Robin Agnew

"Werewolves howl. Phantoms prowl. Halloween’s upon us now." -- Richelle E. Goodrich

Happy Birthday Lee Child, 1954, Warwickshire, England. He of course is the creator of Jack Reacher, beloved (and busy) loner. He is now writing the books with his brother, Andrew. Cake toast!

auntagathas.com/aa/daryl-woo... Love the "literary dining" premise of this series by the talented Daryl Wood Gerber. Review by Carla Schantz. Available now!

“We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!” -- Humbert Wolfe (Italian born British poet, 1885-1940)

Happy Birthday Anne Perry, 1938, London; and Simon Brett, 1945, Surrey, England. Perry was the prolific author of historical mysteries, notably the Charlotte & William Pitt books and the William Monk series. Brett is the prolific author of the Charles Paris, Mrs. Pargeter and Feathering series.

“The farther we’ve gotten from the magic and mystery of our past, the more we’ve come to need Halloween.” -- Paula Guran (Editor)

G.M. Malliet's kick off to her wonderful Max Tudor series (2011) is a great re-read for this time of year.

auntagathas.com/aa/alex-eric... Out tomorrow! This enjoyable series is set in Ohio. review by Carla Schantz.

"I love Halloween, and I love that feeling: the cold air, the spooky dangers lurking around the corner." -- Evan Peters (Actor, American Horror Story)

Afternoon funny courtesy of my bud Angel Kovach Connors

"Though Carrie Lester and Willy Tarrant had been sisters for sixty odd years, time never staled the infinite number of ways in which they annoyed each other." -- BEGGAR'S CHOICE, Patricia Wentworth (1931)
(Photo: Steve Lewis)

Cover contrast dept. Original pub date 1940. The cover from 1970 (#3) is pretty hilarious.

Which one? The ones where he's older aren't as good but I kind of love the one where his nephew's bride is kidnapped.

auntagathas.com/aa/olivia-bl... Our reviewer Carla Schantz is a big fan of this new series, about a woman and a ghost sharing an apartment. Available now. Extra note: I love these covers! They are beautiful.

Happy Birthday Ann Cleeves, 1954, Herefordshire, England. Along with many other books, she has gifted readers with Vera and Shetland. Cake toast!

auntagathas.com/aa/rosemary-... The tenth installment in this series set in Gilded Age New York is out next week. Review by the great Vicki Kondelik.

“Vera thought for a moment that she might have found a man if she’d scrubbed up a bit better, then decided that no man was worth the time it took to plaster stuff on your face in the morning, when you could have an extra cup of tea instead.”
― Ann Cleeves, The Moth Catcher

This is a charming series about Jane Brown, a writer, and Dagobert Brown, who solves mysteries. This is #2 in the series, pub date 1949.

auntagathas.com/aa/louise-pe... The wait is over - this comes out next week! Review by Margaret Agnew.

Love this cover. Original pub date 1932.

Original pub date 1940, Bantam paperback edition 1947. I love this series about rare book expert Henry Gamage. He must have been a NYC neighbor of Nero Wolfe...

auntagathas.com/aa/vanessa-l... The second book in Vanessa Lillie's powerful series about BIA archeologist Syd Walker. Hard to put down - out next week.

Original pub date 1940, Dell paperback 1943.

"The capacity for people in a crisis for hot tea never failed to amaze her, but she was happy to oblige." -- A BITTER FEAST, Deborah Crombie

Happy Birthday John LeCarre, 1931, Poole, England. Working for both MI5 and MI6 in the 50's and 60's, he turned his now experienced hand to what have become classic espionage novels, often featuring his hero, George Smiley. My favorite of his novels is THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD (1963).

“I’m left doing all the unskilled labor myself, which is exactly when you realize there’s nothing unskilled about labor.”
― Colin Cotterill, Anarchy and Old Dogs

Happy Birthday Hank Phillippi Ryan, Indianapolis. Spending much of her professional life as a reporter, she came to mystery writing in 2007, with two series and a long list of award winning stand alones to her credit. She is also a huge supporter of the mystery community. She is a beloved treasure!

“But cats were easier to please than people. Cats told the truth.”
― Hank Phillippi Ryan, The First to Lie

Happy Birthday Angela Lansbury, 1925, London. The gifted star of stage, screen and television is beloved for her portrayal of Jessica Fletcher in the long running - and still entertaining - Murder, She Wrote. Cake toast to a wonder of the theater.

"I'd learned early on that fatness in a book wasn't a warning sign, but rather a promise that you would be allowed to remain in its world for a longer time." -- NIGHTTOWN, Timothy Hallinan