Crime Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense Blog

Sunday, 22 May 2011 05:43

IN PLAIN SIGHT INTERVIEW PART II

It's a time of change for the fourth season of In Plain Sight.

Characters are changing. The marshall's office has a new muffin-bearing officer.

And Mary Shannon's pregnancy hasn't even been dealt with yet.

In Plain Sight—about the US Marshall’s highly secretive branch of the witness protection program (WITSEC) which relocates federal witnesses—airs at 10 pm Sundays on the USA Network. 

Mystery Scene recently interviewed Mary McCormack, who plays Mary Shannon, and Frederick Weller who plays Marshall Mann. The first installment of the interview ran May 1, 2011.

Here's the second part of that interview.

Half of this season of In Plain Sight already had been shot when McCormack announced she was pregnant in real-life. McCormack and her husband producer Michael Morris are expecting their third child; they have two daughters.

Rather than having her stand behind desks, be seated a lot or wear jackets (in the New Mexico heat!) to try to hide her pregnancy, the writers are making Mary Shannon pregnant, too.

Will this new development make Mary Shannon even grumpier?

“I started out pretty cranky,” said McCormack, with a laugh.

“Yes, she might have been maxed out on crankiness already,” added Weller.

In Plain Sight  melds solid plots with character studies each week. The chemistry between McCormack and Weller is a highlight of the series. The two are friends off-camera and McCormack is godmother to Weller’s daughter.

The actors have their own ideas about what keeps viewers returning.

“I think it's a great drama with a sense of humor. And I don't think that's a very common combination on television,” said Weller.

“USA really does characters well," added McCormack. “Even if you weren't interested in the procedural side of our show, or the witness protection side of it, I think the character relationships are really rich and fresh and funny. I love reading the scenes between me and Fred and I love Paul Ben-Victor's character so much.”

The WITSEC background helps, too.

“Witness protection just makes for exciting stories and it's a really rich sort of place to grab stories from,” said McCormack.

“People starting over completely, saying goodbye to their lives before. That never ends in terms of story opportunities.”

And Mary Shannon herself offers endless story opportunities, too.

“The pregnancy obviously is the huge shift around which all other shifts are defined,” said Weller.

“Mary Shannon is a person who doesn't let people in,” said McCormack.

“She barely lets Marshall in and he's the closest person in her life to her. And so to me the pregnancy is an opportunity for the audience to just know the real her. The audience has a really intimate relationship with her, even though she doesn't really allow anyone else to," said McCormack.

”And the stabilization of the family is continuing obviously. [Mary Shannon's sister] Brandi is engaged and getting married. And so far her relationship seems to be going great. And [Mary Shannon's] mother is still sober and doing great, and so that's all confusing for Mary Shannon. But I think in an interesting way.” 

 

Photos: Mary McCormack and Frederick Weller, top; Weller and Paul Ben-Victor; McCormack. USA Network photos

 

Wednesday, 18 May 2011 08:00

2012 MALICE DOMESTIC JUST AROUND THE CORNER

The good people who arrange the annual Malice Domestic conference are impressively organized. The 2011 conference in Bethesda, Maryland,  just ended a couple of weeks ago -- probably some of those who attended haven't even unpacked -- and already the details for the 2012 conference are up.

That is inspiring. Makes me want to reorganize all my drawers and kitchen shelves.
Of course, anyone who has organized a conference knows that you have to keep on top of things at all times. You start planning for the next conference before the current one has even begun. 

Malice Domestic is one of my favorite conferences but, unfortunately, I haven't been able to attend for about five years because of other conflicts and timing. But I want to get back there as I always enjoyed the conference.

Malice Domestic celebrates the traditional mystery, such as those written by Agatha Christie.

As much as I admire Christie's work, I think that today's authors of the traditional mystery have surpassed even Dame Christie's work.

Many traditional mysteries come down to family relations, workplace situations and daily life.

The amateur sleuth novels that revolve around occupations give us an insider's window to worlds we are curious about. 

Those are exactly the types of novels that the 2012 Malice guests of honor write.

Guest of honor will be Jan Burke, top, the multi-award winner of the Irene Kelly series and several stand-alone thrillers and short stories. Her new Irene Kelly novel Disturbance comes out in June.

Toastmaster will be Dana Cameron, at left, who writes the Emma Fielding series of archaeological mysteries and some excellent short stories.

Simon Brett, who writes delightful British cozies, will pick up the Lifetime Achievement

The late Tony Hillerman will be the honoree of the Malice Remembers. Hillerman, of course, showed us the Southwest and the Native American culture in his long-running series.

The Poirot Award will go to Lee Goldberg, author, TV producer, and scriptwriter.
And since Malice is a fan-based convention, the Fan Guest of Honor will be Ruth Sickafus.

