by Mar Preston
I write what’s called police procedurals, where the investigator solving the murder is a member of a law enforcement agency. But there’s so many other kinds to draw in a reader: blood-spattered thrillers, cozies (the bloodless kind), cooking and quilting mysteries, even damned good mysteries told from the point of view of the dog or the cat. At the other end is noir and pulp fiction.
You could find them all at Bouchercon, the annual mystery/thriller writers convention, which brought more than 400 authors last week to St. Louis. Up for discussion among authors, fans, and booksellers were the how-to aspects of crime fiction, the volatile publishing industry, an auction of character names, and award for the year’s best whodunits.
Writers spend a lot of time alone with a keyboard. But at Bouchercon, they get to talk to each other, meet new authors, librarians, booksellers, and admire their favorites. I did hear that one budding author shoved a manuscript under a toilet stall. That’s not cool, but it sure is funny.
For a list of nominees and winners, see Publisher’s Lunch.
Here are some highlights:
• Sara Paretsky revolutionized American crime writing when she introduced a tough woman detective, V.I. Warshawski, in 1982. She was honored with a lifetime achievement award.
• Robert Crais and Charlaine Harris are American guests of honor. Harris, whose Sookie Stackhouse books have been adapted as “True Blood” on HBO, started her career with more conventional mysteries. Crais, who wrote scripts for “Hill Street Blues” and “Miami Vice,” is now known for his Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series.
• Val McDermid of Britain and Colin Cotterill of Southeast Asia are international guests of honor; St. Louis’ Robert Randisi and John Lutz are dubbed local living legends. Ridley Pearson is the event’s toastmaster.
Big name authors hung around after panels, and in the bookroom. Approachable and ready to strike up a conversation, they were amenable to having their photos taken, or sign books. New authors are delighted to talk. We were all there to network, after all. But shoving my manuscript under a toilet stall? I draw the line there.
Mar Preson is the author is No Dice, the first in the Dave Mason mystery series.
