A great loss

by Kathryn Casey

You know how some people just touch your life? You meet them and they have a way about them, an enthusiasm, a warmth that draws you in. David Thompson was one of those people. David loved books, good books, especially mysteries. He lived and breathed his passion, working at a wonderful independent Houston store called Murder by the Book (MBTB), a quirky place, shelves packed floor to ceiling, overstuffed chairs and an incredible staff. The store is so popular that the big names make sure they put it on their tour lists. I met Mary Higgins Clark there last year.

Sadly, the store posted this announcement yesterday:

It is with deep sadness that we must share the news that David Thompson passed away suddenly on September 13, 2010. David worked at Murder by the Book for 21 years, and he made an indelible impression on the store and everyone who met him.

That's David, above, with McKenna Jordan, the store owner and his wife. Cute couple, huh? Wonderful people. David was just 37 years old, and every time I saw him, he was running. He had so many projects going, he always amazed me. In truth, David Thompson made an indelible impression on the entire mystery publishing world.

In addition to working at the bookstore, David ran his own publishing company, Busted Flush Press. Typical of David, he named the company as an homage to one of his favorite authors, John D. MacDonald, whose sleuth Travis McGee lives on the Busted Flush, a houseboat he won in a poker game. David started the company in 2005, and his first effort was the resurrection of A Fifth of Bruen, a collection of the early fiction by Ireland's Ken Bruen, who'd been nominated for an Edgar for The Guards in 2004. Like many great books, Fifth had gone out of print and was in need of rescuing. When the Houston Chronicle asked David why he chose that particular work as the first in his catalog, he said simply, "I think it's one of the best crime novels ever written."

In so many ways, David's world revolved around books, the store, and, of course, McKenna. They met at MBTB when she began working there in 2003. In graduate school at the time, she signed on for part-time work on Saturdays. A Chronicle article on their romance that ran this past March is titled "A Storybook Marriage." (That's where the opening photo, taken in the store, is from.) Six-and-a-half years after meeting, David and McKenna married at Dryburgh Abbey in Scotland. That's a beautiful photo from the happy day, below right.

Individually and as a couple, David and McKenna are admired throughout the mystery publishing world. As if they didn't have enough going on with Busted Flush and the store, next year they were scheduled to co-chair Bouchercon, the mystery world's annual convention, in St. Louis, with Crimespree Magazine's Jon Jordan. Actually, my last contact with David was an email about the event I sent about a month ago. I had the mistaken impression they were already lining up panels and asked about being on one. David didn't snap at me for bothering him with something that was many months away. Instead, he patiently explained that it was a bit early.

But then, David had always been generous with his time. I first met him when I happened to be in the neighborhood and dropped in at the store. From that first day, David, McKenna, everyone on the staff made me feel welcome. Before I wrote my first novel, they hosted Diane Fanning and me for a joint true crime book signing. They invited us back when our first novels came out, and every year since.

I'll always remember how when I was there signing Singularity, my first Sarah Armstrong mystery, I talked with David afterward. I was working on the second book in the series, and I wanted advice on how much of the first book's plot to give away in the second. "Be careful," David stressed, appearing genuinely concerned. "You don't want to ruin the first book for readers by revealing too much in the second!"

At the time, David was busy closing up the store, but he patiently answered my questions, even taking the time to pull books from the shelves, particularly good examples with recurring characters, for me to read. Later, David and McKenna invited me back when Blood Lines debuted.

On this sad occasion, I join a legion of authors who lament David's passing. He was truly one of the good guys, and we are all poorer for his absence. Prayers and condolences are undoubtedly arriving from around the world for McKenna, their friends and family, for everyone at Murder by the Book and all who knew and loved David. He will sincerely be missed.

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BLOOD LINES at Murder by the Book

By Kathryn Casey

Okay, here's the plot: This coming Wednesday, August 26th, at 6:30 p.m., I'll be in Murder by the Book, at 2342 Bissonnet, in Houston's Rice Village area, talking about crime writing, and pretty much just hanging out having fun with the staffers and the folks gathered to meet me. It'll be an evening filled with laughter (I hope; I have tried to work on a couple of jokes), murder and mystery.

