Oline Cogdill

grafton_visforvengeanceCould it be that the writers of the NBC comedy The Office are closet mystery fans?

Clues have popped up throughout The Office's eight-year run.

The latest was in the episode "After Hours." During a bizarre meeting in the conference room—as if there could be any normal event taking place in the conference room—Darryl Philbin says he feels as if he is "stranded on Shutter Island."

Would nonfans weave in a reference to Dennis Lehane's dark thriller? The scriptwriters must be fans, right?

Darryl, played by Craig Robinson, often is seen with a book and once suggested to his colleagues that they go to a bookstore to pick up women.

Second clue.

In the episode "Local Ad" during the fourth season, manic Michael Scott (Steve Carell) wants to find a celebrity to be in a commercial that will feature the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin. Phyllis Vance (Phyllis Smith) mentions that Sue Grafton is
holding a booksigning at the Steamtown Mall. Michael tells Phyllis to invite Grafton to be in the commercial and not take no for an answer. The encounter doesn't go well, judging by Phyllis' rumpled look when she returns.

While Phyllis is gone, Andy and Creed discuss how "crazy hot" Grafton is. (Grafton's latest Kinsey Millhone novel is V Is for Vengeance.)

There have been other times mystery authors have been mentioned in passing on The Office.

Do you remember any references to mystery authors that have popped up on other TV series?

The Office airs at 9 p.m. EST Thursdays on NBC. Lehane's and Grafton's novels are always in the bookstore.

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