Type M for Murder

We mystery writers deal a lot with dead people. In fact, the name of this blog uses the word "Murder." Even the coziest of who-dun-its manages to drop a corpse among the tea and scones. But what have we done in real life when we chance upon the deceased?We know enough from crime drama that if we find someone who's obviously expired, to leave the body be and let the authorities h...

by Sybil Johnson I’ve been a big Agatha Christie fan ever since I discovered her books in junior high. So when I saw that BBC Maestro had a course featuring Christie “talking” about writing, I decided I would buy it as a Christmas present to myself. That was a year ago. Since then I’ve gone through the course and read through the notes and the workbook.I felt a little uneasy ab...

By Catherine Dilts When are restrictions on word choice censorship? When are they appropriate? Editor-in-chief hard at workThe comedian famous for his satirical wit, George Carlin, had a stand-up routine declaring the seven words you can’t say on television. That was 1972. Television is no longer controlled by a few networks. It’s kind of the Wild West, receiving entertainmen...

I had the extreme pleasure of meeting the Louise  Penny and her husband Michael at my local public library several years ago. I sat next to Michael and we had a lovely and funny conversation about what it's like to be a writer’s spouse. He had on his usual bow tie and treated me as though he'd known me for ages.If you don’t know Louise’s work (and if you are a regular mystery r...

by Sybil JohnsonAbout a year ago my short story, Mini-Mart Sleuth, appeared in Black Cat Weekly, a digital magazine that features stories of mystery, suspense, adventure, fantasy, and science fiction. I was so pleased I did a little Snoopy happy dance in my head. Since then, they announced that Black Cat Weekly would be closing at the end of October 2026. Luckily, Level Best B...