A Jordan on Polanski

Question 1) Did he commit the crime…
Yes
Question 2) Was he convicted?
Yes, sorta…. Plea bargain

Here are the parts of the story I don’t understand. Why the Jones to catch him now? The docudrama?
Probably. But California was bankrupt the last time I looked. Do you send three police officers to pick up a director about to receive a lifetime achievement award or do you infuse money into today’s cases? Does anyone believe this isn’t media motivated?

What about our victim, a woman who’s tried to move past this instance for DECADES. Does this woman really deserve the repeated “flavor of the month” she’s received over the decades? Last time I checked California was a victims right state. But apparently I’m wrong.

I think, more than anything it’s a case the State of California thinks it has a chance with but then they thought that about O.J.

It’s forty years later and time for everyone to take a deep breath. Two years ago I read an article, an innocent article in Vanity Fair where the author stated that when Polanski was in town he stayed at a certain friend’s house. That is a slap in the face, illegal immigration and all that. Thus the jones.

I’ve always wished I could see Polanski direct one last American Movie. There is no doubt he has IT, whatever IT is. I also realize that if, at age thirteen a man his age who was paying me decided that “sex would make the performance pure” well, that would be a false statement. Forty years later the victim is entitled to peace, and I shall never see another American Polanski movie.

The fact that his tragedy surpasses hers tonight? Shame on us all.

Crimespree Issue 32

After a slight hiccup with some printing problems, Crimespree issue #32 will be at the mailing service ready to roll out into the world on Monday

If I say so myself it looks like a great issue.

We have our first ever sideways cover!



There are also some great interviews and articles plus all the regular features.

From the Editor by Jon Jordan
Q & A with Jamie Freveletti by Dana Kaye
Hey It’s Ayo - Akimitsu Takagi
Jason Pinter Interviewed by a Jerk
Fiction – Daughters by Nathan Walpow

Cover Story -
Bruen and Coleman Interviewed by Gabriel Cohen

Robert Ward Interviewed by Jon Jordan
City of Hearts, City of Dragons by Kelli Stanley
Interview with Mike Carey by by Jon Jordan
A Touch of Paris by Margot Justes
I Love You Jonathan A Turner by Steve Hockensmith
Interview with Rick Geary by Jon Jordan
Dialogue With Declan (Declan Burke)
Reed Farell Coleman column
Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson Interviewed by Jon Jordan
Craig’s Joint (Craig McDonald)
Sunshine and Crime from Michael Lister
Eye On Hollywood by Jeremy Lynch
DVD Reviews
The Sixty Year Old Virgin from Lenny Kleinfeld
Crimespree On Tap featuring Anthony Neil Smith
Footprints: Dorothy Uhnak by Ruth Jordan
Interview with Adrian McKinty by Ruth Jordan
Buzz Bin
Book Reviews
Crimespree on Comics
Cooking With Crimespree featuring JT Ellison


So if you need a subscription or you need to renew shoot over to here:
Crimespree Subscribe

Richard Castle Inteview

A CONVERSATION WITH

RICHARD CASTLE
AUTHOR OF HEAT WAVE

HYPERION BOOKS: Your last book was pretty controversial. I don’t think I’m giving away any spoilers here since this made newspaper headlines all across the country: You decided to kill off your most beloved character, Derrick Storm. A lot of your fans were outraged. What was the rationale behind killing off your main character? Was this something you’d planned since the start of the Storm series? Was it an emotional decision for you?

RICHARD CASTLE: I think the reason Derrick Storm is so beloved is that he lived the life we all wish for…danger, romance, adventure. And I loved writing him, but after so many books, I ended up knowing him too well. There were no more surprises for me. So rather than inflicting on him the slow death of literary mediocrity, I gave him the ending he deserved. Derrick went out in true Derrick Storm style, a man at the top of his game. It was obviously emotional to let go of him and he’s still very much a part of me. A handsome, charming, roguish part of me. But I know for a fact that he’d be a big fan of Nikki Heat and HEAT WAVE – particularly Nikki’s pose on the cover. Who wouldn’t be?

HB: Your new book features a female main character, NYPD detective Nikki Heat. Rumor has it that she’s based on the real-life NYPD homicide detective Kate Beckett. In fact, you arranged for a series of official civilian ride-alongs with Beckett over the past few months to observe how she works and what goes into a real murder investigation. Were you surprised at all by anything you saw on your ride-alongs? What was your most eye-opening experience?

RC: My time with Detective Beckett and the other detectives in the 12th precinct has been very informative. For instance, I never knew how bad coffee could taste until I tried theirs. My admiration for the work police officers do has only grown from the experience, because I had no idea they were doing it while drinking such bad coffee.

As for the most eye-opening experience, rather than give away anything that ended up in the book, I’ll simply say that being shot at is not as much fun as it looks in Tom Cruise movies.

HB: You originally met Detective Beckett when you were asked by the NYPD to consult on one of their cases, a series of copycat murders based on the murders in several of your novels, a series of murders that you were actually instrumental in helping to solve. As a writer, how did it affect you to have the line between imagination and reality blurred like that?

RC: Well, besides the fact that the killer focused on my truly lesser works, I was glad to be a part of the investigation. Ultimately, Detective Beckett was able to clear the name of a true fan, a man whom the killer set up to take the fall.

