Quote of the Week

 

Friday's Forgotten Books - Emily Dickinson is Dead

Author Jane Langton (1922-2018) didn't come to mystery novels in any traditional sort of way. She studied astronomy at Wellesley College and the University of Michigan and received graduate degrees in art history at the University of Michigan and Radcliffe College. But turn to writing, she did, in 1962, penning YA novels (her book The Fledgling is a Newbery Honor book) and 18 adult mysteries which won her Bouchercon's 2000 Lifetime Achievement Award.

All of her mysteries focus on the same two protagonists, Homer Kelly, a distinguished Thoreau scholar and ex-lieutenant detective for Middlesex County, and his wife Mary. As the author herself said, "Mary is the sensible one, but I confess I like Homer's rhapsodic flights of fancy." Most of the settings are in the author's own state of Massachusetts, although she's also sent them to more exotic places like Florence, Oxford and Venice.

Langton also illustrates many of her novels with her own drawings, explaining it this way:

One of the greatest pleasures has been illustrating my adult books with drawings of the real places where my fictional events happen. I've loved setting up my folding stool in Harvard Square, or standing on my own back porch trying to get down on paper the look of the pants and shirts on the laundry line, or leaning against cars in Florence with sketchbook in hand to draw some architectural wonder. Conditions have not always been salubrious, as when my feet were submerged while I sketched the house of Tintoretto in Venice during the season of high water.

Her 1984 Homer Kelly novel, Emily Dickinson is Dead was nominated for an Edgar Award and received a Nero Award that year. It was inspired, no doubt, by the author's own interest in Dickinson, having written a text about the poet for the collection Acts of Light. The action in Langton's novel takes place at a symposium celebrating the 100th anniversary of the death of poet Emily Dickinson, where one attendee disappears and another is found murdered in the poet's former bedroom.

Langton's trademarks are all here in the novel, her memorable and descriptive settings, eccentric characters, a sly humor that pokes fun at the pompous academics and Amherst townsfolk alike. As the New York Times Book Review added, "Miss Langton is a sensitive and even elegant writer, one who deals with literate, intelligent people..." 

Homer Kelly is more of a peripheral figure in this particular novel, but he sums up the essence of his philosophy—and probably that of the author—and the book quite nicely:

Homer Kelly, too, was enchanted with the afternoon. It wasn't the justice of the women's cause that had diverted him; it was the everlasting melodrama of human souls in conflict. It was the handfuls of gritty sand that were forever being sprinkled into the machinery of daily life, grinding the ill-fitting cogs against each other, warping the sprockets, jamming the mismatched teeth. It was always so fascinating, the way people went right on being so outrageously themselves, and therefore so eternally interesting.

Although not so much a mystery as a wry study of human hubris and self-delusion, the book's character studies, snippets of poetry, Langton's illustrations, and even some details about the workings of dams and reservoirs, make Emily Dickinson is Dead is an entertaining read.

Shortlist for 2026 McDermid Debut Award

 

Harrogate International Festivals has announced the shortlist for the McDermid Debut Award for new UK and Irish writers. The winner will be revealed on the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Thursday 23 July. 

The shortlist for this year’s McDermid Debut Award showcases "original and assured" new voices writing across a broad range of subgenres - including serial killer thrillers, detective fiction, cosy crime and dystopian chillers - and introducing a range of unforgettable protagonists, including a 12-year-old Glaswegian dog walker and a Windrush generation retiree who is Birmingham’s answer to Miss Marple. Now in its third year, the award has established a successful track record for discovering emerging talent, with the two previous winning books, Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney (2024), and A Reluctant Spy by David Goodman (2025), going on to become bestsellers.

