Rivalries, Resurrections, Replacements

• Nominating ballots for the 2010 Anthony Awards were recently sent to people who attended Bouchercon in Indianapolis last year and/or are registered for this October’s Bouchercon in San Francisco. “According to the Bouchercon by-laws,” explained a note that was sent out a few days earlier, ballot recipients “are eligible to make up to five nominations in each of five categories, from books and short stories published the previous year: Best Novel; Best First Novel; Best Paperback Original; Best Short Story; Best Critical Non-fiction Work.” If you haven’t received yours, drop a note to this year’s Anthony Awards chair, Andi Shechter, at andi@bcon2010.com. Ballots must be completed and returned by no later than May 28 to be valid.

• The new short-story offering in Beat to a Pulp is called “The Pickle” and comes from Montana freelance writer Chris La Tray.

• The second issue of the newly re-created Webzine Crimefactory was posted on Friday. Click here to read the issue in PDF format, or to download it onto one of those trendy little electronic reader gizmos. Among the contents are stories by Ray Banks, Patti Abbott, Gerard Brennan, and Dave Zeltserman. There are also features from Jimmy Callaway, Reed Farrel Coleman, and Craig McDonald.

• Also up: The latest edition of Pulp Metal Magazine.

• Tomorrow will begin Round Four of Jen Forbus’ “World’s Favorite Detective” tournament. The competition has been narrowed down to just eight contenders: Harry Bosch, Sam Spade, Sherlock Holmes, Lincoln Rhyme, Elvis Cole, Philip Marlowe, Hercule Poirot, and Dave Robicheaux. I was saddened to see Lew Archer, Alan Banks, and John Rebus lose out in the last round. But tomorrow is another day, as Scarlett O’Hara once said. Check back here on Monday to pick your favorite four among the remaining rivals.

• A new John Rebus story from Ian Rankin? You’d better believe it! Written to benefit the British charity Royal Blind, the tale is called “The Very Last Drop” and can be enjoyed here. (Hat tip to Spinetingler Magazine.)

• FOX’s once-popular espionage TV series, 24, has finally been cancelled after a eight-year run. The last episode will air on May 24. NBC-TV, which had supposedly been interested in picking up the Keifer Sutherland drama, ultimately declined that opportunity. I gave up on 24 after its second season, which seemed to be bursting with clichés and unbelievable incidents. But obviously the show maintained enough of a fan base to survive without my watching. I’m sorry for those fans, but they can at least rest assured that there’s a film version of 24 in the works.

• Honey West lives on--at least in comic-book form.

• As we await the two-part season premiere of Law & Order: Criminal Intent this coming Tuesday, March 30, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on USA Network, Joan Reeves laments the departure of Vincent D’Onofrio--who plays the intense Detective Robert Goren--from the series, now entering its ninth season. Jeff Goldblum, who was introduced to the show last season as Detective Zack Nichols, will stay with the show, to be joined by a new partner, Serena Stevens, played by Saffron Burrows. Kathryn Erbe, who so ably portrayed Goren’s partner, Detective Alex Eames, is also leaving the show.

• Mister 8 pays tribute to comic book editor and artist Dick Giordano, who passed away last week at age 77. Among Giordano’s many credits, he worked on the Sarge Steel secret agent series. Mark Evanier has more on Giordano’s legacy here and here.

• For My Book, the Movie, author J.T. Ellison casts the film version of The Cold Room, her fourth Detective Taylor Jackson novel. Personally, I’d take any of her suggestions of actresses to play Jackson. More here.

• Don’t forget to register for ThrillerFest V, which is scheduled to run from July 7 to 10 in New York City.

• And J. Sydney Jones is putting me to shame as an interviewer. How in the heck does he find so much time and energy to talk with crime novelists from around the world? Anyway, his latest conversation is with Icelander Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, the author of My Soul to Take, released last year in the States by William Morrow.