The state of crime fiction and detective series

Janet Rudolph's Mystery Fanfare points to a couple of recent articles of interest to fans of mysteries.

First, thriller novelist Jason Pinter asks six reviewers to weigh in on the "State of the Crime Novel" for The Huffington Post:

I love to know who to read, who to watch for, who people are reading and why. From James Crumley to James Patterson, from Patricia Highsmith to Patricia Cornwell, from Dennis Lehane to Denis Johnson, crime novels have been responsible for some of the most beloved (and loathed) characters of our time, while telling some of the most important stories and peeling back society's flesh to reveal its bare bones. (Read the whole article here.)

Then columnist Sarah Weinman writes in the Los Angeles Times about "How to freshen up a detective series":

One of the hardest tasks a crime writer faces is how to keep a long-running series fresh. The worst-case scenario is when authors let their detective run amok far longer than necessary, leading to an exasperated fan base that buys new installments out of grudging loyalty. Others know when to quit, such as Ian Rankin, who cut his Inspector Rebus opus after 20 books with "Exit Music." (Read the whole column here.)