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Any truth to the rumour that to help you comply with your deadline, Kate has locked you in a windowless room at the top of a eight-story tower on a desert island?
So I've written a lot (hundreds/thousands) of features and reviews about mystery fiction in the last 11 years.
I am now writing my first book about the genre (with another couple potentially in the pipeline too).
I'm writing a pocket essential guide to Australian and New Zealand crime writing for a London publisher.
This will slot in with leading UK critic Barry Forshaw's series of readers guides (Brit Noir, Scandi Noir, American Noir, Historical Noir, etc) - so it's not an academic treatise but an introduction for booklovers, with 250+ entries about particular authors, and some interviews and other commentary. Written in an accessible, magazine style rather than an academic one.
So a bit of a 'Lonely Planet' or 'Rough Guide' for a particular segment of the mystery genre.
It's focused on the modern era of Australian and New Zealand crime writing (1995-2020), though will include historic mysteries written during that period but set in decades/centuries past. It will also include some film/television etc.
I hope that this will be useful and of interest to readers around the world. All going to plan, it will be out Spring 2020 or so.
I never saw any of the David Suchet Poirot mysteries.
I liked the Albert Finney Death on the Nile movie though.
Hi! I'm Denise, an online friend of Becke's. I was an active participant on many of the Barnes & Noble discussion boards, where I met Becke, who was moderating the Mystery forum. When they shut the discussion boards down, I created the B&N Mystery Forum Refugees group on Facebook, so the gang would have a place to go; made Becke co-admin, and mostly handed it over to her, to continue what she'd been doing so well. Now she's a moderator here, too, so here I am!
I've loved mysteries since grade school. I was given a book of mystery stories for Christmas one year, and then started reading the Nancy Drew and Bobbsey Twins books. I love cozies, of the house party and country village type. My favorites are Grandes Dames Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Ngaio Marsh. Newer(ish) series I love include Martha Grimes' Richard Jury, Carolyn Hart's Death on Demand, and Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody. I also love mysteries that feature real-life authors as fictional sleuths. I have series featuring Jane Austen, the Brontes, Louisa May Alcott, Beatrix Potter, and Josephine Tey.
Nice to meet you!
In listing out my favorites Nero Wolfe’s, I found a few themes that occurred in more than one book: strong, unique women. politics and Orrie. Who knew?
5. Plot it Yourself – someone is accusing playwrights and novelists of plagiarism by having copies of books typed before the best-selling books are published. How is the criminal doing this? Stout has such obvious fun with the subject matter that it’s contagious. The plagiarists start ending up dead after Wolfe gets involved and he has to solve the case.
4. The Silent Speaker – Cheney Boone of the BPR is bludgeoned to death right before an industrial association’s meeting. Of course, the association is accused of murder (indirectly) assuming that one of its members committed the actual deed. Upon calling one of his famous meetings of all involved, Phoebe Gunther doesn’t show, and Phoebe turns out to put Archie through his paces. Of course, being a match for our intrepid bachelor is a death sentence and Gunther becomes the next victim. Of all the Wolfe victims, I think I’m sorriest to see her go. She was such a good balance for Archie.
3. Death of a Doxy – Orrie’s in trouble and Wolfe has to bail him out. He’s been seeing a “doxy,” a Scrabble-player’s delight that means “mistress” as well as a supposed fiancée. Of course, the doxy had another man paying her bills. Wolfe and Goodwin have to determine who was paying the bills and likely killed her for stepping out on him. Julie Jaquette makes this book with her attitude and mannerisms.
2. In the Best Families – the last of the Zeck books and by far my favorite. I always like Wolfe encountering an environment outside of his own, and this book has that in spades. Wolfe has “disappeared” after being hounded by Zeck. Archie takes a case, which Wolfe solves quickly and efficiently after the Zeck mess is completed.
1. The Doorbell Rang – without a doubt my favorite of the series. The book has all the things I love about this series: witty banter, a worthy opponent, politics and a mention of books of interest. Wolfe goes up against the FBI and J. Edgar after he takes a case for a woman being pestered by FBI surveillance. A rather prescient look at tactics used throughout the 1960s against “enemies.”
Hi AgathaC,
Agatha Christie's own Top Ten with comments is below.
AGATHA CHRISTIE'S FAVORITES OF HER OWN NOVELS
And Then There Were None – a difficult technique which was a challenge and so I enjoyed it, and I think dealt with it satisfactorily.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - a general favourite.
A Murder is Announced – I thought all the characters interesting to write about and felt I knew them quite well by the time the book was finished.
Murder on the Orient Express – again because it was a new idea for a plot.
The Thirteen Problems – a good series of stories.
Towards Zero – I found it interesting to work on the idea of people from different places coming towards a murder, instead of starting with the murder and working from that.
Endless Night – my own favourite at present.
Crooked House – I found a study of a certain family interesting to explore.
Ordeal By Innocence - an idea I had had for some time before starting to work upon it.
The Moving Finger – which I have re-read lately and enjoyed reading it again, very much."
Hi
I am Verna Suit and I construct the crossword puzzle found on the back page of Mystery Scene.
I began with Nancy Drew of course. In my 20s I started reading all of Agatha Christie that I could find, then moved on to PD James then John LeCarre. The world opened up once I discovered the contemporary mystery scene. Sue Grafton became my gold standard (RIP Sue), followed by Robert Crais, Elmore Leonard, Lee Child, Laura Lippman, Margaret Maron, CJ Box, Louise Penny, James Lee Burke, etc.
I enjoy thrillers, PI books, good stories, international settings, new-to-me authors, an occasional cozy, historicals no earlier than 1895. I belong to Sherlockian and Nero Wolfe societies.
When rejects of my own mystery novel equaled my age, I took that as a sign and moved on to reviewing. I also ran the Sisters in Crime clipping service for 12 years. But these days, making mystery-themed crosswords is my main contribution to the mystery community. I hope some of you will give solving them a try.
I'm not really that much of a collector when it comes to books. I simply like to keep the books I buy after I've read them.
However, I do end up passing some on to other reader friends of mine, or donate them to the library.
Rare stuff or treasures? Nope, not really. I do like my signed copies of books when I go to book signings however. Those stay with me.
About the only thing I have that would qualify as OLD is a complete book of Sherlock Holmes stories that my dad had and gave me. The book is at least 50 years old but it is more of a sentimental treasure because it was my dad's rather than a potential financial windfall.
I really love that Columbo print. I had it framed and it's on our mantel in the living room. If anyone ever hears of more collectibles like this be sure to let me know!
Oooh, I just knew it was going to be dangerous for me to follow this forum. I'll add Jon Land to my watch/wish list. (Sometimes I can find copies at the library, but I also frequent used book sales/stores.)
Jon Land is fantastic and I've met him a number of times. He's more thriller than mystery but his books are always entertaining and he also recently took over the Murder, She Wrote book series and has three books out in that series with his name attached.
Library book sales are the BEST!
And I go to book sales frequently as well. I was just at one yesterday, which was part of my local library's holiday fair.
