Left Coast Crime

The Left Coast Crime Convention is this month from the 25-28th in lovely Phoenix, Arizona. With guests of honor Ann Cleeves and Gregg Hurwitz and Toastmaster, Catriona McPherson, it promises to be a great convention. 

This year I am so lucky because I get to interview Catriona McPherson onstage Saturday from 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm. Another highlight of the convention will be watching Catriona interview International Guest of Honor, Ann Cleeves.

I also the privilege of moderating the Murder on the Rocks panel on Thursday from 3:00pm - 4:00pm. Nadine Nettmann, Johnny Shaw, RM Cartmel and Carlene O'Neil will join me for lots laughs and hopefully a few stories for Drinks with Reads. 

Other great panels that I am looking forward to:

Behind the Badge: Cops writing mysteries

Thursday, 1:30pm

Ellen Kirschman (M)

Kathy Bennett

Larry Bersgaard

Timothy Moore

David Putnam

Cherchez La Femme, Women Overturning the Stereotype: Strong female sleuths as role models

Friday, 11 am

Francine Mathews (S. Barron) (M)

Allison Brennan

Mark Coggins

Deborah Crombie

Tammy Kaehler

Sheila Redoing

Rock and Roll Is Not a Crime

Friday, 3pm

S.W. Lauden (M)

Craig Faustus Buck

Joe Clifford

Corey Lynn Fayman

Bill Fitzhugh

If you're at LCC, drop on by, or check out Mystery Playground for daily reports on the convention.

A Prayer of Thanksgiving for Readers of Crime Fiction

Brad Parks is back at Mystery Playground today and is graciously letting us print his super official Toastmaster toast from Left Coast Crime, a benediction of sorts. The photos here were taken by Darrell Hoemann Photography. 

Delivered at Left Coast Crime Opening Ceremonies

By Brad Parks

Fellow crime fiction readers, let us bow our heads with meekness and humility... 

Oh God of Chandler and Christie, Oh Deity of Dorothy L, Oh Maker of MacDonalds – Ross and John D… We come to you today to express our thanks for the many blessings you have bestowed upon our genre.

We thank you for knitting shop owners whose places of business act as magnets for unexplained corpses... for busybody old ladies whose mah-jong groups end up having more crime-solving wherewithal than the state police... and for small towns in the Adirondacks where the body count resembles the Battle of Gettysburg.

We thank you for law enforcement officials who go rogue more often than breakaway Russian Republics... for conspiracies whose tendrils reach all the way to the White House... and for highly trained ex-special forces demolitions experts who hang out their own shingle as ham-and-egg private detectives.

We thank you that while our characters sometimes have sex, our authors have enough decorum not to describe it in forensic detail.

We thank you for strong female characters… yet we also pray fervently for the day when we can stop having to use the words “strong female character.” 

And while I’m at it, oh Elohim of elocution, can you please also retire the phrase “transcend the genre.”... And go ahead and tell certain Chilean authors that if they’re not a fan of mysteries, we’re perfectly comfortable with them not writing one.

Yes, we know you by many names, oh heavenly reader spirit. To some you are the King of Kinsey. Or the Giver of Gamache. Or the Lord of Leduc. Or the Maharajah of McCone... or the ... dangit, Pronzini, how am I supposed to do something cute and alliterative when you don’t give the detective a name!

However it is we summon your spirit, we thank you for conferences such as this one, where we can have perfectly normal conversations in the elevator about our favorite ways to administer poison... and we admit, we sort of like it when that causes the other people in the elevator to start slowly backing away from us.

At this gathering in particular, oh most holy of Hemingways, we in the congregation who call ourselves authors would like to thank you for the bar. Let me try that again: will the authors please make a joyful noise for the bar. 

Guide us, oh creator of nouns and adjectives, to fabulous debut authors whose work is ripe for discovery... to rising stars of the genre who will someday be our bestsellers... and to established authors whose work may have been unfairly overlooked—not that we’re going to mention names.

