There are no spoilers for the top part of this post – the beginning of this post is only a repeat of the information provided about the book that was provided at the start of the month, before the meeting. But….. Near the bottom of the page, there is a place for our participants to leave comments about the book, and spoilers will likely be included. Don’t scroll down to … Continue reading
The Edgars! The Thrillers! The Agathas! The Anthonys! The Lefties! The Barrys! Crime fiction awards are fun! But are all crime fiction awards equally useful? This article will explain why I will be paying most of my attention to the Barry Awards. From my point of view as a fan and mystery book club leader, the value is in having a list, over a number of years, of “best” books … Continue reading
A “Heartfelt” Mystery Thriller is my way of describing what happens when a mystery-suspense thriller is written by a family counselor, not a cop, journalist, lawyer, politician, medical doctor, or retired spy. Nor is it simply a “psychological thriller” with a new plot twist to keep you turning the pages. The closest I can come to that idea (for those who read it) is Ordinary Grace, by William Kent Krueger) … Continue reading
Wealthy Men and their Multiple Divorces (Cartoon) List of Main Characters for SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES by Sheldon Siegel Download printable version of the following List of Characters shown below. THE PROTAGONIST FAMILY Mike Daley – The Lead Protagonist Rosie – Rosita Carmela Fernandez – Mike’s ex-wife, legal colleague, & love partner Grace – Mike & Rosie’s 6 yr old daughter Pete – Mike’s younger brother, a solo PI THE GIANT LAW … Continue reading
Tell me in the “Reply” box at the bottom if you can remember staying up real late reading a real page-turner. What was the book? How late did you stay up? Was it because the book was so good, or that the book was due for book club the next day? Haha! Can you see the whole cartoon? Click the title to expand the page.
Very few of the many crime fiction conferences are totally for the fans. Usually, such events give 50%-100% of the conference time to helping writers (and lots of wannabe writers) learn to write and get published. NoirCon is a huge exception. It’s all for the fans and followers of the genre. It takes place every 2 years in Philadelphia, but like all conferences, it has been shut down during the … Continue reading
To my knowledge, Baltimore has the only other full-bodied sculpture of Edgar Allan Poe – the other being in Boston. In a September 2022 trip to Baltimore, I was able to see this sculpture and some other Poe sites. The sculpture is located at Gordon Plaza at University of Baltimore (1415 Maryland Ave.). The statue was commissioned in 1911 by the Edgar Allan Poe Memorial Association of Baltimore and was … Continue reading
First of all, some definitions, taken and slightly adapted from Wikipedia: Special circumstances in criminal law are actions of the accused, or conditions under which a crime, particularly homicide, was committed. Such factors require or allow for a more severe punishment. Special circumstances are elements of the crime itself, and thus must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt during the guilt phase of the trial. As such, they are formally … Continue reading
“Crime fiction“ includes all sub-genres of mysteries and thrillers and any blend thereof. (FYI: One list of 21 crime fiction sub genres.) “Fun“ includes reviews, information, suggestions, and your comments about crime fiction, such as: crime fiction books the club is not reading, crime fiction movies, TV shows, and theatrical performances, crime fiction tours, field trips, conferences you hear about or better – have attended, crime fiction sites (author homes, … Continue reading
Small, 1¼ Inch Round Button Shop for a button at zazzle.com White 11 oz Classic White Mug Order custom mugs on zazzle. Click top link in each product to view product details. Note: On the reverse of the mug, there is wording: Mystery Book Club Field Trip, August 3, 2016
LET'S PLAY CLUE: Was it MBC Leader Dick Goutal, in the garden, using the poisonous plant, Black Henbane?
