The Innocent Mrs. Duff–Best 100 Mysteries of All Time

The Innocent Mrs. Duff —   Elizabeth Sanxay Holding-1946-used I read Number 100, only recently. And had to jam it into the list, somewhere. Maybe it belongs a lower number, I don’t know and won’t try to figure it out, my mind has lost its ability to discern between good great and greatest, to coin a … Read more

Lilian Jackson Braun, Author of The Cat Who Etc., novels dies at 97

If you’re not familiar with this author, she wrote what seemed like a billion books involving a couple of cats that help solve crimes. Honestly, I didn’t realize she was still alive. Just as I was positive that Phyliss A Whitney had died many moons ago, when she only passed away within the last 10 … Read more

Independent Mystery Booksellers Association (IMBA)–This Month's Killer Books

As a former indie bookseller, this association’s monthly lists helped me find new authors to recommend and confirmed some of my own choices. As the website states: “Who better to pick the best mystery books of the month than people who run mystery bookstores? Each month a rotating editor selects 5 great reads from our … Read more

I Finally Got The Plumley Inheritance!

If you’re thinking a relative of mine died and left me a fortune, sadly, no. But almost as valuable, an edition of a book I’ve been searching for over 15 years is now in my excited hands. The Plumley Inheritance is incredibly scarce. The author, Christopher Bush is not a favorite of mine–not at all. … Read more

An Afternoon With Baroness P. D. James

My job of making sure authors signed books, no matter who they were or when they could come in, extended to one Sunday when the store I was working at usually closed. It was the only day Baroness P. D. James could make it to sign hundreds of her newest title . And we needed that … Read more

Dinner With Edgar

For those of you who have not experienced the thrill of an Edgar A. Poe banquet and awards ceremony, don’t think Oscars. But, don’t think Elks Club meeting or dentist convention either. The banquets I attended are from 1995 through perhaps 2000 or 2001. To be clear, I haven’t been to one for over a … Read more

The Edgar Awards-What Are They-Who Won Last Night?

First I’ll list the main winners, as many just want to cut to the chase, as it were. Best Novel–Steve Hamilton–The Lock Artist Best First Novel–Bruce De Silva–Rogue Island Best Original Paperback–Robert Goddard–Long Time Coming Grand Master–Sara Paretsky-For her lifetime of work in the crime fiction field So, what are the Edgars? Edgar is short … Read more

The Mystery League: Great Crime Fiction or Only Super Deco Dust Jackets?

All Carved Up: Performing Autopsies on the Great Bodies of Crime Fiction When I first decided to write an article about this short-lived publishing house I believed that reading the 30 titles published between 1930 and 1933 would be an easy, delightful task. After trudging through about five, I amended my expectations to scanning all … Read more