The full McDermid Debut Award 2026 shortlist (in alphabetical order by surname) is:

• A Bad, Bad Place by Frances Crawford (Transworld, Penguin Random House)
• The Exes by Leodora Darlington (Penguin Michael Joseph)
• Innocent Guilt by Remi Kone (Quercus)
• The Quiet by Barnaby Martin (Pan Macmillan)
• A Murder for Miss Hortense by Mel Pennant (Baskerville, John Murray)
• How to Get Away With Murder by Rebecca Philipson (Transworld, Penguin Random House)

Honoring internationally bestselling crime writer, Val McDermid, who co-founded the Theakston
Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in 2003 and whose dedication to fostering new voices in crime
fiction is legendary, this Award seeks to continue her legacy, celebrating and platforming the best
debut crime writers in the UK. The shortlist was selected by a panel of established crime and thriller
writers, and the winner will be decided by a panel of expert judges, chaired by McDermid. All
shortlisted authors receive a full weekend pass to the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival
and the Winner will receive a £600 cash prize and an engraved, handcrafted beer barrel from T&R
Theakston.

RIP, Alan Bradley

The CBC reported that bestselling author Alan Bradley, author of the Flavia de Luce mystery series, has died at the age of 87 on the Isle of Man. The bestselling author was known for his vivid storytelling that captivated readers — and his later-in-life blockbuster success that inspired many.

Bradley, born in Toronto in 1938, worked as a television and radio engineer before he was offered a position at University of Saskatchewan and taught there for 25 years, becoming the Director of Television Engineering. In 1994, he retired and moved to Kelowna, B.C., with his wife, Shirley. Bradley then began writing full-time, publishing short stories for children and adults, the memoir, The Shoebox Bible, and the nonfiction book, Ms. Holmes of Baker Street, written with William A.S. Sarjeant, theorizing that Sherlock Holmes was a woman.

His literary career really took off in his late 60s, when an 11-year-old girl named Flavia de Luce first appeared on the page. Precocious and smart, Flavia was a minor character in a manuscript that captivated Bradley’s wife. Shirley encouraged him to develop Flavia further and she ultimately became the protagonist of the bestselling mystery series bearing her name. 

The first novel in the Flavia de Luce series, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, was a hit right off the gate, winning several notable crime and mystery awards: the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger Award, the Dilys Winn Award, the Arthur Ellis Award, the Agatha Award, the Macavity Award, and the Barry Award.  There are now 11 books in the series, which has sold over six million copies and has been translated to 36 languages.

But when asked about his biggest accomplishment, Bradley said he was most honored by the impact he had on the lives of readers who were inspired by Flavia. As he told The Next Chapter in a 2024 interview, “I’ve just been absolutely flattened by letters and emails from girls of Flavia’s age who have said that they’ve decided to go into science...Now that the first book has been out for 16 years, I’m beginning to hear from girls who graduated, who are now very advanced in science. I think that’s a wonderful achievement, inspiring young people to go into the sciences.”

Mystery Melange

I'm a bit behind in noting this, but the finalists were announced for the Maine Book Award for Crime Fiction, including Claire Ackroyd, Body in the Blueberry Barrens; Robert T. Kelley, Raven; Kathryn Lasky, A Slant of Light; and Sara Sligar, Vantage Point. The winners will be revealed at the Maine Literary Awards in Gardiner or online on May 28.


The winners of the Minnesota Book Awards were also revealed, with The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens (Mulholland Books) winning in the Genre Fiction category. The other finalists included Apostle's Cove by William Kent Krueger (Atria Books/Simon & Schuster); Broken Fields by Marcie Rendon (Soho Press/Penguin Random House); and The Codebreaker's Daughter by Amy Lynn Green (Bethany House Publishers/Baker Publishing Group).

International Thriller Writers announced a new honor, the Trailblazer Award, given to members who, through extraordinary achievement, have changed the marketplace for writers. The inaugural winners include authors Andrea Bartz (We Were Never Here), Charles Graeber (The Good Nurse), and Kirk Wallace Johnson (The Feather Thief), "who took time, energy, and focus from their own creative work in order to represent every writer navigating this moment in their landmark lawsuit Bartz v. Anthropic."


