This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Okay, I realize there have already been a few MIE posts about this. But when Donald Trump posted a meme of himself fiddling while Rome burns, I could not refrain from comment. Not only were Trump’s words and image in bad taste, but his comment appeared to mocking … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. The first welcome I had in Pali Hill was from a rooster. I’d just entered my bedroom in the Airbnb rental. It was about three-thirty in the morning. As I put down my suitcase, exhausted after eighteen hours of flying and lots of airport waiting, a series of mournful … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Literature became less suspenseful on January 31, the day that Mary Higgins Clark slipped out of the world. Often called the Queen of Suspense, the 92-year-old author published more than 66 books in a forty-four year career. She was in Naples, Florida, working on a book when she … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. I’m filing this on my last day of a wonderful three weeks in Mumbai. I was taking a walk through a shady, old-fashioned passageway in a typical 19th century shop building in the Colaba neighborhood. It was a delightful meander just steps from the historic Royal Bombay Yacht Club, … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. I grew up in the age of point-and-shoot simple cameras, which at the time seemed beyond magically simple. But in the last ten years, the cell phone camera has thrown old-fashioned cameras to the curb. We are now responsible for being the chroniclers of our lives. I feel … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. For too long, I’ve been lost in the LED-lit, indoor world of writing. Over the last month, I was intent on doing nothing else except finish a book. It also happened that late November turned out to be the only time to plant a garden. Fall planting is easier on … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. I went to Dallas last weekend for Bouchercon, a 50-years-old-and-counting annual mystery convention. The weather was cold, yet the Texans were warm. So were the folks I chatted with among the flood of 1800 mystery lovers who arrived from all points. This year’s theme was suited to conventional … Read more
Of course, I will accept Max Allan Collins’ apology for his comments at the 2019 Shamus Awards. Max says he did not intend emotional harm to any particular person or persons, and I believe him. And it is important to remember from this “kerfuffle,” as Max described it, that language is powerful. Singling out a … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Even though my fiction is set in the past, what makes it tick for me is whether the issues are relevant. Sadly, gender discrimination, political unrest, religious violence and oppressive government are not a problem anyone’s solved yet. These days, I have been watching The Rachel Maddow Show quite a … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Political chaos is making me cling to quiet evenings home. As it turns out, I am not alone in thinking that our everyday, intimate life can be a source of restoration. The idea that our kitchens should remain places of joy was explored beautifully on this Sept. 13 … Read more