tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175Fri, 08 Nov 2024 15:18:00 +0000DC EventsWriting MysteriesHistoricalMSWReviewsI'd like a murder mystery martini, straight up, with a twisthttp://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)Blogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-2343948359985763879Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:09:00 +00002008-04-04T13:34:28.135-07:00Along the lines of my last post, I found Nan Higginson's latest entry encouraging. She was recently nominated for an Agatha Award for her short story "Casino Gamble" and she talks about her transition from aspiring mystery writer to published and award nominated mystery writer. Perhaps there is hope for me yet!I admit, I haven't read her story yet (it's next on my list!) but I really enjoyed http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/04/writers-journey.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-2387549522880615432Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:56:00 +00002008-12-13T00:04:51.764-08:00Writing MysteriesImage Courtesy of ZaptelI have always enjoyed a good mystery. However, through starting this blog and, for the first time, actively researching the genre, I'm realizing I hardly know anything at all!I have seen probably every episode of Murder She Wrote and Law & Order (if you count that as a mystery). I've also read most of the Ellery Queen books and the Alfred Hitchcock collections. My http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/03/long-way-to-go.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-667764566087732304Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:29:00 +00002008-12-13T00:04:51.849-08:00Photo Courtesy of KrikketgirlEver wish you could solve the mysteries you read about in a more hands-on way? You can with some of Agatha Christie's most famous stories. The Adventure Company has converted three of Agatha's (yes, Agatha and I are on a first name basis) books into video games: Murder on the Orient Express, And Then There Were None, and Evil Under the Sun. As a player, you actually http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/03/step-aboard-orient-express.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-4334187621011064074Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:16:00 +00002008-03-14T11:25:51.383-07:00Unfortunately my Amazon order for The Mystery Reader's Walking Guide: Washington D.C. fell through. (They sent me the New York City book by mistake and then realized they didn't have the D.C. version). BUT, I just found at least some of it online! Enjoy, and hopefully I'll have some pictures and first hand experiences of some of these tours soon.http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/03/dc-walking-tours.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-721494418242164716Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:55:00 +00002008-04-02T07:35:03.430-07:00Writing MysteriesOn the way to my grad school writing class yesterday, I passed by the infamous Mayflower Hotel. It has, of course, been in the news lately due to the whole Eliot Spitzer prostitution thing. Don’t worry, as this is a mystery blog, I will refrain from getting into my thoughts on that whole thing! However, while I was starring up at the windows wondering which window belonged to room 871, it http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/03/mystery-exercise.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-8475332611865871000Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:07:00 +00002008-03-10T09:14:49.152-07:00DC EventsFor those of you in the D.C. area, Linda Fairstein will be at the Baileys Crossroads Borders to promote her new legal thriller, Killer Heat, this Thursday, March 13, at 7:30 pm .http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/03/reading-this-thursday.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-6578235378582787238Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:50:00 +00002008-12-13T00:04:52.260-08:00ReviewsPhoto Courtesy of Darwin BellYou can read Elizabeth Zelvin's Agatha Nominated short story "Death Will Clean Your Closet" on her website. For the most part, I liked it. I thought the descriptions were well done and the pacing was interesting. She often concludes paragraphs with a nice staccato sentence. I also liked how she wrapped things up, which I consider one of the most important parts of http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/03/spring-cleaning.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-4814519881629211036Wed, 05 Mar 2008 22:14:00 +00002008-03-06T14:13:10.697-08:00Thanks to Crime Fiction Dossier, I've been looking into the nominees for the Agatha Awards. For you D.C. people, the awards will be presented in Arlington, April 26, at a banquet during the Malice Domestic Convention.http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/03/agatha-awards.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-4756014229292972833Mon, 03 Mar 2008 21:58:00 +00002008-03-05T14:01:06.744-08:00DC EventsIf you missed her last event, Martha Grimes will also talk about her book, Dakota, this Wednesday, at 7:00 pm at the Barnes & Noble-Potomac. http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/03/dakota-discussion-part-2.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-5372957696831967842Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:22:00 +00002008-12-13T00:04:52.395-08:00MSWI probably first really started liking mysteries while watching Murder, She Wrote, Sunday nights, growing up. For some reason my parents let me watch this show, even though I distinctly remember having nightmares (especially after one episode with a hung man, which was somehow more disturbing than the blood, knives, guns, and poison.) This was also ironic as, at different points, I was not http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/02/congresswoman-j-b-fletcher.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-7153377900771937582Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:00:00 +00002008-02-28T07:15:22.124-08:00Writing MysteriesHere's a funny comic that i found on Inkygirl.com. :)http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/02/death-as-writer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-2412300953269375416Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:35:00 +00002008-03-05T14:01:06.745-08:00DC EventsLisa Scottoline, author of Daddy's Girl and Killer Smile, will read and sign her new mystery, Lady Killer, at the Borders in Tyson's Corner tomorrow night, February 27, at 7:30. http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/02/lady-killer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-3246022478629360126Mon, 25 Feb 2008 18:53:00 +00002008-03-05T14:01:06.746-08:00DC EventsMartha Grimes will be discussing her new book Dakota at the Dupont Circle Olsson's Books and Records tomorrow night, February 26, at 7:00 pm. Dakota is a mystery set against the back drop of a pig raising farm. Grimes, who will be joined by Neal Barnard, the president of the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine, will talk about the animal rights issues related to factory farming. http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/02/dakota-discussion.