Exciting Times Ahead!

 RHYS BOWEN: EXCITING times ahead in the Bowen camp!  This time next month I'll be celebrating the release of my new stand alone novel, THE ROSE ARBOR. Lots of good things are planned for that, including a Friends and Fiction interview and ads on everything from Tiktok to AARP (how's that for covering the bases?)

And...This time next week I’ll be chatting with one of my dearest friends, Louise Penny. Unfortunately the chat won’t be in person but via Zoom and it is a prequel to the mystery writers conference at Book Passage bookstore near my home in Corte Madera, California.

 I haven’t seen Louise in person for a year as she lives in Canada (and sometimes in London).  I hope to see her again in September when we’re both in England, but I’m really looking forward to catching up, albeit from long distance. When Louise and I do these chats we never plan anything in advance. They are completely unscripted and yet we always find lots of interesting things to discuss.

 We have chatted in front of an audience at several mystery conferences, mostly with our own dear Deb Crombie. We were billed as a conversation with three goddesses. We liked that description. Definitely suited us! On the first occasion there were just three arm chairs on the stage and we sat and talked. All sorts of interesting and surprising things came out: that Louise and I had both thought we were royal when we were young. ( Louise thought that her royal family had left her with peasants for her own protection until she was old enough to be claimed. She waited but the royals never came! I pretended that I was queen of my village and would ride around on my bike, greeting my subjects. They must have thought I was quite bonkers, waving graciously as I bicycled past). We learned that Deborah had always had a fascination with Britain growing up and gone there as soon as she could. Again no script. The room was packed with people sitting on the floor. I have to say it was one of my favorite conference moments ever.

Obviously the organizers thought so too as we were asked to repeat it on several occasions. Then I was asked to interview Louise when she was guest of honor at Malice Domestic and I asked her to interview me when I was. It’s always such fun. We laugh a lot. The audience laughs too.

 So I’m really looking forward to next week. It is open to attendees at the mystery conference but other people can sign up to join the Zoom online (I believe there is a fee). Bookpassage.com.  Events page.

 I have been on the faculty of the Book Passage Mystery Conference for many years and I always enjoy it, especially because Hallie is also on the faculty so we get a chance to catch up. It is three days of intense workshops with mystery writers, agents, editors and experts like FBI alum George Fong, a San Francisco judge and a forensic examiner. Participants have a chance to meet one on one with a seasoned writer and get feed back on a manuscript in progress. Hallie gives an all morning intensive, and as you know, she is the best teacher you’ll ever come across.

 Over the years the conference has discovered and nurtured several mystery writers who have gone on to stellar careers: Cara Black, Susan Shea, Tony Broadbent, Tim Maleney… and one of the highlights is a party at agent Kimberley Cameron’s stunning house overlooking the San Francisco Bay.  Here are Hallie and I last year.

 I’ll report back this year and try to remember to take pictures!

 And FYI Book Passage is a unique book store. Anybody who has written a book wants to speak there. Sometimes I find my event is sandwiched between Hillary Clinton and John Grisham. Guess who doesn’t get the biggest crowd? It is always sobering.

The Poetry of Mystery

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: This is so gorgeously thought-provoking! And I adore when we have a topic we have never discussed before.

I met Kate Michaelson at Thrillerfest–and she is completely lovely. She’s a member of SINC, and ITW, and is a debut author, hurray! Her brand new book is HIDDEN ROOMS, and more about that below.

She also has an MFA in poetry. Is that valuable to a mystery author? Oh, yes, yes indeed.

The Poetry of Mystery

   By Kate Michaelson

 

What do Edgar Allen Poe, Agatha Christie, and Dorothy Sayers have in common? If you said they’re legendary crime writers, yes. But did you know they all wrote poetry as well? Others, like P.D. James and Louise Penny, infuse poetry into their mysteries with characters like poet-detective Adam Dalgliesh and Three Pines bard Ruth Zardo. 

 

At first glance, poetry and mystery couldn’t differ more. After all, poems make us slow down and reread a page. Mysteries, on the other hand, keep us turning the pages, propelling us forward to find out what happens next. So why does poetry appeal to so many mystery writers?

 

Having completed an MFA in poetry before writing my first mystery, I know a bit about this connection. In switching genres, I realized both types of writing actually have a lot in common.

 

For one thing, poets and mystery writers are both masters of microtension—those moments that may not address plot-level conflict, but still capture emotional clashes or uneasy juxtapositions. Like fiction writers, poets use small doses of conflict to drive poems forward.

