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The Private Patient
Betty Webb

In P.D. James' new Adam Dalgliesh mystery, everyone, including the detective himself, hovers on the verge of major life change, with dreams either about to be realized or about to die. Among these characters is investigative reporter Rhoda Gradwyn, who has finally made the decision to have renowned surgeon George Chandler-Powell remove a disfiguring scar that carries many bitter memories. But Gradwyn never gets the chance to see how her new face will change her life; the night after the successful operation, she is found murdered in her bed.

Suspects are plentiful, many of them with ties to Gradwyn's muckraking past. This assemblage of damaged people allows James to posit several questions, chief among them--how responsible are we for the fallout from our actions, even when our actions arise from the finest of motives?

Who better to ask, and answer, that kind of question than the 88-year-old James, author of 20 books, including the apocalyptic The Children of Men? James isn't only an author: For years she served as a British magistrate, presiding over cases that posed this novel's central problem in real-life terms. With James, human anguish was never theoretical--it sat, weeping, in front of her. Good mysteries explore this problem of human pain in depth, but the very best of them offer solutions--and The Private Patient does exactly that.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

In P.D. James' new Adam Dalgliesh mystery, everyone, including the detective himself, hovers on the verge of major life change, with dreams either about to be realized or about to die. Among these characters is investigative reporter Rhoda Gradwyn, who has finally made the decision to have renowned surgeon George Chandler-Powell remove a disfiguring scar that carries many bitter memories. But Gradwyn never gets the chance to see how her new face will change her life; the night after the successful operation, she is found murdered in her bed.

Suspects are plentiful, many of them with ties to Gradwyn's muckraking past. This assemblage of damaged people allows James to posit several questions, chief among them--how responsible are we for the fallout from our actions, even when our actions arise from the finest of motives?

Who better to ask, and answer, that kind of question than the 88-year-old James, author of 20 books, including the apocalyptic The Children of Men? James isn't only an author: For years she served as a British magistrate, presiding over cases that posed this novel's central problem in real-life terms. With James, human anguish was never theoretical--it sat, weeping, in front of her. Good mysteries explore this problem of human pain in depth, but the very best of them offer solutions--and The Private Patient does exactly that.

The Spanish Game
Charles L. P. Silet

Alec Milius appears to be a typical, footloose English bachelor living in Madrid, but he has no Spanish bank accounts, no telephone landline, two post office boxes, a car registered in Frankfurt, and five email addresses. He has changed apartments four times in five years, avoids being photographed, and follows his cleaning lady around so she can't plant a bug. Welcome to the paranoid world of a fearful ex-spook from MI5.

Alec earns a bit doing odd jobs for a British banking firm, and his boss sends him to visit the Basque region to meet with a local contact, Mikel Avenaza, to discuss investments over a drink. What should have been a simple evening out introduces Alec into the world of Basque politics, the separatist terrorist group ETA, and to Herri Batasuna, its political wing. Alec is pulled reluctantly back into the game, confirming his worse nightmares about the dangers of the life he has worked to escape. When Mikel disappears, Alec's girlfriend (wife of his boss) breaks up with him, the ETA kidnaps and tortures him, and British secret service shows up on his doorstep wanting his help.

Charles Cumming's novel explores not only the twisted psyche of Alec Milius, but also Spain's recent history and that country's conflict with its Basque province. It is a marvelously complex book, narrated by a nervous paranoid who conveys his fears with engaging directness. It doesn't take long for the reader to become enmeshed in Cumming's labyrinthine world of spies and deception. The Spanish Game is the best sort of thriller, convoluted, densely packed, and with a deliciously unexpected ending.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

Alec Milius appears to be a typical, footloose English bachelor living in Madrid, but he has no Spanish bank accounts, no telephone landline, two post office boxes, a car registered in Frankfurt, and five email addresses. He has changed apartments four times in five years, avoids being photographed, and follows his cleaning lady around so she can't plant a bug. Welcome to the paranoid world of a fearful ex-spook from MI5.

Alec earns a bit doing odd jobs for a British banking firm, and his boss sends him to visit the Basque region to meet with a local contact, Mikel Avenaza, to discuss investments over a drink. What should have been a simple evening out introduces Alec into the world of Basque politics, the separatist terrorist group ETA, and to Herri Batasuna, its political wing. Alec is pulled reluctantly back into the game, confirming his worse nightmares about the dangers of the life he has worked to escape. When Mikel disappears, Alec's girlfriend (wife of his boss) breaks up with him, the ETA kidnaps and tortures him, and British secret service shows up on his doorstep wanting his help.

Charles Cumming's novel explores not only the twisted psyche of Alec Milius, but also Spain's recent history and that country's conflict with its Basque province. It is a marvelously complex book, narrated by a nervous paranoid who conveys his fears with engaging directness. It doesn't take long for the reader to become enmeshed in Cumming's labyrinthine world of spies and deception. The Spanish Game is the best sort of thriller, convoluted, densely packed, and with a deliciously unexpected ending.

The Spy Who Came for Christmas
Hank Wagner

Joining the growing trend of Christmas-themed books from authors ranging from John Grisham to Janet Evanovich is the latest thriller from genre trendsetter David Morrell. The Spy Who Came for Christmas succeeds in provoking thought, even as it quickens the pulse and updates classic suspense tropes as its compelling storyline feverishly unwinds.

Not surprising, given Morrell's praise for Geoffrey Household's revered 1939 novel Rogue Male, Spy begins with a chase, as the book's hero, Paul Kagan, flees a group of zealous pursuers through the streets of Santa Fe, New Mexico. In his favor, it's Christmas Eve, and almost everyone in town is outside, enjoying the local festivities. Working against him is the fact that he's been wounded by a former comrade. Additionally he's carrying an infant who may awake screaming at any moment. As the story gracefully unfurls, Morrell provides Kagan's gripping back story, leading up to the night in question, alternating between the spy's brutal past and his perilous present. Before the night is through, Kagan will risk everything to protect his precious cargo.

The author handles all these elements like the seasoned pro he is, producing a story that is quintessential Morrell: interesting background information subtly conveyed, well choreographed action, sympathetic characters, myriad pop culture references throughout, and most importantly, a compelling story that never relinquishes its grip on your imagination. Especially notable is Morrell's subversive take on the story of the Three Magi, told through the filter of a spy's perceptions--it alone is worth the price of admission.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

Joining the growing trend of Christmas-themed books from authors ranging from John Grisham to Janet Evanovich is the latest thriller from genre trendsetter David Morrell. The Spy Who Came for Christmas succeeds in provoking thought, even as it quickens the pulse and updates classic suspense tropes as its compelling storyline feverishly unwinds.

Not surprising, given Morrell's praise for Geoffrey Household's revered 1939 novel Rogue Male, Spy begins with a chase, as the book's hero, Paul Kagan, flees a group of zealous pursuers through the streets of Santa Fe, New Mexico. In his favor, it's Christmas Eve, and almost everyone in town is outside, enjoying the local festivities. Working against him is the fact that he's been wounded by a former comrade. Additionally he's carrying an infant who may awake screaming at any moment. As the story gracefully unfurls, Morrell provides Kagan's gripping back story, leading up to the night in question, alternating between the spy's brutal past and his perilous present. Before the night is through, Kagan will risk everything to protect his precious cargo.

The author handles all these elements like the seasoned pro he is, producing a story that is quintessential Morrell: interesting background information subtly conveyed, well choreographed action, sympathetic characters, myriad pop culture references throughout, and most importantly, a compelling story that never relinquishes its grip on your imagination. Especially notable is Morrell's subversive take on the story of the Three Magi, told through the filter of a spy's perceptions--it alone is worth the price of admission.

