SLEUTHING WITHOUT A LICENSE - Guest D.E Ireland

SLEUTHING WITHOUT A LICENSE - Guest D.E Ireland

Mystery readers have long been aware that some of the best literary detectives are rank amateurs. Unlike private eyes, FBI agents, and police officers, amateur sleuths must fit in crime solving along with their day job. These part-time detectives not only break the rules, they’re often unaware of what the rules are. Still, this doesn't stop them from unearthing evidence, tracking down leads, and nabbing the killer.

Of course, they do operate with a few drawbacks. For one thing, most do not carry weapons. An amateur sleuth also can’t obtain a search warrant or wire tap, which may lead them to breaking and entering – a crime. One of the biggest risks of not being a professional is the possibility of arrest, since law enforcement views an amateur with suspicion or irritation. If an amateur does find evidence or clues, the resources of a forensics or crime lab are not available. This is why so many cozy mysteries feature police officers or FBI agents as continuing characters; these characters are often a family member or a romantic interest of the protagonist.

What an amateur sleuth relies upon are the three ‘I’s: intelligence, ingenuity, and intuition. And a private citizen interested in solving crimes is not without resources. Scores of databases are available online, such as tax assessor records, genealogical history, property records, military service, etc. And if the sleuth knows the person’s social security number, the prefix will tell them the state where the number was issued. County records and newspaper archives also help flatten the playing field for the non-professional detective. But the most valuable asset for an amateur is gossip. Most people are wary or fearful of the police. If the person asking questions is a friend who owns the local bakery, the answers may be more forthcoming,

Cozy mysteries are frequently set in picturesque small towns, and the amateur sleuth is usually a long-time resident. This allows them easy access to all the juicy family secrets, and they know where all the bodies – literally and figuratively – are buried. Such knowledge gives them an advantage over an outside investigator.  Detectives in cozies often own businesses such as tea shops, B&Bs, bookstores, and vineyards. This constant influx of customers and visitors provides an ever-changing pool of suspects and victims. The reader is also showered with lots of fascinating details about the protagonist’s business. 

Popular small business cozies include Laura Child’s Tea Shop Mysteries, JoAnna Carl’s Chocoholic mysteries, and Susan Wittig Albert’s China Bayle’s Herb Shop series.

In real life, amateurs are sometimes sought out by law enforcement. More than one police department has called in a psychic to help them unravel an especially difficult case. These are sleuths who possess a unique skill set rarely found in a forensics lab or police station. Not surprisingly, mystery series have sprung up which feature paranormal investigators. These detectives include not only psychics, ghost hunters, and witches, but also actual supernatural creatures such as vampires and werewolves. Perhaps the most famous in this subgenre is Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse books.

Readers might guess that placing an amateur sleuth in the past – when investigative methods were minor or nonexistent – might be easier to write. Not so. Cozy historical authors setting their stories in London must be aware of how British ‘Bobbies’ came into service,  and that 1749 saw the founding of the Bow Street Runners, the city’s first professional police force. In the American colonies, law enforcement was the prerogative of constables, government appointed sheriffs, and voluntary citizen “watches” who patrolled the town’s streets at night. This leaves plenty of opportunity for amateur sleuths, especially since the country’s first 24-hour police force did not appear until 1833 in Philadelphia. Books set during the early years of law enforcement include the Bracebridge Mystery series by Margaret Miles, Maan Meyer’s Tonneman books, and Patricia Wynn’s Blue Satan series set in Georgian London.

While there weren’t established police forces prior to the 19^th century, there were lawyers. And it’s not only John Grisham and Scott Turow who know that attorneys have access to both information and a wide range of criminals. The practice of law has been a legalized profession since the time of Roman Emperor Claudius in the first century. What a perfect occupation for an amateur sleuth, as long as he doesn’t run afoul of the ultimate arbiter of justice: the reigning monarch. And when the sleuth is the monarch herself, as in the Queen Elizabeth I series by Karen Harper, then you have the most powerful detective of them all.

Amateur detectives in historical settings must deal not only with a budding police force. Ministers and officials could make things quite dangerous for a sleuth, especially if that sleuth is an ordinary citizen without wealth and powerful connections to back him up. And depending on the time period, a wrongly accused victim did not have forensic science techniques to help exonerate him. Fingerprinting wasn't admissible in court until after the turn of the 20^th century, along with photographs of the crime scene and victims. In both historical and contemporary novels, amateur detectives have a hard time convincing police officials of their theories. Even worse, the killer invariably targets the sleuth as their next victim in order to avoid discovery.

