Barry Forshaw

Contributing a piece on Karloff's The Haunted Strangler for the latest issue of The Fantastic Fifties in the company of my old friend Richard Hollis, Stephen Laws, Stephanie Crawford et al, adroitly edited by Brian J Robb

As a (very) young man I once danced (if you could call my shuffling that!) with Cleo Laine, who sadly has just died. I'd done some minor work on the autobiography of Britain's greatest jazz singer...

As a (very) young man I once danced (if you could call my shuffling that!) with Cleo Laine, who sadly has just died. I'd done some minor work on the autobiography of Britain's greatest jazz singer...

In my latest FT roundup: Denise Mina, Liam McIlvanney, Laura Shepherd-Robinson, Peter Swanson, Philip Gwynne Jones, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, Arnaldur Indriđason

Uncanny London: I'll be talking to the fascinating Clive Bloom (series editor of my books, British Gothic Cinema & British Crime Film) about his new book on Gothic London's uncanny literature and arcane events at National Army Museum. 28 Sept: book here: www.chelseaheritagequarter.co.uk

Maigret could carry a stick of French bread instead of a pipe and sport a beret instead of a triby

Murderous wives and Iceland’s queen of noir — a crop of female-led fiction Gripping tales of murder, cover-ups and missing children lead our critic’s pick of the best new crime novels

It's been a good start to the week. Many thanks to @barryf48.bsky.social at the FT.

"The Magus of Sicily...invokes Italy’s most exquisite island as a setting for myth and murder. This is Swansea-born Gwynne Jones (who now lives in Venice) using his adopted country in truly evocative fashion.”

In next Saturday's FT: The Good Liar/Denise Mina, The Good Father/Liam McIlvanney, The Art of a Lie/Laura Shepherd-Robinson, Kill Your Darlings/Peter Swanson, The Magus of Sicily/Philip Gwynne Jones, & Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, Arnaldur Indriđason
www.crimetime.co.uk/new-crime-in...

Agreed!

Covering THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT & QUATERMASS 2, Val Guest @hammerfilms 4K/
WOMEN IN LOVE, Ken Russell @BFI 4K/HEART OF STONE; @Eurekavideo /WHEN EVIL LURKS; @SecondSightFilm /Three from Indicator : THE HIRELING, THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, THE DRESSER
www.dvdchoices.co.uk

Hunted by Abir Mukherjee has been announced as the winner of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2025.
www.crimetime.co.uk/hunted-by-ab...

Trust you're well, Anna? Haven't seen you in an age!

Maigret Capsule Collection: Barry Forshaw, author of Simenon, The Man, The Books, The Films, on a very welcome new publishing initiative from Penguin: twelve hand-picked Maigret mysteries; See Crime Time:
www.crimetime.co.uk/maigret-caps...

The Compleat Raymond Chandler: John Bleasdale on the Master of the Hardboiled Detective Novel for Crime Time: www.crimetime.co.uk/the-compleat...

Picked up today's Daily Planet at King's Cross – but perhaps the subeditor should have added some punctuation to Lois Lane's headline?

The 2025 winners of the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Dagger Awards, which honour the very best in the crime-writing genre, have been announced. See link on Crime Time:
www.crimetime.co.uk/2025-cwa-dag...

Ditto.

A beautiful tenor voice...

Blu-ray Choice: Coverage & Namechecks: MGM: THE SEAN CONNERY 6-FILM COLLECTION/Warner: LETHAL WEAPON 4K UHD/Eureka: TERROR IN THE FOG/88: THE BLACK TORMENT/Severin: DR WHO AND THE DALEKS/Hammer: SHATTER/Radiance: KILLER COP/Second Sight: THE NICE GUYS
dvdchoices.co.uk

Best of Summer Crime in the FT (Urtext): The Woman Who Laughed/Simon Mason; King of Ashes/S. A. Cosby;
The Secrets We Keep/M. R. Mackenzie; A Schooling in Murder/Andrew Taylor; The Stranger in Room Six/Jane Corry; The Red Shore/William Shaw + Lisa Jewell www.crimetime.co.uk/the-best-of-...

All part of my misspent youth also...

Thanks, Phlip - much enjoyed working on the booklet essay for The Innkeepers.

Karin Slaughter interviewed by Lee Child in Mayfair about her new book, We Are All Guilty Here. The Slaughter/Child badinage demonstrated their long friendship, and the review-proof Lee Child even called me out from the stage as an ‘eminent reviewer’! www.crimetime.co.uk/karin-slaugh...

Enjoyed contributing an essay to The Nice Guys from @secondsightfilms.bsky.social

Best of Summer Crime in the FT (Urtext): The Woman Who Laughed/Simon Mason; King of Ashes/S. A. Cosby;
The Secrets We Keep/M. R. Mackenzie; A Schooling in Murder/Andrew Taylor; The Stranger in Room Six/Jane Corry; The Red Shore/William Shaw + Lisa Jewell www.crimetime.co.uk/the-best-of-...

Meeting in South Ken the ever-stimulating Paul Vidich, whose The Poet's Game maintains his impeccable standards (our usual bonding over Graham Greene). In the lively disputatious company of Antonia Senior Andrew Rosenheim, Merle Nygate, Ed Needham Jake Kerridge Ayo Onatade et al

Un bicchiere di vino with Carlo Lucarelli. Wrote in the FT:
'The Darkest Winter -- set in the Bologna of 1944 -- finds the thuggish Black Brigades fighting the SS for control of the city, while the conflicted Commissario De Luca struggles to solve three simultaneous murders...'

Hope you like the commentaries I did with Kim Newman...

Crime-heavy week for me: Carlo Lucarelli Tuesday, Hatchards Authors of the year Party Wednesday (w. crime luminaries) and the CWA Dagger Shortlist announced today – see Crime Time link below.. it's the hardknock life for me keeping up with all this...
www.crimetime.co.uk/2025-cwa-dag...

For the deluxe new Hammer package of Shatter (starring Stuart Whitman and the matchless Peter Cushing), I supplied an essay on Seventies Crime Movies. It was a golden era, and Shatter is an entry in a notably fruitful period for the genre...
www.crimetime.co.uk/shatter-and-...