Malice Afterthought

 

Because the annual Malice Domestic convention is our "local" convention in the D.C. area, I thought I'd drop by and check out some of the panels and festivities this year. Although many writers of "traditional mysteries" decry the term "cozy" (which has almost come to be synonymous with an expletive to some critics), you definitely know you're not at Thriller Con by the presence of women in the audience knitting and crocheting during the presentations, not to mention the variety of ceramic teapots and quilts offered as part of the silent auction which benefits the worthy John L. Gildner Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents. There was also a box set aside for donations to the Books for Soldiers organization—to read more about that group and to participate, check out their web site.

The first panel I attended was "CSI: Malice," where once again the consensus was that the "CSI Effect" of television is having an impact on everyone in the law enforcement community, including crime fiction writers. CJ Lyons (see on the far right in the picture above), a pediatric physician who has assisted police and prosecutors, summarized it best by saying, since most of what really happens in forensics is very careful and methodical (and slow), the trick is to trim away all the "boring  stuff," and leave in the gist of the technical details. (Others on the panel included Barbara D'Amato, Lois Greiman, and Marcia Talley.)

                                             

"You're History!" was the title of another panel convened on the topic of historical mysteries. They were a lively bunch, especially Aileen Baron (in the middle, above), a retired near-Eastern archaeologist who writes mysteries set in the Middle East in World War II. She was asked if archaeologists have been asked to spy for their governments, and she answered with an unequivocal "yes," herself included, although the one example she gave of such a request (an excavation in Beiruit) she turned down. ("Are you crazy?" was her actual response, to which they replied, "But they won't shoot a woman!") There was quite a bit of discussion on how to get the details right when setting books in a different era, with Dana Cameron (who also writes archaeology mysteries) suggesting a good source is to read diaries and letters from the time period in which you're writing to get a true flavor of the culture—instead of what historians, with their various biases, have written. (The other panel members above were Sharan Newman, Cameron, Kahty Lynn Emerson, Kate Gallison, and Sally wright.)

There was also testosterone to balance all the estrogen, with a panel titled "Devious Devices" including Jack Cater (moderator), Michael Dymmoch (who, despite the name, is female), Chris Grabenstein, David Skibbins, and Andy Straka. The problem, all agreed, was how to throw in enough red herrings to keep the book from becoming a "wall tosser" (the perjorative term for a book that readers think is ridiculously easy to guess) but not make it so difficult it needs the intervention of a Deus ex machina (in which an improbable character, device, or event is introduced suddenly to resolve or untangle the plot). Dymmoch is always surprised at how willing people are to tell her different ways to murder people. She gave the example of a toxicology conference she attended where one doctor-participant took her to lunch and proceeded to regale her with various ways to kill a victim via poisons. As far as finding new devices to employ, David Skibbins added that so many good mysteries have already been written, you have to think of something outside the realm of what's been done via quirky characters and new settings that will encourage new plots and devices—probably why he created a protagonist who is a retired member of the Weather Underground-turned Tarot Card reader. (One interesting side note:  Skibbins' next novel will take suggestions from fans as each chapter progresses to help write the book. For more details, you can check his web site.)

The Agatha Award winners this year were A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny (St. Martin's Minotaur) for Best Novel, Prime Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Harlequin), for Best First Novel, Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life In Letters by Jon Lellenberg, Daniel Stashower and Charles Foley, (Penguin Press) for Best Non-Fiction, "A Rat's Tale" by Donna Andrews, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Sept/Oct, 2007, for Best Short Story, and A Light In The Cellar by Sarah Masters Buckey (American Girl), for  Best Children's/Young Adult.

Malice is first and foremost a reader's convention, and the feeling one has is of a very large family reunion. It was also heartening to see good crowds at the book signings, although the largest line by far was for Julia Spencer-Fleming, whose latest in the Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series debuts in June. Malice attendees may very well some of the most devoted and prolific book-buyers on the planet, and that alone is enough to give you warm fuzzies, despite this menacing sign spied at the "Devious Devices" panel:

Malice Domestic 21 is scheduled for May 1-3, 2009, with Guest of Honor Nancy Pickard, Toastmaster Elaine Viets, and the Lifetime Achievement Award to be presented to Anne Perry.