The Victoria Vanishes
Sue Emmons

This book about two aging senior detectives attached to the Peculiar Crimes Unit is a flat-out delightful read. The characterizations are deliciously deft, as are descriptions of London landmarks where John May and Arthur Bryant are on the prowl to solve, well, peculiar crimes. In this outing, the two crusty detectives are on the trail of a serial killer who murders women of a particular age in London pubs by an unknown, but very successful, method. One moment the victims are alive; a moment later, they are dead. The investigation crisscrosses with academia, politics, and infighting within the unit itself. This excellent tale makes a reader truly care about these characters, their touching foibles, and their concerns over approaching the end of their police careers. The Victoria Vanishes is a delightfully nuanced mix of R.D. Wingfield and Agatha Christie, with a touch a nod to Martha Grimes--only better.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

This book about two aging senior detectives attached to the Peculiar Crimes Unit is a flat-out delightful read. The characterizations are deliciously deft, as are descriptions of London landmarks where John May and Arthur Bryant are on the prowl to solve, well, peculiar crimes. In this outing, the two crusty detectives are on the trail of a serial killer who murders women of a particular age in London pubs by an unknown, but very successful, method. One moment the victims are alive; a moment later, they are dead. The investigation crisscrosses with academia, politics, and infighting within the unit itself. This excellent tale makes a reader truly care about these characters, their touching foibles, and their concerns over approaching the end of their police careers. The Victoria Vanishes is a delightfully nuanced mix of R.D. Wingfield and Agatha Christie, with a touch a nod to Martha Grimes--only better.

Veil of Lies
Joseph Scarpato Jr.

How often have you thought, "Why doesn't someone write a medieval noir, locked-room mystery?" Well, now someone has.

Stripped of his knighthood and worldly possessions because of a fierce but misguided loyalty, Crispin Guest is forced to travel the mean streets of 14th-century London as a private investigator. Needing money badly just to survive, Crispin, known on the streets as The Tracker, reluctantly takes on a case to discover if a rich merchant's wife is being unfaithful. Before he can report back, however, the merchant is found stabbed to death in a locked room.

Before the body has cooled, the merchant's wife--herself a suspect--asks Crispin to work for her, not just to clear her of the murder, but also to find a valuable relic that her husband had hidden somewhere on his extensive property. The relic is a veil similar to the Shroud of Turin, containing a likeness of Jesus and imbued with mystical powers. But she and Crispin aren't the only ones interested in the veil, and many challenges and dangers await our intrepid hero in his quest--not the least of which is an overbearing sheriff with whom Crispin has a curious respect/hate relationship.

One of the more interesting aspects of this authentic-feeling tale is the dichotomy between Crispin's acceptance of his new, lowly status and his inability to even think of himself as anyone other than a knight who could never fall in love with a commoner, even as his feelings for his client grow stronger. This is a strong first novel by California journalist Jeri Westerson, who is a frequent blogger and an ardent enthusiast of all things medieval.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

How often have you thought, "Why doesn't someone write a medieval noir, locked-room mystery?" Well, now someone has.

Stripped of his knighthood and worldly possessions because of a fierce but misguided loyalty, Crispin Guest is forced to travel the mean streets of 14th-century London as a private investigator. Needing money badly just to survive, Crispin, known on the streets as The Tracker, reluctantly takes on a case to discover if a rich merchant's wife is being unfaithful. Before he can report back, however, the merchant is found stabbed to death in a locked room.

Before the body has cooled, the merchant's wife--herself a suspect--asks Crispin to work for her, not just to clear her of the murder, but also to find a valuable relic that her husband had hidden somewhere on his extensive property. The relic is a veil similar to the Shroud of Turin, containing a likeness of Jesus and imbued with mystical powers. But she and Crispin aren't the only ones interested in the veil, and many challenges and dangers await our intrepid hero in his quest--not the least of which is an overbearing sheriff with whom Crispin has a curious respect/hate relationship.

One of the more interesting aspects of this authentic-feeling tale is the dichotomy between Crispin's acceptance of his new, lowly status and his inability to even think of himself as anyone other than a knight who could never fall in love with a commoner, even as his feelings for his client grow stronger. This is a strong first novel by California journalist Jeri Westerson, who is a frequent blogger and an ardent enthusiast of all things medieval.

Blood on a Saint
Sharon Magee

Nothing and nobody is ever totally at ease in Anne Emery’s Collins-Burke mystery series. That continues in Blood on a Saint, the seventh outing for the unlikely duo of Monty Collins, solicitor and bluesman, and his best friend, Father Brennan Burke, the acerbic hard-drinking priest at St. Bernadette’s in Halifax, Nova Scotia. When the figure of the Virgin Mary appears to a young woman over the statue of St. Bernadette in the church’s courtyard, a carnival atmosphere ensues; Father Burke calls the souvenir and food carts that pop up “korny kiosks of katholic kitsch.” Then sleazy Pike Podgis blows into town. He plans to feature the goings-on at the church on his even sleazier TV show. When another young woman, a rival of the original Virgin Mary sighter, is found dead at the foot of the statue, Podgis is arrested, and Collins finds himself reluctantly representing him. Add to the mix a street person found in a coma with blood on his face not far from the body. When he regains consciousness, he no longer speaks English, only French. Collins and Burke initiate their own investigations, but to their mutual ire, find they can’t compare notes. After all, nothing is more sacrosanct than the confessional and solicitor-client confidentiality.

Emery, a resident of Halifax, knows her town well and creates a strong sense of place. She’s also well-versed in the Catholic faith and takes her readers on fascinating side journeys into the sightings and miracles that are part of Catholic lore. Music is another of her loves, and she has no problem showing the irascible Father Burke singing Pergolesi’s “Stabat Mater” with the children’s choir, and in the next moment, “Bad to the Bone” in the face of a bad guy who’s accosted him. Strong characters dominate the book, particularly that of the complex, flawed, and eternally fascinating Father Burke. Those who enjoy Collins’ familial trials will be happy to know that his estranged wife Maura is front and center, as is her son Dominic. It’s another great outing for Collins and Burke and for a series that will be around for a long time to come.

Teri Duerr
2013-11-14 05:23:17

emery_bloodonasaintA holy miracle brings out the worst of human nature in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

 