The drop in reading skills of middle-schoolers is becoming an increasing concern, and author James Patterson has committed $10 million to create the Patterson Institute of Early Adolescent Literacy at Vanderbilt University. The institute, which will focus on improving literacy for students in grades four to eight, will fund academic research, provide tutoring to students, and offer professional development for teachers. Patterson previously funded an early childhood reading program at the University of Florida and wants wants to focus on letting children read more books that they like. “The objective is to get them reading and give them books to turn them on” to reading, he said.


There will be a Noir at the Bar on May 28 at Kells in Pike Place, Seattle, Washington, with Scott Andrews hosting. Authors schedule to appear and read from their work include G.G. Silverman, Jeff Ayers, Michael Fowles, Alice K. Boatwright, Robert J. Binney, J.L. Brown, and K.B. Jackson.


Another Noir at the Bar will be a pre-festival highlight before the upcoming Maine Crime Wave conference in Portland on Friday, May 29th. Hosted by Matt Cost and Jule Selbo, the night will feature a criminally phenomenal line up of writers including Tess Gerritsen, Allison Keeton, Travis Kennedy, Robert Kelley, Joanna Schaffhausen, James Ziskin, Zakariah Johnson, Gabriela Stiteler, Mo Drammeh, and Rebecca Turkewitz.


Mystery writers will take the stage at the Literary Branch panel on May 31 in the Ojai Art Center Gallery in Ojai, California, exploring the many forms of mystery and thriller fiction—from cozy to forensic to legal suspense. Featured speakers include Patricia Fry, author of the Klepto Cat and Calico Cat series; Sheila Lowe, whose real-world expertise informs her Claudia Rose mysteries; Judith Ayn, known for her legal action series; and Fiona Manning, creator of the Eleni Nina Santor series featuring a Greek-American U.S. Marshal. The panel will be followed by a reception and book signing.


Mystery Readers Journal editor, Janet Rudolph, has issued a final call for the upcoming issue themed around "Mysteries set in France." If you have a mystery that fits this theme, you can contribute an Author! Author! essay of 500–1500 words, first person, up-close and personal about yourself, your books, and the theme connection. The publication is also seeking reviews and articles. The deadline for submissions is June 1, 2026


Art Taylor's "The First Two Pages" blog featured DK Snyder to discuss "Home," her first story to appear in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine.


This week's crime poem up at the 5-2 Crime Poetry Weekly is "Hegseth" by Tony Dawson.


In the Q&A roundup, Deborah Kalb spoke with Kim Sherwood, author of the new novel, Hurricane Room, the third in her Double O trilogy, based on Ian Fleming's iconic James Bond character; and Author Interviews chatted with Carmela Dutra, a Bay Area–based author, about the second book in her Food Truck Mystery Series, Hot Wings and Homicide.

Author R&R with Lynn Slaughter

Lynn Slaughter is addicted to the arts, chocolate, and her husband’s cooking. After a long career as a professional dancer and dance educator, she returned to school to earn her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. Her novels have received numerous accolades, including a Moonbeam Silver Medal, two Agatha nominations, and a Silver Falchion Award. Lynn is excited about the recent release of her debut middle grade novel, an identity-swapping fantasy, The Big Switch: Varney and Cedric, as well as the release of Death in the End Zone, the sequel to Missed Cue.

In Death in the End Zone, homicide detective Caitlin O’Connor is faced with another puzzling case: the murder of two star football players whose bodies are discovered in a compromising position in the end zone of their high school’s football field. While Caitlin identifies several suspects who might have had reasons to want to harm the boys, no clearcut evidence points to the culprit. Meantime, Caitlin deals with her partner’s alcoholism at work, continuing fears of commitment in a new relationship at home, and her conflicted feelings about her widowed mother’s new relationship—all while worrying that she may get pulled off the case if she doesn’t figure out who killed the boys left in the end zone.

