Old books, mysteries & ethical dilemmas
Tonight is the official opening of the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair. It’s also Charlotte Bronte’s birthday. So appropriate[…]
Read moreA Blog for Readers and Writers of Mystery, Crime, and Suspense Fiction
Tonight is the official opening of the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair. It’s also Charlotte Bronte’s birthday. So appropriate[…]
Read moreDo you have superpowers? How about the characters in your mystery novels? I was reading mystery author and fabulous agent[…]
Read moreI spent last weekend at the NY Pitch Conference, working with authors who were pitching their books to publishing agents[…]
Read moreCome this Thursday I’ll be leading a workshop at the New York Pitch Conference. This is where I sold my[…]
Read moreSome years back the Mystery Writers of America had an open call for stories about odd partners. I came up[…]
Read moreLast night I went to the Morgan Library’s new exhibit on Hans Holbein the Younger, who lived and worked in England during the reign of King Henry VIII. The exhibit was titled “Capturing Character,” and, as a writer, it was fascinating to have a chance to look closely at these paintings.
Read moreI’ve been reading Amor Towle’s miraculous novel, A Gentleman in Moscow, which is about a man sentenced to live out his life at the Hotel Metropol. Definitely better than being sent to Siberia, but years of house arrest do wear on him. Though they also force him to grow. The novel set me to thinking about which hotel to which I would like to be exiled. That led me to ask my fellow Miss Demeanors which they would choose, and they had many wonderful things to say.
Read moreSome writers you read because you like their plots or their dialogue. Others because you connect with their spirit. This[…]
Read moreI don’t generally throw books against the wall, but when I read Tana French’s book the first time, I was so aggravated by the ending that I tossed it. The story was engrossing. The characters richly detailed. The book won an Edgar when it was published, in 2007. But the ending drove me crazy because it left something important unresolved. I actually thought I’d got a misprinted book that had lost the last twenty pages.
Read moreI’ve always dreamed of celebrating New Year’s Eve in Vienna, listening to the Philharmonic playing Strauss waltzes. Possibly waltzing around[…]
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