Reading Groups
New Blood: First Novel Award Winners
A surprising number of awards are conferred annually in the genre of Detective Fiction by professional organizations like Mystery Writers of America and the Crime Writers Association of the UK as well as by libraries, journals, and fan groups. The journal Mystery Readers International awards the Macavity and Deadly Pleasures gives the Barry. A cross section of fans, authors, editors and agents vote at conventions like Bouchercon for the Anthony and Malice Domestic for the Agatha. The cherished MWA Edgars and the CWA Daggers recognize best first novels. Discussion will canvass the chances for future fame of Louise Penny (CWA 2006), Tana French (Edgar 2008), Attica Locke (MWA 2009), and Johan Theorin (CWA 2009).
Murder in Faraway Places
Human nature is the same all over the globe, so crimes and crime solving occur worldwide. Detective Fiction also flourishes abroad. In addition to exciting puzzle plots, whodunits set in faraway places often offer evocative descriptions of foreign locales and intereresting inssihts into the indigenous culture -- including customs, values, attitudes, livelihoods and amusements of the local people. Crimes will be investigated in Italy, Australia, Japan, Sweden and/or Russia. So become an armchair traveler and satisfy your wanderlust vicariously following the literary trails of Michael Dibdin and/or Donna Leon, Peter Temple, Sujita Massey, Henning Mankel and/or Boris Akunin.
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The Detective as Outsider
From his first appearancer in literature, the detective has been an eccentric figure; e.g., Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Philo Vance, Sam Spade, and Nero Wolfe. In the second half of the twentieth century, this literary tradition has led to a great many sleuths who can be considered "outsiders" because of their social class, race, ethnicity, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender, age as well as physical and mental disabilities. Their marginal status has not prevented them from attracting loyal readers. Indeed, their special outlook and the challenges they face may even have contributed to their appeal. This course will explore the extent to which the detective's outsider status affects his/her character and ability to solve crimes Is it integral to the events in the story or just an intriguing background? Reading list will include authors such as Walter Mosley, Jane Haddam, Jeffrey Deaver, and Val McDermid.
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Out of the Past: Truth Will Out
The old adage "Truth will out" lies at the heart of many detective stories in which
past villainy haunts and incites present day crimes as the villain tries to ensure that evil deeds remain buried.
The discussion will explore this concept in novels by Peter Temple, Mark Mills, Peter Robinson, Stieg Larsson, and/or Dorothy L. Sayers.
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