Martin Edwards's "Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife"

Martin Edwards has been described by Richard Osman as "a true master of British crime writing." His novels include the eight Lake District Mysteries and four books featuring Rachel Savernake, including the Dagger-nominated The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge. He is also the author of two multi-award-winning histories of crime fiction, The Life of Crime and The Golden Age of Murder. He has received three Daggers, including the CWA Diamond Dagger (the highest honour in UK crime writing) and two Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America. He has received four lifetime achievement awards: for his fiction, short fiction, non-fiction, and scholarship. He is consultant to the British Library’s Crime Classics and since 2015 has been President of the Detection Club.

Here Edwards dreamcasts an adaptation of his newest novel, Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife:

Over the years, I’ve had several dreamcasts for the TV version of my crime novels. The only problem is that the TV scripts that people have written were never made, let alone shown on the screen. Three years ago I wrote an audio drama that was recorded by some terrific actors, but that won’t be released until 2027, so I can’t say anything about it yet. All rather frustrating, but one can still dream…

When I’m writing, I never think about possible film or TV adaptation, because that would be a distraction. Besides, a story will inevitably be changed when adapted for the screen.

Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife begins with six guests (all of them linked to the book world, and all of them down on their luck) invited to the remote village of Midwinter by six hosts from the shadowy Midwinter Trust. Because the book is an intricate mystery with lots of twists and turns, I’d like Rian Johnson, of Knives Out and Poker Face fame to direct. He’d be able to get the best out of the story, and I’d like Anthony Horowitz – with whom I shared a dinner table a couple of years back, the night we both won Edgar awards – to write the screenplay, because he is a brilliant adapter.

The nature of the story means that it would justify a great ensemble cast, but let me focus on some of the key players.

The British actor Steve Coogan would be great as Harry Crystal, the failed crime writer. His wry persona is ideal for the character. Anna Friel, an actor I’ve admired for a long time, would be good in a sardonic role as the book editor Grace Kinsella. For the unsuccessful and seemingly innocent publicist, Poppy de Lisle, I’d go for Imogen Poots, and for the podcaster Baz Frederick, I’d look no further than Idris Elba.

Keira Knightley could handle the role of enigmatic and earnest Bernadette Corrigan to perfection, while her boss Andrew Vandervell would be a nice part for the incredible Gary Oldman. I’m a big fan of Lucy Liu from Elementary, so I’d love to see her as Daisy Wu, and Ben Whishaw would make a good, self- doubting Ethan Swift.

Learn more about the book and author at Martin Edwards’s website.

Writers Read: Martin Edwards (April 2013).

The Page 69 Test: The Frozen Shroud.

The Page 69 Test: Dancing for the Hangman.

The Page 99 Test: The Arsenic Labyrinth.

The Page 99 Test: Waterloo Sunset.

--Marshal Zeringue

Jaime Parker Stickle's "Vicious Cycle"

Jaime Parker Stickle is a writer, actor, podcaster, and professor of film and television at Montclair State University. She’s also the creator and host of the true crime investigative podcast The Girl with the Same Name, as well as the hilarious podcast about side hustles, Make That Paper. Stickle lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and fur babies.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Vicious Cycle:

I love to think about casting once I am deeply into the characters. I hold back in the beginning, mostly because the characters must form themselves. Once they have become a second language to me, I begin to hear them in my dreams, in music (lyrics become conversations between all my characters) then I can start to think about the dream cast. As a screenwriter and actor myself who has done a bit of casting for projects, I wouldn’t for a second dismiss the possibility of a series or film. I think it would be an incredible feat.

For my protagonist, Corey, who is a new mom in her late thirties, I really thought about someone who had the confidence, life experience, and vulnerability it would take to play a character that suffers from severe postpartum anxiety and panic attacks while caring for her newborn and solving a murder and immediately thought Christina Hendricks based on her role in Good Girls. It was a slam dunk for me and I often picture her delivering the lines while I write. Today, I think a lot about Brianne Howey from Ginny and Georgia. She definitely has the hutzpah and attitude to embrace a character as complex as Corey.

