Dear Friend,
It's never to late to be appreciated - if you're a writer, that is. The Library of America has recently published a collection of eight lost classics of the genre published in the 1940s and '50s. Famous once but now (mostly) forgotten, these writers, all women, deserve more readers and more critical attention. To the rescue comes our critic, Jon L. Breen, who is delighted to see such vibrant, compelling work back in print. Crime writers Megan Abbott and Lisa Scottoline add their perspectives on their literary sisters in crime, as well.
Ashley Weaver sets her evocative 1930s mysteries featuring the glamorous Amory Ames and her wandering husband, Milo, right in the heart of upper-crust English society. It's a time and a place familiar to fans of mystery fiction's Golden Age and Weaver adds a poignant subplot of a troubled marriage. Joseph Goodrich speaks to the author in this issue.
Foyle's War is a big favorite at our house and if you haven't seen this homicide on the WWII homefront drama from the UK, well, you're in for a treat. Joseph Goodrich discusses the best blending of actor (Michael Kitchen), writer (Anthony Horowitz), and character since Inspector Columbo was on the case.
Kevin Burton Smith comes to the rescue of all you procrastinators out there with our annual gift guide for mystery lovers. Personally, I've fallen for The End Bookend, but the Poison Ring is also very tempting...
Orson Welles never met a studio head who didn't mess with his work, but he still managed to make some outstanding contributions to the noir and thriller genres in his tumultuous career. Jake Hinkson gives us an overview of Welles' work.
In this issue we welcome Oline Cogdill to the Mystery Scene masthead as a contributing editor. Regular readers already know Oline very well - she's had the most cover articles of any writer in the history of the magazine, and she blogs at our website several times a week. We've all come to rely on her good advice and good cheer, thanks, Oline!
Happy holidays and all good wishes for a prosperous and healthy new year!
Kate Stine
Editor-in-Chief
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 Jack Bunker on the Importance of Being Funny
Like most writers, I've always been a big reader. In college I discovered Joseph Wambaugh - in my mid-20s, Elmore Leonard. With both authors I was less absorbed in the plots themselves than by the flawless dialogue. Unique as Hemingway was, when it comes to dialogue, he couldn't carry Elmore Leonard's jock.
I tried to pare to a handful a roster of authors I would hope have influenced my own writing. In addition to the greats cited above, I'd have to include: Dan Jenkins, William Kennedy, Tom Wolfe, Paul Theroux, and John Gregory Dunne.
Jack Bunker's debut mystery is True Grift (Brash Books, November 2015). www.jackbunker.com
"Writers on Reading" is a special ongoing Mystery Scene series available as a first-look exclusive to our newsletter subscribers.
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by Oline H. Cogdill
The Tony Hillerman Prize for best first mystery set in the Southwest goes to Kevin Wolf The Homeplace, a 2016 debut.
by Joseph Goodrich
Featuring a volatile married couple as sleuths, this new series is set right in the sweet spot of the Golden Age of Mystery - England in the 1930s.
Creating long-running characters, complex and appealing enough to stand the test of time.
Did you know that MS features even more reviews online? Look for the tag "Online Exclusive."
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Established in 1985, Mystery Scene Magazine is the oldest, largest, and most authoritative guide to the crime fiction genre.
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LATEST PRINT ISSUE
#142, Holiday 2015
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