I am still in South Africa. Therefore, this week I offer you this special treat from one of my favorite mystery short story authors—the reasons for which should be obvious. The first mystery author to use an actual historical personage as a fictional detective was the late Lillian de la Torre Bueno McCue (1902-1993), who […]

Joseph Benedetto is the author of the “Fifth Precinct” series of mystery stories, and in addition to being a writer and a journalist, he’s also worked at jobs ranging from short-order cook to security operative for the Pinkerton Agency. A member of the Mystery Writers of America, he writes both mystery and speculative fiction and […]

Hugo Gernsback is famous as the inventor of the science fiction pulp magazine. The most coveted award in science fiction, the “Hugo”, is named in his honor. But the Gentle Reader may be unaware that Mr. Gernsback also published a magazine dedicated to forensic mysteries. He wrote an article for the February 1930 issue of […]

This week Akashic Books is releasing Seattle Noir. I invited Curt Colbert to tell us about editing this short story anthology. Next time I will write about my own story in the collection. Curt is the author of three novels about 1940s private eye Jake Rossiter. His Rat City was nominated for a Shamus Award. […]

PROFESSIONAL TIPS — JACK KEROUAC by Leigh Lundin Hey man, those of you who dig the Beat Generation and especially, like Jack Kerouac, man, this column is for you. I live a few minutes from the Kerouac house in College Park, a nice but not too pretentious suburb that Orlando swallowed, but still manages to […]

Jeffrey Marks’ most recent book, Anthony Boucher: A Bibliobiography, is nominated for this year’s Malice Domestic‘s Agatha Award for Best Non-Fiction mystery-related work. This is his third nomination. Melodie should return next week. —JLW PICKING A BIOGRAPHY SUBJECT by Jeffrey Marks Readers ask me this question whenever I do a talk. I think it’s their […]

The Gentle Reader probably does not require an introduction to master short story author and former newspaper reporter and Pinkerton man Dick Stodghill, but if anybody does, here’s a link to his website. You’ll also find link to his blog, “Stodghill Says So”, at right in our list of Amicae Curiae, (“Friends of the Court”). […]