Adrienne Carlson Guest Blog

Adrienne Carlson is well clued up on Forensic Science, and as such, you should be pretty damn interested in finding out what kind of crime fiction she enjoys. So I was delighted to hear from her. She offered to take a break from the site she regularly writes for (The Forensic Science Schools) to pen me a short article on her favourite Irish crime writers.

You may remember a similar article from Kat Sanders who also writes for The Forensic Scientist Blog. There's a danger of this becoming a series. No bad thing, as it allows me to concentrate solely on my fiction for the day.

Take it away, Adrienne!

Why Irish Crime Fiction is Gaining in Popularity?

There’s no doubt about it – there’s a wave of crime sweeping through the Irish community, and it sure is arresting. Now before you think that Ireland is becoming a nation of bloodshed and violence, let me reassure that it’s all on paper, and it’s all very good. A host of Irish authors are making names for themselves, adding to the crowd of already established ones like Declan Hughes and John Connolly. And considering the fact that Ireland is a tiny nation where everyone seems to know everyone and the crime rate is relatively low when compared to most other parts of the world, it’s surprising that crime fiction is a genre that has gained immense popularity in recent years.

When we look at the reasons for the surge in the demand for Irish crime fiction, we find that:

• Well established authors like Hughes, Connolly and Gene Kerrigan have inspired other wannabes to try their hand at writing whodunits; and with the new generation like Alex Barclay, Brian McGilloway and Arlene Hunt jumping on this bandwagon and tasting success on a grand scale, others are bound to follow suit.

• Irish crime authors base their books and stories in the USA because plot lines and police procedurals work more effectively when the tales are set in cities and locations where crimes do tend to take place as a matter of routine.

• The Irish Book Awards have included Alex Barclay’s Blood Runs Cold, Arlene Hunt’s Undertow and Brian McGilloway’s Gallows Lane, a move that goes to show that crime fiction is now gaining acceptance into elite literary circles.

• Crime fiction rarely makes it to the acceptable list of must-read books, so when one gets picked to be the Book of the Month, it is bound to boost the popularity of this genre. With author Alex Barclay receiving tumultuous applause for her debut novel, Darkhouse, her new bestseller Blood Runs Cold was included in the Book Club Choice. Other authors have since followed suit what with various discussions and programs boosting the popularity of this genre.

• Booker Prize winner John Banville has now turned to crime fiction using the pseudonym Benjamin Black, thus showing that this is a genre that even award winning authors endorse.

• Besides this, the sheer number of current Irish crime writers – Brian McGilloway, Alex Barclay, Gene Kerrigan, Declan Hughes, Arlene Hunt, John Connolly, Tana French, Ken Bruen, John Banville and Ava McCarthy, Adrian McKinty, Pauline McLynn, Stuart Neville and Ed O’Loughlin - to name just a few, are making this genre more and more appealing to not just fans in Ireland, but all over the world as well.

By-line:

This guest article was written by Adrienne Carlson, who regularly writes on the topic of forensic scientist schools. Adrienne welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: adrienne.carlson83(at)yahoo.com

Kat Sanders Guest Blog

Kat Sanders (isn't that a brilliant name?) is a Forensic Science Technician, and as such, you'd be pretty damn interested in finding out what kind of crime fiction she enjoys. So I was delighted to hear from her. She offered to take a break from the site she regularly writes for (The Forensic Scientist Blog) to pen me a short article on her favourite Irish crime writers.

Take it away, Kat!

5 Must-Read Irish Crime Fiction Writers

If there is one genre that makes for easy reading, it is crime fiction, particularly the books without too much gore and brutality. If you’re a fan of crime fiction, and if you like the way the Irish write, here are five authors you could try out:

· Declan Burke: One of the more popular and well-known faces of Irish crime fiction, Burke has been hailed as “the future of Irish crime fiction” because of his novels Eight Ball Boogie and The Big O. His blog Crime Always Pays is extremely popular on the Internet.

· Patrick McCabe: Mostly known for his psychotic thrillers, this author is a Booker Prize nominee for his book Breakfast on Pluto. Both this novel and The Butcher Boy are dark thrillers set in small Irish towns.

· Joseph O’Connor: This man’s initial claim to fame was being the brother of Sinead O’Connor, the bald crooner. But with his historical thriller Star of the Sea, he came into his own as a novelist who could engross the reader with his way with words. Star of the Sea was listed by The Economist as one of the best books of 2003.

· John Banville: Banville has been nominated for the Booker Prize for The Book of Evidence and has won the Man Booker Prize for his novel The Sea. He also writes under the pseudonym Benjamin Black, with books like Christine Falls and The Silver Swan.

· Liz Allen: This former newspaper correspondent turned her hand to writing crime and struck it rich with the bestseller Last to Know. She has put to use all her knowledge and experience about being a crime correspondent in order to come up with a really engrossing tale. Now a full-time author, she is involved in churning out other best-selling novels.

By-line:

This article is written by Kat Sanders, who regularly blogs on the topic of forensic science technician schools at her blog Forensic Scientist Blog. She welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: katsanders25@gmail.com.