We thank you in particular for the Guests of Honor. May you bless Sue Trowbridge, who venerates so many of the authors present both in person and in web design; bless Cara Black, and see that her characters never run out of Parisian underworlds to explore; bless Sue Grafton, so that Kinsey may continue to have horrible taste in men; bless Bill Pronzini, because anyone who has written that many books needs to be blessed; bless Marcia Muller, because I have this sneaking suspicion she could kick my ass; and bless Louise Penny for not being nominated for the Lefty Award... because I believe I speak for every writer here when I say: I’ve lost enough awards to Louise already.

Let us also extol our librarians, who spread the gospel of good books, one patron at a time. Let us raise up our booksellers, who are the high priests and priestesses of our world, even though they’re often paid like monks who have taken poverty vows. Let us ordain our publishers: may they make the size of our advances be fruitful and multiply.

And whether we enjoy traditional mysteries or cutting edge thrillers, whether we like our heroes hard-boiled or soft, whether we prefer series or standalones, we thank you – above all – that our extensive reading has given us at least five foolproof ways to make a body disappear forever... because you just never know when that’s going to come in handy.

Oh alpha and omega of red herrings, may you increase our herds and our flocks and our TBR piles. May our spouses remain blissfully ignorant of just how much we spent during our last trip to the bookstore. And may you see to it the Toastmaster doesn’t go to hell for this prayer. 

May the words of my mouth, the meditations in our hearts, and the volumes on our nightstand remain acceptable in your sight. Amen. 

Brad with his newly minted Lefty

You can read can read an in-depth interview with Brad by Kim Hammond here. 

Marcia Muller & Sue Grafton Tell All

One of my favorite panels at Left Coast Crime was an interview of mystery grand dames Marcia Muller and Sue Grafton by Jan Burke (stay tuned to the end of the post for a special giveaway). I've recapped some of the questions for the panel here separating it from the Left Coast Crime daily recaps so I could give it the proper attention that it deserves.

Both Grafton and Muller talked about when they first started at the mystery writer community was full of people saying you couldn't write a female detective or a strong female character at all. Marcia Muller proved them wrong with Sharon McCone and Sue Grafton with Kinsey Millhone. 

Mistakes:
One of the first questions Jan asked was about the biggest mistake the women has ever made.

Marcia said that most of her mistakes had to do with guns. Then cars. It seems that more men write letters to point out mistakes... 

Sue said that in B is for Burglar Kinsey left the keys to her car in the ignition before she goes into a house. The thinking was that she would need to get away quickly. But once she's inside the house she uses her keys to escape the basement and she pulls them from her pocket. Some people called that a mistake but loyal fans claimed there were two sets of keys...

Jan said there is at least one mistake in every book and finding them is like an easter egg hunt. 

What it Used to be Like:

Jan started this topic by telling us all that the female mystery writing community and the multitude of strong female characters wasn't always like this. Back in 1977, it was pretty much just Sue Grafton and Marcia Muller. And it wasn't just how women were depicted in fiction. It was society. 

Marcia told us that there was a resistance at first. People rejected her manuscript because no one would believe a woman would be in the position of female private eye. She responded to an agent who put an ad in Publishers Weekly looking for manuscripts. She rejected it because of Sharon's profession, but loved Sharon McCone. 

Jan asked Marcia if it was a conscious decision to write a female PI and she said yes. She didn't want to write from a man's point of view. She knew she didn't think that way and it wasn't interesting to her. 

Once both Marcia and Sue managed to get published, Sue reached out to Marcia and invited her to dinner. There was only the two of them writing female PIs and Marcia came to dinner and they have been friends ever since.

Both Marcia and Sue said that sometimes men were even rude to them at conferences and panels. 

Sue talked about a movement that started at conferences back then called Hard Boiled Bitches of America. We got T-Shirts that said HBB of America and stripped down to them in a panel. Linda Barnes and Julie Smith were with us that day. 