Amateur sleuths also need a motive to get involved in a murder investigation or else it wouldn’t make sense, given the inherent danger. In our own debut mystery, Eliza Doolittle must prove that Henry Higgins is innocent of murdering his chief rival; it is her friendship and loyalty to him that spurs Eliza on. In Cleo Coyle’s first Coffeehouse mystery, the police believe an attack on Clare’s employee was accidental; Clare believes otherwise and adds ‘amateur sleuth’ to her resume. And in Barbara Ross’s Maine Clambake series, amateur sleuth Julia must rescue her family business while solving a murder on its remote island premises.

Amateur sleuths take on a load of trouble when they decide to chase after criminals. Luckily, they seem to be quite good at it.

Leave a comment to get your name in the drawing for a hard copy of Wouldn't It Be Deadly.


D.E. Ireland is a team of award-winning authors, Meg Mims and Sharon Pisacreta. Long time friends, they decided to collaborate on this unique series based on George Bernard Shaw’s wonderfully witty play, Pygmalion, and flesh out their own version of events post-Pygmalion.

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More from BAKE, LOVE, WRITE--advice on love and writing!

By Kay Kendall

The last time I posted here on The Stiletto Gang, I talked about the new cookbook of desserts called BAKE, LOVE, WRITE. I shared the recipe I contributed, called Aunt Martha's Oatmeal Cake. Now I will also share my contributions for the love & writing parts! 

What’s your recipe for a lasting, loving relationship?

 Four ingredients make for a lasting, loving relationship. The four C’s are: 
Caring           
Commitment 
Communication  
Conflict resolution.

If your relationship has those elements, then chances are yours will go the distance. If things feel rocky, then analyze against those four C’s. Get yourself to a trained therapist if you are having trouble with conflict resolution, which of course rests on being able to communicate well. 

Many couples have the first two—caring and commitment—but founder on the next two. Luckily, with help and persistence, communication and conflict resolution can be learned. And just because you and your partner talk all the time does not mean that you are actually communicating. That’s a tricky one.

 What’s the best writing advice you ever received?

Be persistent and never give up. Most authors I know make some false starts before they publish their first novels. It may take a decade to accomplish your goal, but if you burn to write, then do keep at it. The manuscript for my first novel I cannibalized for my second, so all that work was not wasted. And my second manuscript became a published book last year. One male mystery author says that writing is like an informal game of golf—you get all the mulligans you want. While you are practicing, take time to learn the craft. The internet provides a wealth of information.

Take writing classes. Attend book signings. Find a mentor. Participate in a writing group, as I have for many years, but finding the right fit for yourself is key. Constructive criticism should be the rule, and if the group or even one member delights in tearing people down, then run for the hills. Writers’ psyches are fragile, and you want to be around supportive folks. Also, attend writing conferences. You can learn from them, but they’re also networking opportunities. All writers should network—publishing is a relentless business.

A dessert cookbook with contributions by 105 authors...Bake, Love, Write is for sale in the major e-book formats at 99 cents and also on Amazon in paperback. 

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 Kay Kendall set her debut novel, Desolation Row—An Austin Starr Mystery, in 1968 in an anti-war group. The sequel is Rainy Day Women (summer 2015), and this time her amateur sleuth Austin Starr must convince police her best friend didn’t murder women’s liberation activists in Seattle and Vancouver. A fan of historical mysteries, Kay wants to do for the 1960s what novelist Jacqueline Winspear accomplishes for England in the perilous 1930s–write atmospheric mysteries that capture the spirit of the age. Kay is also an award-winning international public relations executive who lives in Texas with her husband, three house rabbits, and spaniel Wills. Terribly allergic to the bunnies, she loves them anyway! Her book titles show she’s a Bob Dylan buff too.  

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A Critical Eye For Weddings and Writing

A Critical Eye for Weddings and Writing 
by Debra H. Goldstein

Weddings are a time of joy, unbridled nerves, and warm, sweet and catty family moments. Last year, as the mother of the bride, I was the chief wedding planner and put-out-the-fires” behind the scenes person, responsible for keeping everything and everybody balanced so that my daughter could relax and enjoy herself.  At the beautiful wedding I attended last week, people kept coming up to me and saying, “I bet you’re thrilled you’re not the one in charge” or “Nice to be a guest, isn’t it?” Smiling, I assured all of them how right they were, but that wasn’t true.