One of my favorite poems, “How to Like It” by Stephen Dobyns, uses this technique to perfection as a man walks his dog on an unsettled autumn night. The poem opens by describing “the first days of fall” and a wind that “smells of roads still to be traveled.”

 

As the poem progresses, we see how the man’s settled life is at odds with the blustery night.

But in his sense of the season, the man is struck

by the oppressiveness of his past, how his memories

which were shifting and fluid have grown more solid…

 

Dobyns vacillates between stillness versus a desire to explore, until the poem culminates by asking, “How is it possible to want so many things / and still want nothing?” 

Part of what makes poetry so potent are these compressed doses of tension, everyday moments we often grasp with more immediacy than larger, more abstract plot points.

 

Likewise, mysteries use microtension to keep readers engaged in scenes where the central conflict fades into the background. Whether we’re developing characters or sneaking in backstory, small frictions keep readers going. These moments don’t necessarily address “whodunnit.” Rather, they make us worry whether the protagonist will have one-too-many drinks with her new colleagues, even as her spouse waits at home on their anniversary.

Or—to take a lesson from Dobyns—microtensions remind us that every human knows what it’s like to want two very different things at the same moment. 

 

Along with having an eye for microtension, poets and crime writers share keen instincts for what details to hold back, keeping their readers invested from moment to moment. Poets distill universal truths into a series of spare, broken lines—often on a single page—by winnowing away extraneous information to lay bare the essence of an emotion or moment. 

 

Crime writers, similarly, lay trails of intriguing breadcrumbs while concealing the explanations that tie them together. These omissions leave room for readers to summon their own emotional responses. Faced with only the most essential information, readers must fill in the gaps and enter the story as active participants.

 

Even though poems invite us to pause and mysteries forge ahead headlong, that doesn’t mean crime writing can’t boast poetic language. In my favorite mysteries, the words themselves are a joy to read. These books give me the best of both worlds: beautiful language to drink up and a riveting plot that won’t let me go. 

 

I have my favorites, but who are some crime writers whose work you’d describe as poetic?

HANK: Oh, I'm not sure I've ever thought of it that way, but I just finished--and beyond adored--Chris Whitaker's ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK which is as gorgeously and seamlessly poetic as any book I have ever read. (And one of my favorites ever. Truly, do not miss it.)

What about you, Reds and Readers?

 

 

***

 

Kate Michaelson 

Kate Michaelson’s debut novel, Hidden Rooms, won the 2022 Hugh Holton Award for best unpublished mystery by a Midwest writer and was released in April of 2024. As a curriculum developer and technical writer, she has created educational content on everything from media literacy to cybersecurity awareness. She is active in Sisters in Crime and participates in causes that support those with disabilities and chronic illness. In her free time, she loves hiking, traveling, napping and anything else that takes her away from her laptop. She grew up in Greenwich, Ohio and now lives in Toledo, Ohio with her husband and pets.

 

 

Hidden Rooms

Long-distance runner Riley Svenson  has been fighting various bewildering symptoms for months, from vertigo to fainting spells. Worse, her doctors can’t tell her what’s wrong, leaving her to wonder if it’s stress or something more threatening. But when her brother’s fiancée is killed—and he becomes the prime suspect—Riley must prove his innocence, despite the toll on her health.

 

As she reacquaints herself with the familiar houses and wild woods of her childhood, the secrets she uncovers take her on a trail to the real killer that leads right back to the very people she knows best and loves most.

Rhys Celebrates The Proof of the Pudding.

RHYS BOWEN: Today I'm excited to be celebrating the publication of the 17th Royal Spyness mystery, THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING. It's a bitter-sweet moment as I was supposed to be doing some in person events, the first time I've traveled since the beginning of Covid.

But I've come to learn in the last few years that life is completely unpredictable.  A few weeks ago my knee started hurting me and my doctor sent me for physical therapy. In the midst of this my other knee started hurting and suddenly one morning, walking across my living room, I couldn't walk, bend or straighten it. An MRI reveals that I have bad arthritis and multiple tears in my meniscus. The result is that I need a knee replacement.  Not what I wanted to hear. As someone who has played tennis, hiked and swam all my life this is a huge shock and I have to think when I can schedule it. Complicated by the fact that John needs various medical tests and may need some kind of therapy.

So at least I'm doing a couple of Zooms, one was yesterday at the Poinsoned Pen and one is for an interview on Thursday. I'll put up a link when I have it. 

