The Weekend Damage 11/30

We’ve got a healthy brew of mystery news this week, including some strong and deadly divas, a Scottish morgue, and a true life confession. Live from New York—the city that never sleeps nor submits to winter, apparently—here is the weekly damage.

Read my top 5 after the jump.


1. Mystery Writers of America have crowned Martha Grimes as their 2012 Grand Master for her achievement within the mystery genera. Grimes is the best-selling author of not two, but three outstanding mystery series: The Richard Jury, Andi Oliver, and Emma Graham series. Upon being told of her new title, Grimes said, “I was, for once, speechless. Thank you very much for making me a Grand Master.” Our congratulations go out to Martha Grimes, although, personally my acceptance speech would have been “Check, and mate.”

Other awards from the Mystery Writers of America include the 2012 Raven awards for outstanding achievement in the mystery field outside of creative writing to M is for Mystery and Molly Weston of Meritorious Mysteries. The 2012 Ellery Queen Award will be given to Joe Meyers of the Connecticut Post/Hearst Media. (via Mystery Writers of America).

2. Val McDermid is killin’ it in a Scottish competition to name their newest university… morgue. Really though, fans of a specific Scottish author can enter their vote for $1.50 to get their favorite crime writer to be the face of a Scottish university's morgue. The whisper around town is that Val McDermid is the front runner. Here’s to hoping the receptionist answers the phone thusly: “Val McDermid Morgue, you stab ‘em, we slab ‘em.”

3. Italian artist Claudia Varosio has burst onto the blogosphere with her reworked classic film posters. If you, like me, are sick of film posters with an emotional, tousle-haired 18 year-old, looking wanly into the distance while being caressed by glittery vampires and/or pre-teen pituitary cases (I’m looking at you, Twilight), you’ll find these pared down prints refreshing. Her poster gallery includes the likes of Chinatown (featured), The Big Sleep, Twin Peaks, Rear Window, Vertigo, Donnie Darko, American Psycho, Rosemary’s Baby and more. Check out her Etsy Gallery here. (via Flavorpill).

4. In perhaps the greatest marketing scheme since, well, actually writing a good book (or James Frey’s “A Million Little Pieces”), QR Markham’s plagiarized espionage novel “Assassin of Secrets” has been the talk of the town since it was pulled from the shelves by the publisher, and used copies are going for as much as $250 online. Quentin Rowan has owned up to taking passages from numerous Bond novels, and equated plagiarism with alcoholism (?) in his online confession. Check It Out. (via The Fix).

5. Women have long had a standing in the mystery genre, albeit they are mostly standing in 6 inch heels and little else. In this interview Denise Mina discusses the positive shift in the attitude towards women in detective literature, as well as her female series character, Alex Morrow. Sing it, girl. (via The Christian Science Monitor)


Have a great week everyone

--Alex