Out February 18th: the 2021 collection of stories from All Due Respect, which includes my tale ‘Squid Lord’ which — wait for it — was inspired by a song from The Fall. Of course. Links when it is available for sale. What’s the story about? A fellah who’s out of work, annoyed by his wife’s…
Tag: crime fiction
Highsmith @ 100: Ripley
TOM RIPLEY: MASTER CRIMINAL? I know I have forgotten to keep up with posting the assignments for my students, but if you want to read along, here’s the intro text for this week: I’m always amazed at the back cover copy of different editions of this book. I’ve got this edition with me. It refers…
Tainted Hearts & Dirty Hellhounds
Pleased to have my Graham Wynd story ‘The Pick-Up’ in the first anthology from the fine folks at Bristol Noir. Tainted Hearts & Dirty Hell Hounds is just one of the two simultaneously released volumes. The second, Savage Minds & Raging Bulls, is just as packed with noir goodness — or is that badness? Buy…
Highsmith @ 100: The Course
The fall semester begins today. My courses are still all online. I have changed the Crime Fiction course to be all Highsmith, because obviously being busy already means nothing. I’m resisting overloading them with biographical information at the start, instead planning to parcel it out as they make their own discoveries, though I gave them…
Classic Crime: The Dream Walker – Charlotte Armstrong
Of course I have an interest in noir that overlaps with the supernatural–even if it’s just an element that the protagonists are at pains to discredit as quickly as possible. Probably best known for her novel Mischief, which became the film Don’t Bother to Knock, Charlotte Armstrong has unconventional approaches to crime fiction that make…
Highsmith @ 100: A Game for the Living
Highsmith spent some time in Mexico trying to write whilst living cheaply. This is her only novel that takes place there. Dorothy Hughes did not think highly of this effort, nor that Highsmith had much success in capturing the country and its people (something Hughes managed with much more insight and finesse). Highsmith had no…
New Fiction: Squid Lord
I’ve got a new tale up at All Due Respect: “Squid Lord” recounts a plan for revenge that might have a few holes in it involving a minor celebrity chef. Hmmm, now where did I get the idea for a name like that?
Six Sentences: Gun Street Girl
I have another story up at Six Sentences, “Gun Street Girl” which the music savvy amongst you will know is a references to a Tom Waits song. Yes, another to add to the playlist Inspirations: Songs that Spawned Stories. It’s getting to be a long list despite all the videos that inevitably get pulled down…
Gresham’s Guide to Tarot
I seem to have neglected to update the blog with my post over at Punk Noir Magazine about William Lindsay ‘Nightmare Alley’ Gresham writing about Tarot. I realise now it was because I reblogged it not here but over at Graham Wynd‘s blog. I attended a talk on tarot in fantasy fiction and learned more…
Out Now! Coming Through in Waves
Out February 15th! Editor T. Fox Dunham and Gutter Press bring you this fabulous collection of crime stories inspired by the legendary band. Fox writes: In honor of my birthday (or what I like to call VOC Day-Victory over Cancer-Gutter Books is opening the preorder for Coming Through in Waves. E-Book version of Coming Through…
K. A. Laity 