Colin Bateman on the state UK crime fiction

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing the local author Colin Bateman about the state of the crime fiction market in the UK today. Colin is the author of Divorcing Jack which was adapted to screen in 2004. His latest book is 2009's Mystery Man.

The author is described as the king of the comic caper. The interview will form the basis for my industry analysis for the Professional Writing course, and Colin's insights proved very useful. Particularly interesting were his views on the e-book situation and the difficulties encountered by young authors in the field.

I plan to post a transcript of the full interview here after I submit my industry analysis, so watch this space.

Update: Crime writer Mark Billingham has also granted me an interview, so I will be posting both within the next month or so.

Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem

Motherless Brooklyn was suggested to me by a tutor on my writing course, and I am eternally grateful. This is the most exciting discovery I have made in a long time. The book was published in 1999, and in 2005 Edward Norton announced that he would direct and star in a film adaptation. Let's hope they hold on to Lethem's wonderful writing.
Lionel Essrog and a few other young boys are taken from their orphanage by Frank Minna, a small time crook. They start of moving boxes, but the nature of the 'odd jobs' they do for Frank soon becomes more obviously criminal. When Frank is stabbed to death, Lionel decides to find his killer.
The murder mystery plot line works well in the novel, with a series of intimidating suspects including a Polish giant and a group of Japanese businessmen. While there are wealth of interesting characters in the book, including Frank Minna himself and Lionel's companions, the protagonist outshines them all. Lionel suffers from Tourette's syndrome, a condition which makes him stand out even amongst his group of misfits. There is a certain childlike quality to Lionel even though he is investigating a murder. He is frequently hilarious without the intention of being so. Lionel is in pursuit of the truth, and while other characters see him as little more than a freak show, he proves his bravery in the end. Lethem could easily have cheapened the character by trying to get too many laughs from the Tourette's. Luckily, he avoided this. Lionel Essrog is the most endearing character I have encountered in a long time.