Exciting news! Margot Kinberg at Confessions of a Mystery Novelist has just announced the publication of a new crime anthology.

In a Word: Murder is a tribute to the late Maxine Clarke, crime blogger extraordinaire, and features stories set in the worlds of writing, editing, reviewing and blogging. Treats include the murder of a true-crime magazine editor, a life-or-death short story competition and a deadly literary festival. Deliciously wicked stuff!

Go on…you know you want to…!

Proceeds will go to the Princess Alice Hospice and can be purchased here. I’ve already got my copy and am keen to get reading.

There’s also been a bit of excitement here at Mrs. Peabody Investigates. As many of you know, I’m an academic by trade, and have used the blog to discuss my research on crime fiction, and to promote debate about this very rich literary genre. As a result of the blog’s success, it’s become a university ‘impact case study’, exploring the reach and significance of academic work in the public realm. Remember that survey that I asked you to fill out a little while back? The one with the kittens? That was me trying to find out how much the blog had benefited you as blog users, in terms of widening or changing your reading habits, or making you think more deeply about crime fiction. And the response, from 188 of you, was truly fantastic.

So the excitement today is that Mrs. Peabody Investigates features in The Guardian newspaper in an article about impact. It’s a discussion piece, but might be of interest in terms of seeing how Mrs P fits into my academic life. Please note the bit where I say that ‘making research more accessible to the public also helps to enrich it, by bringing in new voices’. Those voices are yours, and have most definitely had a beneficial impact on my own research. I learn a huge amount from you all the time, which creates a very virtuous circle indeed.

Time for a celebratory kitten!