The occasion is my first book signing for Blood Lines, the second Sarah Armstrong mystery. Sarah's the Texas Ranger I invented, the protagonist in the series. This particular book's set in Houston, but one reason I chose a ranger was so my main character could traipse all over Texas without worrying about jurisdictional lines. Hey, it's a big state; why not show off all of it?

Anyway, my dad always cautioned me when I was a kid not to get "the big head," which in dad language meant ego. So rather than tell you about the book, which I'm quite proud of, here's what the critics have had to say about Blood Lines:

"The second entry in the Armstrong case file is a strong sequel to Singularity. Both plot lines are clever and carefully scripted. But it’s the evolving back story of Armstrong and her daughter—coping with the death of Armstrong’s husband—that gives this series extra depth and offers the promise of something special." Wes Lukowsky, Booklist.

"Verdict: Engrossing and well written," Jo Ann Vicarel, Library Journal.

"Enjoyable.... Casey successfully taps into celebrity-obsessed culture," Publishers Weekly.

"[Sarah Armstrong is] an impressive character.... Both mysteries play out nicely against the Texas backdrop, right up to the white-knuckle finale," Sandra Martin, Romantic Times.

"The author does a crafty job portraying the demanding young diva, dealing with family issues and tracking killers. BLOOD LINES is a sweet beach read with decent, compassionate characters and several scumbags." Jane Sumner, the Dallas Morning News.

"Casey deftly switches between investigations, working in Sarah's personal life as well as the interesting minutia involved in following tenuous leads," P.G. Koch, The Houston Chronicle.

"Casey knows how to keep readers turning the pages to get to the stirring conclusion," Glenn Dromgoole, the Abilene Reporter.

A particular honor: Blood Lines has been chosen as the November selection by the wonderful Pulpwood Queens. Very exciting!

So, why not drive over to Murder by the Book this coming Wednesday and listen to my little talk, try to figure out what the jokes are supposed to be and chuckle a bit (even if they're not funny), then stay around long enough to meet a few people, including me? I'd be delighted to shake your hand and sign your book!

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Second up: Blood Lines

by Kathryn Casey

Now that I write fiction, I get e-mails and letters from folks wondering where the ideas come from. This is a rather interesting situation for me, since I've spent the past twenty-some years writing about real crime cases. You see, when you write true crime, you don't make up any of the details, the characters. The plots are constructed not by me but those involved, from the killers to the investigators who solve the cases.

Fiction, of course, is a whole new set of circumstances. To research a true crime book, I sit in a courtroom listening to testimony and then follow up with often more than one hundred interviews, before I even sit down to write. With fiction, I settle in at my computer, hands poised over the keyboard, stare at the blank screen, a horrible, scary sight, and think: Okay. This is it. Start writing.

Ah, but where to begin?

You know, we all have stories to draw on, tales to tell, based on our experiences. But then again, I'm living a rather strange life, so maybe I have more unusual ones than most folks? You be the judge.

For example, let's look at my second novel, Blood Lines, which just hit bookstores this past week. It's the second in a series about a Texas Ranger/profiler named Sarah Armstrong. In the first book, Singularity, Sarah hunted a serial killer. This time around, in Blood Lines, there are two cases for Sarah to solve: the first, a celebrity is being stalked; the second, did oil-exec Billie Cox really commit suicide? The basis of both plots stem, at least partly, from my own life.

The celebrity plot has its roots on an afternoon shopping trip. Along with writing about crime, I spent more than twenty years writing feature articles for national magazines. Some of that time, I hobnobbed with celebrities, and one rather unusual interview was with Roseanne Barr. First off: she is as funny in person as on TV. She's irreverent and in-your-face, not suffering fools well. And she's unpredictable. The interview took place in her Los Angeles-area home, a big English Tudor with security gates. After we talked, just out of curiosity, I asked, "So, what's it like being a television star? Can you do normal things, like taking an afternoon walk?"

"Sure," Roseanne said. "Let's go." Fifteen minutes later, we were out her front door and trekking through the neighborhood. All went well, until Roseanne decided to stop at a small local strip center, maybe half a mile down the road from the house, to drop in at the bookstore. We arrived, looked through an upscale dress shop, then hit the bookstore, where Roseanne had a book on order, a true crime book on a Mormon murder. Turns out Roseanne is a true crime fan, and growing up in Salt Lake City, Utah, hey, why not a book on a Mormon murder?

