NCW Libraries

Hailed by NPRs "Fresh Air" as part "Testament of Youth," part Dorothy Sayers, and part "Upstairs, Downstairs," this astonishing debut has already won fans from coast to coast and is poised to add Maisie Dobbs to the ranks of literatures favorite sleuths. Maisie Dobbs isnt just any young housemaid. Through her own natural intelligenceand the patronage of her benevolent employersshe works her way into college at Cambridge. When World War I breaks out,...

The #1 New York Times–bestselling author discusses his early days as a writer and the creation of his beloved psychologist and sleuth.
In 1985, clinical child psychologist Alex Delaware made his debut in the mystery novel When the Bough Breaks by Jonathan Kellerman. But how did Kellerman create a character who would go on to win him Edgar and Anthony Awards for best first novel and make him a number-one New York Times–bestselling...

The New York Times–bestselling author's "engaging cop hero" finds himself on the other side of the interview room in this revealing short story (Publishers Weekly). After twenty-seven years on the force, Lt. Lou Boldt is suddenly seated at a table being grilled as part of an internal investigation. They want him to talk about what happened with ten grand in cash in the evidence room. As the pressure mounts and Boldt leads his interrogators...

The USA Today—bestselling author details how she became a crime novelist and how she created her acclaimed husband-and-wife detective team. In 1986, Faye Kellerman introduced LAPD detective Peter Decker and widowed yeshiva teacher Rina Lazarus in her crime novel, The Ritual Bath. The debut won Kellerman the 1987 Macavity Award for Best First Novel and turned into a long-running bestselling series. But how exactly did it all come about? In this...

The four-time Shamus Award—winning author takes his readers behind-the-scenes of his long running detective series. In 1980, readers first encountered hard-boiled private detective Amos Walker as he searches for an ex-mobster's missing daughter in Motor City Blue. Many mysteries and decades later, the investigator is still scuffling with bad guys on the streets of Detroit. But when and where did award-winning author Loren D. Estleman conceive...

The #1 New York Times–bestselling author brings you into the world of the LAPD's Harry Bosch, and the history that shaped him. In this short work, Michael Connelly delves into the origins of his famed police detective,-how he faced down the horrors of his childhood (a background story that was based on the life of another renowned crime writer); his past as a tunnel rat in Vietnam; and why jazz is his soundtrack. Connelly also shares the story...

Get the backstory on an amazing heroine in this suspenseful kidnapping tale from the bestselling author of Vanishing Act and The Left-Handed Twin. A Native American of Seneca descent, Jane Whitefield helps people in harm's way disappear without a trace and take on entirely new lives with new identities. Of course, not everyone is a fan of Jane's work . . . There is a group of men who would like to speak with the elusive woman. That's why they've...

The international-bestselling author answers readers' questions and discusses the origins of the Oxford inspector with a penchant for classical music. In 1975, “Inspector Morse” debuted, working to solve the case of a murdered hitchhiker in Colin Dexter's “Last Bus to Woodstock”. The book led to a multimillion-bestselling mystery series and a television show that spawned a spinoff and a prequel. But how did the beloved DCI from Oxford come...

The New York Times—bestselling author of Hush Hush interviews the lead character of her hit series. In 1997, the character of Tess Monaghan debuted in Laura Lippman's detective novel, Baltimore Blues. The book launched the bestselling series that continues to delight readers decades later. But who exactly is Theresa Esther Weinstein Monaghan when she's not tackling troublesome cases? In this fictional article, author Laura Lippman takes you to...

When the NYPD detective and sociopath known simply as Mallory made her series debut, John Sandford called her "one of the most interesting new characters to come along in years." A homeless wild child who was taken in by a New York City cop and grew up to follow in his footsteps, she possesses a skill set-including a talent for computer hacking-that allows her to track down her prey like no one else. In this insightful essay, author Carol O'Connell...