Our Contributors
LAWRENCE BLOCK is a critically acclaimed, bestselling American crime writer best known for two long-running New York-set series, about the recovering alcoholic PI Matthew Scudder and gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, respectively. Block has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times, as well as the Nero Wolfe award. He was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 1993. He is a past president of the Private Eye Writers of America and the Mystery Writers of America. Larry contributes a regular column, "The Murders in Memory Lane," in which he recalls interesting writers that he has met over his long and varied career. Writers that he has profiled include: Donald Westlake, Charles Willeford, Ed McBain, Stanley Ellin, with lots more to come.
boulden ben BEN BOULDEN lives in a suburb of Salt Lake City, in the shadows of the Wasatch Mountains. He is married with a daughter, a dog, a one-eyed cat, and a fish named Drink-Drink. He is the author of Blaze! Red Rock Rampage and the forthcoming Blaze! Spanish Gold. He writes the column “Short & Sweet: Short Stories Considered” for Mystery Scene Magazine and has written more than 300 reviews, articles, and essays. He blogs haphazardly at Gravetapping.
JON L. BREEN reviews nonfiction and reference works in his regular Mystery Scene column "What About Murder?" Jon is a two-time Edgar Award winner for What About Murder?: A Guide to Books About Mystery and Detective Fiction (1981) and the first edition of Novel Verdicts: A Guide to Courtroom Fiction. His first novel, Listen for the Click (1983) was short-listed for the UK's John Creasey Award for best first novel under its British title, Vicar's Roses, and his fourth novel, Touch of the Past (1988) was short-listed for CWA's Dagger Awards. His short stories have been collected in three volumes: Hair of the Sleuthhound (1982), The Drowning Icecube (1999), and Kill the Umpire (2003). Breen is a frequent non-political contributor to The Weekly Standard. His latest novel, Eye of God, was published in 2006. In 2000 Breen retired after 25 years, first as a librarian and later as a professor of English at Rio Hondo College in Whittier, California. He lives in Fountain Valley, California, with his wife and first reader Rita, with whom he collaborated in editing the 1986 anthology American Murders.
OLINE COGDILL, journalist for more than 30 years, she is the mystery fiction columnist for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale and a frequent contributor to Mystery Scene. Her reviews regularly appear in up to 250 newspapers around the world via the McClatchy Tribune Feature Wires for which she also writes mystery fiction reviews. Oline was awarded the 1999 Ellen Nehr Award for Excellence in Mystery Reviewing by the American Crime Writers League. She also received the 1998 Pettyjohn, the highest award the Sun-Sentinel gives annually.
TERI DUERR has been with Mystery Scene since 2005 and currently serves as a senior editor and subscriptions manager. She lives in Brooklyn, New York where she co-runs Horse+Dragon NYC, a boutique agency that puts creative talents to work on publicity, editing, design (such as the Mystery Scene website and newsletter), and events for artists, non-profits, and small businesses. She is currently a contributing editor for CODE Magazine and Tom Tom Magazine, and the founding editor and former editor-in-chief of New York Art Beat. From 2000-2002 she was the editor-in-chief of Tokyo Scene and Kansai Scene in Japan. Her editorial and photo production work has appeared in places like Best Life, The Source, Men's Health, Vogue Korea, Vogue China, and Chief Magazine among others.
ELIZABETH FOXWELL is a New Jersey native and Mystery Scene consulting editor, and also a cofounder of the Malice Domestic Convention. She has edited nine anthologies, including the Anthony Award-nominated Malice Domestic 9 (2000). Her short story "No Man's Land" was nominated for the Macavity and won the Agatha Award for Best Short Story in 2004. She received first prize in the 2003 Cape Fear Crime Festival Short Story Contest and is the coauthor (with Dean James) of The Robert B. Parker Companion (2005) and the editor of the Malice serial novel The Sunken Sailor (2004). Foxwell serves as managing editor of CLUES: A Journal of Detection , and received the George N. Dove Award from the Popular Culture Association for contributions to the serious study of mystery and crime fiction.
ANNIKA LARSSON is the art director of Mystery Scene. Previously she has worked on The Armchair Detective, Mystery Writers of America's national newsletter, and The Agatha Christie Society's newsletter. She is the art director for promotion and marketing at Esquire Magazine, a position she previously held at Wenner Media (Rolling Stone, Men's Journal, and US ), and at FHM Magazine.
DICK LOCHTE reviews audiobooks in his column "Sounds of Suspense" and also is a frequent contributor to Mystery Scene. He's the author of popular crime novels including Sleeping Dog (1985) which won the Nero Wolfe Award, was nominated for the Edgar, the Shamus and the Anthony Awards, and was named one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the 20th Century by the Independent Booksellers Association. Lochte's latest novel is Croaked! (2007). His crime fiction column that ran for nearly a decade in the Los Angeles Times earned him the 2003 Ellen Nehr Award for Excellence in Mystery Reviewing. Dick, who lives in Southern California with his wife and son, is also an award-winning drama critic and has written screenplays for such actors as Jodie Foster, Martin Sheen and Roger Moore.
MICHAEL MALLORY is a frequent contributor to Mystery Scene. He's a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee and the Derringer-winning author of some 100 short stories. He is the creator of Amelia Watson, whose adventures are chronicled in The Exploits of the Second Mrs. Watson (2008) and Murder in the Bath (2004), among other volumes, and co-editor of the Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles anthologies Landmarked for Murder (2006) and Murder on Sunset Boulevard (2002). By day, Mike works as an entertainment journalist with over 400 articles to his credit. His most recent non-fiction book is X-Men: The Characters and Their Universe (2006).
JEFFREY A. MARKS is Mystery Scene 's contributing editor and an Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, and Maxwell-nominated writer, anthologist, and biographer. He writes an Ulysses S. Grant historical mystery series as well as a series set in current day Cincinnati. He has edited four anthologies of mystery short stories. His nonfiction includes the biography of Craig Rice, Who Was That Lady? (2001), and Atomic Renaissance: Women Mystery Writers of the 1940s and 1950s (2003). He is currently working on a biography of Anthony Boucher. Jeff's how-to book for marketing genre fiction, Intent to Sell (2005), is in its second edition. He is the moderator for MurderMustAdvertise , a 1,000 member discussion group. Jeff lives in Cincinnati where he teaches middle school.
LYNNE MAXWELL reviews paperback originals for Mystey Scene 's regular "Very Original" column. A former Pittsburgher and current honorary member of the staff at Mystery Lovers Bookshop, Lynne Maxwell resides and writes in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. When she isn't reading and reviewing mysteries, Lynne is a law library administrator, choral singer, and dragon boater.
LOUIS PHILLIPS In addition to contributing the humor column "Mystery Miscellany," Louis Phillips is a widely published poet, playwright, and short story writer. He has four short story collections, Fireworks in Some Particulars (Fort Schuyler Press), A Dream of Countries Where No One Dare Live (SMU PRESS), The Bus to the Moon (Fort Schuyler Press), and The Woman Who Wrote King Lear & Other Stories (Pleasure Boat Studio). His humor pieces have appeared in Family Circle, Ladies Home Journal, Smithsonian, New York Times (op ed), and in many other publications. His most recent book is The Domain of Silence / The Domain of Absence: New and Selected Poems 1963-2015. He teaches creative writing at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He lives in Manhattan with his wife Pat and their two sons, Ian and Matthew.
KEVIN BURTON SMITH is the man behind Mystery Scene 's "Eyewitness" column and the founder and editor of The Thrilling Detective Web Site. His writings on hardboiled detective stories and other crime fiction, as well as music, film, bicycling and sundry other topics have appeared in numerous magazines and internet sites around the world. He is also an ongoing contributor to CrimeSpree and January Magazine. A homesick Montrealer, he now lives with mystery writer D.L. Browne in the Los Angeles area, where he is still working on the Great North American Private Eye Novel. He has a blog and a Crimespace page.
CHERYL SOLIMINI is a former features editor of Mary Higgins Clark Mystery Magazine and a writer for other national publications. She is a consulting editor for Mystery Scene as well as a frequent contributor. She has profiled Michael Connelly, Linda Fairstein, Jonathan and Faye Kellerman, Cornelia Read, Kate White, and Jacqueline Winspear, among others. She also kicked off the ongoing Mysterious Places series with her article, "Nefarious New Jersey: Crime Writers of the Garden State." Solimini's debut mystery novel, Across the River, won Deadly Ink's first Best Unpublished Mystery Award in 2007, and was published by Deadly Ink Press in June 2008.
ART TAYLOR has contributed a variety of articles to Mystery Scene, including a feature on To Kill a Mockingbird, a survey of Civil Rights Era mysteries, occasional round-ups of classic and contemporary films, and interviews with Nevada Barr, Janet Evanovich, and Dennis Lehane, among others. He regularly reviews mysteries and thrillers for the Washington Post, and his own short fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine in addition to other magazines and journals. Visit his personal website at www.arttaylorwriter.com.
HANK WAGNER's frequent contributions to Mystery Scene include profiles of Peter Abrahams, David Morrell, and Dana Stabenow, and regular book reviews. Hank lives in northwestern New Jersey with his wife and four daughters. His work has appeared in Cemetery Dance, Crime Spree, Hellnotes, and Jazz Improv, and he is a co-author of The Complete Stephen King Universe (2006) and Prince of Stories: A Guide to the Many Worlds of Neil Gaiman (2008). His latest effort, co-edited with David Morrell is Thrillers: 100 Must Reads (2010), an Edgar, Anthony, and Macavity award finalist.
BETTY WEBB writes the "Independent Press" review column for Mystery Scene. Betty is a longtime journalist and book reviewer for various newspapers. Her prize-winning Lena Jones series-beginning with Desert Noir (2001)-has garnered rave reviews from the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and other national publications. Desert Noir was a Booksense pick, and Desert Wives won a Silver Medal in the Willa Cather awards. She was a contributor to the Anthony-winning anthology, Mystery Muses. Her new series, set in a California zoo, debuts December 2008 with The Anteater of Death . Betty teaches accredited writing courses at Phoenix College. Her popular writing workshops include: The Deadly Writing Sins; and Get Five Novel Ideas Per Day for the Rest of Your Life, Guaranteed!
BRIAN SKUPIN is the webmaster and co-publisher of Mystery Scene . Brian, originally from Toronto, is also the chief detective behind the popular "What's Happening With..." author interview feature. He also reviews books, composes the Mystery Scene crossword, and runs the magazine's website. In 2004, Mystery Scene was awarded an Anthony Award for Best Mystery Magazine by the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention. In 2006, he and co-publisher Kate Stine were awarded the Ellery Queen Award by the Mystery Writers of America for contributions to mystery publishing.
KATE STINE is the editor-in-chief and co-publisher of Mystery Scene . After years as a book editor, Kate consulted for clients such as The Mary Higgins Clark Mystery Magazine , The Mystery Writers of America , MysteryNet, and Agatha Christie, Ltd. Kate was also editor-in-chief of The Armchair Detective Magazine from 1992-1997. Stine and Brian Skupin acquired Mystery Scene in 2002. Mystery Scene was awarded an Anthony Award for Best Mystery Magazine by the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention in 2004. In 2006, Kate and Brian Skupin were awarded the Ellery Queen Award by the Mystery Writers of America for contributions to mystery publishing.
Admin
2004-08-09 08:30:34