Corey’s husband, Evan, is already based on many of the men I dated before I married my husband. Each trait of Evan, even some of the dialog is absolutely bits and pieces of things the men I dated had said or done to me. Which made the soundtrack quite easy, but picturing all the male actors in my head that I would play him, only one made the cut so far, Jamie Dornan. He is deeply unapologetic in his roles and that is exactly Evan—he’s unapologetic, lives by his rules and wants his wife to fall in line. It’s a hard role, because Evan isn’t all bad, he’s specific and buttoned up and needs to control his environment to maintain a sense of security and Jamie Dornan fits the picture.

Visit Jaime Parker Stickle's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Heather Aimee O’Neill's "The Irish Goodbye"

Heather Aimee O’Neill is the author of two poetry collections: Memory Future (winner of the University of Southern California’s Gold Line Press Award) and Obliterations (co-authored with Jessica Piazza, published by Red Hen).

The Irish Goodbye is her debut novel.

As a developmental editor and assistant director of the Sackett Street Writers’ Workshop, O’Neill has worked with hundreds of writers who have gone on to publish with major publishing houses.

She lives in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, with her beautiful wife, two sons, and—she hopes, one day—a dog.

Here O’Neill dreamcasts an adaptation of The Irish Goodbye:

While I didn’t have these actors in mind while writing—I wouldn’t have dared dream that far ahead—as soon as the book was acquired, people started asking me who I’d cast if the story were adapted for the screen. The Ryans aren’t based on my family, but my mother looks like Meryl Streep, so I’d cast her in the role of Nora.

Recently, while my wife and I were fantasizing about casting the rest of the Ryan family, we looked up Streep’s daughters and were gobsmacked to discover that they’re all currently the exact same ages as the Ryan sisters. Accordingly, I’d cast Meryl Streep as the mother, Nora; Mamie Gummer as the oldest sister, Cait; Grace Gummer as the middle sister, Alice; and Louisa Jacobson Gummer as the youngest, Maggie. I’d have Jodie Foster direct. And my son is an actor so maybe he could play a younger Topher. I mean, what a dream!

Visit Heather Aimee O'Neill's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Randee Dawn's "Leave No Trace"

Randee Dawn is a Brooklyn-based author and journalist who writes speculative fiction at night and entertainment and lifestyle stories during the day for publications like the New York Times, NBCNews.com, Variety, The Los Angeles Times, and Emmy Magazine. Her debut novel, Tune in Tomorrow, was published by Solaris. Publishers Weekly said of Tune in Tomorrow: "Dawn balances over-the-top drama and comedy with genuine intrigue to create a fun story with plenty of heart." Lightspeed praised it as "an excellent read if you're looking for something to make you smile... well worth your time."

Here Dawn shares some ideas for the above-the-line talent for an adaptation of her new novel, Leave No Trace:

Leave No Trace began as a movie. Well, it began from a movie. I was pretty young when I saw the New Zealand film Smash Palace, which is largely about an ugly divorce. But there was one scene where the father, who's gone off the deep end a bit, kidnaps his young daughter and decides they'll live off the grid, in the New Zealand bush. It's lush and tropical there, and this kind of thing actually happens in real life from time to time. The kidnapping is short-lived – the daughter gets a cold, and they're both rounded up when dad goes to get medicine at a local pharmacy – but that idea stuck with me: What if they'd never left?

That was the birth of Leave No Trace, so I would have to ask Roger Donaldson, who is both from Down Under and the director of Smash Palace (as well as classic other films like Sleeping Dogs, The Bounty, and Cocktail) to take on the job. He knows the territory and he knows the concept already. Kind of. But at 79, he might not be up for the gig, which means I'd turn to fellow New Zealander Taika Waititi, who aside from being a handsome genius who could definitely play Tony, is known for (among other films) Jojo Rabbit and Hunt for the Wilderpeople – another film that uses the New Zealand bush to great effect.