Sue told us that she and a friend had a business that taught women how to clean their house properly. Back then house wives didn't know how to do it. She met one woman who changed the bed sheets ever single day. Once the women learned how to get the house clean fast they had seven hours left in the day. Sue used that time to write in the beginning.

Sue also told us that one editor wanted Kinsey not to be a PI. The editor suggested that the books to be about the life and loves of Kinsey Millhone. Lucky for us, Sue refused.

Jan's response was that a pioneer is the person with arrows in their back. 

Bad Reviews

Jan asked both Marcia and Sue about reviews. Marcia said that one reviewer said that her books set the woman's movement back 100 years, but didn't bother to say why.

Sue said there was one review for B is for Burglary that called it B is for Boring.

Both of those reviewers were so incredibly wrong. I wonder if they ever think about that now. What a great panel. I am so glad I got the chance to see it. 

All three women: Sue Grafton, Marcia Muller and Jan Burke signed this fabulous little zipper bag that we are giving away today. You could use it for anything -- make up, pens and pencils, phone charging cords, etc. All you have to do is comment below to be entered. You can see Sue Grafton below signing the bag. 

Left Coast Crime Photo Gallery

Guest of Honor Sue Grafton

There are so many more photos (taken by Darrell Hoemann Photography) from the Left Coast Crime convention last weekend that I thought I'd just share them here. For those of you interested in attending next year's event to be held in Portland, Oregon you can find more details here. 

Toastmaster Brad Parks

Sue Grafton and Brad Parks

Louise  Penny, Catriona McPherson, Jeffery Siger 

Tammy Kaehler

Craig Johnson and Cara Black

Laurie R. King

Discovering New Authors

One of the many reasons I attend mystery conventions is to discover new authors. At the recent Left Coast Crime Convention in Monterey, there was a new author breakfast where more than 40 first time authors were given one minute each to get up on stage an pitch their books. In sixty seconds each author had to summarize a book that probably took more than a year to write. It's a challenge to be sure.

Because I can't even begin to provide descriptions all of the books, I've chosen a very few here in the hopes that we can all find some new authors to read. So here they are:

Kilmoon by Lisa Alber:

The brutal game began among the ruins of Kilmoon Church … 

Desperate to mend her troubled past, Californian Merrit Chase travels to Ireland to meet her father, Liam, a celebrated matchmaker. While tourists gather for the annual matchmaking festival, Merrit battles the anxiety and guilt that have plagued her since the death of her mother.

Like her mother before her, Merrit becomes ensnared in a web of betrayal and hatred that she must unravel if she’s ever going to find peace. Why has Merrit’s arrival triggered a rising tide of violence that includes murder? Most of all, what lurks beneath Liam’s charismatic smile?

As Merrit circles ever closer to the truth that emanates from Kilmoon’s grounds, she discovers just how far she and others will go to get what they want. The truth isn’t what it seems, and only her father understands how vengeance can strike from beyond the grave.

Absence of Mercy by John Burley:

Wintersville, Ohio is a small midwestern town much like any other—a place where neighbors feel more like family, where the chief of police knows the residents by first name, and where the sound of children’s laughter echoes along neighborhood streets as the evening sun settles upon the horizon.  But when a brutally murdered teenager is discovered in the suburban woods not far from his own home, pathologist Ben Stevenson becomes enmeshed in an investigation that forces him to weigh his professional obligations against the safety of his family, to explore the secrets of the quiet community in which he lives, and to ultimately confront a truth that will haunt him forever.

Fragmented by former FBI agent, George Fong:

FBI Special Agent Jack Paris didn’t know why Alvin Cooper killed his own family five years ago. He just knew he did it. After being convicted of the murders and serving five years in prison, Cooper escapes. A day after, a bank manager reports to the Chico Police Department his wife was killed and their 17 year old daughter is missing. Agent Paris is called to investigate, gathering evidence from the crime scene at the bank manager’s home. Suddenly, past memories of the Cooper investigation surfaces, making Paris realize the two events may be connected. He fears his escaped murderer is back to killing.