But I'd like to tell you a bit about this book. Lady Georgie is awaiting two arrivals, one is her baby but the other is her new chef from Paris whom she hired when she was over there (see Peril in Paris). The chef turns out to be brilliant. The neighbors are impressed and he is invited to cook for a big charity dinner, held at a spooky manor house that has a poison garden. What could go wrong?  When you read the book you'll find that a very famous person makes a surprise visit!

So what gave me the idea for using a poison garden? When I'm in London my dear friend Louise Penny and I love to visit the Chelsea Physic Garden. This garden was started by monks, I believe in the 1400s and contains plants for the healing of all kinds of ailments: one area for the heart, one for the lungs etc. There is also one area that is the poison garden. All of these plants can kill you. Louise and I lingered by it, discussing, as one does with a fellow mystery author, which plant might work best in certain circumstances, and thus getting strange worried looks from people who passed us.

The interesting thing, during my research, is how many of these plants look innocuous and are all around us, easy to access. In England foxglove, miseltoe, deadly nightshade, hemlock and yew grow everywhere wild beside the roads. Lily of the Valley is a favorite in gardens and the bulbs look just like small onions.  You don't even need something exotic like castor beans or angels trumpet. Which plant might have been used in this story? You'll have to read it to find out!

The Interview

LUCY BURDETTE: Last week was a little bit nerve-racking, because the Friends of the Key West Library held their second annual fundraising gala featuring Carl Hiaasen. As the president, I had the honor of interviewing him. I’ve interviewed plenty of people over the past 15 years, and have also been interviewed–you would think this would be a cake walk! But I spent the weeks ahead of time worrying about developing clever questions, and making sure I showed him off in the very best light as well as entertaining the 130 folks in the audience. He’s a very funny man so I wanted to give him the chance to tell stories to his fans, and really just stay out of his way.

In my work both as a psychologist, and as an author, I know that one of the best tips for interviewing is to pay attention to what the person is saying, rather than what you are going to say next. A second idea is to focus on knowing enough about the speaker that you can ask questions that are thoughtful, maybe even somewhat new. It all went super smoothly and I had a lot of good feedback about the night.

We have some amazing interviewers in this group. I’d love to hear your tips about how to conduct a great interview, and either a horror story or a big success!

HALLIE EPHRON: I love doing interviews. A highlight was interviewing Elizabeth George when she was a guest of honor at Bouchercon. The thing I appreciate MOST when I’m the one being itnerviewed is when I’m asked, “How do you pronounce your name?” It’s not Holly or Haylee or Nora… Grrr.

As an interviewer it’s: come prepared. Research what the author has said about themselves. Read some of their books. Read their published interviews. I once interviewed Scott Turow and I was so excited to be able to ask how on earth he came up with the plot twist (the howdunnit) of Presumed Innocent. (Turns out his dad was a gynecologist. Who knew?!?)

And, oh yeah, do not interrupt. This is the hardest part for me.

JENN McKINLAY: Ha! That’s the hardest part for me, too, Hallie. Lucy, Hub and I got to see Hiaasen years ago (we're both big fans) when he came to AZ. He is a fabulous speaker! I'm sure you were amazing. As an audience member, I love a good interview. I remember being dazzled by our Hank interviewing James Patterson - soooo good!!! As for me, I haven’t done many interviews on either side of the mic. But I am interviewing GOH Kate Carlisle at Bouchercon in San Diego this year! It should go smoothly because we’ve been friends forever - we’re the “I know where she’s buried all the bodies” type of friends. So, yeah…it should be good. Bwa ha ha.

I will say I find television interviews much more stressful. The idea of it living in perpetuity makes me certain I’ll drop an “F” bomb - Eek! Jenn with Brahm Resnik on KPNX Channel 12's Sunday Square Off - Author Edition

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Lucy, that must have been such fun. And I'm sure you were fabulous! All good advice–be prepared, listen, let them talk. My biggest interview success has been interviewing Louise Penny last November for the Dallas Museum of Art Arts and Letter Series. It was a sold out ticketed event and I was really nervous, much more so than if I'd been the one being interviewed. But Louise is an old friend, I'd done a lot of prep, and Louise has no trouble taking off with a question! I'm still hearing from people about how much they enjoyed it.


RHYS BOWEN: I’ve been on both sides of the mike for plenty of interviews. The worst ones are radio and TV shows on book tour when the host has clearly not read my book and has no idea who I am. So.. uh.. Miss Bowden, Miss Brown… Especially at Good Morning Denver at six am this is not amusing.