Adaptations are difficult things, though. Doing a literal translation of a full novel into a movie means both tend to get short-shrifted; it's a different medium than a book, and so needs to be told in a way that works best visually. Some adaptations do best with only portraying part of the book – and, of course, then there are books that do really well when they're a miniseries on streaming. I think Leave No Trace would work better as the latter, because there is a lot going on in this plot, in the back and foreground alike.

But when it comes to casting, other than feeling perfectly fine with Waititi as Tony – I don't have a lot of strong notions about actors. When I saw Kimberley Wilson smile on The Great British Baking Show (or Bake-Off, depending where you watch it) for the first time, she was exactly how I picture the joyful, talented songwriter Stephanie Holliday. Spoiled, self-centered, but not irredeemable T.J. Furey was modeled off of Justin Bieber, but again – don't think I'd cast him. I have no idea if he could act, and besides, he'd be far too old to play the role now. Human exile Lexi? Green Man of the Forest Gil/Gillie? Fae queen Clíodhna? They are who they are in my mind, but I'd leave their final castings up to the director.

Though I would be available for consultation….

Visit Randee Dawn's website.

The Page 69 Test: Tune in Tomorrow.

Q&A with Randee Dawn.

My Book, The Movie: Tune in Tomorrow.

Writers Read: Randee Dawn.

--Marshal Zeringue

Skyla Arndt's "House of Hearts"

Skyla Arndt has always loved the creepy, crawly side of life. When she was younger, she thought that love might translate to hunting Bigfoot, but luckily for him, writing proved easier. These days, you can catch her writing stories by candlelight, splurging on candles for her office, and continuing to keep an eye out for Bigfoot (because you never know). She lives with her husband and three cats by the perpetually frozen Great Lakes.

Arndt's new novel is House of Hearts.

Here the author dreamcasts an adaptation of the novel:

While Hollywood has yet to give me a call, a girl can still dream! In fact, half my shower routine involves me vividly hallucinating red carpet premieres… Anyway, if I won the author lottery and managed to get House of Hearts on screen, I would love to see it adapted as a limited TV series.

House of Hearts takes place in a darkly atmospheric boarding school and features a romantic duo similar to Maxton Hall (if James and Ruby were doomed soulmates and had a vengeful ghost chasing after them). I don’t have a specific director in mind, but I imagine House of Heart’s adaptation to land in-between Wednesday and Haunting of Hill House on the horror scale–a few ghostly scares like the latter with the campy boarding school fun of the former. As for the casting itself: for my platinum-haired brainiac MC, I envision her as a teenaged Anya Taylor-Joy; and for my flirtatious, playboy love interest, it would have to be Damian Hardung (another Maxton Hall shoutout)!

Visit Skyla Arndt's website.

Writers Read: Skyla Arndt.

Q&A with Skyla Arndt.

--Marshal Zeringue

Kathleen S. Allen's "The Resurrectionist"

Kathleen S. Allen is a young adult writer of gothic horror, historical, fantasy, and speculative fiction. She has published poems, short stories, novellas, and novels. She prefers dark to light, salty to sweet, and tea to coffee. She is a fan of K-Pop, classic rock, and British detective shows. She loves gray, foggy, cool, rainy days; unfortunately she lives in Los Angeles which is usually sunny and warm.

Here Allen shares a suggestion for the director of an adaptation of her new novel, The Resurrectionist:

In writing The Resurrectionist, a young adult gothic horror reimagining of Frankenstein, I didn’t think of actors who might play the characters but I did imagine Guillermo del Toro as the director. I’m a big fan of his movies, and I’m looking forward to seeing his adaptation of Frankenstein coming out October 17th in theaters and streaming on Netflix on November 7th (my birthday!). I’ve seen most of his films, The Shape of Water, Pan’s Labyrinth, and Crimson Peak to name a few. His style of blending creepy horror with dark fantasy would work well with The Resurrectionist and I like that the monster in his movies is not necessarily a monster.

So yes, Guillermo del Toro would be my choice to direct The Resurrectionist.

Visit Kathleen S. Allen's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Resurrectionist.

