No better way to spark a fire storm than change. There is a proposal to sanitize works of long-dead authors. Whether the cause of anti-censorship, history preservation or the fever dreams of conspiracy addicts, people have protested against editing out racism and xenophobia (among other unpleasant actions and ideas) from literature. HarperCollins was one of the first to see the reactions when Roald Dahl and Ian Fleming were “cleansed.” Passages that referred to weight, gender, race, violence, mental health and more were altered, with some being removed altogether. The publisher thought it was worth it – writers not so much.
Passages from these novels have been “reworked or removed” to elide references to ethnicity or simply to omit physical descriptions altogether. Without having reviewed these texts cited above, it’s hard to tell where changes were needed and where the publishers may have applied an over-abundance of caution. Regardless, many readers have argued that to strip a text of its worst qualities is to dismantle important historical context.
Be that as it may, Agatha Christie’s work got that makeover. There are a number of instances in her books that are blatantly offensive, particularly by modern standards. Christie was notable for stereotypical depictions of Asian people. Also descriptions referencing characters as Nubian, “gypsy,” and “a Jew” have been removed from of her novels.
Like Dahl and Fleming, Christie saw some of her most flagrantly poor word choices changed in her lifetime. The bestseller, “And Then There Were None”, was infamously published in the U.K. based on a British minstrel song repeated in the novel. Even in 1940, the title was too objectionable for publication in the U.S. and the slur was largely removed from the text. As such, there’s a degree of precedent for these new edits.
All things considered, I thought we might take a look at Dame Agatha characters. I chose Miss Marple because of the amazing number of actresses (14) who took on the role. I have whittled it down to the top five who perennially swap positions now and then – with only one surviving all others to be the perfect Marple. Watch for fun and maybe a little something you didn’t know.
Francelia Belton’s “Siren Song” appeared on April 1, 2023 in Stone’s Throw, A Rock and Hard Place Publication. Congratulations Francelia!
This short piece is a terrific read. Here’s the opening from “Siren Song”:
I think most men considered me a challenge: reel in the sea loving mariner, tame her, and make her your wife sort of thing. Only that’s not how it works. You can’t ‘domesticate’ a seafarer. They love the salty wind in their hair, the cool water against their skin, the sound of the waves crashing against the hull of their ship.
Stone’s Throw is a monthly companion to the Rock and a Hard Place Magazine. In addition to their regular issues, Rock and a Hard Place Press deliver shorter, sharper content that feature all the same grit and hard decisions as their usual fare. Each month, writers are given a submission prompt, and the best of the best, by their estimation, will be posted to the site the following month. Then at the end of year, all twelve of the 2023 Stone Throw’s stories will be collected and published into a Stone’s Throw Anthology.
Psst! Wanna tip about where to find your next great read? Spend some time with 2022’s Macavity Award winners and nominees. You’ll find favorites, I’m sure. More importantly – who are the new kids on the block you’ll want to sample?
Why should I care about nominees? Mystery Readers International is one of largest organization of mystery readers in the world. Its members include fans, critics, writers, publishers, and editors. Past winners include Sue Grafton, Michael Connelly, and Tana French. The award is given in five categories—best novel, best first novel, best nonfiction, and best short story and the Sue Feder Memorial Award for Best Historical Mystery.
How do we begin our life as a writer? For Michael Connelly, it was the work of Raymond Chandler; it fired the forge from which Harry Bosch was drawn. For Sara Peretsky, it was about proving that women writers’ plots and prose could be as muscular as the likes of Hammett and Spillane.
For Christopher Fowler, it was trying his hand at a genre that he adored. He loved the writing as much as the reading. From his trial shot of a single book to a lifetime of creation, Fowler secured his place in the body of crime fiction works.
Christopher Fowler, author of Britain’s Bryant & May series of detective novels, has died at the age of 69. He fought the good fight after having been diagnosed with cancer three years ago.
Christopher was best known for his Bryant & May thrillers, featuring veteran detectives solving unusual crimes in London from the second world war to the present day. The series kicked off with Full Dark House in 2003, and 17 more novels followed, most recently London Bridge Is Falling Down, published in 2021.
Christopher was the winner of the Edge Hill Prize, (for excellence in a published single authored short story collection), the Last Laugh prize (for best humorous crime novel first published in the United Kingdom), the inaugural Green Carnation Award (award for best fiction and memoirs by gay men), the E-Dunnit Award (best crime fiction ebook first published in both hardcopy and in electronic format in the British Isles) and the CWA 2015 Dagger In The Library (for a body of work by an established writer of crime fiction or non-fiction who has long been popular with borrowers from libraries). His crime fiction was superior and quality intensified as he aged.
Christopher Fowler wrote until he could not, sharing: “It’s very hard to write now without falling asleep or forgetting what I was going to say. All fun things have to come to an end. I love you all. Except for that horrible old troll – are there any other kind? There, now you have a smidgen of extra time on your hands, go have fun … and read a book.”
And now is a good time for you to discover Fowler’s works, if you aren’t familiar (I get no remuneration when you click a link and purchase). What you will get though is a thrilling chase through unusual crimes in unusual times. The usual buddy cops motif is turned upside down with gay detective partners who work in – wait for it – the Peculiar Crimes Unit. Fowler’s series is fun. Go to Amazon and find yourself in London, in the 40’s, in the life. You will sit up all night. You will not be able to put his books down.
Sisters in Crime-CO member Helen Starbuck’s new book A Cold Case of Conscience launches this month. It’s Book Four in the Annie Collins Mysteries. Join her for a Zoom launch party on March 8th at 6:30 pm MST. RVSP by DM on Facebook: Helensstarbuckor Instagram: Helenstarbuck_author or email her at [email protected].
In A Cold Case of Conscience, Annie Collins wants to unofficially review cold cases for Denver Homicide Detective Alex Frost. But solving them isn’t easy, like the arson death of a man known for his predatory behavior toward women. There are no suspects, no witnesses, and no one who is sorry that he’s gone.
Annie can’t resist the pull of a recent murder that may be connected to an old cold case. Annie and Frost aren’t sure if the two cases are connected, and the person who knows the answer isn’t talking.
Angel Cisneros, Annie’s husband, is struggling to recover after their brush with death, and his ability to tolerate the repercussions of her involvement with Frost is at an end. Annie may be forced to choose between helping Frost or concealing what she’s doing from Angel—something she’s never done.
Colorado native and former OR nurse, Helen Starbuck is an award-winning author of The Annie Collins Mystery Series.
While she lays no claim to the coffee empires, she does fondly foster two crabby cats and a 22-year-old pampered pasture-pet horse.
When she’s not writing, you can find her dressing up like a princess and ballroom dancing with her friends or reading books about strong women and interesting men who find themselves in suspense-filled situations.
Valerie Webster and Driven: A Rita Mars Thriller in the spotlight via Author of the Day interview.
Make your next book club event an author event with a writer who’s lived the cases, developed the crime fighting technologies. Contact Valerie Webster today.
