BunzelGram

June 28, 2021    Issue #49

 

This Week's Thoughts On Mysteries, Thrillers, and All Things Crime

 

In honor of our nation’s declaration of independence from British tyranny 245 years ago this coming Sunday, I’m taking the rest of the week off—meaning there will be no BunzelGram next Monday. This is a particularly appreciative day for us Bunzels, since our direct descendant on my father’s mother’s side—Stephen Hopkins—signed that momentous document in the summer of 1776, famously saying at the time, “My hand trembles, but my heart does not.” A native of Rhode Island, he served with the the General Assembly, twice was named chief justice of the state’s Supreme Court, and was a member of the first Continental Congress in 1774. To all those who believed in this grand experiment known as a democratic republic (and still do), I take my hat off. [In John Trumbull’s famous painting of the signing of the Declaration, Hopkins is depicted with his hat on his head.]

—Reed Bunzel

 

Book Sales Had Small Gain Last Week

Despite nonfiction sales being down in all major categories, unit sales of print books managed to squeeze out a modest 1.1% increase last week over the week ended June 20, 2020. As reported by Publishers Weekly, solid sales of backlist titles drove up unit sales 25.7% in the young adult fiction segment, while adult fiction sales increased 16% for the week, and juvenile fiction sales rose 2.2%. In the young adult segment, Adam Silvera’s They Both Die at the End remained #1 in the category, selling about 15,500 copies. Leigh Bardugo’s backlist continued to sell well last week, led by Shadow and Bone, the basis for the Netflix show, selling over 7,000 copies last week and more than 167,000 copies for the year thus far. Only one new release made an impact on adult fiction sales: The Maidens, by Alex Michaelides sold close to 25,000 copies in its first week on sale, landing it in second place on the adult fiction bestseller list. The President’s Daughter by James Patterson and Bill Clinton remained #1, selling a little more than 50,000 copies in the week. Juvenile fiction’s small increase in the week was helped by the release of What is God Like? by Rachel Held Evans, which sold over 19,000 copies in its first week on sale.

 
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The Thrill Is On: The Latest

 In Psychological Suspense

While we tend to think of summer reading lists in terms of beach books that easily pair with umbrella drinks and sunscreen, sometimes a psychological thriller is all it takes to escape into the world where not is all as it seems, where the mind can play tricks, and human reality is wobbling out of orbit. A good novel in this unnerving sub-genre often is told through the viewpoint of psychologically stressed characters, revealing "distorted mental perceptions and focusing on the complex and often tortured relationships between obsessive and pathological characters," as Christopher Pittard writes in his academic abstract "Psychological Thrillers." "The genre is closely related to and sometimes overlaps with the psychological horror genre, the latter generally involving more horror and terror elements and themes and more disturbing or frightening scenarios." If this sounds like your idea of a great read—and you love thrilling books—look no further than this list from Novel Suspects of 12 of the best offerings from the latest in psychological suspense.

 
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Nielsen: Covid-19 Shifted Audience

To At-Home Streaming Services

The pandemic was the catalyst for streaming video services, as movie theaters closed and consumers were forced to stay home and shift their viewing habits. As noted by Nielsen, several traditional media companies dove into the streaming space in 2020, taking advantage of their vast video libraries and launching just in time to provide consumers in lockdown with a full spectrum of binge-worthy content. As a result, streaming usage across all television homes has climbed to 26% of all time spent on TV, as streaming and broadcast now account for half of all television time, with usage split evenly between the two channels. “The past year has categorically shifted the television viewing landscape,” says Nielsen Sr. VP Brian Fuhrer. “Even as people begin to dive back into their pre-pandemic activities, based on the changes many made to enable streaming coupled with the variety of newly introduced services, we expect people to keep sampling and exploring their options. Just as important, as production ramps back up, new content will enter the space, driving additional traction.”

 
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Summer Movies Set In Small Towns

In 1985 recording artist John Mellencamp scored a top-ten hit (#6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart) with his song “Small Town”: The opening lyrics go:

    Well, I was born in a small town

    And I live in a small town

    Probably die in a small town…

Well, dying in a small town is what happens in a lot of very fine mystery films, and last week Crime Reads’ Olivia Rutligliano compiled a list of some of the best summertime thrillers that are set far from the beaten path. “The thing about crime movies set in small towns is that so many of them are set in the wintertime,” she writes. “Fargo! Winter’s Bone! The Burned Barns! Wind River! A Simple Plan! But this week, we’re spotlighting crime movies set in small towns, where things may not be as bustling, but the atmosphere will be just as tense…and the season/vibe is summer.”

 
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July Mysteries And Thrillers

On Turner Classic Movies

Once again, the Turner Classic Movie channel has a full line-up of crime films and thrillers set for July, with a slate of must-see classics (hence the channel’s name), including Strangers On A Train, The Third Man, and The Postman Always Rings Twice. For those who prefer something a little more contemporary but still a bit retro (1970s and 1980s) there’s Harper, The Friends Of Eddie Coyle, Body Heat, and The Last Of Shiela. If you’re into director Brian DePalma, check out Blowout and Obsession. Car chase fans will revel in Bullitt, and I personally will be tuning in to one of the few perfect movies ever made, Roman Polanski’s Chinatown.  Check out the full list.

 
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COLD CASE

Oregon's “Boy In A Bundle”

Case From 1963 Solved

In the summer of 1963, a fisherman on Keene Creek in southern Oregon hooked a small bundle, inside of which was the fully clothed body of a small boy. There was an inner blanket and, wrapped on the outside—very carefully—was a patchwork quilt covered with wire, to make a very tight package. According to KOIN-TV in Portland, no one knew who the boy was, the case went unsolved, and the body of the boy was buried in Medford’s Hillside Cemetery with a headstone inscription: “Baby Doe, known only to God.” In 2008 detectives exhumed the body and obtained DNA from the femur, but there were no matches…until now. A private company contracted to check familial DNA with companies like 23AndMe confirmed a match, and the boy has been identified as Stevie Crawford, who had Down Syndrome. According to reports at the time, Stevie’s mother returned from a trip that summer and told family members they wouldn’t have to worry about him anymore. The mother has since died.

 
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Cover Praise For
Jack Connor Mysteries


"Bunzel peels away the layers of mystery like a master of the genre”  —T. Jefferson Parker
 
“Sweeps you in with intrigue and authority and never lets you go.”  —Michael Connelly
 
"Raw, irreverent, and witty, Jack Connor is someone you want with you in a foxhole or the bloody back roads of South Carolina."  —Secretary/Defense William Cohen
 
“Lights up the Southern sky with taut, exciting action.”
     —Michael McGarrity
 
“It may be hot in South Carolina, but Iraq War vet and crime scene clean-up specialist Jack Connor is nothing but cool. Reed Bunzel has created a winning series.”
     —Alafair Burke
 

 
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