Thursday, 03 January 2013


Happy New Year.

pennsean_gangstersquad
We at Mystery Scene hope everyone had a lovely holiday season and we wish all our readers a healthy, happy 2013.

On Jan. 2, many of us are going back to work and school; for others, Jan. 7 is the get back to normal day.

To help you plan the month, here is the schedule for Crime Beat, a weekly hour-long radio program that airs every Thursday at 8 p.m. EST on Artist First World Radio Network. You can listen here http://artistfirst.com/crimebeat.htm.

Crime Beat has been on the air since January, 2011, and averages 130,000 listeners each week.

January 3: Paul Lieberman, author of Gangster Squad, which is the inspiration for the movie by the same name, starring Sean Penn, left, as Mickey Cohen.

January 10: Phil Leonetti and Scott Burnstein, authors of Mafia Prince: Inside America’s Most Violent Crime Family and the Bloody Fall of La Cosa Nostra.

January 17: Robert Lombardo , author of Organized Crime in Chicago: Beyond the Mafia.

January 24: Gill Revill, author of Mafia Summit: J. Edgar Hoover, the Kennedy Brothers and the Meeting that Unmasked the Mob.

January 31: Noam Chomsky, world renowned activist will discuss the U.S. election and crime issues. Lois Banner, the author of Marilyn: The Passion and the Paradox, will discuss "Marilyn Monroe, the Mob and the Rat Pack."

February 7: Jack Cole, co-founder of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and longtime undercover narcotics officer, will discuss the war on drugs.

February 14: JJ Leyden on "Skinhead Confessions: From Hate to Hope."

February 21: Norma Ramos, executive director, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, and Stella Marr, founding member of The Survivors Connect Network.

February 28: Greg Kading, author of Murder Rap: The Untold Story of Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur.

Crime Beat Radio Schedule
Oline Cogdill
crime-beat-radio-schedule


Happy New Year.

pennsean_gangstersquad
We at Mystery Scene hope everyone had a lovely holiday season and we wish all our readers a healthy, happy 2013.

On Jan. 2, many of us are going back to work and school; for others, Jan. 7 is the get back to normal day.

To help you plan the month, here is the schedule for Crime Beat, a weekly hour-long radio program that airs every Thursday at 8 p.m. EST on Artist First World Radio Network. You can listen here http://artistfirst.com/crimebeat.htm.

Crime Beat has been on the air since January, 2011, and averages 130,000 listeners each week.

January 3: Paul Lieberman, author of Gangster Squad, which is the inspiration for the movie by the same name, starring Sean Penn, left, as Mickey Cohen.

January 10: Phil Leonetti and Scott Burnstein, authors of Mafia Prince: Inside America’s Most Violent Crime Family and the Bloody Fall of La Cosa Nostra.

January 17: Robert Lombardo , author of Organized Crime in Chicago: Beyond the Mafia.

January 24: Gill Revill, author of Mafia Summit: J. Edgar Hoover, the Kennedy Brothers and the Meeting that Unmasked the Mob.

January 31: Noam Chomsky, world renowned activist will discuss the U.S. election and crime issues. Lois Banner, the author of Marilyn: The Passion and the Paradox, will discuss "Marilyn Monroe, the Mob and the Rat Pack."

February 7: Jack Cole, co-founder of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and longtime undercover narcotics officer, will discuss the war on drugs.

February 14: JJ Leyden on "Skinhead Confessions: From Hate to Hope."

February 21: Norma Ramos, executive director, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, and Stella Marr, founding member of The Survivors Connect Network.

February 28: Greg Kading, author of Murder Rap: The Untold Story of Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur.

Sunday, 30 December 2012

connelly_theblackbox
No matter how I try, no profile can encompass every snippet of an interview.

And I certainly tried to include every quote in the profile of Michael Connelly, which is the cover article in the current issue of Mystery Scene.

But some things just have to hit the cutting room floor.

Several people offered quotes about Connelly’s well-respected reputation.

Here’s what McKenna Jordan, owner of Murder by the Book in Houston, said:

“In my experience, the vast majority of authors within the mystery community are terrific people: smart, funny, self-deprecating, and truly appreciative of the support of an independent bookseller,” she said.

“Michael Connelly embodies these qualities and more. He is a true gentleman, one whom we are always honored to host, and one whose books are consistently among the best of the year.”

And Connelly, whose latest novel is The Black Box, told me that he prefers to write novels rather than scripts. But Connelly is again “deviating” from his plans by writing a script based on his short story "The Safe Man," a ghost tale that was published anonymously in The Secret Society of Demolition Writers in 2005. The Safe Man is now being sold as ebook and audio book under his name.

“It’s not what I normally write, but I thought it would be a cool writing challenge to do a script based on it. It’s a very visual story.”

