Crime Fiction - Literary Acclaim?

I found this quote in a South African newspaper: "The critics appointed to adjudge each year’s best published work for the country's major prizes also still mainly pinch their noses when they encounter crime fiction."


And yet, many crime novels are beautifully written, complete with poetic language, themes, symbolism, foreshadowing and everything else D.H. Lawrence held dear. They make you think about current sociological issues (read any Harlan Coben thriller) and our morality (Dexter springs to mind, and yes, I know it's not a novel). They often take us to exotic places (H.F. Keating, YE Walus, Colin Cotterill).


So what gives? Is "Hamlet" not crime fiction, subgenre suspense? Did Dickens not use elements of crime fiction in "Bleak House"?


In Europe (Germany, Poland), crime fiction novels share the same bookshelf space as Tolstoy and Guenter Grass. Why is the English-speaking world so hung up on genre fiction being lesser?


Readers and critics, please feel free to respond.

Lee Child's TRIPWIRE

I've just finished Lee Child's TRIPWIRE. Because I read his books in whatever order I can get hold of them (the bookstore, the library, a friend's bookshelf), I've devoured this, the 3rd Jack Reacher book, after number 16... and number 13... and number 10. It doesn't matter. The Reacher books can be enjoyed out of sequence.

In a way, it's even more fun to discover the younger version of the hero after you get to know the more seasoned guy. Perhaps Lee Child knows it as well, because his latest novel (#16) is set in 1997 while book #8 goes all the way back to 1990.

But I digress. TRIPWIRE is a truly good read. I can do no better than quote the blurb for a quick hook: "Reacher's lazy anonymity in Key West is shattered by a stranger who comes to town searching for him but ends up dead. Following the man's trail back to New York, he finds a bewildered, elderly couple still mourning an all-American son lost in Vietnam, a woman Reacher couldn't forget, and a most vicious opponent."

Marked by Child's signature pace, packed with action and character development, this book stands out for me from the rest because of its message. War is pointless, it says. War heroes die in vain.

It's a hard message to swallow. It's also an important message to swallow. And then swallow again, lest you ever forget.

Does Yvonne Walus Like Brussel Sprouts?

Yvonne Walus, author of the South African murder mysteries "Murder @ Work" and "Murder @ Play" has eaten mopane worms. Find out what she wouldn't eat here.

Murder @ Work: Another print run

Murder @ Work

Christine Chamberlain doesn't want much from life: a steady job, a baby and a Fields Medal. Her boss, however, wants money and he is willing to do anything to get his way, even if it means getting Christine involved in a project that not only jeopardises her dreams, but might also put her in danger.

When Christine complains to her colleagues, they joke about killing the boss to solve the problem. They discuss the murder by email. Almost everybody has an obvious motive to get rid of the boss from hell... and a few hidden ones they don't share.

The next day, Christine brings fennel oil to work. In itself, it's not the world's deadliest poison, and Christine would of course never dream to use it as such. Or would she?
 
 
Book Information:
ISBN: 1877161330
Title: Murder @ Work
Publisher: Echelon Press
Year of Publication: 2004
Author: Yvonne Eve Walus
Category: Crime Fiction

"Guilty Consciences" - awesome review!

REVIEW

Author:                         MARTIN EDWARDS

Title:                             GUILTY CONSCIENCES

Publication:                PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Issue:                           9^TH JANUARY 2012

Guilty Consciences: A Crime Writers’ Association Anthology, Edited by Martin Edwards. Severn, $28.95, (240p) ISBN 978-0-7278-8024-6

Edwards follows 2011’s Original Sins with another solid anthology from British crime authors who range from well known veterans such as Robert Barnard and Ann Cleeves to relative newcomers such as Bernie Crosthwaite and L.C. Tyler. Of the 17 selections, 16 are original to this volume, while the late H.R.F. Keating’s Inspector Ghote story, “The Visitor,” had limited distribution. In Edwards’s clever “Squeaky,” the wife of a magician/ventriloquist pulls her own disappearing act. In Susan Moody’s “Deck the Halls with Poison, Ivy,” a controlling mother pushes her daughters too far with unexpected results. Yvonne Walus’s “Masks for Every Occasion” offers a surprising solution as crime profiler Dr. Elizabeth Mphela tries to unmask a serial killer striking down key figures in the World Cup matches being played in South Africa. Peter James, in his succinct foreword, extols the virtues of the short story form.

Buy 1 Get 1 Free

Here is a New Year's offer for all my readers. Buy any Yvonne Walus book on Kindle, and email me on yve@xtra.co.nz - I'll send you any other Yvonne Walus Kindle book of your choice - absolutely free!

Book Review - Blind Traveler's Blues

"Blind Traveler's Blues" by Robert P. Bennett (Echelon Press, 2011), is a timely novel. Set in the year 2021, it shows us a scarily believable world in which earthquakes rule our everyday lives and genetic engineering is reaping its sadly foreseeable consequences.

That in itself makes it an important read for today's audiences. Fortunately, the plot and the characters make it an enjoyable read too, so there's no excuse for passing this book without popping it into your e-book basket.

If you haven't read the first book in the series, "Blind Traveler Down A Dark River", now is the time to meet the blind protagonist, Douglas Abledan, who has the uncanny if unfortunate knack for bumping into murder mysteries.

While the murder is no mystery for the reader, Mr. Abledan has to rely on his remaining four senses to discover the identity of the killer before he himself becomes the next victim... or faces being arrested for the crime.

Read the book. You too will love navigating blind through the world of the future, your sonic cane and nose your only guides through the shaky streets of Chicago.

Quick Facts:

Author Name: Robert P. Bennett
Title: Blind Traveler’s Blues
Word Count: 58,043
ISBN: 9781590808665
Price: $2.99
Genre: Mystery/Sci-fi

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Blind-Travelers-Douglas-Abledan-ebook/dp/B005YBJNKI/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top