Like Debs, my favorites recently have been interviewing Louise Penny when she was guest of honor at Malice and then she returned the favor last year and interviewed me. I like interviews that turn into a relaxed chat, but last year when I threw a question back at Louise she said, “This is all about you!” which is a good point to remember. I’ve been interviewed too many times by an interviewer who wants to put their own stamp on the interview, has an agenda or wants to score points. When I interview, my job is making the person feel relaxed and turn it into a chat between friends. Of course the interviewer should have done her homework and know some funny/different things to ask. Louise and I are good friends and have both talked about when we both believed we were royalty as children. Audiences love that sort of thing. Our own Hank is the example of the perfect interviewer. She wants to make the person shine!


HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Aw, thank you, Rhys. Awww. xooxo And yes, my entire goal with an interview is to make the interviewee absolutely irresistible. To allow them to be the most fabulous they can be, and to shepherd them into having a wonderful time. I love when they laugh, then I know I’ve succeeded. I deeply read their books, and think about them, and research like mad, and plan plan plan. I do have a list of questions, but do NOT ask them in MY order, but in the natural flow of the chat. I try very hard not to ask long questions, and not to have the interview be about me AT ALL.

I honestly want to know the answers to the questions, and I LISTEN to them, and respond by asking the follow-ups that the audience would want to know.

 Three of my recent (and probably forever) favorites: Lisa Jewell, James Patterson, and Ruth Ware. SO fabulous. And such pros. (Oh, yes, and Anthony Horowitz. I had to try not to swoon the whole time.)

(And did you see that James Patterson mentioned me in his autobiography as an interviewer he loved? Awwww. I think it’s on page 178, if you want to look.)


JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Hank, I remember asking you for tips on interviewing ages ago when we were getting to know one another. So here’s my first tip: if you have the chance, ask an excerpt. One thing you told me that holds true for live or online appearances? Pick your outfit carefully. Avoid patterns, flashy jewelry, lots of accessories. Readers, if you look at the pictures of Debs and Jenn interviewing, you can see they also took Hank’s advice! The goal is to look neat and professional but not draw attention to yourself.

Photo courtesy of Edith Maxwell @ The Wickeds

When Sarah Stewart Taylor interviewed me at Malice Domestic last year, I was impressed with her skills. We’ve known each other for many years, which always helps, but she had done her prep - she asked questions I had never been asked before, which is so much more exciting than “Where do you get your ideas,” etc. By the way, Rhys, I’ve had that same experience with drive time radio hosts - “So, your book. It’s fiction?”

When Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson started a new series - an action thriller with a religious bent - I was asked to interview them. This was a time when I didn’t have a long relationship with the subject; aside from a Zoom meeting to go over some points, we all went in cold. I think we had a great rapport, however, and I’m happy with the way everything turned out. Looking at this recording reminds me I need to do something about my background, however. My office is just too busy from that angle. I need to set up an interviewing station with a wall o’ books behind me.

Red readers, what was the best interview you've seen? any suggestions about how to be the best guest or interviewer?

And PS, Debs had some very big news this week: #8 on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list!!! We are so thrilled for her!

Yes, Mysteries Have “Literary Worth.” Why Are We Even Discussing It?

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: All genre lovers have had the moment. That moment. For me, it was when I was a guest at a Vermont literary festival. There was a reception the first evening for the presenters, and in cocktail party style, people were sharing what they worked at. Novel. Narrative nonfiction. Poet. Then it was my turn. "I write mysteries."

Readers, you would have thought I said I skin kittens. I didn't talk to a single other author the rest of the night.

There's not a great deal of critical respect out there for crime fiction. Science fiction and fantasy are even more suspect, and Romance? Fuggedaboutit! Elizabeth Held wants us to rethink this. You may know her from her her recommendation newsletter WHAT TO READ IF, One of Book Riots Best Book Newsletter (subscribe; it's free and you'll love it!) She got a little frustrated about the lack of thoughtful literary analysis around her favorite genre, and decided to take that on by starting a limited run Substack newsletter inviting some very smart people to write about aspects of books they adore. And who better to dig into than the most beloved, the most thoughtful, the most literary crime fiction author working today - Louise Penny? She's here today to tell us all about her new project, NOTES FROM THREE PINES.

 

At first glance Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache books would seem like prime subjects for academic study. They’re wildly popular bestsellers, critically beloved and offer keen insights into how our world considers thorny topics related to religion, politics, crime, addiction and more.