A Bit More of Michael Connelly
Oline Cogdill
a-bit-more-of-michael-connelly

connelly_theblackbox
No matter how I try, no profile can encompass every snippet of an interview.

And I certainly tried to include every quote in the profile of Michael Connelly, which is the cover article in the current issue of Mystery Scene.

But some things just have to hit the cutting room floor.

Several people offered quotes about Connelly’s well-respected reputation.

Here’s what McKenna Jordan, owner of Murder by the Book in Houston, said:

“In my experience, the vast majority of authors within the mystery community are terrific people: smart, funny, self-deprecating, and truly appreciative of the support of an independent bookseller,” she said.

“Michael Connelly embodies these qualities and more. He is a true gentleman, one whom we are always honored to host, and one whose books are consistently among the best of the year.”

And Connelly, whose latest novel is The Black Box, told me that he prefers to write novels rather than scripts. But Connelly is again “deviating” from his plans by writing a script based on his short story "The Safe Man," a ghost tale that was published anonymously in The Secret Society of Demolition Writers in 2005. The Safe Man is now being sold as ebook and audio book under his name.

“It’s not what I normally write, but I thought it would be a cool writing challenge to do a script based on it. It’s a very visual story.”

Wednesday, 26 December 2012


connolly_bookstodiefor
OK, so Christmas is over, but does that mean all the gifts have been bought? Or sent? (I promise mine are in the mail!) And some people celebrate Boxing Day.

So if you are still looking for that perfect gift for a mystery fan, there is one book I think everyone should have: Books To Die For, edited by John Connolly and Declan Burke.

Connolly and Burke assembled 119 top-notch authors from 20 countries to discuss which writers’ words encouraged them to become storytellers. But these are not gushing fan tributes but thoughtful tributes to fellow writers. We learn as much about the author who inspired as we do about the author who was inspired in Books To Die For.

Michael Connelly cites Raymond Chandler’s The Little Sister with its evocative descriptions of Los Angeles. In turn, Connelly’s 1992 Edgar Award-winning The Black Echo inspired co-editor John Connolly who calls it “a stunningly accomplished piece of work.” John Connolly, author of 16 novels, including the Charlie Parker novels, also chooses The Chill, written in 1964 by Ross D. Macdonald. Canadian Linwood Barclay (Trust Your Eyes) cites Macdonald’s The Goodbye Look as he remembers a correspondence and a dinner meeting with the creator of Lew Archer.

Kelli Stanley of San Francisco and Lauren Henderson of Great Britain both cite different Agatha Christie novels.

Sara Paretsky mentions Charles Dickens’ Bleak House and, in turn, Paretsky is honored by Natasha Cooper and Dreda Say Mitchell. Margaret Maron and Louise Penny both honor Josephine Tey.

John Connolly’s intriguing essay on John D. Macdonald in Books To Die For was reprinted in the Fall (No. 126) 2012 issue of Mystery Scene.

Even if all your holiday presents are accounted for, don’t forget that 2013 brings a fresh set of holidays, birthdays and anniversaries.

Books to Die for a Lively Assortment
Oline Cogdill
books-to-die-for-a-lively-assortment


connolly_bookstodiefor
OK, so Christmas is over, but does that mean all the gifts have been bought? Or sent? (I promise mine are in the mail!) And some people celebrate Boxing Day.

So if you are still looking for that perfect gift for a mystery fan, there is one book I think everyone should have: Books To Die For, edited by John Connolly and Declan Burke.

Connolly and Burke assembled 119 top-notch authors from 20 countries to discuss which writers’ words encouraged them to become storytellers. But these are not gushing fan tributes but thoughtful tributes to fellow writers. We learn as much about the author who inspired as we do about the author who was inspired in Books To Die For.

Michael Connelly cites Raymond Chandler’s The Little Sister with its evocative descriptions of Los Angeles. In turn, Connelly’s 1992 Edgar Award-winning The Black Echo inspired co-editor John Connolly who calls it “a stunningly accomplished piece of work.” John Connolly, author of 16 novels, including the Charlie Parker novels, also chooses The Chill, written in 1964 by Ross D. Macdonald. Canadian Linwood Barclay (Trust Your Eyes) cites Macdonald’s The Goodbye Look as he remembers a correspondence and a dinner meeting with the creator of Lew Archer.

Kelli Stanley of San Francisco and Lauren Henderson of Great Britain both cite different Agatha Christie novels.

Sara Paretsky mentions Charles Dickens’ Bleak House and, in turn, Paretsky is honored by Natasha Cooper and Dreda Say Mitchell. Margaret Maron and Louise Penny both honor Josephine Tey.

John Connolly’s intriguing essay on John D. Macdonald in Books To Die For was reprinted in the Fall (No. 126) 2012 issue of Mystery Scene.

Even if all your holiday presents are accounted for, don’t forget that 2013 brings a fresh set of holidays, birthdays and anniversaries.