PIECE BY PIECE by Deborah Elliott-Upton 1 While I am going through withdrawal symptoms by not having access to the internet (a long story), I’m finishing two baby quilts for twin boys born in Paris, sons of my daughter’s friend Allison and her husband Eric. Like my writing, these quilts were first sparked by an […]

THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES OF 2007 by Deborah Elliott-Upton In another column, I wrote of the 2007 issue of The Best American Short Stories. This week I received the 2007 issue of The Best American Mystery Stories. Carl Hiaasen is the editor and Otto Penzler the series editor. Penzler notes mystery writers frequently ask […]

THE GAME’S AFOOT by Deborah Elliott-Upton One hundred forty-nine years ago, a baby boy was born on this date in Edinburgh, Scotland. Before his death July 7, 1930 at age 71, he would change the world with his writing. “Come, Watson, come!” he cried. “The game is afoot. Not a word! Into your clothes and […]

IT’S ALIVE! WELL, KIND OF… by Deborah Elliott-Upton A television commercial being shown often depicts what one assumes to be a mad scientist and his assistant who are creating their own credit card. (I will not say they are creating their own monster, but perhaps the ad agency should have thought of the analogy themselves.) […]

PARTY TIME by Deborah Elliott-Upton While we’re celebrating our birthday at Criminal Brief, those who have arrived at the party fashionably late, please take notice of the archives. Did Jim mention these party favors? We’ve plenty to go around, so help yourself. In fact, there are an entire year’s worth for you to choose from. […]

NOT MY REAL FRIEND by Deborah Elliott-Upton Today is not a great day to write. I don’t have time to write anything today and it’s already so late in the day I may miss the deadline. Deadlines are called deadlines because if you have not turned in your column by the designated time, an editor […]

HAMMER TIME by Deborah Elliott-Upton When I was a preteen, the city library moved from quarters in the civic center to a mansion downtown bequeathed to the city by Mary E. Bivins following her death. We rarely went downtown, but one day when my mom was pregnant with her fourth child who would be my […]