 

And yet, a search on JSTOR, a digital library of academic journals, shows just a handful of articles examining Penny’s work.

 

Unfortunately, this has been the plight of the mystery writer since the days of Agatha Christy. As scholar Marty S. Knepper notes in her essay, “Contemporary Cozy Mysteries, Agatha Christie and the 1990s,” “Despite or perhaps because of her sales, Agatha Christie’s reputation during her lifetime suffered at the hands of journalists, scholars, and even mystery historians who frequently criticized her characterization, style, and literary worth.”

 

Christie never earned the respect she deserved in her day, with detractors calling her books artificial, banal and superficial. The same criticism is hurled at mystery fiction today, more than 100 years after her first book was published.

 

While mysteries might get more due than they did in Christie’s day, Knepper’s essay was included in a 2021 book that was the first to examine the cozy mystery — a wildly popular subgenre — from an academic perspective. And, yet, it’s clear to anyone who reads crime fiction — mysteries, noir or thrillers — that they have literary worth and should be treated as such.

 

Penny herself made a similar argument earlier this year at Malice Domestic, the annual convention of mystery writers and fans, while on a panel featuring the authors nominated for the 2022 Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel.

 

The moderator asked the authors if they ever felt constrained by expectations of their genre. Penny responded, “I am very proud to write crime fiction and stand up and wave the flag… but at the same time, I’m tired of this dismissiveness around the genre. Good storytelling is good storytelling, whether you like it or not.” 

From my spot on the floor in the back of the room, I began to cheer. I devour genre fiction — romance and mysteries in particular — and am always surprised by the sort of flippant attitude some people have towards it.

 

One of my biggest pet peeves is the claim that genre fiction is somehow lesser because it’s formulaic, but to me that’s proof of an author’s skill. Making a story that’s been told hundreds of times — a murder mystery or a love story — feel fresh and new is a real skill that should be recognized and celebrated. As Penny said, good storytelling is good storytelling.

 

More broadly though, readers and scholars who skip mysteries because they don’t think they’re meaty or worth discussing are both wrong and missing out on some really excellent books. From where I’m sitting, some of the sharpest commentary from the literary world on topics ranging from race and religion to tech’s effect on our world are coming from crime writers. See works by  Kellye Garrett, David Heska WanbliWeiden, Jane Pek and Julia Spencer-Fleming for proof.

 

To challenge the outdated notion that mysteries can’t — or shouldn’t be — the subject of careful criticism and examination, a friend and I are launching Notes From Three Pines, a short-run essay collection celebrating and exploring all things Louise Penny and Inspector Gamache.

 

Notes From Three Pines is a cross between an essay anthology and fan zine. Our contributors are writing about everything from the joy of listening to the audiobooks to the role art plays in the series to the unique character that is Ruth Zardo. (I’m hoping that last one will include an extended meditation on Rosa the duck.)

 

We have two main goals with this project. First, we want to give fans like us a place to meet and discuss Penny’s books (if that sounds like you, I hope you’ll join us by subscribing). And, second, we want to apply the same sort of lens to the series it would have received if the books weren’t mysteries. As anyone who has read the Inspector Gamache books can attest, these are meaty novels, well worth discussion and analysis.

 

What about you? Are there books or series you think are unnecessarily dismissed?

 

Rhys looks back on a Week of Extremes.

RHYS BOWEN: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times! That line has never been more true than this last week. In the middle of Sunday night I was awakened by a phone call from my daughter Jane. She was fleeing from the fires in Sonoma. Could she come to stay? Of course, I said and hurried to make up beds. Then she called again. Her neighbor has nowhere to go. Could they come too? Of course, I said and found more bedding. Jane and the girls arrived, Jane having fled with just her wedding album and no toothbrush!

 So I was soon hosting seven people and three dogs. Jane's husband Tom works at the Veteran's Home in the Napa Valley. He drove into work with flames on either side of him and had the task of making the decision when and how to evacuate over 1000 old and infirm veterans.

So you can see that the week started in stressful manner. We tried to get updates on the fire. There were rumors flying around. The whole of Glen Elen had burned, just north of my daughter's house and business. The fire was five percent contained. That meant 95 percent uncontained. Real horror stories started to come in. Granddaughter Lizzie's friend's house and winery burned down. Then another. Other friends fled for their lives and didn't know if their houses were standing or not. We heard that the fire fighters were making a stand on Jane's fire on Madrone Road. We looked on the map. Madrone Road was just a block north of the swim center she owns. And if the winds picked up again the firefighters wouldn't be able to make a stand anywhere.

