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MarciaMuller.com Newsletter

November 2007

November First...

Now in Stores --- THE EVER-RUNNING MAN

Now in Paperback --- VANISHING POINT

The Current Contest
Visit MarciaMuller.com
Read about Marcia's books here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sign Marcia's Guestbook

November First...

Crisp air flavored by woodsmoke, red and golden leaves amid the green oaks and eucalyptus, smashed pumpkins and other Halloween wreckage on the streets.  Autumn is here.

This month sees the publication by Five Star of Bill’s and my collection, CRUCIFIXION RIVER. Although it’s billed as a western, the stories are also tales of crime and detection. Five have been previously published, but there are three new ones: a novella by the two of us, a John Quincannon story by Bill, and a Sabina Carpenter story by me. None have been collected in the same volume before, and we’re very excited about it.

November, of course, is the beginning of the holidays. Special gatherings with friends and family, leading up to Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. This year is a bittersweet one for me: in May I lost a beloved brother, but the gains have been great, too. My closest sister and her husband (to say nothing of their 28-pound cat) moved from Michigan to live five minutes away from us, and dear friends from the Sacramento area, who have stood by us through thick and thin, bought a home here. The key word for this year’s holidays is change, but they will be good ones.

Similarly, Sharon McCone has been going through changes in BURN OUT, to be published by Grand Central Books (formerly Warner Books) next October.  In it, you’ll see a McCone you’ve never glimpsed before: doubting her desire to go on with her profession and deeply mired in depression. But, as with her creator, doubts are resolved, depression lifts and, as the holidays descend upon her, her life takes a new and satisfying direction.

I hope you all have very happy holidays.  Back to you in the spring!

Visit the website here.

Now in Stores --- THE EVER-RUNNING MAN

Sharon McCone is hired by her husband's security firm to track down "the ever-running man," a shadowy figure who has been leaving explosive devices at their various offices. She doesn't have to search for long. When McCone narrowly escapes an explosion at the security firm's San Francisco offices, she catches a glimpse of his retreating figure. The ever-running man is dangerously close -- and anyone connected to the firm seems to be within his deadly range. To complicate matters, McCone is forced to question her intensely private husband, Hy, about his involvement in some of the firm's dark secrets. The history of corruption may jeopardize their marriage, but uncovering the secrets of the firm may be the only way she can save her husband's life, and her own.

Read an excerpt here.

Click here to read more about THE EVER-RUNNING MAN.



Now in Paperback --- VANISHING POINT

VANISHING POINT, McCone's 24th adventure, begins just after she and her longtime lover Hy Ripinsky have finally tied the knot. But there isn't much time for celebration. At a family reception she agrees to investigate the disappearance, 22 years before, of Laurel Greenwood, an artist and housewife who inexplicably vanished leaving behind two young daughters and a husband.

New evidence suggests that the woman may have led a strange double life. But before McCone can penetrate that tangled web she must first solve a second disappearance that of her client -- Laurel Greenwood's grown daughter.

From the central California coast, to the gold-mining area, to the lush hills of south central Oregon, Sharon follows the chilling evidence. It is one of her most complex cases, bringing her up against two truly dysfunctional marriages -- just as she embarks on her own.

Read an excerpt here.

Click here to read more about VANISHING POINT.



The Current Contest

Subscribers who sign up for Marcia Muller's newsletter by December 31, 2007 will be entered in a contest to win a paperback of VANISHING POINT. 

Send your friends here to subscribe to the newsletter.





MarciaMuller.com Newsletter

July 2007

Happy Summer!

Now in Stores --- THE EVER-RUNNING MAN

Now in Paperback --- VANISHING POINT

New Signing Date

The Current Contest
Visit MarciaMuller.com
Read about Marcia's books here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sign Marcia's Guestbook

Happy Summer!

