Over a Barrel and Under the Table

The Brits are a quirky bunch, which is why I'm such an Anglophile myself. Maybe it's my Southern roots, which in my part of the country lead straight back across the pond.
British writers and Southern writers have a lot in common – there's an odd fascination with the dark side of life, mixed with an earthy pragmatic attitude, overlaid with a sense of humor. And both Brits and Southerners have been known to enjoy a tipple...or two.
Never is that more true than in the world of mystery writers. The awards that mystery aficionados bestow on their favorite authors are a perfect example of that dark whimsy, with honors such as a dagger, a teapot, a skull, or a barrel. At least the dagger and the skull make some sort of sense.
The teapot is for the Agatha Award, presented by Malice Domestic and meant to signify Ms. Christie's veddy British history. The barrel is my favorite, and this year it was presented to one of my favorite writers.
The fine old oak barrel (in miniature, of course) is presented at the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, England. Theakston Brewery has been producing Old Peculier beer in Yorkshire since the 1890s, and the little cask represents that long history. What it has to do with mystery writing is beyond me.
Denise Mina won the award this year for her book The End of the Wasp Season, which I loved. That book was also shortlisted for one of the coveted CWA Dagger Awards last year, and I reviewed it here.
Above is Mina with her Old Peculier. Judging by the photos from the Theakstons, perhaps the honorary casks were originally full when they were presented.
I've been to the Malice Domestic convention, which was fun but a little staid. I was able to meet Lindsey Davis and Peter Lovesey and that made the weekend entirely worthwhile.
But I get the feeling that I would have more fun at the Theakstons, and I have now added that festival to my bucket list. So if you're looking for me in the middle of July next year, I'll be in Yorkshire. Probably under a table.

The Murderous Month of May

According to Booklist, May is Mystery Month, but really any day of the year is the perfect time to read a mystery as far as I'm concerned.
I'm often asked who my favorite authors are, and really it's impossible to nail down just one or two. So in celebration of this murderous month, I'll give you a list of my favorite mystery writers.
You may not be familiar with some of these names, but isn't that a good thing? There's nothing better than stumbling on a new series of fabulous books or an incredible new (to you) writer.
Feel free to send me your favorite mystery titles and authors, too. My reading stack is a little low.

Favorite Mystery Writers

Jussi Adler-Olsen

Hailing from Denmark, Adler-Olsen lightens the Nordic Noir genre with his world-weary detective Carl Morck, who feels like he's been put out to pasture in his new Department Q, featuring a team of just one detective (Carl) and one odd assistant.

Fiona Buckley

After a seven year hiatus, Buckley (aka Valerie Anand) has picked back up with her terrific Ursula Blanchard series. The Tudor-era detective in this case is a dead ringer for Queen Elizabeth I, a fact that makes her both a pawn and a tool for the Queen.

Ann Cleeves

Her Shetland series, featuring Detective Jimmy Perez, is engrossing and perfectly captures life on the remote Shetland islands. She has another great series that features DI Vera Stanhope. I'm diving into those books this summer.

Lindsey Davis

I'm completely in love with Marcus Didius Falco, the savvy, witty, and infuriating Roman detective that stars in Davis's 20-book series set in 70AD. I've hooked many a reader on this terrific group of books.

Dick Francis

Every single one of his 40-some mysteries involves horse racing in some fashion, and the books are always a quick read. But don't make the mistake of thinking they're shallow. There's a reason that I worked hard to put every single one of his books on my shelves.

Tana French

French's set of Irish detective novels has been heaped with awards, with good reason. They are gritty, stark, and utterly compelling. Start with Into the Woods, an absolutely incredible novel for any genre.

David Fulmer

Take the infamous New Orleans red-light district of Storyville, add the evocative time period when Jazz was just taking form, and then mix in Creole detective Valentin St. Cyr and a heaping helping of real-life crooked politicians and criminals and you have an intoxicating (and additive) brew.

Elizabeth George

I defy you to find a writer that is better at giving you fully developed and completely alive characters. I catch myself thinking of Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers as people who truly live in my world. George is one of the top writers of our era. Period.

Sue Grafton

Her alphabet series may have started out as a fun way to write a series, but the private detective Kinsey Milhone took mysteries to a whole new level. Is the series stale after so many books? Quite the opposite. I think the newest book (V for Vengeance) is one of the best in the group.

Arnaldur Indridason

Iceland is the perfect setting for crime, with a rugged and forbidding landscape as a backdrop to dark deeds. Detective Erlendur takes it one step further as a loner fighting his own personal demons.

Stieg Larsson

Unless you've been living under a rock, you don't need me to describe Larsson's trilogy to you. I'll just say: It's worth all the hype.

Peter Lovesey

You gotta love a curmudgeon and Peter Diamond, a detective in modern-day Bath, is a rumpled, grumpy, lovable guy with a nose for solving crimes.

Denise Mina

It's a man's world when it comes to detectives and police procedurals, and that's what makes Mina's DI Alex Morrow so amazing. Who else could solve mysteries and whip her squad into shape, all while pregnant with twins? A fabulous case of Tartan Noir.

Jo Nesbo

The king of Nordic Noir, Nesbo's detective Harry Hole is conflicted, afflicted, and addicted. If you like your mysteries dark and deep, this is the series for you.

How to Travel

Back in the day, I had to be a little creative about my travel. I would buy a book in the airport, leave it on the plane, and buy another when I landed. Or I would give myself a hernia by packing 10 books in my carry-on bag. Or I would run to the nearest book store when we arrived in our destination city. And yes, I have paid the fees for overweight bags because I had too many hardbacks in the suitcase.

This was all an attempt to keep me entertained. Because when I travel, I have to read. It keeps me from noticing the kid behind me who is kicking my kidneys. It alleviates the uncomfortable feeling I get when the man next to me (and it's always a man) takes the armrest and refuses to share. Reading keeps me calm during take off and landing. And it gives me something to do when the flight is delayed and we're sitting on the tarmac for four hours for no reason and they won't let us off the bloomin' plane. Not that I'm bitter.
The Nook has made my life easier now that I can carry hundreds of books in one tiny package. It fed my addiction on my recent trip West, and I am almost embarrassed to admit that I read four books while I was gone. You can see what I read by clicking here.
I'm not normally a "talker" on planes, and I've been known to hide behind my book. But then, occasionally, I'll see someone carrying a book that makes me happy.
Last night, on the way back from Los Angeles, I met Laura. She was on her way to New Orleans and she was carrying Jo Nesbo's The Leopard. Coincidentally, I had just finished that very book while in Los Angeles - and it was amazing. I had to tell her that while we were waiting to board and then, what do you know, but she is in 11E and I'm in 11D.
This was good for two reasons. First, we talked books. I told her that if she likes Nesbo, she has to read Hypothermia and The Keeper of Lost Causes.
Second, we didn't have to talk anymore. Laura wanted to read. I wanted to read. It was the perfect seatmate scenario. And she didn't hog the armrest. I even ended up giving her the Denise Mina book that I finished on the flight.
So to Laura, wherever you are, thanks for being such a good travel partner. Enjoy your book!