Do you know Inspector Banks?

In February, McClelland & Stewart sent me a charming note about crime novelist Peter Robinson and his latest novel Piece of My Heart.

Now I’m not a mystery or crime reader. I don’t have any stuck-up, snobby feelings about mystery novels, I just associate mysteries with television series. I’m a huge fan of a certain Sherlock Holmes–Jeremy Brett.

I’m not sure why I’ve never taken to reading mysteries. Nevertheless, my contact at M&S assured those of us in the 100 Readers’ Club to take a chance: “I know some of you may be thinking that mysteries are not your cup of tea.” That was exactly what I was thinking, just at that very moment. But she continued to convince me.

Mr. Inspector has been sitting on my bedside table for some time now. I’ve been reading a shocking amount lately and just couldn’t get to him. But now, Quill & Quire is in on the gig to convince Canadians that they shouldn’t pass up Inspector Banks.

Quill says that Robinson is an international superstar. He’s a bestseller in Sweden, France, Italy–he’s made the New York Times bestseller list and the Sunday Times bestseller list. He’s also Canadian, formerly of Yorkshire but he moved to Canada in 1974 to study creative writing under Joyce Carol Oates at the University of Windsor. That last bit is what really sold me on Robinson. I’m not sure why those things seem important to me, but as one not familiar with mystery writers, the familiarity of names such as Oates and that Robinson lives in Canada make me more keen to open the book.

The name dropping that truly closed the “sale” for me was Otto Penzler. Otto is a well-known New York bookseller and editor. He is the crime guy as far as I’m concerned. And according to Quill, Robinson is working on a short story for an Otto Penzler anthology.

I get it. This guy is going to be great. Inspector Banks is going to be great. Here I go to read my first mystery novel.

About Piece of My Heart
There are two parallel stories: the murder of a young woman at an outdoor concert in Yorkshire in 1969 and the present-day murder of a freelance music journalist, who was working on a feature about the Mad Hatters, a fictional band inspired by Pink Floyd.

I’ll let you know how it all turns out. If you’ve read an Inspector Banks novel, fill me in on the details. I understand that Banks has aged through the series and I’d like the juicy background details.

Magpie and Cake blogged recently about the The Essence of Rabbit. I’m a particular fan of the cartoon bunny. In fact my pet name for my mom is Rabbit.

Quote: No other living creature features as heavily in contemporary character design and art as the humble hare. But what exactly makes bunnies so irresistible to artists, designers and illustrators worldwide? Depending on the viewersí cultural context rabbits can symbolise anything from insanity, alertness, defencelessness, all the way to promiscuity, magic powers and utter innocence. By condensing the endless variations of the rabbit motif into one ultimate system – a perfect bunny mandala – the true nature of the beast emerges: the eternal essence of rabbit.

Over 1,500 bunnies.

Here’s the close up shot of the bunny wallpaper design.

Tonight in Vancouver.

[From a press release]

What: The Joy of Words, An Evening of Readings and Music with Award-Winning Canadian Author Joy Kogawa
When: Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Time: 7:30 to 9:00 pm
Where: Christ Church Cathedral, 690 Burrard Street, Vancouver
Price: Admission by donation

Kogawa will read from her first novel, Obasan, recently re-released as a Penguin Classic. Along with Joy, special celebrity guests, including well-loved actors Joy Coghill, Doris Chilcott, and Bill Dow, along with CBC Radio One host Sheryl McKay and other special guests, will read favourite selections from BC prose and poetry. Japanese Canadian actors Minami Hara, Hiro Kanagawa and Maiko Yamamoto will read from the libretto for Naomi’s Road, the opera based on Joy Kogawa’s children’s novel. Jazz gospel singer Leore Cashe will also perform.

The event is a fundraiser to save Kogawa’s childhood home. The owner of the property has given TLC and the Save Kogawa House committee only until April 30 to fundraise the $700,000 needed to purchase the house. So far, more than $220,500 has been raised from 384 donors around the world.

TLC wants to save the house as a cultural landmark for all Canadians. Once protected, the house will be a used as a writing retreat, enabling new writers to create works focusing on human rights issues. It will also be open for public and school tours to educate people about the Japanese Canadian experience during World War II. For more information visit www.conservancy.bc.ca