If I sound somewhat giddy, it’s because today -- a couple of hours ago, actually -- I finished with McCone’s next case, BURN OUT. She's definitely in a sorry state, worn out by previous cases and thinking of selling her agency. I can’t reveal to you how she solves her problem; she forbids me to do so.

The above paragraph shows how deeply we writers of series fiction identify -- and are bossed around by -- our characters. Sharon and I have been together since 1972, when I penned my first, abortive attempts about her, and the connection grows stronger year by year.

And she grows bossier.

This month marks the publication of the 25th McCone novel, THE EVER- RUNNING MAN. It’s available to buy at all the usual places, and should be in the stores now. I think I’ve mentioned that it’s an explosive case -- literally -- and I’ve been extremely gratified by the advance reviews. I’ve kind of made a career of blowing things up, but now I think I’ve finally gotten it out of my system.

Onward to other forms of mayhem....

A collection of my short stories, SOMEWHERE IN THE CITY, was due out from Pegasus Books on June 1, but the ship date now says August 31.

To those of you who have preordered it, I apologize for the publisher’s delay. Bill and I have a collection of western short stories -- with a new co-authored novella and also John Quincannon and Sabina Carpenter stories (I borrowed Sabina for my contributions) -- to be published by Five Star in November. And, finally, 1001 MIDNIGHTS: THE AFICIONADO’S GUIDE TO MYSTERY AND DETECTIVE FICTION, has been reissued in its original format, with a new introduction, by Battered Silicon Dispatch Box. Copies can be ordered by e-mail from gav@bmts.com.

So that’s the news on the writing/publishing front. Otherwise the weather is balmy here, and life is good. I wish you all the best the summer season can offer.

Back to you in the fall.

--Marcia Muller

Visit the website here.

Now in Stores --- THE EVER-RUNNING MAN

Sharon McCone is hired by her husband's security firm to track down "the ever-running man," a shadowy figure who has been leaving explosive devices at their various offices. She doesn't have to search for long. When McCone narrowly escapes an explosion at the security firm's San Francisco offices, she catches a glimpse of his retreating figure. The ever-running man is dangerously close -- and anyone connected to the firm seems to be within his deadly range. To complicate matters, McCone is forced to question her intensely private husband, Hy, about his involvement in some of the firm's dark secrets. The history of corruption may jeopardize their marriage, but uncovering the secrets of the firm may be the only way she can save her husband's life, and her own.

Read an excerpt here.

Click here to read more about THE EVER-RUNNING MAN.



Now in Paperback --- VANISHING POINT

VANISHING POINT, McCone's 24th adventure, begins just after she and her longtime lover Hy Ripinsky have finally tied the knot. But there isn't much time for celebration. At a family reception she agrees to investigate the disappearance, 22 years before, of Laurel Greenwood, an artist and housewife who inexplicably vanished leaving behind two young daughters and a husband.

New evidence suggests that the woman may have led a strange double life. But before McCone can penetrate that tangled web she must first solve a second disappearance that of her client -- Laurel Greenwood's grown daughter.

From the central California coast, to the gold-mining area, to the lush hills of south central Oregon, Sharon follows the chilling evidence. It is one of her most complex cases, bringing her up against two truly dysfunctional marriages -- just as she embarks on her own.

Read an excerpt here.

Click here to read more about VANISHING POINT.



New Signing Date

Saturday, July 14th, 2:00 pm
Signing with Bill Pronzini
M is for Mystery
74 E. Third Avenue
San Mateo, CA

Click here to see all of Marcia's tour dates.



The Current Contest
Subscribers who sign up for Marcia Muller's newsletter by September 30, 2007 will be entered into a random drawing to win a signed copy of POINT DECEPTION.
Send your friends here to subscribe to the newsletter.





MarciaMuller.com Newsletter

April 2007

Finally Spring!

