Who Do You Love?

Q: Which crime fiction author are you insanely jealous of and why?

-from Susan

A: I suppose I could be jealous of a great many. But I learned long ago that if I compare myself to others in this tribe, I am likely to come up short every time – no awards, no NYT bestsellers, no long-running series, no throngs of adoring fans…

So here I am in my aromatherapied, yoga-induced, chocolate-sated frame of mind, neither insane nor jealous but deeply admiring of some crime writers for different reasons:

Jim Ziskin for writing books set in a part of the world I once lived in and making it more attractive than I remember, and for being the most charming person at every bar at every conference.

Tim Hallinan for the most amazing ability to transport me to Bangkok so thoroughly that I sweat from the heat I’m only reading about and from my intense desire to protect from harm the women and girls he creates lovingly.

Josephine Tey for writing a small treasure chest of books that are clever mysteries, re-readable forever and that keep her name fresh in the minds of crime readers.

Rhys Bowen for writing and writing and writing, always well, always successfully, and for pushing herself to keep doing something new even when she’s tripping over awards for what she’s already achieved.

Catriona McPherson because, well, who doesn’t love Catriona, and because she’s so damned funny.

Sara Paretsky because she has never lost her fire, her laser-like focus on society’s injustices, and has found ways to satisfy her determination to set things right within the confines of her crime fiction.

The more I think about it, the more authors I’d list, and the further I’d drift from the unanswerable question! Can I just say, Agatha Christie, Rex Stout, Sue Grafton, Barbara Neely, Barbara Seranella………….?