Malice Domestic 24 will be April 27 - 29, 2012, at the Hyatt in Bethesda, MD. Start packing your bags.

PHOTOS: Jan Burke, top, Dana Cameron.

Wednesday, 11 May 2011 05:44

CRIMINAL MINDS HELP HUMANE SOCIETY

Mystery writers not only are among the nicest people around but they also are eager to help those in need.

The 14 authors who belong to the award-winning Criminal Minds blog have banded together to offer their support the Humane Society of West Alabama -- a non-profit, all-volunteer, no kill shelter in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Tuscaloosa was one of the cities hardest hit by the tornadoes and storms. The shelter's facilities were not badly damaged but they are in desperate need of supplies and donations. Also, the task of caring for and identifying lost and misplaced pets is overwhelming.

Each of the authors who writes the Criminal Minds blog has donated signed copies of their latest novels to be auctioned off en masse on eBay.

The winner will receive the entire collection, which includes mysteries, thrillers, and paranormal fiction. The group will donate 100% of the final bid to the shelter. The auction ends May 13.

Here's where to place a bid.

Here's what the winner will receive:

Hard Cover
Rock Bottom by Erin Brokovich with C.J. Lyons (signed by C.J. only)
The Curse-Maker by Kelli Stanley
Dead in the Water by Meredith Cole
Murder on the Bride's Side by Tracy Kiely
Monkology by Gary Phillips
The Last Striptease by Michael Wiley
The Damage Done by Hillary Davidson

Paperback
A Trace of Smoke by Rebecca Cantrell
iDRAKULA by Bekka Black
Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun by Lois Winston
The Jook by Gary Phillips
Orange County Noir by Gary Phillips
Ghost in the Polka Dot Bikini by Sue Ann Jaffarian
Day One by Bill Cameron
Before Cain Strikes by Joshua Corin
Blood Law by Jeannie Holmes
Black Rain by Graham Brown 
Black Sun by Graham Brown 

Monday, 09 May 2011 14:47

2011 ANTHONY AWARD NOMINEES

The nominees for this year’s Anthony Awards, which are given at the annual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, have been announced by conference chair, Jon Jordan, and awards chair, John Purcell.

Bouchercon 2011 will be Sept. 15-18 in St. Louis.

Our congratulations to all the nominees. 

Best Novel
Bury Your Dead - Louise Penny - Minotaur Books
I'd Know You Anywhere - Laura Lippman - William Morrow
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter - Tom Franklin – William Morrow
The Lock Artist - Steve Hamilton - Minotaur
Faithful Place - Tana French - Viking

Best First Novel
Rogue Island- Bruce DeSilva - Forge Books
The Poacher's Son - Paul Doiron - Minotaur Books
Snow Angels - James Thompson - Putnam
Damage Done - Hilary Davidson - Forge Books
Sherlockian, The - Graham Moore - Twelve

Best Paperback Original
The Hanging Tree - Brian Gruley – Touchstone (Simon and Schuster)
Expiration Date - Duane Swierczynski - Minotaur Books
Drive Time - Hank Phillipi Ryan - Mira
Long Time Coming - Robert Goddard - Bantam
Vienna Secrets - Frank Tallis - Random House

Best Short Story
The Frame Maker - Simon Wood - The Back Alley
Homeless - Pat Morin - Mystery Montage
Scent of Lilacs - Doug Allyn – Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine  Sept/Oct 2010
Swing Shift - Dana Cameron - Crimes By Moonlight
The Hitter - Chris Holm – Needle
So Much in Common - Mary Jane Maffini - EQMM Sept/Oct. 2010

Best Graphic Novel
Sickness in the Family - Denise Mina – Vertigo Crime
Beasts of Burden – Jill Thompson/Evan Dorkin – Dark Horse
Richard Stark's Parker, Vol. 2: The Outfit –Darwyn Cooke  - IDW Press
The Chill - Jason Starr – Vertigo Crime
Scalped Vol 6 - The Gnawing - Jason Aaron – Vertigo
Tumor -  Joshua Hale Fialkov/ Noel Tuazon - ARCHAIA STUDIOS PRESS

Best Critical /Non-Fiction
Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks - John Curran – Harper Collins
Thrillers: 100 Must Reads - David Morrell - Oceanview
Sherlock Holmes for Dummies - Steve Doyle - For Dummies
The Wire: Truth Be Told - Rafael Alvarez - Grove Press
Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History - Yunte Huang - W. W. Norton & Company

Best Website/Blog
Jen's Book Thoughts - Jen Forbus
Stop. You're Killing Me - Surber/Ulrich
Rap Sheet, The - J. Kingston Pierce
Sirens of Suspense - Chantelle Aimée Osman
Spinetingler - Sandra Ruttan