The truth is that I can’t help attending weddings without dissecting them. Rather than simply taking in the beauty of the flowers, I take note of the number and style of arrangements, if they vary in height, whether they are composed of flowers (and if so, what kind) or if they contain cheaper accent pieces like wood or candles.  If there is a chuppa or canopy, I look to see if the décor is carried down the support legs or simply greenery wrapped across the top.  I also mentally record if the evening is black tie, the bar is open all evening, if the better liquor tiers are served, and whether the menu is multi-faceted or disguised chicken.  I also look and listen closely to understand the interaction between the different family members.

My enjoyment of weddings hasn’t diminished, but my approach to them has been significantly altered. My reading habits have undergone a similar modification since I began writing seriously. I bring the same critical approach to works I create and those, written by others, that I read. Although I take the time to rave about books or stories that are well-written and engage me, my level of tolerance for repetitive language, poor grammar, shifts in viewpoint, and plots that don’t work has diminished.

Perhaps my current reaction to weddings and things I read is an outgrowth of the hours of research needed to plan my daughter’s wedding or it could be that it reflects my efforts to improve my writing techniques.  The irony is that whatever clouds my perspective when I read is the same thing that is helping to make me a better writer.  Technique and fundamentals colored by creativity are teaching me things that work, things to be avoided, and things to be experimented with. The result, I hope, is that although my ability to read for pure pleasure has been forever changed, I have and am growing from the experience.

Puppy Training

by Bethany Maines

Recently my daughter learned to crawl. She's six months old, so basically any time she learns something it's "recently". But as she learns new tricks she forces my husband and I to adapt (and hopefully overcome).  Sadly, in our sleep deprived state we find ourselves relying on the training we did with our previous “child.”

As she learns new things my mind reaches out for words that will get the result I want. Ack! She's chewing on a power cord! Drop it! It works on the dog, so my brain now auto selects for those oh, so useful training phrases. Sadly, the phrases mean less than nothing to my daughter.  The only one she obeys is "stay" and that's only if she's strapped in the car seat.  As a result my dog, Kato, thinks I got the runty, stupid puppy of the litter.  I can practically see the thought bubble over his head.  "Look human puppy, I am demonstrating what to do. Figure it out!" The tiny daughter's thought bubble says, "Look at those shiny eyeballs; if I could pluck them out, it might be fantastic. Why is the fuzzy one leaving?" Which is a terrible way to treat a dog who is trying his best to be supportive.

Tiny Daughter & Kato the Wonder Dog demonstrate their similar interests.

Kato performs many important baby related jobs. There is the "I alert you to the fact that the baby is crying." (Believe me Kato, we know.) There is the extremely useful butt check. Kato, would you like to smell this butt? Oh, you would? Must be time for a diaper change. And the adorable guard dog duty.  He is not quite sure why the human puppy hasn’t been weaned to dog food, but if I’m going to insist on breastfeeding her, then he will do his best to guard us while we’re vulnerable.

But she is learning. She now knows her name and his name, and she knows where the dog food is and how delightful it is to spill it all over the floor. So while the dog thinks she's dumb, I can see the day coming when he will realize that her little monkey fingers are useful to help him get the delicious human food he desires.  Hopefully, by then she will also know what “sit,” “stay” and “drop it” mean. 

Bethany Maines is the author of the Carrie Mae Mystery series and Tales from the City of Destiny. You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube video or catch up with her on Twitter and Facebook.

Brooklyn Book Festival 2014

The Brooklyn Book Festival is the largest free literary event in New York City, presenting an array of national and international literary stars and emerging authors. One of America’s premier book festivals, this hip, smart diverse gathering attracts thousands of book lovers of all ages to enjoy authors and the festival’s lively literary marketplace. It was begun in 2006 by Former Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, who wanted to showcase the "Brooklyn voice" in literature, as numerous authors reside in the borough.

Here is my photogenic look at the festival.

The entrance to the festival

I just wanted the signage

Where's Waldo?

Crowd shot

Terrie Moran, author of Well Read, Then Dead

Tim Hall, author of Dead Stock

Mystery Writers of America booth

more crowd shots

there was a reason I took this photo

Sisters in Crime booth

the Penguin truck

Sat for awhile until the lady said she had 1 cat and 13 pythons

another chance to sit and listen.

he was drawing the young girl from memory

This is Rosemary Harris booth - selling her latest book, Bitches of Brooklyn

and that's how I spent my Sunday.