Now in Stores --- SOMEWHERE IN THE CITY

Coming July 12th --- THE EVER-RUNNING MAN

New Signing Dates

The Current Contest
Visit MarciaMuller.com
Read about Marcia's books here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sign Marcia's Guestbook

Finally Spring!

We're out of the winter doldrums here in northern California, and glad of it ---although I have to say that I get a lot of work done in those first few gloomy months of the year.

Two days ago I received the advance reading copies of this year's McCone novel, THE EVER-RUNNING MAN. It has a beautiful cover, and the jacket copy says it's one of Sharon's "most explosive cases."

This is true; many things blow up. My editor told me that it must be "very cathartic" to fictionally detonate that much, but I could tell from his tone that he was relieved to live on the opposite coast from me. My husband, Bill Pronzini, has made me promise that I won't blow anything else up for at least three books to come!

More about the new book as publication date, July 12, approaches.

April 1 was the publication date of my new short story collection, SOMEWHERE IN THE CITY, from Pegasus Books. The tales are all previously published, but some in obscure places, so they'll be unfamiliar to most readers. And finally, in November, a western collection of Bill's and my stories, CRUCIFIXION RIVER, will be published by Five Star. It contains a new collaborative novella, as well as an original John Quincannon story by Bill and a Sabina Carpenter story by me. Sabina's really Bill's character (and Quincannon's professional partner), so it was interesting to write from her viewpoint and see Quincannon through her eyes.

Back to work on next year's McCone novel, BURN OUT, now. No, I haven't taken to burning things up. The title refers to her emotional state after this year's explosive case, and she's sought refuge at Hy's and her ranch in the high desert to contemplate her future. Soon, however, she finds other mysterious things to contemplate....

Back to you in July. Have a great spring!

--Marcia Muller

Visit the website here.

Now in Stores --- SOMEWHERE IN THE CITY

"Her stories crackle like few others on the mystery landscape."
-San Francisco Chronicle

"One of the treasures of the genre."
-Chicago Tribune

A new collection of Marcia Muller's best short fiction from the past twenty years, including hardboiled private-eye, horror, western, and psychological suspense stories.

Click here to read more about SOMEWHERE IN THE CITY.



Coming July 12th --- THE EVER-RUNNING MAN

Sharon McCone is hired by her husband's security firm to track down "the ever-running man," a shadowy figure who has been leaving explosive devices at their various offices. She doesn't have to search for long. When McCone narrowly escapes an explosion at the security firm's San Francisco offices, she catches a glimpse of his retreating figure. The ever-running man is dangerously close --- and anyone connected to the firm seems to be within his deadly range. To complicate matters, McCone is forced to question her intensely private husband, Hy, about his involvement in some of the firm's dark secrets. The history of corruption may jeopardize their marriage, but uncovering the secrets of the firm may be the only way she can save her husband's life, and her own.

Click here to read more about THE EVER-RUNNING MAN.



New Signing Dates

Friday, May 18 - 7:30 pm
Signing with Bill Pronzini
The Madelyn Helling Library,
980 Helling Avenue,
Nevada City, CA

Saturday, July 14 2:00 pm
Signing with Bill Pronzini
M is for Mystery
74 E. Third Avenue
San Mateo, CA

Click here to see all of Marcia's tour dates.



The Current Contest
Subscribers who sign up for Marcia Muller's newsletter by June 30, 2007 will be entered into a random drawing to win one of seven signed copies of CAPE PERDIDO.
Send your friends here to subscribe to the newsletter.





MarciaMuller.com Newsletter

December 2006

Here it is --- Already December!

Now in Stores: VANISHING POINT

Now Available in Paperback --- CAPE PERDIDO

The Current Contest!
Visit MarciaMuller.com
Read about Marcia's books here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sign Marcia's Guestbook

Here it is --- Already December!

The last few months have flown by for Bill and me. I delivered Sharon McCone's next case, THE EVER-RUNNING MAN, in September. Then we began working on a collaborative western short-story collection, CRUCIFIXION RIVER, which will be out from Five Star Books about this time next year.