block_larry120_croppedLAWRENCE BLOCK is a critically acclaimed, bestselling American crime writer best known for two long-running New York-set series, about the recovering alcoholic PI Matthew Scudder and gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, respectively. Block has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times, as well as the Nero Wolfe award. He was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 1993. He is a past president of the Private Eye Writers of America and the Mystery Writers of America. Larry contributes a regular column, "The Murders in Memory Lane," in which he recalls interesting writers that he has met over his long and varied career. Writers that he has profiled include: Donald Westlake, Charles Willeford, Ed McBain, Stanley Ellin, with lots more to come.

breen_jonl120JON L. BREEN reviews nonfiction and reference works in his regular Mystery Scene column "What About Murder?" Jon is a two-time Edgar Award winner for What About Murder?: A Guide to Books About Mystery and Detective Fiction (1981) and the first edition of Novel Verdicts: A Guide to Courtroom Fiction. His first novel, Listen for the Click (1983) was short-listed for the UK's John Creasey Award for best first novel under its British title, Vicar's Roses, and his fourth novel, Touch of the Past (1988) was short-listed for CWA's Dagger Awards. His short stories have been collected in three volumes: Hair of the Sleuthhound (1982), The Drowning Icecube (1999), and Kill the Umpire (2003). Breen is a frequent non-political contributor to The Weekly Standard. His latest novel, Eye of God, was published in 2006. In 2000 Breen retired after 25 years, first as a librarian and later as a professor of English at Rio Hondo College in Whittier, California. He lives in Fountain Valley, California, with his wife and first reader Rita, with whom he collaborated in editing the 1986 anthology American Murders.

cogdill_oline120OLINE COGDILL, journalist for more than 30 years, she is the mystery fiction columnist for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale and a frequent contributor to Mystery Scene. Her reviews regularly appear in up to 250 newspapers around the world via the McClatchy Tribune Feature Wires for which she also writes mystery fiction reviews. Oline was awarded the 1999 Ellen Nehr Award for Excellence in Mystery Reviewing by the American Crime Writers League. She also received the 1998 Pettyjohn, the highest award the Sun-Sentinel gives annually.

crider_bill120BILL CRIDER is the author of the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series, the latest of which is Murder in Four Parts. His peculiar blog can be found at billcrider.blogspot.com.

duerr_teri2_120TERI DUERR has been with Mystery Scene since 2005 and currently serves as a senior editor and subscriptions manager. She lives in Brooklyn, New York where she co-runs Horse+Dragon NYC, a boutique agency that puts creative talents to work on publicity, editing, design (such as the Mystery Scene website and newsletter), and events for artists, non-profits, and small businesses. She is currently a contributing editor for CODE Magazine and Tom Tom Magazine, and the founding editor and former editor-in-chief of New York Art Beat. From 2000-2002 she was the editor-in-chief of Tokyo Scene andKansai Scene in Japan. Her editorial and photo production work has appeared in places like Best Life, The Source, Men’s Health, Vogue Korea, Vogue China, and Chief Magazine among others.

foxwell_elizabeth120ELIZABETH FOXWELL is a New Jersey native and Mystery Scene consulting editor, and also a cofounder of the Malice Domestic Convention. She has edited nine anthologies, including the Anthony Award-nominated Malice Domestic 9 (2000). Her short story "No Man's Land" was nominated for the Macavity and won the Agatha Award for Best Short Story in 2004. She received first prize in the 2003 Cape Fear Crime Festival Short Story Contest and is the coauthor (with Dean James) of The Robert B. Parker Companion (2005) and the editor of the Malice serial novel The Sunken Sailor (2004). Foxwell serves as managing editor of CLUES: A Journal of Detection, and received the George N. Dove Award from the Popular Culture Association for contributions to the serious study of mystery and crime fiction.

gorman_ed120ED GORMAN co-founded Mystery Scene in 1986 and edited the magazine for many years. He is currently a contributing editor. The prolific and critically lauded Gorman - he has been called "The Poet of Dark Suspense" - has published more than two dozen mystery novels and hundred of short stories since turning to writing full-time in 1984. He's the editor of numerous anthologies and the beloved mentor of many writers and quite a few industry professionals. For an an idea of his influence in the field see the "Tribute to Ed Gorman" in Mystery Scene #76. Ed lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with his wife Carol.

kaczmarek_lynn120_croppedLYNN KACZMAREK was the editor and co-owner of Mystery News for 12 years until it ceased publication in 2009. She frequently contributes author profiles and articles to Mystery Scene. Now retired from the corporate world, Lynn shares her knowledge of all things mysterious by teaching classes with Learning in Retirement and a local folk school, The Clearing. She lives with her husband Mack, and three cats in Door County, Wisconsin.

larsson_annika120 ANNIKA LARSSON is the art director of Mystery Scene. Previously she has worked on The Armchair Detective, Mystery Writers of America's national newsletter, and The Agatha Christie Society's newsletter. She is the art director for promotion and marketing at Esquire Magazine, a position she previously held at Wenner Media (Rolling Stone, Men's Journal, and US), and at FHM Magazine. She lives in New Jersey with her two children, Tess and Erik.

