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A good year for murder
Popular 'Tale' author's latest adds to its accolades even as she prepares
to revisit life in Millers Killers
Dec. 1, 2007
Books & Authors
By Ben Beagle
bbeagle@batavianews.com
There's nothing mysterious about what makes a good mystery: it needs
engaging characters and a great plot.
Add a little humor and perhaps an interesting issue to explore and
you've got a book that readers won't be able to put down.
Past "Tale for Three Counties" author Julia Spencer-Fleming
mastered that mix in a big way for her most recent novel, All Mortal
Flesh (St. Martin's/Minotaur).
Tonight, she receives another accolade for All Mortal Flesh: the Nero
Award for best mystery of 2007.
The Nero is presented by The Wolfe Pack, a collection of fans of writer
Rex Stout (Nero Wolfe), to an author for literary excellence in the
mystery genre. The award - in the form of a bust of fictional P.I.
Nero Wolfe - honors Stout's eternally brilliant, irascible and corpulent
private detective Wolfe, a love of food, beer and orchids. Previous
winners have included Lawrence Block, Lee Child, John Dunning, Michael
Connelly and Tess Gerritsen.
All Mortal Flesh is the fifth novel in Spencer-Fleming's series about
the Rev. Clare Fergusson, a well-intentioned Episcopal priest with
a tendency to find trouble, and Russ Van Alstyne, the married police
chief of the fictional Adirondack community of Millers Kill. It has
been well received by both fans and critics. All Mortal Flesh previously
won a Gumshoe Award for best mystery from Mystery Ink, and was nominated
for an Anthony Award from the Mystery Writers of America, a Macavity
Award from Mystery Readers International, and a coveted Agatha Award
- named for famed mystery writer Agatha Christie.
The novel also made several year-end best-of lists. Among them, Publishers
Weekly Top 100 Books of 2006 and Library Journal's Top 25 "Best
Genre Fiction of 2006."
It's been a year to-die for for the Maine writer.
"Really, it's something to give readers what they want, and there
had been a clear groundswell for Russ' wife to die," said Spencer-Fleming,
whose debut novel, In the Bleak Midwinter, was the featured title
for the 2005 "A Tale for Three Counties"community reading
project in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties.
"This story represented a significant step forward in the relationship"
between Clare and Russ, she said in a telephone interview this week.
"Usually the mystery is happening to other people and bad things
are happening to other people. This time, the protagonists were interacting
with those bad things. There was a lot more at stake for Clare and
Russ."
An investigation into the apparent murder of Mrs. Van Alstyne powers
both personal and procedural plots in All Mortal Flesh.
"A lot of mysteries are plot driven, but the thing that makes
her mysteries are the great characterization along with a good plot.
Her books also have a lot of humor and interesting issues. It all
come out in the last book," said Leslie DeLooze, the librarian
at Richmond Memorial Library who started the "Tale" program.
Meanwhile, Spencer-Fleming's next book, I Shall Not Want, is scheduled
for release May 2008. This time, the author says, as Russ and Clare
attempt to "get past the gulf of grief that separates them,"
the Millers Kill police force investigates the murders of several
Hispanic immigrants.
I Shall Not Want will be a lead title for Minotaur, which means the
publisher will be putting a lot of promotional efforts into the release.
Among ideas being developed is an online component that could include
short stories, vignettes and a look at content edited out of the books.
Courtesy of Batavia Newspapers Corporation