"Western" is a loose term for these stories; there's a McCone and a "Nameless Detective", and one other is set as far east as Minnesota. The title novella, which we wrote together, is set in the Sacramento Delta in the 1880's.

In the middle of that process, we went to the Big Island of Hawaii for a "restful" vacation, and awoke halfway through it to a massive earthquake --- 6.7 on the Richter Scale --- followed by a second; this one 6.3.

We noticed the neighbors fleeing to higher ground, realized that earthquakes at sea can produce tsunamis, and followed. No tsunami, but we met some interesting people while we looked out to sea and waited for the civil defense radio to tell us we could go home. Miraculously, nothing in the seaside house we were renting broke, although stuff was tossed around.

Turns out we were 4 miles from the epicenter! So much for restful. Upon our return, we finished the CRUCIFIXION RIVER project. I made some revisions on THE EVER-RUNNING MAN. Bill revised and delivered his next "Nameless" novel, FEVER. I did an introduction for a "best of" --- or maybe "the author's favorites of" --- short-story collection, SOMEWHERE IN THE CITY, to be published on April 1 --- I'm not sure April Fool's Day is an auspicious date --- of next year by Pegasus Books.

And --- oh, my God, I'm making myself tired just thinking of all this! --- we then corrected the proofs for a reissue of 1001 MIDNIGHTS: THE AFICIANADO'S GUIDE TO MYSTERY AND DETECTIVE FICTION (originally published in 1985), which will be out in late January by --- you're not going to believe this -- The Battered Silicon Dispatch Box Press.  

Yeah, really. I couldn't believe it myself. They're a very good, small Canadian outfit, and their publisher really wanted to see 1001 back in print. Proofing it was a retro experience: imagine a reference work on the genre that doesn't mention such writers as Laurie King, Michael Connelly, Laura Lippman, or Robert Crais.  But due to the huge number of the mini-reviews contained within, there's no way we could --- or would --- update it without going completely insane. While proofing it, it was good to revisit the capsule descriptions of books we'd read and, mostly, loved 22 years ago.

One thing I should point out about my web site: I've had to remove the option to contact me directly. Not because I didn't enjoy messages from readers, but because what web-savvy people call "robo-spammers" have infiltrated my account. I was getting up to 150 spam messages per day, and usually it was difficult to separate out the real people from the robots. I always enjoy hearing from you on the guest book, and if you wish to contact me in perrson, you can always do so through the publicity department at Warner Books.

I hope you all had a very good Thanksgiving, and that your holidays will be happy ones. Back to you next spring!

--Marcia Muller

Visit the website here.

Now in Stores: VANISHING POINT

VANISHING POINT, McCone's 24th adventure, begins just after she and her longtime lover Hy Ripinsky have finally tied the knot. But there isn't much time for celebration. At a family reception she agrees to investigate the disappearance, 22 years before, of Laurel Greenwood, an artist and housewife who inexplicably vanished leaving behind two young daughters and a husband. New evidence suggests that the woman may have led a strange double life. But before McCone can penetrate that tangled web she must first solve a second disappearance that of her client --- Laurel Greenwood's grown daughter. From the central California coast, to the gold-mining area, to the lush hills of south central Oregon, Sharon follows the chilling evidence. It is one of her most complex cases, bringing her up against two truly dysfunctional marriages --- just as she embarks on her own.

Click here to read more about VANISHING POINT.



Now Available in Paperback --- CAPE PERDIDO

Marcia Muller, bestselling author of the acclaimed series starring San Francisco P.I. Sharon McCone, returns to the remote northern California coast of Point Deception and Cyanide Wells with an exciting new novel. A riveting mystery full of atmosphere and suspense, this tale explores the dark heart of a small town where passion --- and murder --- runs as deep as the river that flows through it... CAPE PERDIDO.