George Fong, author of Fragmented

Eternally 21 by Linda Hull (pictured at the top of the post):

When Maddie Michael’s husband, Mr. Frank Finance, loses all their money in a Ponzi scheme, Maddie must do her best to prevent Frank’s TV show from going belly up. To maintain the appearance that everything is financially fine, Maddie secretly sets up a bargain hunter’s website that goes viral — making Mrs. Frugalicious a huge hit and bringing in much needed cash.

While researching “frugasm”-worthy deals at the local mall, Maddie is mistakenly accused of shoplifting by Eternally 21 manager Laila DeSimone. Her bad day gets worse when Laila drops dead. Universally disliked Laila has a murder suspect list longer than Maddie’s bargain spreadsheets, but when evidence points to Maddie as the prime suspect, she must find the real killer before the police throw away her “get out of jail free” coupon.

Photos of Linda Hull and George Fong by Darrell Hoemann Photography. 

Left Coast Crime Awards

Last night at the Left Coast Crime Convention in Monterey, these coveted awards were given out. A big congratulations to all the winners but especially my friend Catriona McPherson for winning The Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award. Well done.

The Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award: Best historical mystery novel covering events before 1960
Catriona McPherson, DANDY GILVER AND A BOTHERSOME NUMBER OF CORPSES (Minotaur Books)

The Squid: Best mystery set within the United States
William Kent Krueger, ORDINARY GRACE (Atria Books)

The Calamari: Best mystery set anywhere else in the world
Louise Penny, HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN (Minotaur Books)

The Lefty: Best humorous mystery novel
Brad Parks, THE GOOD COP (Minotaur Books)

Sue Trowbridge: Fan Guest of Honor

Mystery Playground also recapped Day One, Two and Three of Left Coast Crime. 

Photos by Darrell Hoemann Photography. 

Left Coast Crime: Day Three

Jane Lee and Sharon Hudson

Today was Day Three at Left Coast Crime, a mystery convention being held in Monterey, California. As we get farther and farther into the conference I get more material that I can ever write up while I'm here, so today we'll focus on some photos a a recap of the panel I was on this morning called Mystery Aficionados. 

My fellow panelists and me got to spend the hour making book recommendations, something that I love to do. My fellow panel members, Donus Roberts (owner of DDRBooks, writer at Deadly Pleasures) and Les Blatt (host of Classic Mysteries -the blog and the podcast), graciously let me share their book recommendations here. 

First we talked about our favorite books that we read in the past year and second was our favorite books of all time.

I've added my recommendations at the end. To be fair, all three of us admit picking favorites was very hard and on another day we might have picked different favorites. In any event the following books were excellent. There are recommendations for just about everyone here.

Name three favorite books you've read in the past year:

Donus Roberts:

ENIGMA OF CHINA by Qiu Xialong
THE SHINING GIRLS by Lauren Beukes, 
THE GODS OF GOTHAM by Lindsay Faye

Les Blatt:

HE WHO WHISPERS by John Dickson Carr
MURDER MUST WAIT by Arthur W. Upfield
HAMLET, REVENGE by Michael Innes

Me:

NIGHT FILM by Marisha Pessl
THE EXPATS by Chris Pavone
MORTAL BONDS by Michael Sears

List your Top-5 all-time favorite crime fiction books:

Donus Roberts:

THE BLACK ECHO by Michael Connelly
TIME’S WITNESS by Michael Malone
A PLACE OF EXECUTION by Val McDermid
THE RED BREAST by Jo Nesbo
GAUDY NIGHT by Dorothy Sayers.

Les Blatt:

THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES by Arthur Conan Doyle
THE THREE COFFINS (UK title: "The Hollow Man") by John Dickson Carr
THE DOORBELL RANG by Rex Stout
THE NINE TAILORS  by Dorothy L. Sayers
LAMENT FOR A MAKER by Michael Innes

Me:

THE BEEKEEPER'S APPRENTICE by Laurie R. King
THE EIGHT by Katherine Neville
NIGHT FILM by Marisha Pessl
THE EYRE AFFAIR by Jasper Fforde
A GREAT DELIVERANCE by Elizabeth George

Here are a couple of photos from the conference. Later this week I will work on more in-depth write ups of LCC sessions like the new authors breakfast, Sue Grafton, Marcia Muller and Jan Burkes history talk and Ann Cleeves preview of the Red Bones series.

