Robin Agnew

"For women in general he had a great deal of respect, but one thing he would say, and he defied anyone to disprove it, they never knew when to leave a thing alone. It wasn't just the last word they wanted either - it was all the words, all the time." MISS SILVER DEALS WITH DEATH, Patricia Wentworth

Nifty cover for this scarce title. Pub date 1958.

GREAT DESCRIPTION DEPT: "His voice was sepulchral as he regarded us with the same enthusiasm a pirate might demonstrate as discovering his wooden leg is riddled with termites." -- A GHASTLY CATASTOPHE, Deanne Raybourn

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH & AFRICAN AMERICAN MYSTERY WRITERS: Terris McMahan-Grimes had a three book series that kicked off with SOMEBODY ELSE'S CHILD (1996). McMahan-Grimes holds the distinction of winning two Anthony Awards in the same year- for Best Paperback Original and Best First Novel.

"There'll be times when the only refuge is books. Then you'll read as if you meant it, as if your life depended on it." -- THE KILLING OF THE TINKERS, Ken Bruen

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH & AFRICAN AMERICAN MYSTERY WRITERS: Award winning short story writer Ashley-Ruth Bernier publishes her first cozy mystery this April, THE BUSH TEA MURDER. She is nominated for an Agatha Award this year for her short story "Six Armed Robbery."

"There also seems to be no organization to the numbering system. How can 1045 be next to 1246? It's as if the complex was planned to meet the needs of fugitives, debtors and ex-husbands trying to escape alimony payments." -- THE BOTANIST'S ASSISTANT, Peggy Townsend

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH & AFRICAN AMERICAN MYSTERY WRITERS: Memphis born Sara Koffi's first thriller, WHILE WE WERE BURNING, published in 2024. Sara says she's interested in exploring "unlikable female characters."

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH & AFRICAN AMERICAN MYSTERY WRITERS: Delia Pitts left academia to begin writing fiction, kicking off her Vandy Myrick series with TROUBLE IN QUEENSTOWN (2024), which netted her a Shamus Award. A fourth installment publishes in December.

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH & AFRICAN AMERICAN MYSTERY WRITERS: Danielle Arceneaux has written two of my favorite recent mysteries, GLORY BE and GLORY DAZE, featuring bookie and sleuth Glory Broussard. Her first book, GLORY BE, won the Lillian Jackson Braun Award.

"Information is a strange and unruly beast. Once you know, you can't unknow, can't unlearn or conveniently forget. Once you leap into the abyss, you can't tread air like a cartoon character with pinwheeling feet, reverse gravity, and regain the cliff." -- THE PERFECT GHOST, Linda Barnes (2013)

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH & AFRICAN AMERICAN MYSTERY WRITERS: Romance writer Elise Bryant branched out and has written two mysteries so far featuring single mom Mavis Miller, IT'S ELEMENTARY and THE GAME IS AFOOT. They are full of sparkling humor and wonderfully recognizable characters.

auntagathas.com/aa/tim-sulli... Very enjoyable British series being slowly released stateside. Wonderful main character. For fans of Peter Robinson, Deborah Crombie, etc. Out next week.

“She was irritated, briefly, by the thought that she might be becoming more mature. Why should she become a better person when no one else did?”
― Sophie Hannah, Little Face

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH & AFRICAN AMERICAN MYSTERY WRITERS: Political activist Stacey Abrams amazingly finds time to write mysteries, so far publishing three political thrillers, the most recent being CODED JUSTICE (2025).

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH & AFRICAN AMERICAN MYSTERY WRITERS: Vanessa Riley wrote a fascinating 3 book mystery series set in 1806 London featuring the black Lady Worthing, who is married to a naval officer.The first book is MURDER IN WESTMINSTER (2022).

"Don't join the book burners. Don't think you're going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed. Don't be afraid to go in your library and read every book..." -- Dwight D. Eisenhower

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH & AFRICAN AMERICAN MYSTERY WRITERS: Former attorney Wanda M. Morris is a thriller writer who kicked off her career with the well received ALL HER LITTLE SECRETS in 2021. She has followed up with a thriller each year, winning (so far) a Lefty and an Anthony.

auntagathas.com/aa/lilli-sut... Interesting read set in Alaska, out next week. Margaret Agnew is a fan.

"In a world where everyone is so self-absorbed, a kind word even from a stranger can mean so much." -- THE MIDNIGHT TAXI, Yosha Gunasekera

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH & AFRICAN AMERICAN MYSTERY WRITERS: While widely regarded as a literary writer, Colson Whitehead has written (with a final volume this year) a mystery trilogy, kicking off his Ray Carney series with HARLEM SHUFFLE in 2021. COOL MACHINE publishes in July.

auntagathas.com/aa/lucy-conn... This particularly delicious series debut from Lucy Connelly is out next week. Take a trip to Wales!

"A cup or a mug for drinking tea wasn't even a question for DS George Cross. A cup. Obviously. Bone china, preferably. It maintained the temperature of the tea perfectly...The thin cup also gave the tea maximum exposure over the mouth's tastebuds..." -- THE POLITICIAN, Tim Sullivan

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND AFRICAN AMERICAN MYSTERY WRITERS: Cozy writer Abby Collette sets her novels in her native Cleveland. As Collette and as Abby L Vandiver she has written five different mystery series, most recently her Books & Biscuit series as Abby Collette.

auntagathas.com/aa/victoria-... This is a truly enjoyable series, and the fly fishing is great. Out next week.

"Hell, every day should be a bucket list kind of day." -- A SEASON TO LIE, Emily Littlejohn (2017)

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH & AFRICAN AMERICAN MYSTERY WRITERS: Newspaper editor turned mystery writer, Tracy Clark kicked off her Chicago Mystery series featuring cop turned private eye Cass Raines in 2018. She has won the Anthony, Lefty and Sue Grafton Memorial Award for her work.

auntagathas.com/aa/patricia-... Out next week! A debut mystery from animal behaviorist Patricia McConnell.

"It was, thought Cordelia, a nice point of culinary etiquette, the choice of a menu for a party of murder suspects dining together the day after the crime." -- THE SKULL BENEATH THE SKIN, P.D. James

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH & AFRICAN AMERICAN MYSTERY WRITERS: Former screenwriter and editor Kellye Garrett published her first mystery, HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE, in 2017, garnering many awards. She is a co-founder, with Walter Mosely and Gigi Pandian, of Crime Writers of Color.