--Marshal Zeringue

Suzanne Redfearn's "Call of the Camino"

Suzanne Redfearn is the #1 Amazon and USA Today bestselling author of eight novels: Call of the Camino, Two Good Men, Where Butterflies Wander, Moment In Time, Hadley & Grace, In an Instant, No Ordinary Life, and Hush Little Baby. Her books have been translated into twenty-seven languages and have been recognized by RT Reviews, Target Recommends, Goodreads, Publisher’s Marketplace, and Kirkus Reviews. She has been awarded Best New Fiction from Best Book Awards and has been a Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist.

Born and raised on the east coast, Redfearn moved to California when she was fifteen. Currently, she lives in Laguna Beach with her husband where they own Lumberyard Restaurant. In addition to being an author, Redfearn is an architect specializing in residential and commercial design. When not writing, she enjoys doing anything and everything with her family—skiing, golf, tennis, pickleball, hiking, board games, and watching reality TV. She is an avid baseball fan. Her team is the Angels.

Here Redfearn dreamcasts an adaptation of Call of the Camino:

For my last few novels, early in the process, I have created a character sheet for the story, a single page with photos of how I envision my main characters. The irksome nickname for Reina, one of the two protagonists in Call of the Camino, is Velma, so the first photo I put on my character sheet was a cartoon image of the adorable bespectacled teenage sleuth from Scooby Doo. So I think an actress like Linda Cardellini, who played Velma in the Scooby Doo movie might be a good fit for Reina if the story were ever made into a movie.

Reina’s nemesis, Matt, the one who irritatingly nicknamed her Velma, is an arrogant heartthrob competing against Reina for a feature article on the Camino de Santiago—a contest that will determine each of their futures. A young Ryan Reynolds with his ability to be a charming devil would work.

The other protagonist, Isabelle, is a spirited seventeen-year-old Andorran beauty with copper hair. A young Penelope Cruz with her charm, sultry looks, and wonderful accent would fit the bill.

Peter, the man Isabelle meets on the trail and falls in love with, is a shy, unassuming hero. I envision someone like a twenty-something Adrian Grenier playing him.

Visit Suzanne Redfearn's website, and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

Coffee with a Canine: Suzanne Redfearn and Cooper.

My Book, The Movie: Hush Little Baby.

The Page 69 Test: Hush Little Baby.

The Page 69 Test: No Ordinary Life.

Writers Read: Suzanne Redfearn (February 2016).

My Book, The Movie: No Ordinary Life.

My Book, The Movie: In an Instant.

The Page 69 Test: In an Instant.

Q&A with Suzanne Redfearn.

My Book, The Movie: Hadley and Grace.

The Page 69 Test: Hadley & Grace.

Writers Read: Suzanne Redfearn (March 2022).

The Page 69 Test: Moment in Time.

My Book, The Movie: Moment in Time.

Writers Read: Suzanne Redfearn (February 2024).

Writers Read: S. E. Redfearn (October 2024).

The Page 69 Test: Two Good Men.

Writers Read: Suzanne Redfearn.

--Marshal Zeringue

Tony Wirt's "Silent Creek"

Tony Wirt was born in Lake Mills, IA, and got his first taste of publication in first grade, when his essay on Airplane II: The Sequel appeared in the Lake Mills Elementary School’s Creative Courier.

He's a graduate of the University of Iowa and spent nine years doing media relations in the Hawkeye Athletic Department. He's also been a sportswriter, movie ticket taker and Dairy Queen ice cream slinger who can still do the little curly thing on top of a soft serve cone.

He currently lives in Rochester, MN, with his wife and two daughters.

Here Wirt dreamcasts an adaptation of his new novel, Silent Creek:

Jim McCann was a high school basketball star destined for the NBA. Then an injury shattered his knee and his dreams. Disillusioned, he cut ties with his stifling hometown.

Years later, he returns for his father’s funeral. Finding that his mother has dementia, he reluctantly takes over the family propane business. But there’s a silver lining: reconnecting with Kyle, his childhood best friend, and meeting Kelli, the only one who understands his struggle to fill his own big shoes.