After the bookstore, we walked through the courtyard area. It was there that Roseanne was spotted. Someone screamed her name and ran toward her, and in less than a minute, we were surrounded by a crowd that grew larger with each passing second. They pushed in, and we could barely move. I was terrified, but Roseanne just whispered, "Kathryn, head down. We're walking." We did, snaking our way through the crush. And we kept walking, fast, while some followed us, throwing their business cards and screaming Roseanne's name.

That afternoon was a vivid lesson in the downside of being a celebrity. On the way back to the house, Roseanne remarked that life isn't always what one expects, and that fame doesn't always open as many doors as it closes. From that experience came the idea for Cassidy Collins, the superstar teen in my new book, who's being stalked by a cunning adversary who calls himself Argus.

Blood Lines' second plot line, the suicide, is also a joint product of imagination and experience.

About fifteen years ago, a woman died a block and a half from my house. An attractive and successful woman, she was found on her bed with a gunshot wound to the forehead. The autopsy report read suicide, but few in my neighborhood agreed. Most whispered of an unfaithful husband who quickly married his mistress and a large life-insurance policy. I walked by that house daily for many years, a beautiful home, meticulously cared for, and wondered who pulled the trigger.

So, perhaps I'm odd, but I think probably not. Whether it's a newspaper article that sparks an idea or something an author sees on the street, my bet is most fiction writers begin by drawing from the outside world and then let their imaginations take over to form their characters and plots. Hope you enjoy Blood Lines. It sure was fun to write.

P.S. For those of you in the Houston area, mark your calendars. My first book signing for Blood Lines will be at Murder by the Book on Wednesday, August 26th, 6:30 p.m. I'd love to meet you.

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Hello Houston

Last weekend, you read about the release of Diane Fanning's new book, PUNISH THE DEED. If you live in the Houston area, next weekend is your opportunity to meet the author and ask questions about her Lucinda Pierce mystery series.

Join Diane for her booksigning event at Murder by the Book, 2342 Bissonnet, in Houston, Texas, this coming Saturday, April 4 at 4:30pm.

PUNISH THE DEED--because no good deed goes unpunished.

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Murder in Disguise

by Susan Murphy-Milano

Rhoni Reuter, 42, was 7 months pregnant when Marni Yang, 41, walked into the woman’s Deerfield condominium on August 3, 2007, emptying seven rounds into the first-time mother.

According to police reports, before fleeing the scene, Marni (pictured above left) took a few items. Among them, a silver and pearl bracelet with the word "pregnant" engraved inside.

It is likely the story would not have made front-page headlines if not for the fact Reuter (above right) was carrying the baby of ex-Bears football player Shaun Gayle. The couple had an on again-off again relationship for 17 years.

Out of a true-crime book that could have been penned by any of several WCI contributors, Marni Yang spent months planning Rhoni Reuter's murder. She bought a book on “How to Make a Disposable Silencer," and learned to fire a 9 MM weapon using numerous grips at a shooting range. Using someone else’s credit card, she rented a car and changed the license plates on the car to plates with stolen plates from another. Her disguise consisted of a hairnet, swim cap, and wig. Yang bought one of those disposable cell phones to take with her the day of the murder so it couldn’t be tracked through a cell tower.

How did Marni Yang know where Rhoni Reuter lived? Herein lies part of the problem that the media and law enforcement are not discussing.

Marni Yang was a real-estate broker. She represented ex-Bears player Shaun Gayle (pictured right) on a number of property transactions. Because of her real-estate business, Yang had access to the personal information of the women the football player was dating. She used her computer to send threatening e-mails, and stalked Gayle’s serious romantic interests.

A real-estate person has many tools at their disposal through the Internet. Real-estate companies such as Coldwell Banker, Century 21, ReMax, etc. provide their sales agents with easier access to programs the way a law enforcement officer runs a license plate. A Realtor can access a person's information via property tax, treasurer’s office, and tax identification databases. Yes, this information is public record. But for the layman, it takes longer to research. And, unlike a law enforcement officer who attempts to conduct a private search, there are footprints and accountability when accessing this information. A real-estate agent leaves no trail or footprint.

