Mystery & Crime

Detective writer Mickey Spillane One of the world's most popular writers of the hardboiled private investigator genre. His most famous character is Mike Hammer. Spillane has just written his first Mike Hammer story in 19 years.

British crime writer Ruth Rendell. She's written over 30 mysteries which fall into several categories--detective novels with main character Chief Inspector Reg Wexford, psychological thrillers exploring the darker side of the human mind, and a new series of "more feminine, less bossy" mysteries under the pseudonym of Barbara Vine. Her latest novel, "The Bridesmaid," continues in the tradition of the psychological thriller. It's about a young woman who informs her lover that he must prove his love to her by committing murder.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "Poodle Springs," the novel Raymond Chandler was working on at the time of his death. The story finds Chandler's famous detective Philip Marlowe married and living in Poodle Springs. Writer Robert Parker has just finished the novel that Chandler started 30 years ago.

Mystery writer Mary Wings. Wings' novels draw on the familiar hard-boiled detective genre, but her heroine is a lesbian-feminist detective named Emma Victor. Wings new book is titled "She Came in a Flash."

Feminist writer Barbara Wilson (sometimes Barbara Sjoholm). She's a co-founder of the feminist publishing house, Seal Press. She also writes detective novels whose heroine is a lesbian feminist detective. Her latest novel, The Dog Collar Murders, offers a humorous look at the debates between the S&M and anti-porn factions of the feminist community.

Book Critic John Leonard reviews the latest installment of the Spencer detective series, the novel Crimson Joy by Robert Parker.

Writer Dominick Dunne, who in his fiction and non-fiction writes about the troubled lives of New York City's jet setters. His latest novel is titled People Like Us, and is set amid Manhattan's upper class. Dunne's other novels include The Winner and The Two Mrs. Grenvilles, both bestsellers. Dunne contributes regularly to Vanity Fair, writing lengthy profiles of society celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor and Claus Von Bulow.

Book critic John Leonard reviews Downriver by Loren D. Estleman, the new mystery novel, the eighth in a series, featuring Amos Walker.

Detective writer Charles Willeford. His novels have earned him a cult following in the genre. He's now being discovered by a wider audience as his earlier novels are being re-issued in paperback. A new novel is about to be published, as well as an autobiography about his years on the road as hobo during the Depression.

Book Critic John Leonard reviews "Perfect Gallows," a mystery by Peter Dickinson.

Ed McBain (also known as Evan Hunter), prolific writer of detective fiction, best known for his "87th Precinct" series of police procedurals and mystery novels. His most recent novel is titled Tricks. McBain writes in other genres under different pseudonyms.

Crime writer Elmore Leonard. His new novel is titled Touch and follows two successful novels, Glitz and Bandits.

Barry Gifford, publisher and founder of Black Lizard Press. The press specializes in reprints of hard-boiled detective fiction, complete with the original book jackets.

Before becoming a writer, Higgins was a journalist and lawyer--two career paths which have strongly influenced his style as a fiction author.

Philadelphia native and novelist Martin Cruz Smith is best known for his 1981 film "Gorky Park." Prior to that work, Cruz Smith had written about 35 genre novels under various pseudonyms. His latest novel, "Stallion Gate," is set in Los Alamos, New Mexico during the development of the atom bomb. The novel's main character is a Native American who boxes and plays jazz and is the driver and bodyguard for J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Robert Parker is a writer of detective and crime novels. His latest work "Valediction" is the eleventh book in the author's "Spenser" series of novels. Parker joins the show to discuss his work and detective and crime fiction and films.

Pete Dexter is a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News and also has a monthly column for Esquire Magazine, "Sports Scene." Dexter's first novel, "God's Pocket," is set in Philadelphia. The novel tells the story of a reporter investigating a murder committed by a construction worker. Dexter joins the show to discuss his novel, work as a journalist, and respond to listener calls.

Seymour Shubin is a novelist whose previous work "Anyone's My Name," was a best seller. Shubin is the former managing editor of Official Detective Stories, and has written for medical and psychological journalists. His new novel, "The Captain," is a suspense story that explores the anger and resentment a retired detective living in a nursing home feels towards the nurses, doctors, and the family members who put him there. The novel has been nominated for an Edgar Award.