www.reviewingtheevidence.com

Our Reviewers:

Bridget Bolton
Bridget Bolton lives in London with a large supply of cats and chocolate. She studied Mathematical Statistics and Operational Research at University and then qualified as a Chartered Accountant. She now works as Head of Tax for a Telcoms company. When not working which isn't as much as she'd like her interests are history crafts and reading. She reads mainly for escapism and entertainment and perhaps in consequence her taste in mysteries tends towards the lighter side cosies humorous and medium-boiled mysteries being her favourites although she does enjoy an occasional dip into something darker. But nothing really gruesome nothing involving torture and absolutely nothing with an eyeball 'issue' if she can help it. She also enjoys the occasional historical mystery and authors from outside the US and UK

Sharon Brondos
Sharon Brondos began reading mystery/crime/thriller novels about half a century ago when Ellery Queen Rex Stout and Earl Stanley Gardner were in vogue for US readers. Her "mystery mentor her mother, Elaine, was a dedicated mystery buff, taking as many books from the local library as possible each week and making a tiny mark on the corner of a back page so she would know not to re-checkout that book. During the following fifty years, Sharon has published two dozen commercial novels, a double handful of short stories, non-fiction articles and poems and is currently working on two new book projects. She lives with husband and cats in Wyoming. Three adult children and a growing number of grandchildren are in various locales around the countr

Carl Brookins
Before he turned to a full time career as a mystery writer, Brookins was a freelance photographer, a Public Television program director, a Cable TV administrator, and a counselor and faculty member at Metropolitan State University in Saint Paul. Currently, Brookins is a free-lance mystery reviewer for the Saint Paul Pioneer Press and Mystery Scene Magazine. He leads a monthly mystery reading group for Barnes and Noble at their store in St. Paul. His first novel, INNER PASSAGES, from Top Publications, is in its second printing. The second mystery in the Michael Tanner series, also from Top, A SUPERIOR MYSTERY, is set on the South shore of Lake Superior. It was released in the fall of 2002. Brookins is a graduate of Murray High School in St. Paul and of the University of Minnesota. Brookins lives and writes in Roseville Minnesota. He's an avid recreational sailor and with his wife Jean, has sailed in a variety of locations all over the world.

P.J.Coldren
P. J is a middle-aged woman who has been reading mystery (and other genres) since before she can remember. She started with, as so many of us did, Nancy Drew and moved on to Agathe Christie when her mother got tired of listening to her raving about (as she phrased it) that nosy little witch" and told her to read something worthwhile. She read Agatha Christie and Rex Stout until she met Luci Zahray"The Poison Lady" who broadened and deepened her mystery reading. She and P.J. used to teach Community Education classes on "The Mystery Novel" when they both lived in Holland MI. She has been a preliminary judge for the Malice Domestic/St. Martin's Press Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Contest for over a decade and picked the 2003 winner. She used to review for Ann Williams' fanzine The Criminal Record and several other small fanzines none of which are still in existence. When she is at the top of her game she has a book-a-day habit not all of it mystery.

Luke Croll
Luke Croll used to live on the Isle of Sheppey, in Kent, England, but moved to Spain in August 2001 and now lives in a town called San Pedro de Alcantara, just outside Marbella. He took a BA in French and Spanish, and then an MA in Medieval French Literature, from the University of Durham, before going to the University of Leeds to study interpreting and translating. He is currently finishing his studies and working as a freelancer translator and conference interpreter. Literature has always been an interest for him and the mystery/thriller/horror genre is his favourite. Writing reviews allows him to combine his passion for literature, and for writing too.

Luci Davin
At the age of 5 I lived abroad for a year with my mum and my father used to send regular book parcels starting a serious addiction to books and to exciting packages in the post. I collected read and discarded the complete works of Agatha Christie in my teens moving on to Colin Dexter before Sara Paretsky opened my eyes to the delights of female PI fiction. I have continued to read crime fiction ever since but in the last few years online discussion groups have opened my eyes to many new writers and the joys of conventions. I live in London with my boyfriend and two cats and work as a legal secretary in local government. I read about 70% crime fiction and especially look out for novels about female PIs (and some male ones) British police procedurals and historical mystery.