Amid ancient redwoods and sun-dappled reeds, the Perdido River runs clear and cold from the mountains of Soledad County to the blue Pacific. A wildlife refuge and a pristine recreational area, the river brings tourists to the old lumber town of Cape Perdido...and flows through the memories and hearts of the rugged people who have settled there since the Gold Rush days.

Now that is about to change. An out-of-state corporation wants to pump the river nearly dry and float the water to southern California's thirsty cities in huge rubber rafts. With lobbyists, lawyers, and dirty tricks, the company intends to get what it wants --- any way it can.

Against this corporate Goliath, a community protest group and four unusual individuals are drawing a line in the sand. Flying in from New York City, ecologist Jessie Domingo hopes to grab headlines for her cause. Environmentalist Joseph Openshaw has come back to the home, and the secrets, he left behind decades ago. His former lover, local restaurateur Steph Pace, fears both the emotions and the ghosts arriving to haunt her. And old man Timothy McNear, owner of the defunct mill that once employed most of the town, silently broods about the sins he has hidden for too long.

But no one envisions what will happen when the crack of a sniper's bullet sets off a chain of desperate acts. As the peace of this small town is shattered, murder stains Cape Perdido, and one by one, those who stand tall for a cause may be swept away by the current of a town's ugly truths --- and a killer's revenge.

-Click here to read an excerpt from CAPE PERDIDO.

Click here to read more about CAPE PERDIDO.

The Current Contest!
Subscribers who sign up for Marcia Muller's newsletter by December 31st, 2006 will be entered into a random drawing to win a copy of TIME OF THE WOLVES.
Send your friends here to subscribe to the newsletter.





MarciaMuller.com Newsletter

July 2006

Celebrate Summer with VANISHING POINT!

VANISHING POINT Hits Shelves on July 10th!

Now Available in Paperback --- CAPE PERDIDO

The Current Contest!
Visit MarciaMuller.com
Read about Marcia's books here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sign Marcia's Guestbook

Celebrate Summer with VANISHING POINT!

Sharon McCone's 24th major investigation, VANISHING POINT, goes on sale July 10th. This time she's trying to solve a 22-year-old cold case, the mysterious disappearance of Laurel Greenwood, a Paso Robles housewife. The job she undertakes for Laurel's grown daughter takes her from San Francisco to the central coast of California, and eventually to south central Oregon. But first she has a post wedding party to attend. That's right --- a wedding. She and Hy Ripinsky have finally tied the knot.
 
The wedding party scene was tremendously fun to write, as was a later wedding reception thrown by Sharon's adoptive mother, in which her extended family --- biological and adoptive --- come together for the first time. But even though she's married, McCone --- who is no poster woman for the concept of commitment --- continues to question the institution. Particularly when her investigation leads to a series of unpleasant discoveries that lay bare the rotten foundations of two marriages. Even with her ever-growing office staff mobilized to assist her, the case is a difficult one: she has to contend with the conflicting and cloudy memories of the witnesses to Laurel's disappearance, as well as their omissions and outright lies. Then there's the story leaked to the newspaper about her investigation, which leaves her feeling exposed and vulnerable. And the shot that someone takes at her in the courtyard of her hotel. And the disappearance of her client --- a disappearance that eerily mirrors her mother's.  Plus there's the fact that Ripinsky is spending an inordinate amount of time at his security firm's training camp in the desert.
 
As I'm writing this, Sharon is in the home stretch of her next adventure, THE EVER-RUNNING MAN, which you can expect out at this time next year. It's an explosive tale --- literally --- and because blowing things up fictionally is a great stress reliever, it's moving right along. Although in recent years I've been alternating between series and nonseries books, I made the decision last year to concentrate exclusively on the McCones. After all, she has so many more stories to tell....
 
Have a great summer!  Back to you in the fall.

--Marcia Muller (Marcia@MarciaMuller.com)

Visit the website here.