Lynn Slaughter stops by In Reference to Murder to take some Author R&R about writing and researching the book:

The Internet: An Amazing Resource for Writers

My latest release, Death in the End Zone, is set in New Haven, Connecticut. Since I grew up in Connecticut, I’m familiar with the city and have been there many times. But in writing a novel, it’s the little things, the specific details, that bring a setting, the characters, and key events to life. For this, I’ve found the internet to be an invaluable resource.

For example, Death in the End Zone centers around the investigation of the murder of two star football players whose bodies are discovered in the end zone of their high school’s football field. My protagonist, Caitlin O’Connor, returns to the scene of the crime and visits a practice with her partner. Since I know zilch about what goes on in a football practice, I turned to the internet. Would you believe that there are YouTube instructional videos on how to run efficient practices and what drills and exercises to use? That’s how I knew Caitlin would observe players doing strength and conditioning exercises like Monkey Rolls and the Bear Crawl.

To figure out where characters live and what their houses are like, real estate listings which often include photos of both the interior and exteriors of homes, as well as neighborhood descriptions, are incredibly helpful. For example, despite its liberal reputation, New Haven’s neighborhoods remain mostly segregated, which is how I learned that the Dixwell neighborhood was a popular one for middle class folks of color like the family of Elijah Williams, one of the young homicide victims. Reading about New Haven’s neighborhoods and crime hot spots is also how I figured out where the prostitutes and drug dealers Caitlin interviews might be hanging out.

I love researching where characters might go out to eat and what they’d eat, and restaurant websites are a goldmine. Many not only include their menus but photos of their interiors. I enjoyed sending my detective and her boyfriend to a romantic dinner at Tre Scalini’s, and having Caitlin make frequent runs to Zoi’s, a popular deli in the city. And learning about kid-friendly places is also how I decided that Caitlin would take her boyfriend’s young son Jack to Shake Shack for dinner.

One of the young men murdered had been the victim of an adult sexual abuser. Having worked with a number of young people who’ve been victimized by predators and having done a great deal of research for my earlier nonfiction book, Teen Rape, I was familiar with this  subject. But I wanted my character to have written about the pain he felt from being abused. I discovered poems and personal experience pieces posted on the internet by survivors that were agonizing to read but incredibly helpful.

When Caitlin’s mother’s boyfriend Peter is shot, I wanted him to be critically wounded but not fatally. This led me to extensive research on gunshot wounds, which is how Peter ended up with a punctured lung and a great deal of internal bleeding, but a decent chance of recovery after surgery.

Forensic investigators at the football field found evidence of wheelchair tracks, so Caitlin gets the idea that perhaps the killer rented a wheelchair to transport his victims to the end zone. Amazingly, I was able to find names and locations of pharmacies in the New Haven area that offer wheelchair rentals. When Caitlin discovers that the pharmacist at Switzer’s has records of renting a wheelchair to her key suspect and can identify him, she knows she is close to cracking the case.

I could go on and on, but I think it’s clear that I found my internet research a huge help. I admit that I love research, and it’s easy to get lost in the weeds and spend hours and hours checking into things that I don’t absolutely need to know for my story. But still, I know my novels benefit from all I’ve learned. Besides, exploring is endlessly fun!   

You can learn more about Lynn Slaughter and her writing via her website and follow her on Facebook and Goodreads.  Death in the End Zone is now available via all major booksellers.

The Owls Have It

I missed this announcement a month or so ago, but the Friends of Mystery, a non-profit organization headquartered in Portland, Oregon, promoting educational study in all realms related to mystery, announced the 2026 Spotted Owl Awards for the Best Pacific Northwest Crime Novel of the previous year. This year's winner was Mike Lawson for Untouchable. The list of all winners include:

1. Mike Lawson – Untouchable
2. Marc Cameron – Deadline
3. Robert Dugoni – A Dead Draw
4. Sam Wiebe – The Last Exile
5. Elizabeth George – A Slowly Dying Cause
6. James Bryne – Chain Reaction
7. Daniel Kalla – The Deepest Fake
8. J.A. Jance – Overkill
9. Phillip Margolin – False Witness
10. Nolan Chase – A Lonesome Place for Murder