Archive for the ‘Bill Crider’ Category

MYSTERY SCENE SPRING ISSUE #109

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

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Hi everyone!

Could there be a better argument for the vitality, diversity and creativity of the mystery than the work of the writers covered in this issue? Just for starters, we have Laurie King’s thoughtful, challenging Mary Russell novels which reimagined the Sherlock Holmes we thought we knew; Mary Jane Maffini’s cozy confections that provide equal measures of delight and diversion; Olen Steinhaurer’s politically and morally nuanced neo-espionage; and Hannah Berry’s gorgeous and groundbreaking graphic novel, Britten and Brülightly. Throw in the couple of hundred other interesting writers we discuss in this issue and I think you’ll agree there’s lots of great things going on in crime fiction today.

Of course, as Mark Twain observed any book is a new book to someone who hasn’t read it yet. In that spirit H.R.F. Keating draws our attention to the work of Christianna Brand, who crafted fiendishly ingenious Golden Age puzzles.

And what gets a book, of any age, noticed? The International Thriller Writers thinks its the very first sentence, and to prove their point, page 20 offers an intriguing collection from members’ works. Judge for yourself!

Not all mystery fiction is delivered via print, as Art Taylor reminds us in “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang: Great Romantic Crime Films.” Art had such a good time picking this list that he and his fiance, Tara, are busily screening possibilities for another installment in an upcoming issue—“Love Bites: The Darker Side of Romance and Crime.”

Some years ago I traveled to Greenway, Agatha Christie’s lovely home on the banks of the River Dart in Devon. I was visiting Christie’s daughter Rosalind and son-in-law Anthony and I’ll never forget both their kind hospitality and the beautiful setting. (I definitely never forgot the 80-something Anthony merrily skipping up the hillside gardens while I and a companion straggled behind, gasping and cursing.) Sadly Rosalind and Anthony have both passed away but their generosity to mystery fans continues. Greenway was donated to Britain’s National Trust and has now been completely restored and opened to the public. See page 10 for details and if you go, send us photos!

The Mystery Scene Blog has been operational for some time now but we’re ramping up the posting. Oline Cogdill, who interviewed Laurie R. King for this issue, is now posting twice a week. We also have “web original” book reviews, news, and other items popping up there almost daily. Drop by and say hello!

And lastly, a belated welcome to Bill Crider, author of the Sheriff Dan Rhodes mysteries, amusing blogger and, as of the last issue, Mystery Scene’s new short story review columnist. Be sure to check out “Short and Sweet” on page 54.

Kate Stine
Editor-in-chief

Posted in Agatha Christie, Bill Crider, Christianna Brand, H.R.F. Keating, Hannah Berry, International Thriller Writers, Laurie R. King, Mary jane Maffini, Mystery Scene Magazine, Olen Steinhauer, Oline Cogdill | 1,440 Comments »

Bill Crider is Short & Sweet

Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

If it wasn’t for the mystery genre, the short story would continue to get, well, the short shrift.

Mystery readers at least have a couple of magazines devoted just to the art of the short story, other publications that include a story or two in each issue as well as the several anthologies published each year. There’s also several online publications that include short stories.

It’s still not enough. So many wonderful stories – most by new authors – languish in submission piles.

And as readers try to keep on top of the novels that come out, it’s easy to miss terrific short stories. The kind that make you think, the kind that make your hair stand on end, the kind that introduce you to an author you haven’t read before so you can go out and buy everything they have written.

billcrider.jpgThank goodness Mystery Scene now has an advocate for short stories in Bill Crider whose column Short & Sweet kicks off this month.

In this column, Bill will spotlight those short stories – whether they are new or in out of print publications – that appeal to him.

Bill will be perfect in this new role as he brings an author’s viewpoint coupled with a fan’s enthusiasm for the short story.

So just who is this Bill Crider?

He’s prolific writer, an insightful reader and a heck of a nice guy.

Bill was born and raised in Mexia, Texas, a town whose other famous citizen, he says, is Anna Nicole Smith. (We prefer Bill)

He taught English at Howard Payne University for 12 years, before moving to Alvin, Texas. There he was the Chair of the Division of English and Fine Arts. He retired in August 2002 to become “either a full-time writer or a part-time bum. Take your pick,” he says on his Web site.

We say full-time writer or maybe double-time writer, when you consider the variety of his work.

Bill writes the series about Sheriff Dan Rhodes who works in a small
Texas county. Too Late to Die, the first novel in this series, won an Anthony Award for best first novel in 1986.  The latest Of All Sad Words came out last February.

He also writes two series about two college English teachers, Carl Burns and Sally Good.

He has a private eye series about Truman Smith who works on Galveston Island.  Dead on the Island (1991), the first in that series, was nominated for a Shamus Award by the Private Eye Writers of America.

He also has several stand-alones, westerns, horror novels and books for young readers.

Somewhere in all that, he’s had time to write some short stories.

Short and & Sweet will be appearing monthly.

Posted in Bill Crider, Reviews, Sheriff Dan Rhodes, Short & Sweet, Short Stories | 2,236 Comments »