VANISHING POINT Hits Shelves on July 10th!

VANISHING POINT, McCone's 24th adventure, begins just after she and her longtime lover Hy Ripinsky have finally tied the knot. But there isn't much time for celebration. At a family reception she agrees to investigate the disappearance, 22 years before, of Laurel Greenwood, an artist and housewife who inexplicably vanished leaving behind two young daughters and a husband. New evidence suggests that the woman may have led a strange double life. But before McCone can penetrate that tangled web she must first solve a second disappearance that of her client --- Laurel Greenwood's grown daughter. From the central California coast, to the gold-mining area, to the lush hills of south central Oregon, Sharon follows the chilling evidence. It is one of her most complex cases, bringing her up against two truly dysfunctional marriages --- just as she embarks on her own.

Click here to read more about VANISHING POINT.



Now Available in Paperback --- CAPE PERDIDO

Marcia Muller, bestselling author of the acclaimed series starring San Francisco P.I. Sharon McCone, returns to the remote northern California coast of Point Deception and Cyanide Wells with an exciting new novel. A riveting mystery full of atmosphere and suspense, this tale explores the dark heart of a small town where passion --- and murder --- runs as deep as the river that flows through it... CAPE PERDIDO.

Amid ancient redwoods and sun-dappled reeds, the Perdido River runs clear and cold from the mountains of Soledad County to the blue Pacific. A wildlife refuge and a pristine recreational area, the river brings tourists to the old lumber town of Cape Perdido...and flows through the memories and hearts of the rugged people who have settled there since the Gold Rush days.

Now that is about to change. An out-of-state corporation wants to pump the river nearly dry and float the water to southern California's thirsty cities in huge rubber rafts. With lobbyists, lawyers, and dirty tricks, the company intends to get what it wants --- any way it can.

Against this corporate Goliath, a community protest group and four unusual individuals are drawing a line in the sand. Flying in from New York City, ecologist Jessie Domingo hopes to grab headlines for her cause. Environmentalist Joseph Openshaw has come back to the home, and the secrets, he left behind decades ago. His former lover, local restaurateur Steph Pace, fears both the emotions and the ghosts arriving to haunt her. And old man Timothy McNear, owner of the defunct mill that once employed most of the town, silently broods about the sins he has hidden for too long.

But no one envisions what will happen when the crack of a sniper's bullet sets off a chain of desperate acts. As the peace of this small town is shattered, murder stains Cape Perdido, and one by one, those who stand tall for a cause may be swept away by the current of a town's ugly truths --- and a killer's revenge.

-Click here to read an excerpt from CAPE PERDIDO.

Click here to read more about CAPE PERDIDO.

The Current Contest!
Subscribers who sign up for Marcia Muller's newsletter by September 30th, 2006 will be entered into a random drawing to win one of five copies of the paperback edition of CAPE PERDIDO. 
Send your friends here to subscribe to the newsletter.





MarciaMuller.com Newsletter

March 2006

News And A Very Special Conversation

VANISHING POINT Hits Shelves on July 10th!

Coming out in Paperback July 1st --- CAPE PERDIDO

The Current Contest!
Visit MarciaMuller.com
Read about Marcia's books here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sign Marcia's Guestbook

News And A Very Special Conversation

Since it's the end of the gloomy month of March (and April doesn't promise to be much better in Northern California), nothing much is happening here. VANISHING POINT, the next Sharon McCone, isn't due out till July, but she and I are moving ahead with her 2007 case, THE EVER-RUNNING MAN. I did have an interesting conversation with McCone recently, and I thought I'd share it with you.
  
A CONVERSATION BETWEEN SHARON McCONE AND HER CREATOR, MARCIA MULLER

I'm climbing the spiral staircase to Her office --- Marcia Muller, my creator and lord and master of all things McCone. I've been here before, mostly peering over her shoulder and whispering, "Look, these vacations you send me on every other year while you write about those people up in Soledad County are fun, but get on with it, will you, so I can see some action again."