lochte_dick120 DICK LOCHTE reviews audiobooks in his column "Sounds of Suspense" and also is a frequent contributor to Mystery Scene. He's the author of popular crime novels including Sleeping Dog (1985) which won the Nero Wolfe Award, was nominated for the Edgar, the Shamus and the Anthony Awards, and was named one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the 20th Century by the Independent Booksellers Association. Lochte's latest novel is Croaked! (2007). His crime fiction column that ran for nearly a decade in the Los Angeles Times earned him the 2003 Ellen Nehr Award for Excellence in Mystery Reviewing. Dick, who lives in Southern California with his wife and son, is also an award-winning drama critic and has written screenplays for such actors as Jodie Foster, Martin Sheen and Roger Moore.

sharonmageeSHARON MAGEE, a Phoenix-based writer and award-winning author, specializes in history with a heavy emphasis on the American Indian. She is also a generalist with extensive publishing credits in such magazines as Arizona Highways, Phoenix Magazine, The Valley Guide Quarterly, Priorities, and Phoenix Downtown. Currently, she is a columnist and reviewer for Mystery Scene Magazine.

mallory_michael120MICHAEL MALLORY is a frequent contributor to Mystery Scene. He's a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee and the Derringer-winning author of some 100 short stories. He is the creator of Amelia Watson, whose adventures are chronicled in The Exploits of the Second Mrs. Watson (2008) and Murder in the Bath (2004), among other volumes, and co-editor of the Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles anthologies LAndmarked for Murder (2006) and Murder on Sunset Boulevard (2002). By day, Mike works as an entertainment journalist with over 400 articles to his credit. His most recent non-fiction book is X-Men: The Characters and Their Universe (2006).

marks_jeff120JEFFREY A. MARKS is Mystery Scene's contributing editor and an Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, and Maxwell-nominated writer, anthologist, and biographer. He writes an Ulysses S. Grant historical mystery series as well as a series set in current day Cincinnati. He has edited four anthologies of mystery short stories. His nonfiction includes the biography of Craig Rice, Who Was That Lady? (2001), and Atomic Renaissance: Women Mystery Writers of the 1940s and 1950s (2003). He is currently working on a biography of Anthony Boucher. Jeff's how-to book for marketing genre fiction, Intent to Sell (2005), is in its second edition. He is the moderator for MurderMustAdvertise, a 1,000 member discussion group. Jeff lives in Cincinnati where he teaches middle school.

maxwell_lynne120 LYNNE MAXWELL reviews paperback originals for Mystey Scene's regular "Very Original" column. A former Pittsburgher and current honorary member of the staff at Mystery Lovers Bookshop, Lynne Maxwell resides and writes in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. When she isn't reading and reviewing mysteries, Lynne is a law library administrator, choral singer, and dragon boater.

phillips_louis120 LOUIS PHILLIPS In addition to contributing the humor column "Mystery Miscellany," Louis Phillips is a widely published poet, playwright, and short story writer. He has three short story collections, A Dream of Countries Where No One Dare Live (SMU PRESS), The Bus to the Moon (Fort Schuyler Press), and The Woman Who Wrote King Lear & Other Stories (Pleasure Boat Studio). His humor pieces have appeared in Family Circle, Ladies Home Journal, Smithsonian, New York Times (op ed) and in many other publications. His most recent book is Fireworks in Some Particulars (Fort Schuyler Press), a collection of stories, poems, humor pieces, and a full-length play).He teaches creative writing at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He lives in Manhattan with his wife Pat and their two sons, Ian and Matthew.

smith_kevinburton120KEVIN BURTON SMITHis the man behind Mystery Scene's "Eyewitness" column and the founder and editor of The Thrilling Detective Web Site. His writings on hardboiled detective stories and other crime fiction, as well as music, film, bicycling and sundry other topics have appeared in numerous magazines and internet sites around the world. He is also an ongoing contributor to CrimeSpree and January Magazine. A homesick Montrealer, he now lives with mystery writer D.L. Browne in the Los Angeles area , where he is still working on the Great North American Private Eye Novel. He has a blog and a Crimespace page.

solimini_cheryl120CHERYL SOLIMINI is a former features editor of Mary Higgins Clark Mystery Magazine and a writer for other national publications. She is a consulting editor for Mystery Scene as well as a frequent contributor. She has profiled Michael Connelly, Linda Fairstein, Jonathan and Faye Kellerman, Cornelia Read, Kate White, and Jacqueline Winspear, among others. She also kicked off the ongoing Mysterious Places series with her article, "Nefarious New Jersey: Crime Writers of the Garden State." Solimini’s debut mystery novel, Across the River, won Deadly Ink’s first Best Unpublished Mystery Award in 2007, and was published by Deadly Ink Press in June 2008.

taylor_art120ART TAYLOR Art Taylor has contributed a variety of articles to Mystery Scene, including a feature on To Kill a Mockingbird, a survey of Civil Rights Era mysteries, occasional round-ups of classic and contemporary films, and interviews with Nevada Barr, Janet Evanovich, and Dennis Lehane, among others. He regularly reviews mysteries and thrillers for the Washington Post, and his own short fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine in addition to other magazines and journals. Visit his personal website at www.arttaylorwriter.com.

hankwagner HANK WAGNER's frequent contributions to Mystery Scene include profiles of Peter Abrahams, David Morrell, and Dana Stabenow, and regular book reviews. Hank lives in northwestern New Jersey with his wife and four daughters. His work has appeared in Cemetery Dance, Crime Spree, Hellnotes, and Jazz Improv, and he is a co-author of The Complete Stephen King Universe (2006) and Prince of Stories: A Guide to the Many Worlds of Neil Gaiman (2008). His latest effort, co-edited with David Morrell is Thrillers: 100 Must Reads (2010), an Edgar, Anthony, and Macavity award finalist.

webb_betty120BETTY WEBB writes the "Independent Press" review column for Mystery Scene. Betty is a longtime journalist and book reviewer for various newspapers. Her prize-winning Lena Jones series—beginning with Desert Noir (2001)—has garnered rave reviews from the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and other national publications. Desert Noir was a Booksense pick, and Desert Wives won a Silver Medal in the Willa Cather awards. She was a contributor to the Anthony-winning anthology, Mystery Muses. Her new series, set in a California zoo, debuts December 2008 with The Anteater of Death. Betty teaches accredited writing courses at Phoenix College. Her popular writing workshops include: The Deadly Writing Sins; and Get Five Novel Ideas Per Day for the Rest of Your Life, Guaranteed!

skupin_brian120 BRIAN SKUPIN is the webmaster and co-publisher of Mystery Scene. Brian, originally from Toronto, is also the chief detective behind the popular "What's Happening With..." author interview feature. He also reviews books, composes the Mystery Scene crossword, and runs the magazine's website. In 2004, Mystery Scene was awarded an Anthony Award for Best Mystery Magazine by the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention. In 2006, he and co-publisher Kate Stine were awarded the Ellery Queen Award by the Mystery Writers of America for contributions to mystery publishing.

stine_kate120 KATE STINE is the editor-in-chief and co-publisher of Mystery Scene. After years as a book editor, Kate consulted for clients such as The Mary Higgins Clark Mystery Magazine, The Mystery Writers of America, MysteryNet, and Agatha Christie, Ltd. Kate was also editor-in-chief of The Armchair Detective Magazine from 1992-1997. Stine and Brian Skupin acquired Mystery Scene in 2002. Mystery Scene was awarded an Anthony Award for Best Mystery Magazine by the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention in 2004. In 2006, Kate and Brian Skupin were awarded the Ellery Queen Award by the Mystery Writers of America for contributions to mystery publishing.