What Can We Learn From the Century’s Bestsellers 
by Linda Rodriguez

Matt Kahn is a blogger with an unusual idea. He is reading the 94 books that have been listed as the year’s bestseller by Publishers Weekly for each year of the 100 years since PW began announcing the bestselling book of each year. http://www.kahnscorner.com/2013/02/100-years-94-books.html

The list below comes from his blog. It’s eye-opening, I believe, to see what outsold all other books each year. Fifteen books on the list are books that still live, excepting the most recent years for which we have no real knowledge yet of which books will live on and which will sink into oblivion. If we knock off the last ten years’ books for that reason, that still leaves us with only fifteen out of eighty-four. Most of these books are unknown in the present day. Modern readers may know who H.G. Wells and Zane Grey are, but most will never have heard of Mr. Britling Sees It Through, The U. P. Trail, or The Man of the Forest. Other authors, such as Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, A.S.M. Hutchinson, and Henry Morton Robinson, will be unrecognizable to today’s readers.

What can we learn from this list then? One thing we can learn is that bestseller status doesn’t necessarily mean that the books are the best for their time—or even good. A second is that many great books don’t ever make the top bestsellers list. Missing are all of Faulkner’s and Hemingway’s, and they were both Nobel Prize winners. Also, you won’t find Fitzgerald’s, Willa Cather’s, Henry James’, Edith Wharton’s, Harper Lee’s, Truman Capote’s, and Kurt Vonnegut’s titles, to mention just a few writers with major literary reputations. A third lesson is that—witness the books listed for Wells and Grey—a writer may write his finest books without such success and then find a lesser book on the list by virtue of the quality of those earlier volumes.

The final take-away is that all of this is out of the author’s control. All we can do is write the best books we can. When I get discouraged at the difficulty of bringing my books to the attention of readers, I pull this list out and read and note the significant omissions.

Publishers Weekly Annual Bestsellers List                                                                                                          

• 1913: The Inside of the Cup by Winston Churchill
• 1914: The Eyes of the World by Harold Bell Wright
• 1915: The Turmoil by Booth Tarkington
• 1916: Seventeen by Booth Tarkington
• 1917: Mr. Britling Sees It Through by H. G. Wells
• 1918: The U. P. Trail by Zane Grey
• 1919: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez
• 1920: The Man of the Forest by Zane Grey
• 1921: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
• 1922: If Winter Comes by A.S.M. Hutchinson
• 1923: Black Oxen by Gertrude Atherton

•  1924: So Big by Edna Ferber
• 1925: Soundings by A. Hamilton Gibbs
• 1926: The Private Life of Helen of Troy by John Erskine
• 1927: Elmer Gantry by Sinclair Lewis
• 1928: The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
• 1929: All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
• 1930: Cimarron by Edna Ferber
• 1931: The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
• 1932: The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
• 1933: Anthony Adverse by Hervey Allen
• 1934: Anthony Adverse by Hervey Allen
• 1935: Green Light by Lloyd C. Douglas
• 1936: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
• 1937: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
• 1938: The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
• 1939: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
• 1940: How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn
• 1941: The Keys of the Kingdom by A. J. Cronin
• 1942: The Song of Bernadette by Franz Werfel
• 1943: The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas
• 1944: Strange Fruit by Lillian Smith
• 1945: Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor
• 1946: The King’s General by Daphne du Maurier
• 1947: The Miracle of the Bells by Russell Janney
• 1948: The Big Fisherman by Lloyd C. Douglas
• 1949: The Egyptian by Mika Waltari
• 1950: The Cardinal by Henry Morton Robinson
• 1951: From Here to Eternity by James Jones
• 1952: The Silver Chalice by Thomas B. Costain
• 1953: The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas
• 1954: Not as a Stranger by Morton Thompson
• 1955: Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk
• 1956: Don’t Go Near the Water by William Brinkley
• 1957: By Love Possessed by James Gould Cozzens
• 1958: Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
• 1959: Exodus by Leon Uris
• 1960: Advise and Consent by Allen Drury
• 1961: The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone
• 1962: Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter
• 1963: The Shoes of the Fisherman by Morris L. West
• 1964: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré
• 1965: The Source by James A. Michener
• 1966: Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
• 1967: The Arrangement by Elia Kazan
• 1968: Airport by Arthur Hailey
• 1969: Portnoy’s Complaint by Philip Roth
• 1970: Love Story by Erich Segal
• 1971: Wheels by Arthur Hailey
• 1972: Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
• 1973: Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
• 1974: Centennial by James A. Michener
• 1975: Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow
• 1976: Trinity by Leon Uris
• 1977: The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien
• 1978: Chesapeake by James A. Michener
• 1979: The Matarese Circle by Robert Ludlum
• 1980: The Covenant by James A. Michener
• 1981: Noble House by James Clavell
• 1982: E.T., The Extraterrestrial by William Kotzwinkle
• 1983: Return of the Jedi by James Kahn
• 1984: The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub
• 1985: The Mammoth Hunters by Jean M. Auel
• 1986: It by Stephen King
• 1987: The Tommyknockers by Stephen King
• 1988: The Cardinal of the Kremlin by Tom Clancy
• 1989: Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy
• 1990: The Plains of Passage by Jean M. Auel
• 1991: Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley
• 1992: Dolores Clairborne by Stephen King
• 1993: The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
• 1994: The Chamber by John Grisham
• 1995: The Rainmaker by John Grisham
• 1996: The Runaway Jury by John Grisham
• 1997: The Partner by John Grisham
• 1998: The Street Lawyer by John Grisham
• 1999: The Testament by John Grisham
• 2000: The Brethren by John Grisham
• 2001: Desecration by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye
• 2002: The Summons by John Grisham
• 2003: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown**
• 2004: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
• 2005: The Broker by John Grisham
• 2006: For One More Day by Mitch Albom
• 2007: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini**
• 2008: The Appeal by John Grisham
• 2009: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
• 2010: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest by Stieg Larsson
• 2011: The Litigators by John Grisham
• 2012: Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James
• 2013: To be determined…

