The very first mystery bookstore I entered was Whodunit? in Philadelphia PA. I was a teen with my mom, and deliberately looked up and found this particular store because I had a couple of books I wanted to sell and they said they bought books in exchange for credit. I was enthralled upon entering. I … Read more
After finding the ABE article about books exploring the theme of twins, I became intrigued, and realized I had one of the titles in my TBR pile. It had been there quite awhile. I think because every time I’d pick it up I’d veto reading it at that moment on the basis of needing something … Read more
My mother is the culprit behind my love of mysteries. Her Nancy Drews, Judy Boltons, and various other juvenile mysteries were handed down to me, and I read them voraciously. Naturally, Nancy Drew titles and plots lingered in my mind long after my childhood books had been sent on to another needy family member. Judy … Read more
I need books. All the time. I’ve always stated that if I become homeless the shopping cart I push will be full of discarded novels. So when I go away on vacation, I bring books. Yes, real books, with covers, and binding, and fragrant pulp wafting from the pages. Our vacations consist of road trips … Read more
I was aware of a couple of novels published after the authors’ death, but was surprised at the number of rather famous titles that fell into this category. I’m more familiar with crime fiction titles being finished by other authors–Lawrence Block completed a Cornell Woolrich manuscript, Nancy Pickard carried on a series when the original … Read more
If you’ve ever seen stiff Victorian photographs of children, you understand the creepiness some of them engender. Whether it’s the photographic process and film of the period that manage to accentuate visual oddities, or the length of time the subject is required to remain still for the photo to develop, there’s no denying the large … Read more
Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has graciously answered some questions regarding his experience during the Katrina hurricane catastrophe and the self publishing of his first book: Katrina’s Secrets: Storms After the Storm Q: My first question would be a general one-How is New Orleans and the people doing these years after Katrina? Has … Read more
Roll Over and Play Dead—Joan Hess–1991–St. Martin’s Press–used If you’ve not encountered the worlds of Joan Hess, you have many unique hilarious to the point of embarrassing yourself, moments ahead. Practically any one title from her Claire Malloy series could be on my list, but I have a particular fondness for Roll Over and Play … Read more
