Mystery fiction fans know how many conferences there are that celebrate the genre we all love.
The sheer number can be a bit daunting.
But the 14th annual Festival of Mystery sounds like a conference that should not be missed.
It’s Monday May 4 at the Greek Orthodox Church, 12 Washington St., Oakmont, Pennsylvania.
The Festival of Mystery is sponsored by the good folks at the Mystery Lovers Bookshop in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, which is near
Pittsburgh.
This year, about 42 authors from the United States and Canada will be on hand to discuss their works and to meet readers.
The conference is from 4 to 9 p.m. and is the largest book festival in that tri-state area.
But plan to get there early.
A line generally starts forming in the early afternoon; the first 100 into the hall receive a bag of mystery books donated by the major publishers.
Like most mystery conferences, the Festival of Mystery also supports literacy in its community. A raffle for gift baskets will benefit Beginning with Books. Refreshments are sold by the Riverview High School Honor Society and WDUQ-FM is co-sponsor.
And the price cannot be beat. Tickets are $7 in advance; $8 at the door.
The timing also seems geared for mystery fans. It comes just after the Edgars Awards, April 30, and then Malice, May 1 to 3.
Seems pretty easy that after you leave Malice in Washington to head over to Pennsylvannia for the Festival of Mystery. Make it a nice long weekend of mystery fiction.
And the authors are not to be missed.
They include Donna Andrews, Rhys Bowen, Jane K. Cleland, Jeff Cohen (be sure to check out his hilarious video), Ellen Crosby, above right, Casey Daniels, Rosemary Harris, Mary Jane Maffini, Toni Kelner, Nancy Martin, Louise Penny, Jason Pinter, Marcia Talley and G.M. Malliet, directly right.
OK, I know I had to leave way too many off that list, but the complete list along with their bios is on the Festival of Mystery Web site.
One of the authors who has attended the Festival of Mystery several times is Elaine Viets, right, who writes the Dead End Job series about Helen Hawthorne and the Mystery Shopper series about single mother Josie Marcus. Viets will have just finished her stint as toastmaster at Malice.
Viets is quite a fan of the Festival of Mystery. Here’s what she had to say:
“I started attending about six years ago. It’s perfect for touring mystery writers. We drive up in clusters of two to six the Monday after Malice Domestic,” said Viets in an email.
“At the Festival, we try to share a room with the writer who snores the least. Writing is a solitary business, so on the drive to Oakmont, Pa., we have a terrific time complaining about publishers and agents, swapping jokes and gossip.
“We try to arrive in Oakmont in time for the 2 p.m. library tea, because all writers need librarians. The librarians listen patiently to us.
“Readers literally come by the busload. It is mystery writers heaven.
“The Festival attracts serious buyers. They purchase books by the shopping bag, as if mysteries will be outlawed by morning. They love new series, or authors they haven’t seen in a couple of years. They also come back for their old favorites. We writers spend about four hours telling readers about our work.
“Then it’s over and we’re exhausted. We have pizza with Mary Alice and Richard and the staff and leave for home the next day.
“I had to miss it the last two years and felt a page was torn out of my writing life. It’s like coming home.”
Sounds like a plan to me.
PHOTOS: Top, from left, Rhys Bowen, Jason Pinter, Nancy Martin, Donna Andrews.
Larry himself likes to supplement the written word with pictures and other interesting items. Be sure to read about the “Philatelic Edition” of the latest Keller novel, Hit and Run, in our interview; an example of the specially-printed U.S. stamp is is shown here.