I told them I was going to cancel Bouchercon and stay with them. Don't be silly, my daughter said. You can't stop the flames. You go and enjoy yourself. They insisted. I went, but enjoying myself was not easy. When I was actually on a panel or having a meal with my agent, editor or publicist I forgot to think for a while. The moment I was free the phone came out and I was searching for updates. Ten percent contained. Winds expected to pick up. Fell asleep exhausted and worried. Grabbed the phone first thing the next morning. No real news. No real progress. Another day of worry.

And in between the worry were moments of pure joy.

We Reds went to dinner at the Reds Wine Bar (where else?) and shared a lobster grilled cheese sandwich--delicious but sinful. We plotted our panel and laughed a lot. I had breakfast with Debs and Louise Penny and we laughed even more. Then the three of us sat on stage for a chat to a small audience......

There were publisher parties and time to hang out at the bar (for the others. I was in my room phoning home!) and on Saturday came our Jungle Reds game show. This time it was called Name That Red. A statement was read out about the life of one of us and we each claimed it was us. And it turned out we were darned good liars... including Red Lucy's description of her Olympic luge training and Ingrid claiming she had done ski jumping in Denmark (which happens to be one of the flattest countries in the world). I successfully fooled the audience several times, convincing them that I had had my teeth cleaned by a murdering dentist, that I had lived next to Jane Austen's house. And they didn't believe that I could have been a leading light in the theater in Conroe, Texas. True.

The audience laughed, shouted out and were awarded prizes. I don't know who had a better time, us or them. We even had to face a paparazzi onslaught before we started our panel!

So we left still basking in the glow and regretting that the Reds didn't have more time together. I suspect a Reds Retreat is in our future!

I arrived home to good news. The evacuation order had been lifted. Our family went home this evening to a house with power restored (but no TV. Howls of disbelief) Jane's swim club survived, with just a huge clean up needed: the pool was full of ash and leaves and stagnation from a week with no filtration. But her staff is coming in at seven in the morning and she hopes to open again on Wednesday to help restore normalcy to a stricken community. Alas there will be some people for whom life will not be normal again for years. I'm not sure what to do to help. They have more volunteers than they can use. More donated items than they can handle right now.

On long plane rides I had time to think and I wondered what I would take from an approaching fire: good jewelry? Precious photo albums. We have many antiques from John's family: Chinese plates, a Queen Anne desk, a crusader's sword. They'd all have to be left to burn. And I have a copy of each of my books. I couldn't take them either. So I think of all those poor people who left behind treasures and souvenirs that can never been replaced. Such a heartbreaking time.

And I wonder: : what would you save from an approaching fire?

Bouchercon Bound for Name That Red--Can YOU Do it?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  How long have you known us? Long, right? Through think and thin, and triumph and tragedy. We have shared, all of us, our hopes and fears and challenges and, ah, food preferences. Loves and hates and choices and childhoods and dilemmas and punctuation frustrations. 
But how well do you really know us?

One of us won a big prize on Sale of the Century. 
One was propositioned by Warren Beatty. 
One is an expert at bribing people. 
One participated in a professional athletic event as research for one of her novels. She had never been so terrified but she’d do anything for the sake of story. And her husband made out best of all…  
Can you figure out who each is?

We think we can fool you--so that's why our panel at Bouchercon is NAME THAT RED. It's Saturday at 4--and we promise it'l be hilarious. And we're giving prizes!

(Julia will be there in spirit, and she's going to hang out with you all here as keynote speaker at the Red's special on-line Bouchercon.)  

Where I'll be at Bouchercon? Friday, signing at the Forge booth (free books!) 

then moderating the Librarians Tea--wth panelists including Linwood Barclay and Sara Paretsky and Diane Vallere.

Saturday morning I'm moderating the Best Novel nominees: Reed Farrell Coleman, Louise Penny, Megan Abbot, Laura Lippman and Chris Holm. You'll be there, of course, right?

And then the Name that Red panel at 4.  (One of us is a failed majorette. Can you guess? Each the Reds will try to fool you into believing it's them. Will you choose correctly?) 

How about the rest of you? Where can we find you at Bouchercon?  I KNOW there's some exciting stuff coming up in Toronto.

