This column appears in the latest issue of MRJ: Volume 24: No. 1, History Mysteries II.
by Janet A. Rudolph (Berkeley, California)
Welcome to the first issue of Volume 24 of the Mystery Readers Journal: History Mysteries II. What an incredible number of terrific articles and reviews to complement our last issue: History Mysteries I (Volume 23:4). I know you'll really enjoy reading the "Author! Author!" essays. We had so much material for this theme that we weren't able to include everything in both issues. Rather than go to three History Mystery issues, we decided to post several articles to the website. Be sure and read Catherine Aird's article on Richard III and Jim Doherty's "Long-Ago Lawmen" with his lists of favorite historical police procedurals. Fans of the Children's Hour will especially enjoy a double helping from Gay Kinman. Our website also has the table of contents and sample articles from this and past issues.
Themes: Lots of suggestions for themes in 2009 and 2010. Here's the round-up for now: 2008 (Volume 24): History Mysteries II, Irish Mysteries, San Francisco Bay Area Mysteries, Crime for the Holidays. 2009 (Volume 25): African Mysteries, Theatre Mysteries, L.A. Mysteries, Sports Mysteries. 2010? See suggestions in Letters to the Editor. Have your own ideas, send me at an email: janet@mysteryreaders.org
Online vs. Hardcopy of MRJ: Most people who answered my query wanted hardcopy. However, we can make a PDF available to anyone who wants to read it on the web. It will be password protected. I'll be sending a note about this soon. Of course, if online is your preference, you can opt out of receiving hardcopy and save trees and postage.
Subscription/Membership: Thank you to all who renewed your membership/subscription to Mystery Readers for '08 (and some for '09, too!). Your support means so much to me.
Back issues: I unearthed several boxes of past issues recently. Well, Frank found them in the attic. I filled several back orders going back to '05. Let me know if you're still missing an issue (9:4 was not found—yet). If an issue says not available on our website, send me an email. We just might have it in stock!
At Home Online: The latest installments of "At Home Online," our round-robin of author inter-views, includes Carolyn Hart interviewing Nancy Pickard and William Kent Krueger interviewing Steve Hamilton. Don't miss them.
"Real Time" At Homes in Berkeley, CA: Past At Homes included Louise Ure, Cara Black, Clare Langley-Hawthorne, Pari Noskin Taichert, and Penny Warner. Future At Homes will feature Michelle Gagnon, Simon Wood, Ken Kulhken, Bill Moody, and Jane Cleland. Check our website or MRI Mayhem in this issue for times and places. "Wish you could be in California..." and so the song goes... with some modifications.
Left Coast Crime: I had a great time in Denver at LCC 2008. Wonderful panels, banquet, and visits with old and new friends. Actually got to spend some quality time with our Associate Editor, Kate Derie. Kate's doing great, but she's still unpacking all those boxes of books in her new home in Portland, OR. It's going to take some time, as you can imagine. One of the most fun events at LCC 2008 was the Hawaiian costume contest before the banquet. Check out all the contestants at: www.leftcoastcrime.org/2009/contests_winners.html. Hats off to the organizers and committee of LCC 2008 Denver!
Left Coast Crime 2009 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting conventions ever. Say Aloha to Murder! March 7-12, 2009, Marriott Waikoloa Resort, the Big Island. This will be an unconventional convention with small reading groups, panels, continuing and various types of entertainment, endless conversations, Chocolate Tasting, Luau, trips, Awards Brunch, meetings on the beach and under the palms. Check out all the news, including book and Hawaiian shirt (outfit, dress?) contests at: www.leftcoastcrime.org/2009. The committee has secured some great room rates at the convention hotel, the Marriott, so register for the hotel ASAP before these convention rates run out.
Murder on the Menu: My company, Murder on the Menu/TeamBuilding Unlimited, is still busy despite the downturn in the economy. Companies will always need teambuilding and entertainment to "keep up the troops," albeit operating within a smaller budget. We not only write and perform customized interactive mystery events, but we create Wacky Games, Chocolate Tastings, Scavenger Quests, Casting Call and a host of other types of activities and events. Groups of 5 to 500, anywhere in the world.
Personal: Spring has sprung, and my roses are all leafed out, the daffodils and irises are up, the bees are swarming and the peacocks have begun to cry. How fantastic. I live in Northern California, and Spring comes early. I've been busy in the garden and even got a new greenhouse (unassembled as of yet) to protect and cultivate my cymbidiums and orchids and to start seedlings. There's also the possibility of some propagation, too.
On the animal front, Topper is now a year old, but he's still a puppy. Being a golden retriever, a waterdog, he has discovered the pond. There's nothing that smells quite like wet dog a la pond scum! Busby Berkeley, our other golden, is way too polite to go into the pond, but he's learning some new bad habits from Topper including barking, roughhousing and chasing Belle au Bois. Bothering the cat is totally unacceptable from either dog. They really only want to play with her, and the fact is that she encourages them. All behaviors need to be and will be worked on. In response to the question raised about the non-mystery names of my retrievers—well, I'm a big fan of '30s movies! Over the years I've had cats with names like Dashiell Hammett, Agatha, Christie, Marlowe, Trent and Bunter. The dogs are "another animal" altogether.
I know you'll find new titles and authors in this issue to read throughout the Spring. Pull up a chair in the garden and enjoy!
—Janet
Mystery Readers Journal - At Home Online - Mystery Reading Groups
Mystery Periodicals - Mystery Bookstores - Macavity Awards - Members in the News
Rave Reviews -
Janet A. Rudolph - Murder on the Menu - Home
Subscribe to MRJ
SEND E-MAIL TO MRI
All content on this site is © 1989-2008 by Janet A. Rudolph. All rights reserved.
Mystery Readers International® is a registered trademark.
Web site by interbridge
Return to top of page