It was a fascinating case, and yet another example of how life can be stranger than fiction. In fact, if I’d written that story myself, everyone would accuse me of being self-aggrandizing. And, clearly, I’d never want to do that…


HB: Has Detective Beckett read the manuscript for HEAT WAVE? If so, what was
her response?

RC: I haven’t had a chance to show Beckett the manuscript yet but I’m looking forward to hearing her thoughts. Hopefully it’ll live up to the high standards of thorough police work and professionalism that she’s established. As well as being, obviously, a sexy, exciting murder mystery with chills and thrills on every page.

I think she’ll like it. I hope she’ll like it. Oh God, what if she doesn’t like it? What if she gets mad? Did I mention the sex scene?

HB: As a single dad, did your exposure to the reality of everyday violence make you worry more about raising your daughter in New York City? Did you ever discuss what you saw with her after your ride-alongs?

RC: I worry less about Alexis growing up in New York City than I do about her growing up with me. After all, given my line of work, our dinner table conversation usually centers around plot twists like whether a self-cleaning oven could incinerate a body. I do discuss cases with her sometimes, but I usually leave out the gory details.

Although she’s still my little girl, she’s a native New Yorker and has a great head on her shoulders – I can only be thankful that she is far wiser than I was at her age.

HB: In your new book, HEAT WAVE, Detective Nikki Heat also has a ride-along civilian, journalist Jameson Rook. He is a bit of a smart-ass. How much of his personality is based on the real Rick Castle? (And are you really that much of a loveable smart-ass?)

RC: Rook? Castle? Absolutely no connection. Rook’s pretty cool though. I mean, the guy’s got a Pulitzer Prize! Plus, he’s so brilliant and handsome. Well, now that you mention it, maybe I did base him on someone…

As to whether I’m a lovable smart-ass, it depends on who you ask. My daughter thinks I’m lovable and smart. My exes just think I’m an ass.

HB: So ’fess up: Did you want to be a cop when you were a kid?

RC: Actually, I wanted to be a lion tamer or the ice cream man. How cool would that be? Driving a funky truck and ringing a bell. Bringing joy and happiness to millions of kids. I like to think of my books as little ice cream bars for my audience. That’s why the covers are so colorful.

HB: The sense of place in your novels is powerful; the city of New York City comes
across almost like a character. What kind of relationship do you have to New York
City and how does that influence your writing?

RC: I love New York because it has all the contradictions of a truly fascinating
protagonist. Amazing wealth and utter poverty, noble intentions and terrible greed, young love and age-old hatred living side by side. Plus, there’s a beautiful woman on every street corner in this city. What more can a writer ask for?

HB: Will we be seeing more of Nikki Heat in future books?

RC: That’s up to the readers of America. I can only hope they’ll enjoy reading Nikki as much as I’ve enjoyed writing her.


HEAT WAVE
by Richard Castle

Published by Hyperion Books
On Sale: September 29th, 2009
Hardcover: $19.99 | Page count: 208 | ISBN: 978-1-4013-2382-0

Buy Heat Wave by Richard Castle at Amazon

Interview used by permission of Hyperion books

Bouchercon 2011

Bouchercon 2011 in St. Louis is now taking online registrations:
You can go right here:

St. Louis Bouchercon Registration

Best Selling books for August at some cool stores

Here's some of our favorite bookstores and their best sellers for August

Aunt Agatha's:

THE AMATEURS, Marcus Sakey (signing)
THE SILENT HOUR, Michael Koryta (signing)
HEAVEN'S KEEP, WIlliam Kent Krueger
AWAKENING, S.J. Bolton
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, Steig Larson (PB)


Mysterious Bookshop in New York:
Hardcover:
1. The Defector - Daniel Silva
2. Rules of Vengeance - Christopher Reich
3. Rain Gods - James Lee Burke
4. Mortal Friends - Jane Stanton Hitchcock
5. Angel With Two Faces - Nicola Upson

Paperback:
1. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
2. L'Assassin by Peter Steiner
3. Dexter in the Dark by Jeff Lindsay
4. Bury Me Deep by Megan Abbott
5. A Most Wanted Man by John Le Carre


Moonstone Mystery Bookstore:

We have done a bang up business on "The Girl Who Played With Fire."
In paperback, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" is far and away the winner.
After that, "Indian Bride" by Karin Fossum, "Voices" by Arnaldur Indridason.
After that, it's series; e.g., we sold a lot of the Vintage editions of Ross Macdondald's Lew Archer, but not one more than others. Also, Vintage editions of the Martin Beck series by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo.


Mysterious Galaxy:

Dead Until Dark-Charlaine Harris
New Tricks-David Rosenfelt
Secondhand Spirits-Juliet Blackwell
Spackled and Spooked-Jennie Bentley
Lie Down With the Devil-Linda Barnes

Once Upon a Crime

David Rosenfelt - "Open & Shut"

C.J. Box - "Blue Heaven"

Jess Lourey - "September Fir"

Michael Koryta - "Envy The Night"

Bush, Everheart, ed. -"Once Upon a Crime"

Whiteout - TV Spot #2: New Way to Die [2009]

GO SEE THIS MOVIE!

Trust No One by Gregg Hurwitz