Walking the Beat

• In the fifth and concluding part of Uriah Robinson’s excellent interview with British crime novelist Philip Kerr (If the Dead Rise Not), the author admits something that I suspect many other of today’s writers would echo: “I try not to talk about my work and myself too much. I think I’m a very boring person to be honest. All of what’s interesting about me goes into my books.” To read their conversation straight through (and you should), use these links: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, and the new Part V. By the way, if you’re in London tonight and would like to hear Kerr talk about his Bernie Gunther historical crime series, he’ll be speaking at Daunt Books in Marylebone High Street at 7 p.m.

• Today is the last day to enter blogger-author Jim Winter’s Road Rules contest. He has four cool, signed books from a quartet of authors to give away as prizes.

• The Hungry Detective’s Dan Wagner predicts who will win the awards scheduled for dispensing during this week’s Bouchercon convention in Indianapolis. Any bets on his accuracy?

• This day in history. Bully!

• Could Southland, the TV cop drama recently and suddenly cancelled by NBC, be headed for pickup by competing TNT? The Hollywood Reporter says discussions are underway. If so, that’s excellent news. (Hat tip to Crimespree Cinema.)

• To help celebrate the 150th anniversary of his birth in 1859, Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle will be honored by Britain’s Royal Mail as “one of the ten most eminent Britons,” each of whose lives will be celebrated with a first-class postage stamp. It would make a nice match with this year’s Edgar Allan Poe stamp.

• Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln Lawyer?

• Michigan crime novelist Loren D. Estleman (who I had the pleasure of interviewing a few years ago) talks about his future projects, Hollywood, and writing with a social conscience for a video available at Central Crime Zone.

• Meanwhile, Robert Crais writes about the fictional Joe Pike and how he came to create Pike for his award-winning Elvis Cole private eye series. Read on.

• Cleveland, Ohio, author Dan Chaon talks with New Mystery Reader’s Carol Reid about his new book (“More a novel of mysteries than a mystery novel”), Await Your Reply.

• Motion-picture archivist and author Jared Case (from A Case of Murder) guest-blogs at Type M for Murder with a post titled “Top 10 Reasons to Attend Bouchercon.” I definitely agree with his Reason #1. Next year in San Francisco, I say ...

• Case has also posted a three-part preview of this year’s Bouchercon in Indianapolis. Go directly to Part I, Part II, and Part III.

• Jeff Rutherford’s Reading and Writing Podcast site hosts an interview with Brett Battles, author of the recently released thriller Shadow of Betrayal.

• And here’s a new blog worth visiting: I received an e-note the other day from one Alan Griffiths. Seems he’s “a rookie crime writer” from London, England, and a new blogger at Brit Grit. He decided to take up the challenge I posed in a post a couple of days back and explain his reading habits. You’ll find his responses to those same meme questions here.