Looking for a good historical mystery to settle into? You might want to check out the finalists and winner of the Left Coast Crime Convention's Lefty Award for best historical mystery. The Leftys are nominated by and voted on by conference attendees—that is, by mystery readers and writers.  First, here are the finalists and a little about them: A Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder (5th in the Countess of Harleigh mystery series) by Dianne Freeman : "The Agatha Award-winning Countess of Harleigh Mysteries are a witty romp through the high society of Victorian England with a touch of romance, an appealing and independent female lead, and rich historical detail. In this charming fifth installment, Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, finds her wedding day overshadowed by murder . . ." In Place of Fear  (standalone) by Catriona McPherson : "Edinburgh 1948. It’s the first day of the new National Health Service and wee Nelly Crowther fae Freer Street, w...

In a recent episode of Fresh Air Weekend, there was an interview with author Thomas Mallon, renowned essayist and historical fiction novelist. It was a most fascinating interview, focused on highlights of his career, an article in The New Yorker Magazine, and the recent release of his novel Up With The Sun .    A story about  Dick Kallman, who was an up-and-coming actor in the fifties and sixties, a closeted gay man for much of his life. Kallman had faded into obscurity until his murder in 1980. Here's what Booklist said about Up With the Sun,    "Another superb novelization of real life . . . Fluidly written with well-realized characters, the novel is great gossipy fun to read. Film and theater buffs will be delighted." In response to the question of whether the characters he creates have to be real people who interacted with historical figures; or whether what he puts into the mouths of historical figures is credible, he said that the reader should alwa...

I’ve always been a bit paranoid that voice activated systems like Alexa are listening to the conversations going on in your house. And do you know what?  They are.    Someone related an episode where the person used a cuss word, and Alexa butted into the conversation to ask if her mother knew she had a potty mouth. I’m not sure whether that anecdote is apocryphal or if it actually happened, but part of me believes it could happen.    My son had his house totally connected to Alexa: doors locked, lights full blast or dimmed, (I couldn’t get enough light to read unless I told Alexa to pump the bulb up to 100%.), TV on or off or station designated, music choices requested (Norah Jones put one granddaughter to sleep.), or to get the weather forecast. All commands were met with the same Alexa voice. Sorry, creepy.    Then, of course, there’s Siri. If you own an iPhone, you get her. I assume because of their names and/or voice, they’re both female. The onl...