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-5518766159934725433Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:24:00 +00002008-04-02T07:40:50.635-07:00Writing MysteriesI first came across "Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories," by S.S. Van Dine in High School and it really changed the way I read mysteries and approached similar kinds of writing. I don't agree with all of it. For example, I think a background love interest, if done correctly, can work in a nice extra dimension to a detective story. And rule 11, is of course still very relevant: "A http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/02/know-rules-before-you-break-them.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-5560512847366690647Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:56:00 +00002008-04-02T07:41:29.878-07:00I just ordered the Mystery Reader's Walking Guide: Washington, D.C. on Amazon. Check out the cover...D.C. is full of mishapped stereotypical detectives! Actually, I'm pretty excited, as I love mysteries and walking. Look out for some digital pictures and notes on these eight walks soon!http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/02/walking-mysteries.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-2772723441204746319Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:43:00 +00002008-02-20T08:56:38.651-08:00Perhaps this is not quite on topic, but googling can produce some interesting discoveries. A band called Murder Mystery will be playing Saturday night (February 23) at The Rock and Roll Hotel on H street, sort of near Union Station. Fun stuff.(side note: in the blogspot post form, both blogspot and googling get a little red squiggly line letting you know you just typed a misspelled word...you'd http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/02/murder-mystery-music.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-1898448466233065479Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:23:00 +00002008-02-22T06:26:42.871-08:00Kevin Flynn's book Relentless Pursuit: A True Story of Family, Murder, and the Prosecutor Who Wouldn't Quit has been nominated for an Edgar Award in the Best Fact Crime Category. Flynn writes about his experience as a homicide prosecutor dealing with the murder of Diane Hawkins and her daughter, Katrina Harris, which occurred on May 26, 1993 in Northeast Washington D.C.http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/02/local-book-nominated-for-edgar-award.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-1283931106599791180Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:47:00 +00002008-03-05T14:01:06.746-08:00DC EventsSusan Choi, author of The Foreign Student and American Woman, will be at Politics and Prose tonight to promote her new book A Person of Interest.http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/02/book-event-tonight.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-3594970625044241230Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:05:00 +00002008-02-18T12:49:32.129-08:00Local professor and book critic Maureen Corrigan reviewed some of the latest mystery novels in today's Washington Post. http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/02/wp-article.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-4335802006826585330Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:04:00 +00002008-03-05T14:01:06.747-08:00DC EventsJonathan Hayes will discuss his latest book Precious Blood at the Baileys Crossroads Borders this Thursday. Hayes pulled from his experience as a forensic pathologist to craft the story of Dr. Edward Jenner who tries to find a serial killer in New York City. http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/02/precious-blood.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-5543140454118169926Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:52:00 +00002008-12-13T00:04:52.787-08:00HistoricalNote: I wrote this last fall for a grad school assignment but thought it fit the theme of this blog as well. Last September, I passed shops, businesses, and luxury condominiums on Washington Boulevard before I saw what I was looking for. The bronze sign, in Ballston, indicated a historic site was nearby. I weaved my way through an oil-stained parking lot where cars awaited service at Baird http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/02/dead-graves.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-7803939735828025918Sat, 16 Feb 2008 17:30:00 +00002008-04-02T07:45:20.971-07:00DC EventsWe have a mystery theater in this area! The Mystery Dinner Playhouse, which has a few locations in Virginia, puts on shows at the Doubletree Hotel in Crystal City. A while ago, I dragged my skeptical boyfriend to a show called “Murder in the Court.” The performance, which was more comedic than suspenseful, took place in 10-15 minute scripted acts between courses. In between the acts, the cast http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/02/we-have-mystery-theater-in-this-area.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-1587663442793852964Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:46:00 +00002008-12-13T00:04:53.007-08:00HistoricalThe Female Stranger's Bedroomat Gadsby's Tavern MuseumOne of the more mysterious stories in the D.C. area is that of the Mysterious Female Stranger in Alexandria, Virginia. During the fall of 1816, a couple arrived in the port town by boat and stayed at Gadsby’s Tavern. The woman was ill and probably suffering from Typhoid fever. Though the inn staff and a doctor cared for her, in room 8, she http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/02/alexandrias-female-stranger.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-1652354091839002396Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:04:00 +00002008-03-05T14:01:06.748-08:00DC EventsSusan Choi, author of The Foreign Student and American Woman, will be at Politics and Prose next Monday, February 18, to promote her new book A Person of Interest.http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/02/person-of-interest.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2853619281098834175.post-6055613596696644384Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:49:00 +00002008-04-02T07:44:24.289-07:00Growing up, “Murder She Wrote” was one of my favorite shows, I subscribed to Alfred Hitchcock's mystery magazine, and wrote a school paper focusing mostly on the great, but long out of print, Ellery Queen mystery books. I was an odd kid. It seems only appropriate that I will now blog about classic mysteries as well as new novels, events, and trends. I'll also sort through all the advice on http://potomacmysteries.blogspot.com/2008/02/first-post.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Caitlin)0