All the News That Fits

• In Mystery Fanfare, J.B. Kohl and Eric Beetner write about the challenges they faced when composing their first joint novel, One Too Many Blows to the Head. “Whenever I mention that J.B. Kohl and I have never met, despite having written a novel ... together,” says Beetner, “people are both fascinated and confused. How could we pull this off? How could we combine such a detailed creative process as writing a book without constant meetings and communication? The short answer: it was easy.” Read more here.

• The seemingly ubiquitous Keith Rawson talks with Victor Gischler about the latter’s forthcoming novel, The Deputy. Rawson says the book marks Gischler’s “welcome return to hard-boiled crime fiction.”

• Meanwhile, J. Sydney Jones chats up Jeff Siger, author of the Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis series (Murder in Mykonos and Assassins of Athens).

• And Cornelia Reads gives Powell’s Books the lowdown on her soon-to-be released third Madeline Dare novel, Invisible Boy.

• In addition to hosting author and editor William F. Nolan, this summer’s PulpFest in Columbus, Ohio, will also feature the prolific Robert J. Randisi. Learn more about PulpFest here.

• We’ve talked here a few times about independent publisher Crippen & Landru’s The Columbo Collection (originally titled The Columbo Stories). The volume will contain 14 new tales about Los Angeles Police Lieutenant Columbo, written by William Link, who with Richard Levinson created NBC-TV’s beloved 1970s series, Columbo. Well, I’d fully expected to see the finished work by this time, but reports are that its release has been held up by Link, who continued to tinker with the tales much longer than expected. C&L’s Doug Greene says the book has now been sent to the printer and should be bound by April 25. Excellent news!

• From British author Mark Billingham comes news that UK broadcaster Sky1 has started “production on Thorne: Sleepyhead and ... [commissioned] Thorne: Scaredy Cat, both adaptations of the Mark Billingham best-sellers. Both films will be produced for a UK TV premiere on Sky1 HD and Sky1 before a worldwide theatrical release by ContentFilm. The films were commissioned by Huw Kennair Jones, Commissioning Editor, Drama, Sky1 HD and Sky1 and Thorne: Sleepyhead will be directed by Emmy Award winner Stephen Hopkins (24, Californication, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers) from scripts adapted by Jim Keeble and Dudi Appleton (Trial & Retribution, Silent Witness). Sky1 will broadcast the films as a six-part drama series in the autumn.” More information can be found here.

• That’s some auction Otto Penzler has planned for next month.

• And Michael Connelly plays a bit of hardball: “The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Michael Connelly is suing Paramount over excessive costs associated with the author's buy-back of the exclusive rights given to the studio for the first two books in his Harry Bosch series, The Black Echo and The Black Ice ...” Click here if you would like to learn more.