After the arrest of Marni Yang, people on the Internet left comments pointing fingers at the ex-Bear, implying that he possibly led Marni on, or failed to inform police he was in a romantic relationship with her. It happened as I made media rounds on live radio and television shows commenting on the crime.

We always seem to react and point fingers. The fact is, Shaun Gayle is a tragic victim. Marni Yang murdered this woman and her unborn child all by herself!

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It's a Crime

by Diane Fanning

This year, give the gift of crime. No. I am not suggesting that you break in to your neighbor's home and take custody of the nicely wrapped Wii under their tree. I'm suggesting that you take a look at the wealth of crime books available for your gift giving.

And while you're at it, think about shopping at your local independent book stores. They are all in a serious crisis caused by the economic downturn. Yes, Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com aren't having it easy either but odds are they will weather the storm. The small shops are in a more precarious position.

On this subject, Roy Blount, Jr. (right) wrote a Holiday Message in the Author's Guild newsletter: "We don't want bookstores to die. Authors need them, and so do neighborhoods. So let's mount a book-buying splurge."

I say we all take up Roy's challenge. Shop at your area independent store or visit one on-line. My personal favorite is Murder by the Book in Houston. Not only do they have a delightfully crime-centric store but they also have a huge assortment of autographed books which make very special gifts.

In addition to signed books, here are a few other ideas for giving the gift of crime:

• Grab a few true crime paperbacks to stuff in a stocking.
  
• Pick up a group of books by different authors all set in a locale that has special significance for the recipient.
  
• Select books written by authors in your home state for someone far away who misses home.
  
• If you know someone interested in a particular type of crime, pull together a combination of fiction and non-fiction books featuring that element.


• Or be even more creative--start with Stacy Dittrich's book, The Devil's Closet, and find other crime books with a doll on the cover.
  

Do your part this holiday season to keep these independent operations stores alive through 2009. Don't let the Grinch of an economic downturn shutter their doors.

If the Grinch wasn't a fictional character, profilers would undoubtedly label him a sociopath--and Pat Brown would be the first to tell you not to trust his contrition at the story's end. Be a grinch-fighter, shop an independent book store and give the gift of crime fiction and non-fiction books this year.

Whatever you choose, books are great gifts. For Christmas. For Hanakuh. For Kwanzaa. Forever.

See below for the mysteries, thrillers, true accounts and informational crime books, released in 2008 by the contributors of Women in Crime Ink.

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The Trophy Exchange

by Diane Fanning

Spending dozens of hours talking with a serial killer has a permanent impact. The experience often pops up in your mind at predictable, as well as, quite unlikely and inappropriate times.

So, of course, when I sat down to write my first police procedural, I just had to put a serial killer in it. Nonetheless, that is not the character in the book that fascinates me the most.

Lieutenant Lucinda Pierce, Homicide Detective, is my real focus. Life's been rough for her lately. She lost an eye and disfigured her face responding to a domestic violence call. She accidentally killed a small child in the middle of a shoot-out with his father.

Now she's up against a serial killer and her main suspect is a highly respected doctor known for his international relief work.

It's a good thing Lucinda doesn't mind bending the rules.

In a starred review, Kirkus wrote: "Fanning has produced an exciting, emotionally intense story with a complex heroine whose future adventures will be widely anticipated."

Library Journal "highly recommended" THE TROPHY EXCHANGE calling it a "near-perfect police procedural." And Booklist chimed in, too: "Fanning's true-crime experience gives the story added verisimilitude and she has made great strides in tightening her storytelling. She is one to watch." Verisimilitude? Now, that's a word you don't see in a sentence too often.

The first chapter is posted on my website so that you can sample the book.

I have a signing in Houston at Murder By the Book on Thursday, August 7 at 6:30pm. Check the calendar on my website for other signings in San Antonio, Austin and Round Rock.

So hurry up and read it. The next Lucinda book is already at the publisher. PUNISH THE DEED is scheduled for release in the UK in December and in the US in March 2009.

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