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Remembering our veterans through mysteries

Sunday, May 30th, 2010

A week ago, during an hour or so layover at the airport in Baltimore, I noticed a movie camera and crew set up at the gate next to ours, along with many people with those big still cameras that journalists and serious hobbyists carry.

All were aimed at a gate expecting a Southwest Airlines flight to arrive.

What no-talent actress, famous for being famous, was due?

Instead, the flight that landed was filled with World War II veterans and, as they got off the plane, nearly everyone in the surrounding three waiting areas either stood up and clapped or clapped while seated.

One by one, the men and women deplaned, most of them accompanied by a young man or woman. Some veterans came in wheelchairs, others had walkers or canes and a few walked proudly off. Almost each of them had to stop at the restroom before joining the group to the side.

While I didn’t know it at the time, these men and women were part of the daylong Honor Flight, a volunteer group to take WWII veterans to Washington to the WWII and Vietnam memorials.

I have to say that these strangers touched me and made my husband and I think of our late fathers, both of whom were WWII veterans. Several years before he died, my father, James, had made for me a shadow box filled with a photo of him in his uniform, his medals, insignia, belt cord and whistle. It is above my desk and I look at it each day.

During this Memorial Day, it is time to think of the sacrifice that our war veterans made for us.

So what does this have to do with mysteries? It so happens I had just read one of the WWII mysteries about Billy Boyle from James R. Benn. His novels give us a glimpse of the Greatest Generation’s war memories. Benn’s novels immerse us in the time when these men and women were young and strong, hoping to survive that war and have a future in a free country when it was over.

Likewise, Charles Todd’s Beth Crawford series show us what it was like to go through WWI while Todd’s Ian Rutledge novels take us through the post-WWI years. Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs gives a view of how WWI changed the world, especially in terms of women’s rights, classism and emerging technology.

Benn’s next novel Rag and Bone will be published in September; Todd’s next Bess Crawford novel An Impartial Witness will hit the bookstores in August. Winspear’s The Mapping of Love and Death came out in March.

Yes, there are many other authors who have given us wonderful novels with a backdrop of WWI and WWII, and I hope you’ll leave a comment on them.

These novels bring us back to eras that most of us only know about from our relatives and old movies. These novels make sure that we never forget the sacrifices our veterans have made.

And a special thanks to James L. Cogdill and Stephen D. Hirschman.

Posted in Charles Todd, Jacqeline Winspear | 1,710 Comments »

Ch-ch-ch-changes in the genre

Sunday, April 4th, 2010

The other day on Facebook, author Robin Burcell, left, posed an interesting question: “Has your favorite genre shifted over the years?”

This is what we do on Facebook when we don’t want to admit we have been pulled into the vortex of a great time waster – we ask important questioins. (Sorry, Robin, but I do the same thing…and I love it!)

All kidding aside, I find the question very intriguing, and timely.

Mysteries have indeed changed from the time I began to read them – when I was about 9 or 10; from the 1980s when I rediscovered mysteries to now; and from the time I began to review them, about 18 years ago.

The genre has undergone a huge metamorphosis that continues to evolve each year. It has to in order to survive in the 21^st century when reading habits are in flux, reading devices are on the rise and the economy is driving more people to the library.

For me, the changes in the mystery genre have only improved it and I believe the genre will become even stronger in the years to come.

The mystery genre now has more voices than it ever has. Thank providence for women authors such as Sue Grafton, Sara Paretsky and Marcia Muller who showed us that detectives can come in all shapes, sizes, genders and races. I can’t imagine what the genre would be like unless those authors had been pioneers.

The plots are more involved. For example, look back at Lawrence Block’s novels before the mid-1980s – they were good, they’ve always been good – but the length was about half of what today’s mysteries generally are. (By the way, if you haven’t discovered Block’s regular column in Mystery Scene, now’s the time.)

We have more international voices. Who would have thought that Scandinavian mysteries would become so important? Or that stories set in myriad African countries would make an impact with U.S. readers? Or that Iceland could give us at least two superb authors — Arnaldur Indridason and Yrsa Sigurdardottir.

I used to avoid historical mysteries; now they are among my favorites. With the Internet and other resources, it’s easier for authors to do indepth research. The best historicals show us where we’ve been but also are a mirror to today. Ace Atkins has proved himself to be a real historian. His new novel Infamous looks at “Machine Gun” Kelly, one of the gangsters of the Great Depression but it also is about fame, power and the press. The WWI stresses that show in Charles Todd’s series are just as relevant today.

Change has been quite good for the mystery genre – but especially for its readers.

Posted in Arnaldur Indridason, Charles Todd, Lawrence Block, Sara Paretsky | 1,414 Comments »

All the nice people will be at Sleuthfest

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

It never ceases to amaze me that so many mystery authors seem to be on a level playing field.

