Women of Mystery Quiz

by Darlene Ryan

Can you name the authors? These 16 women were chosen for no other reason than I like their books. Everyone who comments, no matter how well or how badly you do on the quiz, will have a chance to win the mystery anthology, Dangerous Women, edited by Otto Penzler. If tests give you a headache then just say "Hello" in comments. That will enter you in the draw as well. Good luck. Come back for the answers and the winner's name Sunday evening. We got out the lucky Law & Order hat and the winner is Iasa. Iasa send your snail mail address to darlene at darleneryan dot com and I'll get your book in the mail to you. Thanks everyone for trying our quiz. The answers are below.

1. Her alphabetized series is up to the letter T. Sue Grafton

2. This Edgar award-winning author wrote a series featuring journalist Molly Cates. Mary Willis Walker

3. This mother-daughter team combined their names to create their pseudonym. They are the authors of the Monkeewrench mysteries. PJ Tracy

4. This grand dame of mystery writers created Mr. Parker Pyne, detective, but is better known for her other two sleuths--one male and one female. Agatha Christie

5. Her red-headed sleuth is a former cop turned detective who also drives a cab on the side, acts a "big sister" to a drug lord's daughter and has a mobster boyfriend. Linda Barnes

6. This "diva" author, a past guest of the Deadly Daughters, named the cat in her series after her own cat, Mochie. Krista Davis

7. Her amateur sleuth, Tricia Miles, is the owner of a bookstore-Haven't Got a Clue--in the Bookstown mystery series. Under one of her two aliases she also writes the Jeff Resnick psychological suspense series. Lorna Barrett

8. This Agatha-award winner is one of the Deadly Daughters. Our own Sandra Parshall. (You all knew that, didn't you?)

9. Both her husband, Jonathan and her son, Jesse are writers. Faye Kellerman

10. When her on-going series began in 1977 her main character was an investigator for All Souls Legal Co-operative. Now the character runs her own investigative firm. Marcia Muller

11. She won the Anthony, the Edgar, the Agatha and the MacAvity awards for the first in her series about a Colleton County judge Margaret Maron

12. Her best-selling mystery series, set in Boston, features two female protagonists--one a police detective and the other a medical examiner. Tess Gerrittsen

13. This author is up to 14 in her numbered series about a Jersey bounty hunter. Janet Evanovich

14. Her sleuth's first name is Victoria but most people call her V.I. Sara Paretsky

15. This writer's characters include a witch, a pixie and a vampire whose company is called Vampiric Charms. The book titles are all parodies of Clint Eastwood movies Kim Harrison

16. She writes about the all female law firm of Rosato and Associates. Lisa Scottoline

So? How did you do?

What's Your Favorite Today?

by Julia Buckley















Everyone loves mysteries. At least this was my assumption when I did a little informal poll with the query “What’s your favorite mystery?” These are results from real people who also happen to be related to me.

My twelve-year-old son said he enjoyed the Chet Gecko series of mysteries by Bruce Hale, with titles like The Big Nap and The Malted Falcon. (Both of my boys got to meet Hale last year, as pictured above. Note the cool Gecko pin on Hale's lapel.)

My nine-year-old son chose the Nate the Great series by Marjorie Sharmat; in honor of the season he chose Nate the Great and the Halloween Hunt.

My husband loves The Judas Goat by Robert B. Parker.

I, as ever, would choose a title by Mary Stewart, as would my mom. She is currently reading Nine Coaches Waiting.

But beyond my family, I wanted to open this up to the Deadly Daughters and to mystery fans. Granted, your answer may change from day to day, so I’ll ask it this way: What’s your favorite mystery TODAY?

Monday Mystery Quiz

Happy Monday! While you contemplate this old picture of my son dressed as Sherlock Holmes (would that he were still that tiny!), I have some mystery questions for you to answer. Let's see how many of you can get a perfect score.

1. Which mystery heroine had a best friend named Bess Myerson?

2. Which fictional detective first met his romantic interest when she was on trial for poisoning her lover?

3. Which hard boiled detective enjoyed playing chess by himself?

4. Which world-famous, prolific mystery writer lived for many years in Iraq?

5. Which famous fictional detective once said, "Women are never to be entirely trusted; not the best of them."

6. Which novelist and playwright won an Edgar for her novel A Dram of Poison?

7. Who came first, Auguste Dupin or Sherlock Holmes?

8. Which MWA Grand Master created Chief Inspector Jules Maigret?

9. Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo won an Edgar for their fourth novel, The Laughing Policeman. What else is distinctive about this writing team?

10. What are the names of the novels written by the Poe's Deadly Daughters? :)


Okay, how did you do? Are you a mystery expert? Let us know! (Answers to be posted later).