From Darkness to Light

 

On May 1st, Akashic Books will release the latest in its series of noir short story anthologies, two volumes, one titled "Toronto Noir," the other "Las Vegas Noir." Previous titles have featured other cities as subject material, including New York, D.C. and Los Angeles, among others. In an article published by the Toronto Star Newspaper's Eye Weekly site, Akashic co-editor Janine Armin said, "Unlike in crime fiction where the protagonist is generally a detective, in noir it’s generally a victim...someone who is closely related to the crime and completely inextricable from that crime. There isn’t a resolution necessarily, or a solution. That’s not what drives the plot. What drives it is the grit and the grime of the city." And thus, the inspiration behind a city-based noir series.

Now for the "light." Several bloggers who will be attending Malice Domestic have posted a few thoughts prior to the conference.

Carolyn Mulford will be on a panel discussing the legacy of Nancy Drew, which will try to answer the question of why the series has continued to find readers since 1930. Carolyn asked some of her friends their thoughts.

Austin S. Camacho, on the Criminal Minds at Work blog, notes that although Malice is an annual mystery fan’s convention focused on the traditional mystery, that "even those of us who write private eye stories are made welcome." He also points out that speakers and honored guests are split between both genders—this year’s guests of honor include Lindsey Davis and Charlaine Harris, Dan Stashower will serve as Toastmaster, and Peter Lovesey will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement award.

Regina Harvey, part of the Good Girls Kill for Money blog, mentions something folks often overlook as part of the conference, the Malice Domestic Grant for Unpublished Writers, of which she is a former recipient, along with the likes of Marcia Talley and Sujata Massey. Two grants of $1000 each are presented each year to two unpublished writers of a traditional mystery, and sometimes a book contract may follow.

The Day the Earth Stood Green

 

Today is Earth Day, a warm fuzzy promotional kind of event to remind everyone that we do indeed live on a small blue marble, and we'd better not turn it into an environmental post-apocalyptic wasteland, a la the runaway greenhouse effect which reduced Venus to a smoldering cinder of a planet. But it's just a one-day thing, and that's hardly enough.

Still, the date reminded me of a discussion last year on the Dorothy-L listserve about  environmental crime fiction novels, so I went back to take a look at some of those titles. Recommended series authors included:

• John D. MacDonald. Definitely one of the "granddaddies" of environmentally-oriented mystery writing, his Travis McGee series often centered on the threatened nature of Florida. MacDonald himself served on environmental committees in Sarasota. 
• The other "granddaddy" of environmental mysteries (and the "other Macdonald") is Ross Macdonald, with his P.I. Lew Archer. In the 1960's Macdonald and his wife became active in environmental causes and wrote articles on the subject for Sports Illustrated and the San Francisco Chronicle. In 1969 he even helped to lead protests following a massive oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara.
• Nevada Barr's series protagonist is Park Ranger Anna Pigeon
• C.J. Box - has written a seres with Game Warden Joe Pickett set in Wyoming
• Kathy Brandt - has forensic underwater diver series
• Karen Dudley's series features environmental consultant Robyn Devara
• Christine Goff - features a bird watching series
• Joseph Haywood's books feature conservation detective Grady Service
• Carl Hiasson's books often emphasize the plundering of Florida
• Skye Kathleen Moody has a series with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agent Venus Diamond 
• BJ Oliphant's books deal with environmental and/or issues, e.g. national parks, pollution, development
• Kirk Russell writes environmental mysteries featuring John Marquez, a California Fish and Game inspector
• Jessica Speart's protagonist is a US Fish and WIldlife Service agent
• John Straley's Alaska novels have strong ecological themes
• Judith Van Gieson's mysteries focused on Albuquerque attorney and sleuth Neil Hamel whose work often involved environmental issues, such as wildfires and endangered species

There were also some standalones discussed on Dorothy-L such as

• Half-Nelson by Jerome Doolittle involves his series hero PI Tom Bethany in a violent legal clash between environmentalists and the Pacific Northwest forest industry.
• Dead and Buried by Howard Engel surrounds a garbage collection company and the not-so-environmentally-friendly things they do with toxic waste, which takes place along the shores of a lake in southern Ontario.
• James W. Hall's Bones of Coral is a thriller about toxic waste in the Keys.
• The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter by Sharyn McCrumb, with a polluted river and a cluster of cancer cases at the core of the plot
• Donna Leon, Through a Glass Darkly, has a prominent focus on pollution in the Venetian lagoon.
• Radine Trees Nehring's A Valley to Die For involves environmental destruction as the basis for a murder.
• Les Standiford's debut novel, Spill, concerns pollution in Yellowstone.
• Mark Stevens's Antler Dust, deals with hunting and animal rights protests.