Stephen J. Cannell

By that I mean that no matter their level of success, most authors are approachable both to fans, other writers and, yes, even a few critics. Meet one author and he or she is sure to introduce you to another, whose books you’ll also enjoy.

Regardless of whether an author’s novels are always on the best-sellers lists or the writer is just starting out; the mystery genre seems to have some of the nicest people. Oh, sure, there are a few, rare exceptions. (And we all know who they are!)

Of course, I don’t know what the authors say behind our backs, but their attitude usually seems genuine.

It was brought home to me again during a recent interview with producer, screenwriter and author Stephen J. Cannell.

Cannell has been responsible for many of TV’s most iconic series, including The Rockford Files, The A-Team, Baretta, The Commish, 21 Jump Street and Adam-12. His latest novel is The Pallbearers.

I was only supposed to have a half-hour telephone interview with Cannell, due to his busy schedule. We ended up talking for nearly an hour and never once did I get a hint that he needed to go or was tired of the questions.

He was a pleasure to talk with and a fountain of information.

I am sure that Cannell will bring the same nice-guy attitude when he is one of the guests of honors during this year’s Sleuthfest, the annual writers’ conference sponsored by the Florida chapter of the Mystery Writers of America. The fun and games begin Feb. 26-28 at the Deerfield Beach Hilton in Deerfield Beach, Florida. That’s a suburb of Fort Lauderdale, for those of you unfamiliar with South Florida.

As in the past couple of years, Sleuthfest will feature two guests of honor: David Morrell on Friday and Stephen J. Cannell on Saturday. Morrell has written more than 25 thrillers and numerous nonfiction books, starting with his 1972 novel First Blood. Many know the film version – a little flick called Rambo with Sylvester Stallone.

Sleuthfest is one of the best conferences and one of the few devoted to writers instead of fans. If you’re interested in writing, this is the conference to attend.

In addition to Morrell and Cannell, Sleuthfest also brings in many published authors from across the country to discuss writing techniques and agents and editors to discuss publishing.

Mystery authors scheduled to be at Sleuthfest include James W. Hall, Charles Todd, Peter Robinson, Paul Levine, William Dietrich, James Grippando, P.J. Parrish, Barry Eisler, Lisa Black, Elaine Viets, James O. Born, Neil Plakcy, Les Standiford, Christine Kling, Jonothon King, Jeremiah Healy. Samdra Balzo and Joanna Campbell.

And, yes, there are more but I just ran out of space!

Sleuthfest registration, which includes some meals, is $235 for members; $255 for nonmembers. There are still openings, so come on down.

As an incentive, the weather is darned nice!

Contact Linda Hengerer at SleuthFestLinda@gmail.com or verowriter@gmail.com. The Web site is www.sleuthfest.com.

Posted in Charles Todd, David Morrell, Elaine Viets, James O. Born, Paul Levine, Peter Robinson, Sleuthfest | 1,871 Comments »

What small towns have in common

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

I was raised on a farm near a small town – Charleston, Mo., population at the time 5,911.

I will never forget the population because most days we passed that sign at least twice and the figure has stuck in my head. Also the misspelling of cemetery at the other end of town, but that’s another story.

Although I chose not to live in a small town, I still have affection for where I grew up and I still have wonderful, life-long friends who still live there.

Sophie Littlefield

As a reader, I tend to prefer those mysteries set in large cities, places that I frequently visit.

But there is something special about a mystery set in a small town that showcases how the benefits and the drawbacks of these places are magnified.

When I read Sophie Littlefield’s debut A Bad Day for Sorry set in a small Missouri town, I knew immediately those people and their motivations. They are people I’ve known all my life.

I also had a pretty good idea from Littlefield’s description where her fictional town of Prosper was located. Somewhere in the western regions of the Show Me State, I figured. And I was pretty close. Prosper is about 20 miles north of The Lake of the Ozarks, Littlefield told me in an e-mail.

Doesn’t matter if Prosper was in The Bootheel, which is what the area of Southeast Missouri that I grew up in is called) or not. Littlefield captures the soul of what makes a small town.

I feel the same way when I read Denise Swanson’s engaging Scumble River series. I know these people and though these novels are set in Illinois, it’s the same feeling.

Karin Slaughter

On a darker note, Karin Slaughter’s Grant County novels were set in a small city in Georgia, larger than my hometown, but no Atlanta. To me, Slaughter’s fictional Hartsdale was the same as Cape Girardeau, Mo., or Columbia, Mo., small cities big enough for a couple of colleges but not so big to overwhelm people.

Deborah Sharp writes about small town Central Florida, an area that many don’t even know exist, even those of us who live in Florida. And yet, this area she writes about is familiar to me because of the small town connection.