There’s a dark cloud too. Colton Reid, a troubled former classmate, still holds an old basketball grudge. And after Kyle convinces Jim to fire him, the disturbing incidents begin. Nothing too serious at first—until the stalking hits Jim where he lives, unleashing a cascade of grave revelations.

Considering my main character Jim McCann is a 6-8 former basketball player, actor options are limited. I’m going with the guy I had in the back of my mind when writing Jim…former Creighton University star Doug “Dougie McBuckets” McDermott. I don’t know if he can act, but he’s the right age and 6-6 so he’ll look the part.

For our female lead, Kelli, I’m going with Aubrey Plaza. Like Jim, Kelli a former basketball player and Plaza is a huge hoops fan who still plays in a rec league. Or, if we want to stick with ballplayers…give me Kayla McBride of the Lynx, who’s nickname is also McBuckets.

I think Jesse Plemons is phenomenal, so I’d make him Jim’s best friend Kyle. It’s a nuanced roll I think he’d kill.

Finally, for our antagonist Colton Reid, I’ll take Jon Berthal. He can definitely pull off the big, menacing hulk we need. Scruff him up and he’s perfect.

Visit Tony Wirt's website.

The Page 69 Test: Pike Island.

Q&A with Tony Wirt.

My Book, The Movie: Pike Island.

--Marshal Zeringue

Mariah Fredericks's "The Girl in the Green Dress"

Mariah Fredericks was born, raised, and still lives in New York City. She graduated from Vassar College with a degree in history. She is the author of the Jane Prescott mystery series, which has twice been nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award, as well as several YA novels. The Lindbergh Nanny, her first standalone novel, was nominated for the Agatha and Anthony Awards.

Here Fredericks dreamcasts the lead for an adaptation of her new novel, The Girl in the Green Dress:

Who should play Zelda Fitzgerald?

I am reliably informed that no one in Hollywood wants to make period movies these days. So the chances of someone playing Zelda Fitzgerald as she’s depicted in The Girl in the Green Dress, are slim to none. But let’s take a page from Zelda’s book and not let boring reality stand in our way.

A surprising number of actresses have played Zelda, from Natasha Richardson to Christina Ricci. Richardson was a feminine, fluttery Zelda. Ricci more pert than provocative, although she only got one season and might have evolved. (It’s usually a mistake to make a famously dark actress blonde. Edgy deadpan is Ricci’s hallmark and I kept waiting for her to cut David Hoflin’s fratboy Scott to pieces with the raise of an eyebrow.) There are reportedly several Zeldas in the works: Jennifer Lawrence, Keira Knightley, Scarlett Johansson.

Before I knew much about Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, I would have said she was easy to cast. Find a flapper type, a little manic, a little pixie, throw in a Southern accent and you’re there. Pretty and sexy, of course. But the real Zelda wasn’t obviously pretty. Her voice seems to change over time. Her first letters to Scott are by extravagant and blase. Her articles for McCall’s witty, mischievous, serious about not taking things seriously. I felt I heard her adult voice for the first time in the therapy sessions as she cuts through Scott’s nonsense. One feels she has spent a lot of time with men impressed by their own eloquence, and she’s fed up.

My Zelda is 20, just married and taking her first steps into the world’s consciousness. She was a star in her hometown: rule breaking, fearless, and with illegal levels of baby-of-the family charm. I took my cue for her voice from those McCall’s articles. Also from contemporaries’ observation that her conversation could be hard to follow. Most of all, I took Scott’s reference to her courage and “flaming self-respect” as a baseline.

To me, the ideal Zelda has a touch of the tomboy. She was brave and athletic and just as there’s a touch of the feminine in Scott’s appearance, there’s a touch of the masculine in hers. Jennifer Lawrence has that. She also has Zelda’s broad, full cheeked face. She is from Kentucky, which is not Alabama, but it’s better than New York or California. Part of Zelda’s allure was her southerness, which was exoticized and eroticized by Scott’s friends. Images of Lawrence at the Reaping in The Hunger Games come the closest to a celluloid match for Zelda at 20—and argue she would be a persuasive Zelda at any age.

