150SUM cover 465Hi Everyone,

What were you doing 30 years ago? I was a wide-eyed Midwesterner happily getting used to life in the Big Apple. But as different as our situations may have been, I bet we had something in common: we were reading Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent, the publishing sensation of the year. Three decades on, Turow has accumulated a distinguished body of work, including his latest novel Testimony. Oline Cogdill talks to the author in this issue.

Sisters in Crime, whose ongoing mission is to promote the advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers, was another major arrival in 1987. Thirty years later the organization is still going strong and one of its founding mothers, Sara Paretsky, talks about why such an organization was needed then and remains essential today.

Created in 1899, Raffles, the gentleman thief, is one of crime fiction’s iconic characters. But lest you think his tales might be dated, here’s his manifesto on income inequality:

Why should I work when I could steal? Why settle down to some humdrum uncongenial billet when excitement, romance, danger, and a decent living were all going begging together? Of course, it’s very wrong, but we can’t all be moralists, and the distribution of wealth is very wrong to begin with.

The different routes to mystery writing never ceases to amaze me. A case in point is Linda Greenlaw, the seafaring captain of a fishing boat immortalized in the book and film, The Perfect Storm. Turns out there are a lot of ways to break the law on the high seas and Cheryl Solimini tackles the tale of this author’s journey.

Eddie Muller has earned the sobriquet “The Czar of Noir” with his indefatigable efforts to promote noir films through books, film festivals, movie preservation drives, personal appearances, and, now, a new show on Turner Movie Channel. Jake Hinkson catches up with him in this issue.

What’s that coming ’round the bend? Why it’s a long line of train mysteries, put together for your reading pleasure by bookseller Ann Whetstone.

In this issue, Kevin Burton Smith takes a look at an unusual corner of the PI field: locked room and other impossible crime stories featuring private eyes.

Craig Sisterson catches up with Michael Connelly as he debuts a series featuring Renée Ballard, an LAPD cop working the night shift. Connelly remarks that he was inspired to create this new series by two things: the inspiring career of a real-life LAPD detective and his 60th birthday.

For years, Hallie Ephron avoided following in the literary footsteps of her celebrated family but once she finally got started she quickly gained awards and readers. John B. Valeri talks to Ephron about success in the third act.

And, finally, Tom Nolan chats with Denise Mina who has some interesting thoughts on the high art/low art debate in literature.

Enjoy!

Kate Stine
Editor-in-chief

 

 

 

 

 

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