Mystery Scene News

April 2010

Mystery Scene launches a new website, showcasing reviews, articles, columns, and other content from the print edition as well as website-specific content.

April 2010

Once again this year Mystery Scene will be sponsoring the Malice Domestic New Authors Breakfast on Saturday, May 1st. See details at www.malicedomestic.org

November 2009

Mystery Scene is proud to announce that Lawrence Block will begin a new column, The Murders in Memory Lane, to appear in each issue of Mystery Scene, beginning with the Holiday 2009 issue. Mr. Block will relay anecdotes and reminiscences from his long and prestigious career as a mystery writer

September 2009

Mystery Scene starts a monthly newsletter to keep subscribers and advertisers in touch with goings-on between issues.

May 4,2009

poirotaward2009mdmcaptionMystery Scene Magazine Publishers Kate Stine & Brian Skupin received the Poirot Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Mystery at Malice Domestic XX1 in Arlington, VA on May 2, 2009.

April 25, 2006

Kate Stine and Brian Skupin, Mystery Scene publishers, were awarded the Ellery Queen award for contributions to Mystery publishing by the Mystery Writers of America at the 60th annual Edgar Awards banquet in New York City on April 27th, 2006

October 13, 2004

Mystery Scene wins the 2004 Anthony Award awarded by the World Mystery Convention held in Toronto, Canada

Admin
2004-07-07 11:54:06

April 2010

Mystery Scene launches a new website, showcasing reviews, articles, columns, and other content from the print edition as well as website-specific content.

April 2010

Once again this year Mystery Scene will be sponsoring the Malice Domestic New Authors Breakfast on Saturday, May 1st. See details at www.malicedomestic.org

November 2009

Mystery Scene is proud to announce that Lawrence Block will begin a new column, The Murders in Memory Lane, to appear in each issue of Mystery Scene, beginning with the Holiday 2009 issue. Mr. Block will relay anecdotes and reminiscences from his long and prestigious career as a mystery writer

September 2009

Mystery Scene starts a monthly newsletter to keep subscribers and advertisers in touch with goings-on between issues.

May 4,2009

poirotaward2009mdmcaptionMystery Scene Magazine Publishers Kate Stine & Brian Skupin received the Poirot Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Mystery at Malice Domestic XX1 in Arlington, VA on May 2, 2009.

April 25, 2006

Kate Stine and Brian Skupin, Mystery Scene publishers, were awarded the Ellery Queen award for contributions to Mystery publishing by the Mystery Writers of America at the 60th annual Edgar Awards banquet in New York City on April 27th, 2006

October 13, 2004

Mystery Scene wins the 2004 Anthony Award awarded by the World Mystery Convention held in Toronto, Canada

About Mystery Scene

 

2013_MS_covers

 


Purchase Back Issues
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Submitting Books for Review
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Mystery Scene Magazine, founded in 1985, was published four times per year in a full-color glossy magazine format, usually between 68 and 76 pages long. It suspended print publication with the 2022 Winter Issue #174. You can read more about our final issue in "A Letter From Mystery Scene Editor Kate Stine on Our Final Issue."

This website has information about purchasing back issues but posts only very limited content from the print magazine itself. Most of the content on the website, including the blog and our monthly e-newsletter, is original and available online only.

Every issue of Mystery Scene Magazine is packed with lively articles, provocative author profiles, and hundreds of expert reviews. Readers love our in-depth interviews, including talks with Craig Johnson, Louise Penny, Michael Connelly, Sara Paretsky, and Lee Child. Mystery Scene's wide-ranging articles cover all things mysterious, including new novels and vintage mysteries, new and old films, TV and streaming series, audio books, and short stories—plus crosswords, jokes, quotes, and anecdotes. 

The magazine is currently headquartered in New York City. Its editor-in-chief is Kate Stine.

Contact Us

For general inquiries, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Or write to:

Mystery Scene Magazine
P.O. Box 2200
Radio City Station
New York, NY 10101-2200
 

 

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2008-07-25 10:46:59
Distributors

Retailers may order Mystery Scene through ANC or Media Solutions or set up a standing order directly with Mystery Scene.

DISTRIBUTORS

ANC
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Smyrna, GA 30080

Web: www.anc365.com  Phone: 800-929-8274   Fax: 866-685-9691

Media Solutions

9632 Madison Blvd

Madison, AL 35758

Web: www.mediasolutionsllc.com Phone: 800-476-5872

 


STANDING ORDERS

* Bookseller discount is 50% off off the cover price of $9.95 US, $12.95 Canadian.
* Minimum order of 5 copies, nonreturnable.
* Shipping & Handling FREE.
* Standing order customers receive 50% off display advertising in Mystery Scene and may qualify for discounts on other programs.

To set up your standing order, contact:

Mystery Scene Magazine
P.O. Box 2200
Radio City Station
New York, NY 10101-2200

Tel: 212-765-7124 
Email: info [at] mysteryscenemag.com

 

 

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2008-07-25 11:04:46
Contact Us

To send a letter to the editor, click here: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. You must include your full name and the city and state (or province or territory or county) you live in. Please note that not all letters can be printed in the magazine, and they may be edited for length and grammar.

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For information about the magazine, please contact:

Mystery Scene Magazine
P.O. Box 2200
Radio City Station
New York, NY 10101-2200
 

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2008-07-25 11:25:55

To send a letter to the editor, click here: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. You must include your full name and the city and state (or province or territory or county) you live in. Please note that not all letters can be printed in the magazine, and they may be edited for length and grammar.

sds

For information about the magazine, please contact:

Mystery Scene Magazine
P.O. Box 2200
Radio City Station
New York, NY 10101-2200
 

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Subscription questions, please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.



Where to Buy Mystery Scene

Mystery Scene Magazine is distributed nationally by Ingram Periodicals to Barnes & Noble, Hastings, and Books-A-Million, as well as independent bookstores and newsstands. The fine mystery bookstores below also carry Mystery Scene.

Mystery Scene is available in over 275 public libraries.

Print subscriptions may be purchased here or at Amazon.com.

In addition, these fine mystery bookstores carry Mystery Scene.

The Cloak & Dagger
349 Nassau St
Princeton, NJ 08540
Tel: (609) 688-9840
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.thecloakanddagger.com

Moonstone Mystery Book Store
12 Bloomfield Ave.
Flemington, NJ 08822
(908) 788-9094
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Mystery Loves Company
202 S. Morris Street
Oxford, MD 21654
Tel: 410-226-0010
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.mysterylovescompany.com

Aunt Agatha's Mystery Bookstore
213 S. Fourth Ave
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2134
Tel: 734.769.1114
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.auntagathas.com

Mystery Bookstore
1422 South 13th Street
Omaha, NE 68108-3504
Tel: 402-342-7343
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.mysterybookstore.biz

Once Upon A Crime Bookstore
604 W 26th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55405
Tel: 612-870-3785
www.onceuponacrimebooks.com

The Sly Fox Bookstore
123 N. Springfield St.
Virden, IL 62690
Tel: 217-965-3641
bit.ly/1hEQcoD

Uncle Edgar's Mystery Bookstore
2864 Chicago Ave South
Minneapolis, MN 55407-1320
Tel: 612-824-9984
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.unclehugo.com
www.unclehugo.com

Book Carnival
348 S. Tustin Ave.
Orange, CA 92866
Tel: 800-963-9266
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.annesbookcarnival.com

Murder By The Book
2342 Bissonnet St
Houston, TX 77005-1512
Tel: 713-524-8597
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.murderbooks.com

Murder One [Online Store only]
Mailing Address:
Office 004, Kings Cross Business Centre
180-186 Kings Cross Road
London WC1X 9DE
Tel: +44 020 7520 2642
www.murderone.co.uk
Admin
2008-07-25 11:41:23
Terms of Service

TERMS OF SERVICE
The following terms and conditions (the "Terms and Conditions") govern your use of this website, and any content made available from or through this website, including any subdomains thereof (the "Website"). The Site is made available by Mystery Scene Magazine. BY USING THE WEBSITE, YOU ACCEPT AND AGREE TO THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AS APPLIED TO YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE. If you do not agree to these Terms and Conditions, you may not access or otherwise use the Website.

