Five Minutes Peace

What do you think of the One for the Money cast?

I know we weren't all happy about the prospect of Katherine Heigl playing Stephanie Plum in the forthcoming (now filming, in fact) movie of the first book in Janet Evanovich's wonderful series, but we're all going to have to just accept it. I'm more interested to know what you think about the rest of the cast. 

I've only ever been able to think of The Rock for Ranger, but they've messed around with this adaptation for so long that he's now too old. Fortunately, they've gone for Daniel Sunjata (Rescue Me) and I am totally on board. He's cool, he's sexy and he has what I believe the young people call a smokin' bod. 

I've always struggled to think of an actor for Joe Morelli. I definitely come down on the Morelli side of the Ranger v Morelli argument and I have a very definite picture of him in my head. Young Patrick Dempsey maybe? If, when he was young, Patrick Dempsey had actually been as hot as he is now rather than a big dork. But they've cast Jason O'Mara. I don't know him, but he doesn't look like Morelli to me. 

I'm actually really happy with Sherri Shepherd as Lula. She looks pretty much exactly as I picture Lula. 

But the most interesting casting - for me at least - is that of Debbie Reynolds as Grandma Mazur. I always imagined Grandma Mazur as rather unglamorous and quite wizened. But Debbie Reynolds is made of awesome and I can't wait to see what she does with the role. 

What do you think? Are you happy? Outraged? 

MOVIE NEWS: Angelina Jolie as Dr Kay Scarpetta

How do we feel about this?  

At first I thought, "Oh dear me, no" but that's mainly because I've always pictured Scarpetta - who, in case you don't know is the main character in Patricia Cornwell's massively successful crime series - as looking exactly like the author... who looks a bit like Jodie Foster and so I imagined Jodie Foster in the movie too. 

Apparently Jodie Foster turned the role down and Ms Cornwell is delighted with the casting of Angelina. Now that I've thought about it for a bit longer, I think she'll be good. She's tough *and* sexy and - and I often forget this thanks to Angelina's notoriety - she can act. 

What do you think? 

Lost Poirot Episodes Discovered

While the Marple television dramas on ITV1 are currently making the news (in the fact that they are completely different to the real stories of Agatha Christie and not even Marple books in the first place) it seems Poirot too wants a look in.

Found amongst Christie's jottings in her scattered notebooks is The Capture of Cerberus a Poirot story. According to the Daily Mail (where it is also serialised) it revolves around a dictator called August Hertzlein, who is clearly Adolf Hitler. 

This, along with another episode, is published in Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks by John Curran. The publisher's blurb states there are revelations about her famous books that will fascinate anyone who has ever read or watched an Agatha Christie story.

Does anyone want to know how she worked the plot twists out? Or would you rather keep it all a mystery?

 

Leigh Russell Reads from Cut Short

After reading and reviewing Cut Short by Leigh Russell some weeks ago, I have to say, I've become a bit of a fan. So I was delighted to find this You Tube clip which shows Leigh reading an excerpt from the book. [via @LeighRussell on Twitter]

BOOK REVIEW: Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich

I have loved every single one of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books. I love them so much that I even wrote an essay that was included in a book about the series. They are a guaranteed good read. And yet... I'm starting to feel a twinge of concern.

I'm certainly not the first person to have this problem, in fact I think it's come to me quite a lot later than it has to some other readers, but my problem is this: in fifteen books over fifteen years there has been no progression. None. Stephanie is still a rubbish bounty hunter. She still can't commit to Morelli. She still can't give in to Ranger. She can't even get a new apartment (or keep a car). And hamsters don't live for fifteen years, do they?

BOOK REVIEW: Cut Short by Leigh Russell

A good crime series always has a memorable character as the crime solver. Whether this is Poirot or Miss Marple, Frost or Morse, the characters are strong, think differently to others so can sniff out the villain but are also flawed so you can identify with them. This is no more true than with one of my favourite characters Jane Rizzoli from the books by Tess Gerritsen. However, I think Jane may now have stiff competition...

Cut Short is a psychological thriller by Leigh Russell and introduces DI Geraldine Steel. Geraldine is a workaholic and can be snappy and irritable with her colleagues. Yet she has a compassionate side. She is driven to solve the case so women are safe to walk the streets without fear. And she won't stop until she does.

Galaxy Book Awards 2009 shortlists announced

The Galaxy British Book Awards (GBBA) shortlists have been announced and there are several different categories including New Writer of the Year Award, Richard & Judy Best Read, and Crime Thriller of the Year.

There's also a Galaxy Book of the Year and the shortlist for that is formed from elected winners from the other categories. Still with me? You can cast your vote here until 28 March and be in with a chance of winning £200 of book tokens, to boot.

BOOK REVIEW: When Will There Be Good News? By Kate Atkinson

Kate Atkinson is a literary writer (she won The Whitbread for Behind The Scenes at the Museum) who has turned her hand to crime fiction. Case Histories and One Good Turn, featuring private investigator Jackson Brodie, rank among my very favourite books of all time.

When Will There Be Good News is the third in the series, although it is definitely a standalone story. Don't let that stop you buying all three books at once, though!

BOOK REVIEW: Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich

It seems amazing to me that I've been reading Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series of books for so long. I bought the first - One for the Money - in a now defunct store in London's Trocadero. I used to buy my books there because I fancied a man who worked there. I no longer live in London, I've been married for almost 13 years (not to the bloke from the Troc!). I've got a four-year-old son. These Evanovich books predate all of those life changes!

And partly, I think, that's what I find comforting about this series. I always know where I am with a Stephanie Plum book. I know the characters and the setting. I know that, whichever car Stephanie is currently driving probably won't make it to the end of the book. I know that Grandma Mazur will make me laugh. But is that enough?