Bullet Points: No Fooling Around Edition

• As I mentioned here last week, April 2013 brings the fifth anniversary of the Web-wide “forgotten books” series, initiated by Detroit short-story writer Patti Abbott. To celebrate, both The Rap Sheet and Abbott’s Pattinase blog will be hosting new entries in that popular series. And on top of that, Abbott will post some entries from years past. Offered today is a look back at a work outside the crime-fiction realm, Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art, reviewed by Julie Hyzy, author of the White House Chef Mystery series.

• April 1 also begins “30 Days of the 5-2,” a blog tour highlighting the diverse works of verse published in Gerald So’s The 5-2: Crime Poetry Weekly. Today’s entry is a new piece, “Criminal Foolishness,” by Jerry House. Click here to see what else is in store over the next 29 days, or to participate in this blog tour yourself.

• And what would the first of any month be without a new “Getting Away with Murder” column from British author-boulevardier Mike Ripley? His latest collection of witty tidbits for Shots covers Christopher Landon’s largely unheralded Harry Kent private-eye series, publisher Penguin’s new e-book policy, Michael Crichton’s pseudonymously published novel, Overkill (1970), Christopher Fowler’s forthcoming memoir, Film Freak (“the confessions of a film nut determined to get into the British film industry at precisely the wrong time”), and the proverbial much, much more.

• Some books try a little too hard to grab your attention.

• Well, this is excellent news! A 2010 non-fiction book to which I contributed--Following the Detectives: Real Location in Crime Fiction, edited by Maxim Jakubowski--has been shortlisted for the CrimeFest Non-Fiction Award. The list of contenders for that commendation is fairly intimidating, but my fingers are crossed that Jakubowski’s exceptional volume will walk away with the prize.

• I knew that the literary character Ellery Queen had appeared in several issues of the comic book Crackajack Funnies during the 1940s, but I’d never seen any of those magazines. Fortunately, Evan Lewis has put some of them on display here.

• Meanwhile, a full Queen comic yarn--this one published in the 1962 edition of Ellery Queen: Detective--can be enjoyed here.

• Just a month and a half ago, I questioned whether the crime-fiction e-zine Mysterical-E was still a going concern, after having failed to produce an issue since the one dated Spring/Summer 2012. But now I see that a new, Fall 2012/Winter 2013 edition has finally been posted. It contains short stories by John M. Flood, Craig W. Steele, Patti Abbott, Dorothy Francis, and others, as well as Patrick Ohl’s latest column about Sherlock Holmes and Gerald So’s suggestions of some TV- and movie-themed gift ideas (which I suspect were intended to run before this last Christmas).

• It appears the blog Murderati really is closing up shop after producing seven years’ worth of valuable posts.

• Which actor performed best as Sherlock Holmes? Nick Cardillo asks that question in his fine blog, The Consulting Detective. You can read his write-ups about three contenders for that honor--Jeremy Brett, Basil Rathbone, and Peter Cushing (what, no Roger Moore?)--and then vote for your favorite in his site’s poll.

• Remembering editor Jacques Barzun.

• Finally, if you’re looking for some reading material this April Fool’s Day, see Janet Rudolph’s list of crime fiction linked to this holiday.