HALLIE EPHRON: I'll be signing books (come and get 'em!) Thursday right after opening reception (8:30 PM) in the Grand Ballroom West. And then Saturday, the Reds Panel. The SinC breakfast of course on Saturday, too. Mostly I'll be looking forward to putting faces to names... so please say HI! 

LUCY BURDETTE: Reds panel of course and wouldn't miss Sisters in Crime breakfast, even at 7:30 am! Otherwise floating through the halls hoping to chat with all of you!

RHYS BOWEN: I'm joining Debs and Louise Penny for something called Three a Friends Chat on Friday at 10 am, then the Reds panel on Saturday and signing after both.

INGRID THOFT: I’ll be at the Reds panel and signing afterwards.  I’ll also be in the bar, the coffee shop, and hopefully, the gym.  I’m working hard to get my back, back to normal.  Maybe I’ll see you by the stability balls!

JENN McKINLAY: Ditto! Reds panel and signing and wherever you can find baked goods, you'll find me sampling. And the bar, always the hotel bar, for chit chat and catching up with friends! Do come find me and I'll bore you with photos/videos of our recent kitten rescue -- King George!

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Jenn, I can't wait for in-person updates on King George!! In between, I'll be signing after the Opening Reception Thursday night along with Hallie and lots of other great folks, so come see us (and get some free books!) Then, as Rhys says, on Friday morning, she and I and Louise Penny will just be having a chat, but everyone in the audience gets to listen in. We will all have a great time. Then Saturday at 4, THE REDS PANEL!!! I'll be signing after panels, and will be in the bar, the coffee shop, and wherever friends and readers are hanging out, so please stop and say "hi."
 

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: All of you who wish you were going to be in Toronto can hang out here with me. We'll dish on everyone at Bouchercon and they'll never know we were talking about them! (That sounds foolproof, right?) And don't forget to stay tuned to Twitter, where @junglereds will be keeping you up to date with everything going on at the big party!

HANK: Yes, do try that, darling Julia. We will not look at all. We will not even notice that you all are talking about us.

SO--who's here, and who's going to Toronto?
If you are here with Julia or across with border with us in Canada, now you can practice your skills at naming that Red.

For instance:
Which Red wanted to be a movie star, and her first teenage attempts at writing were scripts for her to star in?
Which Red learned to execute a wingover in a glider at 8000 feet?
Which Red played the Artful Dodger in Oliver? (And then flew across the stage as John Darling in Peter Pan?)
Which Red had to sneak out to meet her motorcycle-riding boyfriend by telling her parents she was going to the Young Democrats event?
Which Red  attended Richard Nixon's inaugural parade as a Young Republican?
Which Red went to  Susan Ford's prom at the White house--and why?
Which Red has three former first ladies as fans?

So-- bring it on. Give us your best guesses! 

Then come to our Bouchercon panel Saturday at 4--and see if you can figure out which Red is telling you the truth! (And you can win prizes, too. Of course.) 

PS. And hey--as you can see, we need some photos with Ingrid and Jenn! So we'll publish the ones you all take--right here on Jungle Red!

What We're Reading

INGRID THOFT

It’s Monday, the beginning of the week here at Jungle Reds, but I wanted to start the week with a coda of sorts.  Last week, we talked about “What We’re Writing,” and now it only seems fitting to share “What We’re Reading.”

I’m proud to admit that I’m in the middle of an Ann Cleeves binge. I am reading all of the Vera Stanhope books, not even in order, just when I can get my hands on them.  Even though I’ve watched the first few seasons of the TV show, I’m still completely enthralled with the books, and I’m consuming them like a box of Wheat Thins, and you know I’m a slave to Wheat Thins.  The main draw, of course, is Vera, but the supporting characters are three dimensional, and the plots are air tight.  I can’t get enough of Vera! 

Ann Cleeves in Shetland.

Another book that I’ve just started—I tend to read more than one at a time—is called Warnings: Finding Cassandras to Stop Catastrophes.  The authors, Richard A. Clarke and R.P. Eddy, both have had distinguished careers in the fields of counter terrorism and intelligence, and they argue that disasters can be prevented, if only we learn to listen to the early warnings given by outliers.  Cassandra, in Greek mythology, was able to foresee calamities, but the gods cursed her so that her warnings of impending doom were ignored.  According to Clarke and Eddy, catastrophes like Katrina and the rise of ISIS were predicted by some, but their warnings were listened to by few.  Warnings examines how we can start paying attention to the Cassandras in our midst.