Charles and Caroline Todd who write as Charles Todd

And let’s not forget the British towns. When Charles Todd takes Ian Rutledge out of London to a small village or Bess Crawford in the new A Duty to the Dead, these places are familiar. The villagers may have a different way of speaking, prefer different foods and drive on the other side of the road, but these people could easily be in Iowa, Ohio or Washington State.

Do you have a favorite mystery set in a small town?

Posted in Charles Todd | 1,101 Comments »

Charles Todd and Jacqueline Winspear: Their characters could be sisters

Sunday, August 30th, 2009

Whenever I read a series, I sometimes wonder how the characters from one series would mesh with another.

After all, authors who set their novels in the same city are showing us a different side of that setting through the characters who love where they live, flaws and all.

Would Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch and Robert Crais’ Elvis Cole like each other if they met on the street?

Well, actually, they have and the mutal respect the authors have for each other showed through their characters.

Both Connelly and Crais have featured unbilled cameos of the other’s character meeting their character. (Trivia experts…do you know which novels I am talking about??!!!)

As I was recently reading Charles Todd’s excellent new novel A Duty to the Dead, I immediately thought of Jacqueline Winspear’s novels, the latest of which is Among the Mad.

This is a compliment to both authors and their characters.

Todd’s A Duty to the Dead introduces a new series from the authors of the Ian Rutledge novels. (Charles Todd is actually a mother and son writing team, Charles and Caroline Todd.)

Todd’s new series character is Bess Crawford, a British nurse during World War I. Here’s a link to my review of A Duty to the Dead that shows the high regard I have for this novel.

Bess Crawford could easily be the younger sister of Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs. Or the older Maisie could be the mentor to the younger Bess.

Like Bess, Maisie was a nurse during WWI who in the years since the war ended has become a skilled psychologist and private investigator.

The Bess and Maisie novels are set in different years – Maisie’s war days are over as the world enters the 1930s; Bess is smack in the middle of the war as A Duty to the Dead begins in 1916.

Doesn’t matter.

WWI is the shadow that covers both women’s lives.

While the characters could be sisters or cousins or colleagues, both Todd and Winspear have a different take on their characters, each author bringing a rich palette to their stories.

WWI was a defining time for the world and especially
Great Britain. It ushered in a beginning of women’s rights, the rise of technology and the decrease in emphasis on the class system.

Winspear has been exploring the aftermath of WWI in relation to women for six novels now; Todd is now looking at the women’s role during the war. (Todd also will continue the Ian Rutledge novels.)

The mystery genre is never too crowded for excellent stories.

I think both women would like each other if they ever met. I know I do.

PHOTOS: Charles and Caroline Todd, left, Jacqueline Winspear

Posted in Charles Todd, Jacqeline Winspear, Uncategorized | 2,341 Comments »

Charles Todd’s next adventure

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

For years, I have been a big fan of the Ian Rutledge series written by Charles Todd. Set in post World War I era, the series is steeped in the atmosphere ofBritain during this time. More importantly, the series looks at a brilliant Scotland Yard detective who is still shell shocked from his time during the Great War. Todd has kept the high standards in this series since it began with A Test of Wills in 1997. So I am quite interested to learn that Todd will be launching a new series with A Duty to the Dead, due out in August from HarperCollins A Duty to the Dead will continue Todd’s look at the horrors of Word War I, this time through the eyes of Bess Crawford, a battlefield nurse.Todd is one of the handful of authors who have used the WWI background as a way of looking at society, survivors’ guilt and Britain during the first part of the 20th century.Todd wrote one previous standalone, The Murder Stone, about a young heiress in 1916 who returns to the rural estate where her powerful and beloved grandfather is dying of a stroke.Todd, the writing name for mother and son Charles and Caroline Todd, has made my annual list of the best mysteries for several years. Judging just from previous history, I think that readers will embrace Bess Crawford as they have Ian Rutledge. While some authors will write only one series – and carry it on for decades – I’m always enthusiastic when an author tries something new, especially when they return to their regular series.Sometimes it seems as if the author returns that regular series a little fresher, having had a nice and sometimes much needed vacation from their regular characters. I never want Michael Connelly to give up Harry Bosch, at least not for several years, but his breaks have only served to make his series even better. Connelly’s latest The Scarecrow comes out May 26Harlan Coben’s stand alone thrillers put him on best sellers lists, but he still returns to Myron Bolitar now and then. Laura Lippman’s stand alones have been some of her best work, but I always like to see what’s going on with Tess Monaghan.Other authors such as Donna Andrews, Laurie King, Charlaine Harris – dear me, the list goes on and on – have given us two or even more series.The winner in all of this has been the reader.Do you have a favorite second series from an author?PHOTO: Caroline and Charles Todd; photo courtesy HarperCollins

Posted in Charlaine Harris, Charles Todd, Donna Andrews, Harlan Coben, Laura Lippman, Laurie R. King, Michael Connelly | 2,495 Comments »