Marcia Clark at the book signing tables

Photos of Brad Parks by Darrell Hoemann Photography. 

Left Coast Crime: Day Two

I am at the Left Coast Crime Convention this weekend in Monterey, California for four days of crime fiction indulgence.

Last night, William Kent Krueger won the coveted Dilys Award from the Independent Book Sellers Association for his novel Ordinary Grace. Ordinary Grace just came out in paperback on March 4th. Here is Kent accepting his award...

This morning's events started out with the new authors breakfast with more than 40 first time authors talking about their books. Since there was so much to cover here, we'll be getting into to that more later this week featuring many of the authors who presented.

Harper Collins held book signings in the book room where they gave away author's books. Here you see authors Kenneth Wishnia, author of The Fifth Servant, Lou Berney author of Gunshot Straight, and John Burley, author of The Absence of Mercy.

Here's Deborah Crombie giving away and signing copies of Broken Glass.

Here's a photo from the forensics panel featuring Jan Burke, DP Lyle, George Fong, Aaron Elkins and Robin Burcell. Jan Burke moderated this panel made up of forensics and police experts. 

Ann Cleeves

Jacqueline Winspear

You can read yesterday's recap here. We'll have more tomorrow and Sunday...

Monterey is a beautiful place to have a conference.

Left Coast Crime Report: Day One

Left Coast Crime, the west coast crime fiction convention is going on this weekend in Monterey, California. It's four days filled with author panels & spotlights, signings and parties. 

Here's my report from day one...

Authors Catriona McPherson (Dandy Gilver and the The Day She Died coming in May) and Lisa Alber (Kilmoon, A County Clare Mystery) hang out in-between panels.

Here's Kelli Stanley, author of the San Francisco-based Miranda Corbie series, signing books for fans: 

Author Bruce DeSilva (Providence Rag) and Ingrid Willis (Bouchercon 2014 chair) on Wednesday night.

Book bag freebies:

One of the panels I attended was called, The Culture of Murder: Mysteries Set in Different Lands. 

The panel featured five authors who all write mysteries set outside of the US:

Janet Hubbard - Writes about wine country in France. Her latest is called: Bordeaux: The Bitter Finish.

Jeanne Mathews - Matthews books set in Samos, a beautiful Greek island. All her books are set in different countries. 

Priscilla Royal - Set her historical books in England and learned her American history in Canada. Writes about the Middle Ages. She loves the contradictions between conventional wisdom of that time and what people really did. Looks for quirky things because she is quirky.

Jeffery Siger- Places his books in the birthplace of the gods - Greek island. Lives in Mikanos. Feels at home in Greece even though he didn't have roots there at first. 

All the authors were asked: 'Why did you chose your location'?

Jeffery - The location chose me. It speaks to me and it gives me the opportunity to extend my view to everyone else.

Jeanne - Samos was fate. I was invited to stay at someone . The other books were where does Jeanne want to go next. Love mythology and there are plenty of opportunities to find these mythologies in every country. 

Janet - She loved setting two crime solvers in wine country and let them show us what it's like living in a different culture. Janet is a Francophile and this was a great opportunity to indulge.

Priscilla - She has never been to the area she writes about - East Anglia, England and it's because she writes historical and everything is different from her time period. The air is different, they've drained the fens in east Angelia, the building are different, etc. So to write about east Angelia today is not to write about if in the 1200s. Even the temperatures are different. She uses Google earth to "fly over" east Angelia but the world she writes about really no longer exists. 

From the Left Coast Crime 101 panel (photo by Darrell Hoemann Photography)

We will have more from Left Coast Crime tomorrow, but for now I will leave you with a photo of the seal party outside of the hotel: