Co-founder of Soho Press Dies

Laura Chapman Hruska, co-founder of Soho Press, has died.

Odds and Ends

Author Anthony Neil Smith has signed a two book deal with Bleak House books.

The October Soho Crime newsletter is available.

The comic books series, which I wrote about here, has been optioned by Paramount pictures. The movie will be directed by David Fincher.

Thuglit's new issue is a good one.

And, have you ever wondered what it would be like if Renfield and Igor teamed up to work as private eyes in 50's LA? Neither have I, but you can find out here. (You have to click on channels and then select Strange Detective Tales. I can't figure out how to directly link to the episode.)

Anarchy and Old Dogs in the NYT

The latest offering from Soho Crime, Anarchy and Old Dogs,by Colin Cotterill, gets a positive review from Janet Maslin. Cotterill, in addition to being the author of a series of crime novels set in Laos, is also a cartoonist.

Hard Case and Soho Crime updates

The other day, I went surfing for information on Shepherd Rifkin the author of The Murderer Vine, which Hard Case will be publishing next year. I didn't find much. Little did I know that all I would have to do is wait. Here's the scoop from Hard Case's latest newsletter:

We've put our next new title up on our Web site: THE MURDERER VINE by Shepard Rifkin. It's a powerful book that fictionalizes the same historical events that inspired the movie "Mississippi Burning," with the addition of a really stunning crime fiction twist. The author has an interesting history himself: now 89, Rifkin served on the S. S. Ben Hecht in 1947 and was imprisoned by the British in Acre Prison (a fortress on the northern coast of what is now Israel) after a failed attempt to run the British blockade of Palestine while transporting hundreds of refugees from the Holocaust. Rifkin and his crewmates were released -- but not before smuggling a camera into the prison, enabling what has been called "one of the most spectacular prison breaks in history." None of which has anything to do with THE MURDERER VINE -- but what a great story!

Hard Case is also going to be reprinting Steve Fisher's No House Limit, another book there seems to be little info about on the 'Net.

In other news, The latest Soho Crime newsletter in now online, Read it here.

Soho Press Event in NYC Thursday

Soho Press authors, including Henry Chang, Anne Landsman and Camilla Trachieri (who writes mysteries under the pseudonyms Camilla Crespi and Trella Crespi) will talk with Soho Press co-founder Laura Hruska, at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 10 at the Small Press Center, The General Society, 20 West 44^th Street.
The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are recommended. They can be made by calling 212-764-7021 or emailing: info@smallpress.org.
The discussion is the inaugural event of the Small Press Center's new Emerging Voices series.