The Night Tourist

The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh published by Scholastic Audiobooks, 2007.
The protagonist in this mystery is a classics prodigy and solving the mystery revolves around him using clues discovered through his translation of ancient Greek plays. The setting is the underground of New York City, which just happens to be where recently deads – including Jack's mother – resides. All that, combined with a potential romantic interest make this a great read. This book won the Edgar award in 2008.

And the Winner Is...

Okay, I'm a little bit late in posting this, but CONGRATULATIONS to Tony Abbott for winning the Edgar from the Mystery Writers of America for The Postcard.

You may not believe me since I didn't get it up here ahead of time, but The Postcard was my favorite among the finalists. The story resonnated deeply with me. It was actually the first of the finalists that I read and gave me the idea of reading the others before the winners were announced.

I listened to the audio version of the book and I highly recommend it. The reading is good and the production doesn't distract from the story. (The book I'm listening to now occasionally has music in the background. It's a nice idea, but...)

On a personal note, I had a little winning excitement of my own. The opening of my middle grade mystery manuscript, Betrayed, won first place at the Oklahoma Writers Conference last weekend. Also, the opening chapters of a young adult nonfiction manuscript about tigers in the United States won first place in its division. This recognition has been an excellent motivator in getting me back for the final polish on the mystery and to consider exactly what to do next with the tiger manuscript.

Witches of Dredmoore Hollow

By Riford McKenzie, published by Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2008.



If you are a fan of the Addams Family, you will love this novel. It is a kooky story about witches and curses and awful aunts who kidnap young Elijah, hero protagonist. But I won’t tell you why. That’s part of the mystery.


McKenzie maintains first person narration throughout this novel through the point of view of Elijah. The story is creepy, but in a fun, lighthearted way and although there is the threat of serious violence, none of it is taken too seriously because the tone and humor are spot on and put the reader at ease.


This book has been nominated for an Edgar from the Mystery Writers of America. I say it is a serious contender.


I’ll be reviewing all of the nominees in the juvenile category before the awards are announced on April 30.