The loft where she works is as messy as ever: maps and aerial sectionals and books and papers strewn all over the floor, and a big orange extension cord snaking through it all to the space heater. And there she is, sitting at the computer. Probably ordering something off the Internet.

She's not writing about me; when she is, I'm right there, going through my paces. She's expecting me, though, and she swivels to face me.

"Back with more questions, are you?" she asks.
   
"A few." I move around her and perch on the edge of the desk.

"Let's get started, then," she tells me.

"First, have you gotten this Soledad County thing out of your system?"

"Why? Are you jealous?"

"I just need to know so I can plan my schedule."

The corners of her mouth twitch. She knows I'm jealous.

"Well," she says, "Soledad's really a very small county.  I think I've said all I have to say about it."

"So I'm back for good."

"You're back for good.  Unless..."

"Unless?"

"Unless something absolutely fascinating occurs to me and I just have to write about it."
   
Nothing's more fascinating than my life.  I'm back for good.
  
"Next question," she adds.

"Since I first appeared in 1977 you've put me through a lot of changes:

I left the law co-op where my career started and established my own agency; I met Hy Ripinsky and became an airplane pilot; I found out I was adopted and met my birth family; and now I'm married to Ripinsky --- which, by the way, is the most bizarre event of all.  Did you know from the beginning that these things were going to happen?"
 
"No. I found out at roughly the same time you did.  But I'd written the reasons for all those changes into your story early on. The adoption, for instance:  the clues were all there, years before you found out about it. You didn't look like your brothers and sisters; you described yourself as a white sheep in a family of black sheep; you never quite felt at home anyplace. By the way, how's married life?"

I have to think about that. "Weird. Things are the same, yet not the same. In a good way."

She nods; of course she already knew that. "Next question."

"You remember DOUBLE, the book you wrote with your husband, Bill Pronzini. I was teamed with his Nameless Detective. Are we going to share any more cases?"

"Probably not.  He's semi-retired, you know.  Oh--and he has a name now, at least a first one."

"What's that?"

"Bill."
   
Writers! They live vicariously through their characters. But that's okay --- they get to do all the work, and we characters get to have all the adventures.

"One last question," I say, "and then I'll be going. This Mystery Writers of America Grand Master award that you got last spring: who else is on the list with me?"

"Agatha Christie."

"No, I mean me."

"Oh, I see. Miss Jane Marple. Hercule Poirot."

"That silly Belgian?"

"He's not so bad. Try Perry Mason."

"The last of the honest lawyers."

"Lew Archer. The gang at the Eighty-seventh Precinct.John Dortmunder. Joe Leaphorn."

"Now you're talking!  I love all of them."

"So do I. Any more questions?"

"Not now.  But I'll be back."

"I know you will."  She turns toward her computer.

On my out, I steal a glance over her shoulder to see what she was working on. I guessed right: LLBean.com.

Back to you in June, with more details on the new book!

--Marcia Muller (Marcia@MarciaMuller.com)
Visit the website here.

VANISHING POINT Hits Shelves on July 10th!

VANISHING POINT, McCone's 24th adventure, begins just after she and her longtime lover Hy Ripinsky have finally tied the knot. But there isn't much time for celebration. At a family reception she agrees to investigate the disappearance, 22 years before, of Laurel Greenwood, an artist and housewife who inexplicably vanished leaving behind two young daughters and a husband. New evidence suggests that the woman may have led a strange double life. But before McCone can penetrate that tangled web she must first solve a second disappearance that of her client-Laurel Greenwood's grown daughter. From the central California coast, to the gold-mining area, to the lush hills of south central Oregon, Sharon follows the chilling evidence. It is one of her most complex cases, bringing her up against two truly dysfunctional marriages-just as she embarks on her own.

Click here to read more about VANISHING POINT.