137cover250Hi Everyone,

The appeal of crime fiction knows no borders, as Fuminori Nakamura ably demonstrates. He’s a growing force, both in his native Japan and in the West, and he recently received the David L. Goodis Award for Noir Fiction at the NoirCon convention in Philadelphia. Nakamura says his influences range from Ryunosuke Akutagawa (Rashomon, Hell Gate) to Dostoyevsky to Camus to...Agatha Christie, surprisingly.

Ed Gorman makes an equally interesting connection by proposing we look at Charlotte Armstrong as a purveyor of suburban noir. While most readers will remember her for classic thrillers like The Gift Shop or A Dram of Poison, Gorman points us to Armstrong’s grittier side.

Few children would ever suspect their mother of having been a masked crimefighter back in the day. Raymond Benson took this unlikely premise and turned it into rousing good fun in the Black Stiletto series. The final book, Black Stiletto: Endings & Beginnings, is out now. Every one of my four sisters highly recommends this series!

Joseph Goodrich relates the delightful tale of how one brief telephone conversation with Dilys Winn, founder of the world’s first mystery bookshop, set his 13-year-old self on the path to a literary career.

Jeff Cohen and E.J. Copperman are collaborating on a new series about a detective with Asperger’s syndrome. The two writers have a lot in common—which makes sense since they’re one and the same person. Cheryl Solimini explains.

Roy Huggins named names of possible Communists in the McCarthy era. Should that influence our opinion of his work as a mystery writer and one of the most successful television producers of all time? Read Jake Hinkson’s profile and decide.

Our annual gift guide is back and this year I received my present early: an introduction to Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, the TV show based on Kerry Greenwood’s delightful novels about a flapper detective in 1920s Australia. I also have my eye on the Nancy Drew booksafe and the Vive Gamache! Café au lait mugs, and the Mockingbird Necklace... You’ll find lots of good ideas, too!

Wishing all of you a wonderful holiday season and a happy and healthy 2015!

Kate Stine
Editor-in-chief

at-the-scene-fall-issue-137
4711