Cartoon of the Day: How to be a Professional Writer

 

Agatha Christie's SEVEN DIALS: Now on Netflix

Agatha Christie's Seven Dials, a new adaptation of the 1929 novel, just hit the airwaves in the U.S. Streaming on Netflix, it's a three-part series written by Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall, directed by Chris Sweeney, and starring Mia McKenna-Bruce, Edward Bluemel, Iain Glen, Martin Freeman, and Helena Bonham Carter.

Set in 1925 England, the action takes place at a fancy country house party where a practical joke appears to have gone horribly, murderously wrong. It's up to the unlikeliest of sleuths - the fizzingly inquisitive Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent - to unravel a chilling plot that will change her life, cracking wide open the country house mystery.  (Not Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, or any of the Christie's better known sleuths)

I am not going to assume it follows the novel, but I'll watch it tonight without any preconceived expectations. It's been awhile since I've read the novel or seen any of the other productions. I'll let you know what I think. Have you seen it yet? Comment below--or comment when you do see it. Thanks!

Cartoon of the Day: Writing

MWA 2026 Grand Masters, Raven, & Ellery Queen Award Recipients

Mystery Writers of America (MWA) announced the recipients of its special awards. The board chose Donna Andrews and Lee Child as the 2026 Grand Masters, the 2026 Raven Award recipient is Book Passage, and John Scognamiglio of Kensington Books will receive the Ellery Queen Award. They will accept their awards at the 80th Annual Edgar Awards Ceremony, which will be held April 29, 2026, at the Marriott Marquis Times Square in New York City.
 
“Donna Andrews has given us more than fifty novels, proving the cozy subgenre is more relevant than ever. In addition to her significant literary accomplishments, she has given back to the community in so many ways, by mentoring aspiring mystery writers, and serving as the MWA EVP. I’m thrilled to see Donna named as MWA Grand Master,” said MWA Executive Vice President James L’Etoile. “And Lee Child’s contributions to the genre are unparalleled. Aside from his thirty critically acclaimed novels featuring the iconic Jack Reacher, Lee Child is considered one of the most thoughtful and generous members of the mystery community. Writer, mentor, and Past President of MWA, he is a role model, and most deserving of being named MWA Grand Master.”
 
MWA’s Grand Master Award represents the pinnacle of achievement in mystery writing and was established to acknowledge important contributions to this genre, as well as for a body of work that is both significant and of consistent high quality. 
 
The Raven Award recognizes outstanding achievement in the mystery field outside the realm of creative writing. For 2026, Mystery Writers of America selected Book Passage in Corte Madera, CA.
 
“Book Passage is honored and thrilled to receive the Raven Award from the Mystery Writers of America. Many of the 10,000 or more author events that we’ve had over the years have featured mystery writers. During the last 30 years or so, many of these writers have given of their time to participate in our annual Mystery Writers Conference and have helped nurture new writers towards successful careers,” Book Passage founder and president Elaine Petrocelli said. “We’ve found mystery writers to be resourceful, fearless, and ingenious in describing the problems of the world. More than that, they know how to keep their portrayal of the dark side of humanity on the written page. In person, they are wonderful, personable, and a pleasure to be around.” 
 
The Ellery Queen Award was established in 1983 to honor “outstanding writing teams and outstanding people in the mystery-publishing industry.” This year the Board chose to honor John Scognamiglio of Kensington Books, who began his career 40 years ago as a file clerk in the Contracts Department at Simon & Schuster in 1986 while still a sophomore at New York University. He later moved to where he always wanted to be—editorial—and from 1989 to 1992, Scognamiglio worked as an assistant editor for S&S’s mass-market division, Pocket Books. In February 1992, he joined Kensington Publishing as an editor and he became Editor-in-Chief in 2005. He launched his own imprint, John Scognamiglio Books, at Kensington in 2017.  Among his authors are New York Times bestsellers Lisa Jackson, Joanne Fluke, Ellen Marie Wiseman and Leslie Meier. 

The Edgar Awards, or “Edgars,” as they are commonly known, are named after MWA’s patron saint Edgar Allan Poe and are presented to authors of distinguished work in various categories. MWA is the premier organization for mystery writers, professionals allied to the crime-writing field, aspiring crime writers, and those who are devoted to the genre. The organization encompasses some 3,000 members including authors of fiction and nonfiction books, screen and television writers, as well as publishers, editors, and literary agents. For more information on Mystery Writers of America, please visit the website: www.mysterywriters.org 

Cartoon of the Day: Writer's Life

 

REMEMBERING GOLDEN AGE OF DETECTION PIONEERING AUTHOR R. AUSTIN FREEMAN: Guest Post by Andrew McAleer

British mystery author Dr. Richard Austin Freeman was born in Soho, London on April 11, 1862. He died in Gravesend, Kent on September 28, 1943. Dr. Freeman is largely remembered for his Dr. John Thorndyke mysteries published under the name “R. Austin Freeman."  