* Publishers Weekly did not include the Harry Potter books in its listings. Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix was the bestselling book for 2003, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was the bestselling book of 2007.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Linda Rodriguez’s third Skeet Bannion novel, Every Hidden Fear, was published in May 2014. Her second Skeet mystery, Every Broken Trust, was a selection of Las Comadres National Latino Book Club and a finalist for both the International Latino Book Award and the Premio Aztlan Literary Prize. Her first Skeet novel, Every Last Secret, won the Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition, was a Barnes & Noble mystery pick, and was a finalist for the International Latino Book Award. Her short story, “The Good Neighbor,” has been optioned for film.

Bake, Love, Write—3 Stiletto Gang Members Contribute to Dessert Cookbook -- NEW!

By Kay Kendall

Bake Love, Write is a brand new cookbook full of delicious desserts. It is the brain child of Lois Winston, a USA Today

bestselling, award-winning author who currently writes the critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series.

Authors from the US, UK, and Canada contributed their favorite recipes. Of the participating 105, three are Stiletto Gang bloggers. We are Lynn Cahoon, Debra Goldstein, and me—Kay Kendall.

Here is information about this unique cookbook that may tempt you to buy it soon, available online. Lois writes, “What do most authors have in common, no matter what genre they write? They love desserts. Sweets sustain them through pending deadlines and take the sting out of crushing rejection letters and nasty reviews. They also often celebrate their successes—selling a book, winning a writing award, making a bestseller list, or receiving a fabulous review—with decadent indulgences. And when authors chat with each other, they often talk about their writing and their lives. Recipes. Writing. Relationships. In this cookbook 105 authors not only share their favorite recipes for fabulous cakes, pies, cookies, candy, and more, they also share the best advice they’ve ever received on love and writing.”

I contributed the beloved family recipe of my Aunt Martha from Texas. Her recipe for Oatmeal Cake is given below. But, to read what I advise on Love and Writing, you’ll have to buy the cookbook! 

Aunt Martha’s Oatmeal Cake

Deliciously moist cake that keeps and travels well, handed down through the Texas side of my family for decades. If you can’t eat nuts, then omit them and double up on the coconut for the topping.Note: This cake is easy to mix by hand. Does not require an electric mixer.

 Ingredients for the cake:

1 1/2 cups hot water

1 cup oatmeal (uncooked) 

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 cup cooking oil

2 eggs

1 2/3 cup sifted flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon soda

Dash of salt

 Ingredients for the topping:

6 tablespoons margarine or butter

¾ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons canned condensed milk (Pet, Carnation, etc. NOT sweetened condensed milk)

1 cup chopped nuts (pecan or walnut—can be toasted ahead of time too before baking as a topping)

1 can angel flake coconut

 Instructions:

1. Turn oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9X13 inch pan.

2. Place oatmeal in a bowl and pour hot water over oats. Let stand while you do next steps.

3. Blend brown sugar, white sugar, and cooking oil in a large bowl.

4. Add eggs, sifted flour, cinnamon, soda, dash of salt to the sugar mixture. Blend with a large spoon.

5. Now add the water-oats mixture and stir until all ingredients are well blended.

6. Pour into greased and floured pan.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove from oven.

8. Make the topping. In a saucepan combine margarine, brown sugar and canned condensed milk. Boil for one minute. Remove from heat and add chopped nuts and coconut. Blend.

