Mystery Readers June 11 - July 9 - Miscellaneous August 6 - February 20, 2002 So that’s what we have done and where we are going. The missing titles will be filled in soon. Well, we had a date with no snow this month. Thanks to all who attended and welcome Toby began this month’s meeting by to the new members. giving all a warning regarding the movie Hart’s As promised, ‘ere is a list of past and War. It has been changed substantially from the future meetings. novel. One character we all remarked upon has 2001 - st been entirely eliminated! So beware. April 17 - 1 Meeting Toby mentioned that Margery Allingham May 15 - The Mysterious Affair at Styles - was one of the Big Four, which included Agatha by Agatha Christie Christie, Ngaio March and Dorothy L. Sayers. June 12 - continued with the May 15 title Toby mentioned that Allingham’s book July 17 - The Whole Truth - Nancy Pickard The Daring of Red Rose might be of interest. August 14 - The Burglar Who Traded Ted It is about a female Robin Hood and was written Williams - Lawrence Block early in her career. September 11 - When the Sacred Gin Mill Closes - Lawrence Block Nevertheless, the book was a difficult one October 16 - In a Dry Season - for the majority of the group to enjoy. It was full Peter Robinson of sayings and words that were unfamiliar enough November 13 - The Christie Caper - to make the book hard to follow. Carolyn Hart Shirley Arsenault made a very good December 18 - Self selected short stories suggestion, saying that the story would have 2002- been a good one to present on stage. And I January 15 - Hart’s War - John Katzenbach think that was a very astute comment as many February 19 - The Fashion in Shrouds - works may be more accessible on stage or screen Margery Allingham than in book form. There has been a series made Upcoming meetings : for PBS presented on MYSTERY! during two seasons (‘89-‘90 and ‘90-‘91). Peter March 19 - The Face of a Stranger - Davisson starred as Albert Campion. The Anne Perry series was very well done, but did not garner the April 16 - popularity that Poirot (David Suchet) did. May 14 - Toby pointed out that our next title, Each of the Big Four have a different though British, is of the more accessible type. feel to their stories. You all know Christie. That is, it is meant for the international Ngaio March had a stage background and she community. It is the first of a series involving used her familiarity of that in some of her titles, as William Monk and Hester Latterly. Monk has well as her New Zealand origins. Her character lost his memory and must tread carefully while he is a real policeman, though of noble birth - Chief recovers, not allowing anyone to know what has Inspector Roderick Alleyn, married to a famous happened. Hester Latterly has recently painter, Agatha Troy. She plots and clues returned from the Crimean War, where Britain well and has many very popular titles to her and France forced Russia back from credit. MYSTERY! Produced several of her encroaching on the Middle East and Europe. It titles, too. was part of the great European powers of the time maintaining a “Balance of Power” to avoid Dorothy Sayers has very interesting any all-encompassing conflict. It was difficult to settings and her character, Lord Peter Wimsey, maintain, but balance for the most part continued develops throughout her books. We see through with some minor conflicts that kept things from his exterior as we read along. When worsening until WW I . This was the war where “Masterpiece Theatre” presented some Sayers Watson gained his war wound as a doctor taking stories one season, they were so popular that care of the hurt and maimed. Hester was serving MYSTERY! resulted. She has a number of as a nurse under Florence Nightingale. These novels and short stories with this character. We women defied tradition, by working as hard and have seen Ian Carmichael play Wimsey, and then as knowledgeable as the doctors and in some a more accurate series was done with Edward cases, more so. They returned to a country Petherbridge as Wimsey. Both have strong unable to accept their contributions. points, but Ian Carmichael was wonderful in the first titles produced. Karl Aromaa has ordered two of these for the Library - Murder Must For more information on the Crimean Advertise and Clouds of Witness . Keep an War, see eye out for them. The first takes advantage of http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Alley/5 Sayers experience in the advertising world and 443/crimwar1.htm . the second has Peter trying to save his brother from a charge of murder. Perhaps some of you are ready for a change of Copies of the next title have been pace? There is a sub-genre of mysteries that requested. If anyone wants to purchase any of straddle the science fiction & fantasy field and our titles, please let me know. this. An example can be seen in Randall Garrett’s series with Lord D’arcy and Sean O'Lochlainn. This features a Europe where There are also a growing number of Richard III was not overthrown by the Tudors books set in Native American/Indian locations. and magic is a science. Glen Cook has a series You have all probably heard of Tony Hillerman, that parodies the world of the hard-boiled who has Navajo main characters for all but one of detective. His character, Garrett, operates in a his mysteries. These are absolutely wonderful! world of fantasy as if he were created by Dashiel Other authors you may want to look for are Hammett. All of the titles in this series have a Jean Hager (be careful, she has more than one metal in the title, as in Bitter Gold Hearts or series!), Margaret Coel, James Doss, Manley Cold Copper Tears. Though they are Wade Wellman (be careful here, too), J. A. humorous, the stories are well done and worth a Jance and the Thurlos. Judith Van Gieson is in read. The Good Doctor, Isaac Asimov, has this group, as well. I can speak to Hillerman, written a number of science fiction novels that are Hager and Doss stories, but will be reading also mysteries (That is, besides his some of the others to see what I think. Is there straightforward mysteries: The Black Widowers anyone else interested? series, the Union Club series or his novels ( A Whiff of Death or Murder at the ABA) ). And I am looking for ideas of what to Look for The Caves of Steel, The Naked include in this newsletter. I can type all day about Sun or Robots and Dawn. The SF&F field things I like, but I would like to do things that is riddled with “mysteries”. If anyone can everyone enjoys, so please give me your contribute more titles (and I will put my thinking suggestions . Please? cap on, too), we can put together a more comprehensive list. Asimov is of the fair-play Thanks to you all for making our meetings so school and tells a great story. Anthony enjoyable. Keep it up! Boucher wrote a mystery that uses science fiction as a background, Rocket to the Morgue . And please call (364-3661) or drop in the Some characters are drawn from SF&F real life. Library if I can help. Can you guess them? CAR I love good mysteries set in colorful locations. If anyone is so moved, I could suggest the books by Bartholomew Gill (a pseudonym). His character is an Irish cop, Peter McGarr. The books have been coming out for a number of years, but I was taken for a wonderful ride with Death of an Irish Tinker and Death of an Irish Sea Wolf . .