Also, In 1992, an issue of Mystery Readers Journal was themed around environmental mysteries, mentioning such titles as Where Echoes Live by Marcia Muller and Blood Shot by Sara Paretsky. Editor Janet Rudolph might still have come copies on hand, if you request them.

Cary Grant, Eat Your Heart Out

 

Art theft is big business. According to the FBI, art and cultural property crime have estimated losses running as high as $6 billion annually. Although such crimes have been investigated by the FBI for some time, it wasn't until 2004 (after the horrific looting of the National Museum of Iraq) that the Bureau established the rapid-deployment Art Crime Team. The director of that team was gracious enough to drop by at a recent meeting of the Chesapeake Chapter of SinC and speak about art theft.

An archaeologist by trade, Bonnie supervises 12 special agents who are part of other field offices, often in the violent crime unit, but who receive specific training at Quantico and have collateral duty, reporting to her whenever there is information that could lead to the recovery of a property or the arrest of the thief. Agents rotate off after awhile, but it's a fairly popular gig, as Bonnie recently had 67 applications for 8 open slots.

It's a tricky field. Art doesn't require a bill of sale, so unlike a car or house, you can't necessarily conduct a title search. Most collectors don't keep records of their collections or documents proving ownership. Stolen works often enter legitimate markets, and scholars and specialists often find them by accident at sales and auctions. In order to pursue a case, the FBI has to prove the person selling or in possesion of a work knew it was stolen, and it has to have been transported across state lines. Also, the FBI can't open a case until a U.S. attorney opens it first. Fortunately, three special prosecutors were assigned to the unit who can work anywhere in the U.S.

Most art thefts are residential, although the museum thefts are what grab headlines. Theft from museums are more of a problem outside the U.S., with 80% of those perpetrated by insiders, taking place in store rooms where pieces are stored for years. Often, museums don't even know about the thefts until the item shows up at Sothebys. Sothebys and Christies often have auctions at the same time, and Bonnie told of one incident where the same painting showed up in both auction catalogs simultaneously. Obviously, one was a fake (by notorious forger Ely Sakhai), so they had to pull both until they could determine the genuine article. (Sakhai was later arrested, placed in jail for 41 months and fined $1.5 million and forced to pay restitution.)

Bonnie maintains the National Stolen Art File, compiled from police departments, which covers paintings, Native American artifacts, statues, musical instruments, scientific instruments, maps, manuscripts, cultural icons, etc. She also established the FBI Top Ten Art Crimes list (which you can find on the Art Theft home page link above).

She has a lot of interesting stories to tell, such as the man who tried to sell what he said was a rare fifth Mayan Codex he'd dug up in his back yard; a Panamanian General Consul who brokered goods stolen from Peru but avoided prosecution due to diplomatic immunity; thieves who staged a daring daylight robbery from the Swedish National Museum by puting nails in the road to stop chasing cars and escaping by boat, until a wiretap in Los Angeles led to a showdown at a Copenhagen hotel with FBI agents playing brokers (the missing Renoir was recovered); a stolen Norman Rockwell painting which the FBI put on its web site and was eventually found in the collection of Steven Spielberg (who came by it honestly).

So far, the efforts of Bonnie and her agent team have led to the recovery of 850 stolen works valued at over $134 million (the amount on the FBI web site needs to be updated). A lot of their efforts depending upon tips, so--if you're suspicious about that Gaugin "print" in your weird neighbor's basement, drop them a line.

If you're interested in art theft crime fiction, you might start with a series by Iain Pears which follows the adventures of art historian Jonathan Argyll and two members of the (ficitious) Art Squad of the Italian police, beginning with The Raphael Affair (1991) up through The Immaculate Deception (2000). Pears (born in 1955) is an English art historian and a Getty Fellow in the Arts and Humanities at Yale University, who also worked was a reporter for the BBC.

For more art mysteries, check out the following links:

Overbooked Art Fiction List (includes mysteries)
Art-Related Novels (compiled by Elise Smith at Millsaps U)
Art Mysteries (from Wakefield Public Library)
Art, Artists, and the Art World (from Madison Public Library)
Art Mysteries (from Readers Advice)

And for more links to art theft law enforcement and information web sites, click on "Crimes by Type" under THE LIST on this blog.