Reviews
Reader response…
Well, at least one kitten is enthralled by my current work-in-progress, even if the other finds it a snooze.(Thanks to my friend Naomi who sent me this photo of her two kittens, Lentil and Chickpea, who joined her as she bravely read through a first draft.)
Farewell, Eartha Kitt
Chanteuse, actress, outspoken performer, and all around diva Eartha Kitt died on Christmas Day. Linda L. Richards has details and links on her blog. Here, I'll just say that I had the privilege of seeing Kitt perform a year ago last summer at the Newport Jazz...
New Year’s Resolution: Learn to Write!
What are your plans for 2009? Have you made any resolutions? I can't help you lose weight or quit smoking, but I might be able to help with another popular resolution. If you're one of the many folks who have promised yourself that 2009 will be the year you finally...
18th Century mayhem
"A fellow by the name of Revere. Lives up in the North End. Charges a fortune..."Murder, mystery, and lots of mayhem in pre-Revolutionary Boston – all in Jill Lepore's and Jane Kamensky's Blindspot, read my San Francisco Chronicle review here
Holiday Message from Roy Blount Jr.
I've been talking to booksellers lately who report that times are hard. And local booksellers aren't known for vast reserves of capital, so a serious dip in sales can be devastating. Booksellers don't lose enough money, however, to receive congressional attention. A...
The deep breath…
I know in some ways this is the crazy season, but really, isn't it also the deep breath before the plunge?I've pretty much finished a rough draft of my "pet noir," I expect to have some good news to announce in the new year, and I've got "Probable Claws" coming out in...
RIP, Bettie Page
Sex kitten, bondage queen, and one-time pin-up star Bettie Page has died.
Santa clawed
Hey, I understand holiday stress! I'm trying to get all my work done – more on this, soon – and still manage to have a little fun, see some friends, etc., this holiday season. So I know what this kitty was going through. That said, did he have to bite Santa? Poor...
David Liss returns with “The Whiskey Rebels”
David Liss has returned to historical mysteries with The Whiskey Rebels, a thoroughly enjoyable book. As I wrote in today's Boston Globe:"Blame the speculators! Banks are unstable, and the nation itself appears on the verge of collapse. Americans have turned against...
“Dumb Beasts” – my first pet noir
from Dumb Beasts, from Deadfall: Crime Stories by New England AuthorsI really didn’t want to go over when Mrs. M. called. Sheila, as I think of her. With most people I’m on a first-name basis immediately. They’ve invited me into their homes, into some of their most...