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1.2 MysterySceneMag.com may change, add or remove portions of these Terms of Service at any time, which shall become effective immediately upon posting. It is your responsibility to review these Terms of Service prior to each use of the Site and by continuing to use this Site, you agree to any changes.


2. PROPRIETARY RIGHTS

2.1 Mystery Scene Magazine owns, solely and exclusively, all rights, title and interest in and to the Site, all the content (including, for example, audio, photographs, illustrations, graphics, other visuals, video, copy, text, software, titles, Shockwave files, etc.), code, data and materials thereon, the look and feel, design and organization of the Site, and the compilation of the content, code, data and materials on the Site, including but not limited to any copyrights, trademark rights, patent rights, database rights, moral rights, sui generis rights and other intellectual property and proprietary rights therein. Your use of the Site does not grant to you ownership of any content, code, data or materials you may access on or through the Site.

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3.4 You grant Mystery Scene Magazine a perpetual, nonexclusive, world-wide, royalty free, sub-licensable license to the Submissions, which includes without limitation the right for MysterySceneMag.com or any third party Mystery Scene Magazine designates, to use, copy, transmit, excerpt, publish, distribute, publicly display, publicly perform, create derivative works of, host, index, cache, tag, encode, modify and adapt (including without limitation the right to adapt to streaming, downloading, broadcast, mobile, digital, thumbnail, scanning or other technologies) in any form or media now known or hereinafter developed, any Submission posted by you on or to MysterySceneMag.com or any other Site owned by Mystery Scene Magazine, including any Submission posted on MysterySceneMag.com through a third party.

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7.1 These Terms of Service have been made in and shall be construed and enforced in accordance with New York law. Any action to enforce these Terms of Service shall be brought in the federal or state courts located in New York City.

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7.3 Correspondence should be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

7.4 You agree to report any copyright violations of the Terms of Service to Mystery Scene Magazine as soon as you become aware of them. In the event you have a claim of copyright infringement with respect to material that is contained in the MysterySceneMag.com service, please notify This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Admin
2008-07-28 10:51:57
Permissions

PERMISSIONS

All materials contained on this Site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Mystery Scene Magazine or in the case of third party materials, the owner of that content. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content.

However, you may download material from Mystery Scene Magazine on the Web (MysterySceneMag.com) for your personal, noncommercial use only.

Links to websites other than those owned by Mystery Scene Magazine are offered as a service to readers. The editorial staff of Mystery Scene Magazine was not involved in their production and is not responsible for their content.

For further information, see Section Two of the Terms of Service.

Admin
2008-07-28 10:52:14
Privacy Policy

PRIVACY POLICY
Last revised March 30, 2010

The following Privacy Policy summarizes the various ways that Mystery Scene Magazine ("Service Provider," "we" or "our") treats the information you provide while using MysterySceneMag.com ("Website," or “Site”). It is our goal to bring you information that is tailored to your individual needs and, at the same time, protect your privacy.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. Your use of and/or registration on any aspect of the Site will constitute your agreement to this Privacy Policy. If you cannot agree with the terms and conditions of this Privacy Policy, please do not use the Site. This Privacy Policy does not cover information collected elsewhere, including without limitation offline and on sites linked to from the Site.

In addition to reviewing this Privacy Policy, please read our Terms of Service. Your use of the Site constitutes agreement to its terms and conditions as well.

This Privacy Policy may be modified from time to time; the date of the most recent revisions will appear on this page, so check back often. Continued access of the Site by you will constitute your acceptance of any changes or revisions to the Privacy Policy.

1. THE TYPE OF INFORMATION WE COLLECT

The Website generally collects personally identifying information with your specific knowledge and consent. For instance, when you enter a sweepstakes or contest, complete a survey, make a purchase, subscribe to our publication(s), or register for any portion of our services, you are asked to provide information such as your e-mail address, name or phone number. Optional information such as your age or gender may also be requested.
Our servers may also automatically collect information about your computer when you visit the Site, including without limitation the type of browser software you use, the operating system you are running, the website that referred you, and your Internet Protocol ("IP") address. Your IP address is usually associated with the place from which you enter the Internet, like your Internet Service Provider, your company or your university.

2. HOW WE USE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY YOU

We may use the information you provide about yourself to fulfill your requests for our products, programs, and services, to respond to your inquiries about offerings, and to offer you other products, programs or services that we believe may be of interest to you.
We sometimes use this information to communicate with you, such as to notify you when you have won one of our contests or when we make changes to subscriber agreements, to fulfill a request by you for an online newsletter, or to contact you about your account with us.

We use the information that you provide about others to enable us to send them your gifts or cards. From time to time, we also may use this information to offer our products, programs, or services to them.

If you choose to submit content for publication (e.g., a "Letter to Our Editors"), we may publish your name, screen name, and other information you have provided to us.

The information we collect in connection with our online forums and communities is used to provide an interactive experience. We use this information to facilitate participation in these online forums and communities and, from time to time, to offer you products, programs, or services.

We sometimes use the non-personally identifiable information that we collect to improve the design and content of our publications and websites and to enable us to personalize your Internet experience. We also may use this information in the aggregate to analyze site usage, as well as to offer you products, programs, or services.

We will disclose information we maintain when required to do so by law, for example, in response to a court order or a subpoena. We also may disclose such information in response to a law enforcement agency's request.

Agents and contractors of Mystery Scene Magazine who have access to personally identifiable information are required to protect this information in a manner that is consistent with this Privacy Notice by, for example, not using the information for any purpose other than to carry out the services they are performing for Mystery Scene Magazine.

Although we take appropriate measures to safeguard against unauthorized disclosures of information, we cannot assure you that personally identifiable information that we collect will never be disclosed in a manner that is inconsistent with this Privacy Notice. Inadvertent disclosures may result, for example, when third parties misrepresent their identities in asking the site for access to personally identifiable information about themselves for purposes of correcting possible factual errors in the data.

3. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION BY THIRD-PARTY SITES AND SPONSORS

Some of our sites contain links to other sites whose information practices may be different than ours. You should consult the other sites' privacy notices, as we have no control over information that is submitted to, or collected by, these third parties.
Mystery Scene Magazine sometimes may offer contests, sweepstakes, promotions, editorial features, or other activities or offerings that are sponsored or co-sponsored by or presented with identified third parties. By virtue of your participation in such activities or offerings, the personally identifiable information that you voluntarily submit may be provided to both the Mystery Scene Magazine site and the third parties. Mystery Scene Magazine has no control over the third parties' use of this information.

Mystery Scene Magazine and MysterySceneMag.com may use reputable third parties to present or serve the advertisements that you may see at its web pages and to conduct research about the advertisements. This privacy notice does not cover any use of information that such third parties may have collected from you or the methods used by the third-parties to collect that information (e.g., cookies, web beacons and clear gifs).