So, what are the rest of you reading when you’re not writing?

JENN MCKINLAY: Ingrid, I love the Vera Stanhope books but as an avid knitter, I love Ann Cleeves's Shetland Island Series with D.I. Jimmy Perez even more. I have a fascination with the Shetland Islands (home of Fair Isle knitting) and read everything I can get my hands on about the area. There was even an article in my Vogue Knitting (Holiday 2016) talking with Ms. Cleeves about the Shetland Isles. She attended Left Coast Crime here in Phoenix and she is delightful. Anyway -- sorry, I went all fan girl there for a moment -- I am currently reading Sherry Thomas's A Conspiracy in Belgravia, having just finished her A Study in Scarlet Women, which are the first two titles in her Lady Sherlock series. I am so enjoying her reworking of Sherlock (Charlotte) Holmes as a brilliant, titled, independent lady who is too clever and a bit socially awkward for her own good.

IPT: Jenn, don't even get me started on Jimmy Perez!  I would consider moving to the Shetland Islands just to listen to him read the phone book in that Scottish accent!

HALLIE EPHRON: I'm reading an advance copy of Jessica Keener's Strangers in Budapest, and it's making me think about what it would be like to move with your family to somewhere utterly alien. And I've got lined up, books by Mary Kubica (Pretty Baby) and Sara Blaedel (The Lost Woman) who blew me away at Book Passage last week, talking about how they write.

RHYS BOWEN: I'm another big fan of Ann Cleves and the Vera books. And the Shetland novels too. I've never been to Shetland but it's on my to-do list. My reading at the moment seems to be one book to blurb after another. I think I've become the go-to historical novel quotation endorsement person, and it's hard to say no when the request comes from publishers and also people like Lee Child and Louise Penny and our own Jungle Reds have taken the time to read my books. Since the books won't come out for many months yet, I don't think I should mention names as titles could change. Next on my must read instantly pile is Louise's new book, Glass Houses, which I plan to take with me when I escape for a few days to Monterrey next weekend.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: When I left for London, I was a third of the way through the new Ann Cleeves Vera Stanhope novel, The Seagull. Well, I wasn't going to lug a hardcover with me, so I had to buy it on Kindle to finish it!! (And it's really good!) I also left behind new hardcover copies of Louise Penny's Glass Houses, and Peter Robinson's Sleeping in the Ground, but I may have to wait until I get back to read those. In the meantime, there's a new Nick Dixon novel by Damien Boyd loaded on my Kindle so that's what I'm diving into. (These are British procedural novels, set in west Somerset. They are only available on Kindle but I've really enjoyed them.)  After that, who know what might call to me from a London book store??

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I just powered through Louise Penny's A Great Reckoning, and I have to say I adored it. Megan Miranda's The Perfect Stranger kept me totally guessing, and every time I thought--oh, I know what'll happen, it didn't. One of the great joys of my life is interviewing/introducing authors, so I have to (get to!) read their books to prepare, so I just read Tess Gerritsen's  I Know A Secret and Craig Johnson's  The Golden West. Such proof of how much voice matters---two completely different books, and I adored both of them. Yes, blurbing--I agree it's hilarious how that commands reading decisions.  But I count my blessings every time--such a treat! Next to read: Candice Fox's Crimson Lake.  But my current night stand book is You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott. Absolutely chilling. And cannot wait for the new Mary Kubica.

LUCY BURDETTE: I love it when I can report a run of wonderful books, and this happened over the past 10 days. First I read Chime and Punishment, the third in Julianne Holmes's Clock Shop mystery series. She has a wonderfully rounded character (which is what I care most about it) and a fascinating setting in this small town clock shop. Next I read The Golden Son by Shilpi Somaya Gowda, a big sweeping novel  about an Indian man who comes to the US to study medicine. A fascinating clash of cultures.

And finally, Karen Joy Fowler's We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves. I cannot even tell you how much I loved this book. Don't want to say too much about it because I hope you'll be as surprised as I was about the twist in the plot (it's not a mystery, it's a family psychological story.) Gorgeous writing and quirky characters and a compelling plot. What more does a reader need? And on my nightstand sits Keziah Frost's debut novel The Reluctant Fortune Teller. This book reminds me of early novels by Elinor Lipman (a very good thing!) and is chock-full of interesting characters and psychological insights. You'll be hearing more from her!

IPT: I love Elinor Lipman so I need to add Keziah Frost to my TBR pile ASAP!

So tell us, what are you reading these days?