Alison Pill is a startlingly successful Zelda in just a few short scenes in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, partly because she is allowed wit and charisma. Tom Hiddleston’s Scott is in awe of her and that feels right. I’d love to see what Florence Pugh would do with a good Zelda script. But any time I had to conjure full Zelda, my imagination went to the woman who has disgracefully never played her: Jessica Lange. The minute she wrapped on Frances, someone should have been putting a Zelda project together. She is from Minnesota, but if you’ve seen Blue Sky, for which she won her Best Actress Oscar, you know she can play Southern and bi-polar. She can be both fully herself and a woman who inspires worship. A woman who might put you through hell—but you’d never leave because you know after her, heaven would be…well, boring.

Visit Mariah Fredericks's website.

My Book, The Movie: The Girl in the Park.

The Page 69 Test: A Death of No Importance.

My Book, The Movie: Death of an American Beauty.

The Page 69 Test: Death of an American Beauty.

Q&A with Mariah Fredericks.

The Page 69 Test: The Lindbergh Nanny.

--Marshal Zeringue

Jerome Charyn's "Maria La Divina"

Jerome Charyn is the author of more than fifty works of fiction and nonfiction, including Maria La Divina; Ravage & Son; Sergeant Salinger; Cesare: A Novel of War-Torn Berlin; In the Shadow of King Saul: Essays on Silence and Song; Jerzy: A Novel; and A Loaded Gun: Emily Dickinson for the 21st Century. Among other honors, his work has been longlisted for the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award and PEN Award for Biography, shortlisted for the Phi Beta Kappa Christian Gauss Award, and selected as a finalist for the Firecracker Award and PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Film Culture at the American University of Paris, Charyn has also been named a Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture and received a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Rosenthal Family Foundation Award for Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He lives in Manhattan.

Here Charyn dreamcasts an adaptation of Maria La Divina:

I’ve had one of my books turned into a movie and it was not a great experience. I handed over my crime novel The Good Policeman to a showrunner and lost all my power. The film played in Europe but not in the United States and frankly, I was at peace with that outcome.

But with my Maria La Divina film I would not make the same mistakes. I want my Maria to sing, to act, to be a strong powerful woman worthy of the name Greatest Diva of All Time.

So, the first star I want my producers to talk to is – The Lady herself, Lady Gaga. I’ve watched every film she’s made and every performance I could get to. Lady Gaga is everything Maria was in her prime – the greatest singer, a talented actress, an exotic beauty and fashion icon, with a genius understanding of her times.

Lady Gaga is the Maria Callas of the 21st Century.

Maria gave it all up for love, for the love of Aristotle Onassis, a strange sort of superman who tossed her aside and lived to regret it. Both of their lives came to an end when their affair did – although neither one knew it then.

I worry about the casting of Onassis. He certainly did not look like the magician he was, in business and – it seems – in the bedroom. I think Anthony Quinn would be the perfect choice to play Ari. Manly and charismatic, Quinn would be able to portray the love of Maria’s life beautifully (and much more accurately than the actor chosen to play him in the recent failed feature film, Maria.)

The last and perhaps most difficult casting decision must be Maria’s husband, mentor and shaman, Giovanni Battista Meneghini. Among his family of ten brothers, one of them a general, Meneghini had the only success on the world stage as the Svengali who helped make Maria Callas an international celebrity and the greatest opera diva of her time. He loved her, worshiped her, pushed and championed her, supported her and followed her around like a puppy, all the while grifting most of her money.

I believe Oliver Platt would have the talent to bring Meneghini to life onscreen - and with his casting, my film is complete.

As for the film’s branding and poster – I, who have built my life on words, dream of an artist who would create magic from the letters of MARIA’s name, which contain the two things she loved more than her own life – ARIA and ARI – her own unique monolith.

Visit Jerome Charyn's website.

The Page 69 Test: Under the Eye of God.

My Book, The Movie: Big Red.

Q&A with Jerome Charyn.

The Page 69 Test: Ravage & Son.

Writers Read: Jerome Charyn (August 2023).

--Marshal Zeringue