Take Five

• With this year marking the 120th anniversary of renowned English mystery writer Agatha Christie’s birth, it’s to be expected that the annual Agatha Christie Festival (September 12-19) in Torquay, Devon, should build in a few extra treats. Click here to look over the full program. Meanwhile, blogger Uriah Robinson (aka Norman Price) highlights a few of his best-bet events in Crime Scraps.

• Spinetingler Magazine has put together a new writing contest, asking for stories about revenge, “about getting back at someone who deserves it.” Entries should run from 1,000 to 1,450 words long, and must be submitted by July 21. There are even some modest cash rewards for work well done. Send entries via e-mail to spinetinglermag@gmail.com. Sometime this fall, Spinetingler will publish the first, second, and third place winners, as well as three honorable mentions.

• What century is it in Texas, anyway?

• After writing a couple of years ago in this blog about spec paperback covers concocted by New Jersey graphic designer Rob Kelly, I have been keeping track of his work. His latest mock-up is titled Devil in a Blue Dress, which is not to be confused with the Walter Mosley novel of that same name--although I could definitely see Kelly’s illustration being modified to fit a future edition of Mosley’s book.

• And this might shape up to be a good summer for crime and mystery fiction on television, after all. Tomorrow night will bring the premiere of Memphis Beat, a TNT-TV series featuring Jason Lee (formerly of My Name Is Earl), who plays a rather offbeat police detective--and Elvis impersonator!--working the mean streets of Memphis, Tennessee. Dan Fleming offers previews of the series in his blog, My Year in Crime. The show starts at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Tuesday, June 22. More here.