam and most recently the author of a second Charlie Howard mystery, The Good Thief’s Guide to Paris, tells blogger Marshal Zeringue what he’s been reading lately. Second, John Morgan Wilson puts his eighth Benjamin Justice mystery, Spider Season, through the infamous Page 69 Test. The results are here. And somehow, I missed seeing Jason Goodwin’s effort recently to cast his second Investigator Yashim mystery, The Snake Stone, for the silver screen. I agree with his choice of who should play Yashim.

• It looks as if the downbeat 1967-1972 British TV spy series, Callan, which starred Edward Woodward (later known for his leading role in The Equalizer) is finally headed to DVD release. Double O Section notes that “The plan is to follow A&E’s model on The Avengers, and start with the first color season (which was actually the third season of the show, which ran for four).” I don’t think I have ever actually seen Callan, but my UK friends have often recommended it. It will be good to finally watch some episodes.

• Bookgasm talks with Leslie S. Klinger, editor of The New Annotated Dracula and The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes.

• The best things about the Holiday 2008 issue of Mystery Scene (unfortunately, not available online): Oline Cogdill’s profile of Sean Chercover (Trigger City); Scott K. Ratner’s piece about puzzle mystery movies of the 1930s; and Kevin Burton Smith’s full-color--whoa!--holiday gift guide (I want some of those authentic evidence bags for my Christmas leftovers).

• Will Kenneth Branagh’s new British TV films based on Henning Mankell’s books about Swedish detective Kurt Wallender be coming soon to U.S. sets, via PBS-TV’s Masterpiece Mystery!? Let’s hope so.

• While I’m not generally a fan of cutting up old book jackets (my mother always told me to respect books, and I have made a life’s work of doing just that), I have to hand it to the artist behind these three-dimensional creations.

• And be warned: I am officially adopting “scabship” as my signature insult of 2008. Thanks to Oxford University Press for enlightening me on the subject of obscure put-downs (and to Elizabeth Foxwell for passing along the link).