9. Before cake cools, spread the topping (from step 8) thinly over top.

10. Turn oven up to 500 degrees. Return cake-with-topping to oven and bake for 4-5 minutes. Watch that nothing burns since the heat is now so high.

11. Remove from oven and cool.

 This cake is delicious immediately, but even more moist and yummy on the next day. If kept tightly covered with foil or clear wrap, this cake stays moist and lovely for many days. It never lasts a week at my house, but I bet it would be good even then.

Bake, Love Write will sell in the major e-book formats at 99 cents and will be available on Amazon also in paperback. Watch this space for more news.

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Kay Kendall set her debut novel, Desolation Row—An Austin Starr Mystery, in 1968 in an anti-war group. The sequel is Rainy Day Women, set for 2015, and this time her amateur sleuth Austin Starr must convince police her best friend didn’t murder women’s liberation activists in Seattle and Vancouver. A fan of historical mysteries, Kay wants to do for the 1960s what novelist Jacqueline Winspear accomplishes for England in the perilous 1930s–write atmospheric mysteries that capture the spirit of the age. Kay is also an award-winning international public relations executive who lives in Texas with her husband, three house rabbits, and spaniel Wills. Terribly allergic to the bunnies, she loves them anyway! Her book titles show she’s a Bob Dylan buff too.  

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The Good, the Odd and the Ugly of a Library Event

Actually the event itself was great.

The Burbank Library has a wonderful meeting room--and they made beautiful flyers which they'd been handing out to patrons. And refreshments were furnished--and enjoyed.

We had a wonderful moderator, and a great group of panelists, all members of the L.A. Chapter of Sisters in Crime.

The topic: Cozies.

Here is where it gets odd. After we all chimed in on what constituted a cozy, we realized none of our books really fit the criteria.

The cozy is supposed to have an amateur sleuth. In both of my series, the sleuths are professionals in law enforcement. Both are set in small towns--another criteria.

None of that really mattered though because we had a good time and so did the audience.

Because I am a member and never get to participate in much with this chapter, I agreed to be on this panel even though I live far away (a 3 hour drive.) Not wanting to turn around and come home afterwards, I booked a hotel room in a place that was near the library. No longer driving in L.A. or at night, I talked my middle daughter into being my driver.

This is where the odd and ugly begin. The first room we were given had not been serviced. The linens were not clean at all. Called the desk and the manager brought us a new key for the room next door.
It needed to be vacuumed, but the bed lines, though dingy, were clean.

Though the event was at 7, we decided to leave at 6 just in case we ran into traffic or got lost. I put the address into my GPS and we laughed when it told us we were only 1 mile away from our destination. A good thing we left at 6--the GPS took us up the hill, over a bridge, to the left, to the right, back over the bridge, down the hill, on another long street and finally to our destination and we got there at 6:30 p.m. Good time to get set up and meet my fellow panelists.

One funny thing, the panelists really wanted to know what the F stood for in F.M. Meredith. I didn't tell them, though I did give them the clue that it was an old-fashioned name. they had a lot of fun trying to solve the mystery, coming up with many, many names beginning with F.

Later I received an email from the moderator who guessed the right name. And no, I'm not going to tell you what it is.

After the panel, we headed back home, this time it only took about 10 minutes.

We settled down in our room, watched a little TV and went to sleep.

I woke up to my daughter looking out the window and saying, "This is our room." Someone had a key and was trying to get in. They finally left.

Back to sleep. Again someone woke us trying to use a key to get in.

Both times the key worked, they didn't get in because we had the night latch on.  This time we called the front desk. Of course it had something to do with the manager not changing our room assignment.

It wasn't easy to go to sleep after that.

When we woke in the morning we decided to try Frank's Coffee Shop which was on the premises of the hotel. It turns out that this cafe has been used for several movies.

Notice the picture of the owner and Tom Hank's on the wall.

Larry Crowne starring Tom Hank's is one of many movies and TV shows that have used Frank's Coffee House for scenes.  It was not odd or ugly, though the restaurant has been around for years, the breakfast we at there was outstanding!

So this was another good.

Despite the bad and the ugly, daughter and I enjoyed the panel and our time together.

Marilyn aka F. M. Meredith