The Oxford Companion to Crime, & Mystery Writing praises Thorndyke’s creator as: “[T]he creator of Dr. John Thorndyke, detective fiction’s foremost medico-legal expert…. Thorndyke made his first full-fledged appearance in The Red Thumb Mark (1907), the book extolled by Howard Haycraft as ‘[O]ne of the undisputed milestones of the genre.’” (The final Thorndyke tale was, The Jacob Street Mystery [1942]).

In his superbly edited volume, Blood on the Tracks, Martin Edwards, the longest-serving Chair of the Crime Writer’s Association and a British Library Crime Classics consultant, says of Freeman, “[He] was, like Arthur Conan Doyle and Robert Eustace, a doctor who achieved greater fame as a crime writer than a medical practitioner.” Further, when discussing Freeman’s mystery, “The Case of Oscar Brodski,” Martin notes that this Freeman mystery is widely recognized as the first “inverted” detective story. In these type mysteries readers know everything and the fun is seeing how the unknowing detective pieces together the puzzle. For modern-day crime fiction fans the character of Lieutenant Columbo likely comes to mind.      

In 1976, recognizing Freeman’s invaluable contributions to the mystery genre, Thorndyke, an enthusiast Philip T. Asdell created and edited a magazine called, The Thorndyke File. In 1981, at Asdell’s request, editorial duties transferred to my father, John McAleer.

The following interview excerpts between my father and Dr. Freeman’s domestic helper, Mrs. Ethel Baldock, provide some insights into Freeman’s daily activities. The interview appeared in the Spring,1982, Thorndyke File and the full discussion will appear in a forthcoming Von Stray’s Crimestalker Casebook. (www.henryvonstraymysteries.com)
 
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THE FREEMANS OF THORNDYKE HOUSE
 
An Interview by Edgar Winner John McAleer
 
I [John McAleer] have been successful in locating Ethel Baldock, who, as Ethel Osborne, a girl in her early twenties, worked for Dr. and Mrs. R. Austin Freeman, at their home, “Rosemount,” 94 Windmill Street, Gravesend, Kent, from early 1940 to 1943, and again, after Dr. Freeman’s death, from 1944 to 1946. Mrs. Baldock graciously consented to the following interview:
 
John McAleer:  What were the Freemans like?
 
Ethel Baldock: They were the nicest people I worked for. They were—a very old-fashioned term—real gentlefolk!
 
McAleer: When did Freeman write?
 
Baldock: He wrote when he was what he called a “writing mood,” so far as I know all by hand.
 
McAleer: How were Dr. Freeman’s hearing and eyesight in his last years?
 
Baldock: Both were very good.
 
McAleer: We know little about Mrs. Freeman. What can you tell us?
 
Baldock: She was a very precise lady. Used to talk to me a lot. She was quite small, about five foot three or four. Weight not known, but fairly slim. She read quite a lot. Did beautiful crochet work. And was very thrifty, but—definitely—not mean.
 
McAleer: Did Dr. Freeman keep late hours?
 
Baldock: Being a daily domestic I don’t know what time the Freemans retired, but, when he was well, they were up when I got there, about 7:30 a.m.
 
McAleer: Were there any particular dishes that Dr. Freeman favored?
 
Baldock: During the time I was there—the war years—it was not possible to have very many preferences with food. They did have a glass of sherry every morning and, when I returned after an illness, insisted on my having one. Dr. Freeman also enjoyed his jar of Mazawatte Tea every afternoon.
 
McAleer: I gather that you found the Freemans thoughtful and kind?
 
Baldock: I did, yes. I have a book he gave me for my birthday, in 1940, signed by him—Pontifex, Son & Thorndyke(1931). When I was ill, Dr. Freeman walked to where I lived with a week’s wages, although, at that time, it was not usual to receive wages whilst one was sick. The remarkable thing was, he had to use two walking sticks, as he had been ill himself with rheumatics; his own G.P. (general practitioner) had said he would not be able to walk out again, but he was a very strong-willed person.

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Those interested in learning more about R. Austin Freeman and his quintessential Golden Age Detective Dr. John Thorndyke should visit: Mystery Readers Journal: London Mysteries II, Vol. 41, No. 1 • Spring 2025.
 
Andrew McAleer is the best-selling author of the Detective Henry von Stray classic British crime series created by Edgar winner John McAleer. Von Stray’s adventures appear in A Casebook of Crime Volume One. A second von Stray collection, A Casebook of Crime Volume Two, is scheduled for release in March 2026 (Level Best Books). Mr. McAleer taught classic crime fiction at Boston College and served in Afghanistan as a U.S. Army Historian before returning to public service in the criminal justice system. Visit the Henry von Stray Museum of Criminal Artifacts at:  www.Henryvonstraymysteries.com