Book Description
Papers of the 1996 mystery symposium on classic crime with authors Catherine Aird (mystery scholarship), Michael Connelly (Chandler), Joe Gores (Hammett), H.R.F. Keating (Sayers), Laurie R. King (Doyle), Janet Laurence (The Golden Age of Publishing), Margaret Lewis (Ellis Peters), Peter Lewis (Ambler), Edward Marston (Carr), Val McDermid (Hardboiled Detectives), Miriam Grace Monfredo (Daphne du Maurier), Susan Moody (Oxford Detectives), Steven Saylor (Palmer), Robin Smiley (E.S. Gardner), and Justin Scott (R.L. Stevenson).
Classic was a 1998 Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominee for Best Critical/Biographical work.
If a dozen or so masters of crime get together, what do they plot? Sometimes mischief, sometimes murder, but sometimes they scheme to share their killer expertise and love of mystery.
Do you know: What career choice shaped the work of Joe Gores and Dashiell Hammett? How did Holmes feel about marriage? What blueprint did Raymond Chandler leave other writers? Was Agatha Christie treated shabbily by her first publisher? What past master of the Golden Age is now virtually forgotten? Which Poet Laureate wrote successful crime novels? How much is a first edition of the first Perry Mason case worth? Is Sara Paretsky really the heir to Hammett and Chandler? How did Eric Ambler revolutionize the spy novel? Why did Brother Cadfael sleuth in Shrewsbury? Who made "impossible crimes" possible? How does Treasure Island still cast a spell? Who dared to write a bestseller with a main character dead before the opening chapter? Is the Detective Story dead?
What makes a mystery a classic? Here are Justin Scott (Stevenson), Laurie King (Conan Doyle), Joe Gores (Hammett), Michael Connelly (Chandler), Val McDermid (Hard-Boiled Detectives), Edward Marston (Carr), H.R.F. Keating (Sayers), Miriam Grace Monfredo (Du Maurier), Steven Saylor (Palmer), Robin Smiley (Gardner), Peter Lewis (Ambler), Susan Moody (Crispin, Innes, and Blake), Margaret Lewis (Ellis Peters), Janet Laurence (Publishing in the Golden Age), and Catherine Aird playing devil's advocate to tell you.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Compliation of papers presented at a conference in Scottsdale called AZ Murder Goes...

Your favorite current crime writers join together to tell you how past crime masters works and lives shaped detective novels and created the mystery genre we have today.

How does Treasure Island still cast a spell? What career choice shaped the work of Joes Gores and Hammett? Was Agatha Christie treated shabbily by her first publisher? How much is the first edition of Perry Mason worth? How did Eric Ambler revolutionize the spy novel? Why did Brother Cadfael sleuth in Shrewsbury? Learn the answers to the questions and more when authors like Michael Connelly, Val McDermid, Lauirie King, Edward Marston, etc. include their thoughts and knowledge about the past masters we all loved. Biographies and bibliographies for both current and past crime writers are included to make this a great reference book.

Susan Malling was born in Tennessee and educated at the University of Tennessee. [She] started Poisoned Pen Press with mother Barbara G. Peters and robert Rosenwald.

FROM THE CRITICS

Mystery News

"If you're interested in reading more about Raymond Chandler as Connelly sees him, I would strongly recommend you pick up a copy of AZ Murder Goes... Classic."

The Drood Review

"If you ever wanted to know more about the life and work of your favorite classic mystery author, here is the book for you."