4. YOUR PRIVACY CHOICES

We will not share, sell, rent, swap or authorize any third party to use your e-mail address without your permission. If you feel you have received an e-mail from us in error, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Mystery Scene Magazine reserves the right to send you e-mail relating to your account status. This includes order confirmations, renewal/expiration notices, notices of credit-card problems, other transactional e-mails and notifications about major changes to our Web sites and/or to our Privacy Policy. If you have registered for online discussions or other services, you may receive e-mail specific to your participation in those activities.

If, at any time, you prefer not to receive e-mail marketing information from us, simply follow the unsubscribe options at the bottom of each e-mail. For more information on how to unsubscribe from e-mail marketing, click here.

If, at any time, you prefer not to receive traditional mail solicitations originated by Mystery Scene Magazine, you may choose to opt-out by emailing us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your request in writing.

5. IMPORTANT INFORMATION

This Notice may be changed by Mystery Scene Magazine. The revised Notice will be posted to this page so that you are aware of the information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances we may disclose it.

We may disclose personal information if we are required to do so by law or we in good faith believe that such action is necessary to (1) comply with the law or with legal process; (2) protect and defend our rights and property; (3) protect against misuse or unauthorized use of our Site; or (4) protect the personal safety or property of our users or the public (among other things, this means that if you provide false information or attempt to pose as someone else, information about you may be disclosed as part of any investigation into your actions).

Admin
2008-07-28 10:52:33
Advertise

Mystery Scene Advertisers

Publishers

Alibi
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Avon Books
AuthorBuzz
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BBC Audiobooks
Blackstone Audio
Bold Strokes Books
BookBuzz
Brash Books
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Down & Out Books
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Dutton
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Grand Central Publishing
Hachette Book Group
Harlequin
HarperCollins Christian
Henery Press
Henry Holt & Co.
HighBridge Audio
Houghton Mifflin
Hyperion
Intrigue Press
Ivan R. Dee, Publisher
Kearney Street Books
Kensington Press
Kent State University Press
Kodansha America
Llewellyn
Little, Brown & Company
Macadam/Cage Publishing
McFarland Publishing
McRoy & Blackburn
M is for Mystery
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Melville House
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Mira Books
Oceanview Publishing
Open Road Media
Pemberley Press
Penguin Books
Perfect Crime Books
Poisoned Pen Press
Quercus
Quirk Books
RJR Press
Rue Morgue Press
Schaffner Press
Scholastic
Seventh Street Books
Shanahan Books
Simon & Schuster
Small Beer Press
Soho Press
Speck Press/Fulcrum
St. Martin's Press
Stark House Press
Thomas Nelson
Tidewater Press
Titan Books
Trafalgar Square Publishing
Vanguard Press
Viking Press
Vince Emery Productions
William Morrow
Wink Books
Writers Digest Book Club
Writers Digest Books

 
Conventions

Bouchercon
Killer Nashville
Mystery Conference
Love is Murder
Left Coast Crime
Malice Domestic
Thrillerfest
Tony Hillerman Writers Conference

Online Advertising Information

Click here for the ENTIRE 2022 MEDIA KIT which includes distribution and demographic information as well as specs, due dates, prices, and insertion order forms. Design services are available starting from $100.

An ad in the Mystery Scene e-newsletter or on our website is a targeted, cost-effective way to reach to reach our killer audience. These are engaged, loyal, and affluent folks who are actively searching for great mystery entertainment - and they trust Mystery Scene to steer them in the right direction.

  

E-Newsletter Ads

• 7,500+ e-newsletter subscribers and growing, with an average open rate over 40%
• Published monthly, archived indefinitely at the MS Newsletter Archive
• Ads link to a URL of advertisers choice
• Any contest or giveaway will also be shared through MS' social networks (16,200+Twitter followers & 8,400+ on Facebook)

Ad Sizes & Prices
• Main Column Ad 560x120 px Price: $225


Design services available starting at $100/ad.

 

MS Website Ads

• Ads are displayed sitewide. 
• Linkable (to another site, a video, the audio file, etc.)
• Contests or giveaways (starting at $980) receive entry pages on our site and are shared through MS social networks (16,200+Twitter followers, 8,400+ on Facebook)

Ad Sizes & Prices
• Med Ad Block 300x250 px
Price: $495/$595 month ($225/$325 wk) Premium Placement
Price: $455/$555 month ($195/$295 wk)
• Large Ad Block 300x500 px
Price: $855/$1055 month ($420/$520 wk)
• Leaderboard 728x90 px (Articles, Reviews, Commentary & News pages)
Price: $725/$925 month ($315/$415 wk)

Design services available starting at $100/ad.

Digital Ad Contact: Teri Duerr
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

Admin
2008-07-30 12:08:05
List of Products

Weekly Web Review

Death of a Cozy Writer

by G.M. Malliet, Midnight Ink June 2008

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Vestibulum quis eros. Morbi . Ut purus. Suspendisse vehicula semper nisi. Vestibulum augue arcu, placerat quis, dictum ac, suscipit in, leo. Pellentesque

read an excerpt | buy now | recommend | tag to read

Summer 2008 Review, Issue #105

Spook Country

by William Gibson, Midnight Ink June 2008

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Vestibulum quis eros. Morbi adipiscing. Ut purus. Suspendisse vehicula semper nisi. Vestibulum augue arcu, placerat quis, dictum ac, suscipit in, leo. Pellentesque

read an excerpt | buy now | recommend | tag to read

Admin
2008-07-30 15:18:36

Weekly Web Review

Death of a Cozy Writer

by G.M. Malliet, Midnight Ink June 2008

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Vestibulum quis eros. Morbi . Ut purus. Suspendisse vehicula semper nisi. Vestibulum augue arcu, placerat quis, dictum ac, suscipit in, leo. Pellentesque

read an excerpt | buy now | recommend | tag to read

Summer 2008 Review, Issue #105

Spook Country

by William Gibson, Midnight Ink June 2008

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Vestibulum quis eros. Morbi adipiscing. Ut purus. Suspendisse vehicula semper nisi. Vestibulum augue arcu, placerat quis, dictum ac, suscipit in, leo. Pellentesque

read an excerpt | buy now | recommend | tag to read

All Content Copyright 2008 Mystery Scene
Admin
2008-10-14 10:39:42
Editorial Guidelines for Writers
Mystery Scene

HatLogo2

In addition to a sophisticated appreciation of the crime and mystery genre, Mystery Scene has a particular interest in the literary life and the media industry. Writers have always had a strong presence in Mystery Scene, but fans love our "insider" information and, in fact, make up the majority of our devoted readership.

We publish a broad range of experienced writers—many of them mystery authors. We also receive contributions from editors, publishers, agents, TV & film folks, and booksellers. We are, however, very open to and appreciative of new writers and new viewpoints. Please be familiar with Mystery Scene before you contact us—we do not publish fiction, for example.

Types of Material

Please click here to read about the type of material we accept and how to write it.

How to Query and Submit Material

First, read this page in detail. Then, read a copy of Mystery Scene. Then contact the appropriate editor with your article ideas. Please be patient, this is a very busy office and a response may take a while.

Once an article is commissioned, email submissions are preferred. Include a one-sentence bio of yourself at the end of the article along with a postal mailing address and contact details. Artwork and photographs are very much welcome, please let us know if these are available.

When to Submit

Mystery Scene Magazine is published four times a year and is approximately 70-80 pages long. We like to work ahead, so please contact us as far in advance as feasible for time-sensitive articles. These dates are subject to the editor's discretion:

Spring Deadline December 1, Publication February 15
Summer Deadline March 1, Publication May 15
Fall Deadline June 1, Publication August 15
Winter Deadline September 1, Publication November 15

Admin
2009-01-30 18:20:01