Mary Devine
I was born in Chicago on August 12, 1938.Ê I spent my formative years dividing my allowance between double features at the local movie palace and Nancy Drew at the local bookstore.Ê I took a hiatus from mysteries while I was working on my Ph.D., because I knew I would never finish my dissertation if I gave in to my addiction.Ê During the five years I taught at Michigan State University I also kept away from mysteries, because I knew I'd never get ready for class if I gave in.Ê However, by the time I got to Salem State College in 1969, I felt confident enough to divide my time between Shakespeare and Robert Barnard.Ê Then it occurred to me that I could make my addiction work, so I developed a course in Mystery Fiction, where the standout piece is the only Agatha Christie I really like -- The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Between 1983 and 1994, I was co-author of five books about manners around the world.Ê The first was THE TRAVELERS' GUIDE TO EUROPEAN CUSTOMS AND MANNERS.Ê That was followed by one on Asian Customs and Manners, Latin American Customs and Manners, Middle East and North African Customs and Manners, and African Customs and Manners.Ê I also edited a reference book on the History of Colleges and Universities. Since I retired in 2001, I have been reviewing for Mystery Scene and ReviewingtheEvidence.com.Ê My other addiction is watching Jeopardy! twice a day and dreaming of being a contestant and amassing fortune and some fame.

Linnea Dobson
Linnea Dodson lives in Washington DC and therefore has an abiding interest in anything involving intrigue. A historian by training technical writer by trade and a voraciously omnivorous reader by temperment she is particularly fond of historical crimes, forensic books and cross-genre mysteries. Crossovers with science fiction are especially interesting as she has been an active part of the sf community for decades and is currently on the committee for the Baltimore Star Trek convention "Shore Leave" - where she hands out books as part of the prizes for the Masquerade.

Sarah Dudley
Sarah graduated with a degree in literature from Smith College. From there she has proven that literature majors can do anything by taking a job in ACCOUNTING! Reading has always been a form of escapism and has merely changed directions for this individual. Sarah's goal is to one day move into the publishing world; but for now enjoys the oppurtunity to read anything and everything. Her reading tastes range from Jose Saramago to Dennis Lehane to Rhys Bowen's Constable Evans series. Although every book has a chance; her favorite mysteries tend to be hardboiled and/ or dark.

JT Ellison
JT Ellison is a 1991 graduate of Randolph-Macon WomanÕs College with degrees in English and Politics, and received her MasterÕs Degree in Political Management from The George Washington University in 1994. She was a Presidential Appointee and worked in the White House and Department of Commerce before moving into the private sector. As a financial analyst and marketing director, she worked for several defense and aerospace contractors. After a fateful afternoon with John SandfordÕs RULES OF PREY, JT decided to pursue her passion, forensics and crime. She is now a full time writer with two completed novels and is close to publication. See her website http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/JTEllison for more information on her work. JT is drawn to psychological thrillers and bloody messes. John Sandford, John Connolly, Michael Connelly, Karin Slaughter, Tami Hoag, Patricia Cornwell, Greg Isles, Harlan Coben, Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen and Robert Crais are among her favorite writers. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and is active in her local Middle Tennessee Chapter of Sisters in Crime. JT lives, reads and writes in Nashville, Tennessee.

Barbara Passel Franchi
Born on Long Island in 1935 and raised in New York Barbara gained her degrees through the benificence of the City of New York attending Hunter College and CCNY. She taught high school and college biology, general science, and geology in New York City high schools, CCNY and then Loyola of Montreal. In 1969, Rudy and Barbara started The Nostalgia Factory, which they finally sold in 2005, thereupon retiring to Los Angeles. She is the coauthor (with Rudy) of MILLER'S MOVIE COLLECTIBLES. Rudy is currently writing a mystery novel and she is researching a book to be with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences imprimatur. She has been a generalist on Antiques Roadshow since the first season and often fills in at the collectibles table when things get hectic. Her favorite mysteries tend to be police procedurals and what she calls medium boiled fiction. She also likes the crossover books between mystery and fantasy or science fiction. Her secret passion is for willy-wagglers, thrillers such as those by Clive Cussler and Matthew Reilly. She thanks Sharon Wheeler for taking over the unpaid and unappreciated office of editor of RTE and for making the site a professional looking and important one in the crime fiction field.

Lorraine Gelly
I discovered the Nancy Drew books when I was about 10 or 11 years old. At first I was attracted to Nancy's independence but gradually came to love the mystery as well. From there I graduated to Agatha Christie and have had a love affair with the mystery ever since. I read all kinds of mysteries but do prefer the darker side specifically police procedurals and I do love British mysteries. After a 20+ year career as a legal secretary (no legal mysteries aren't my favorite) I was able to realize a long held dream. I was able to buy into a used book store with a friend as my business partner. We had the store for over 4 years until life took a different turn for each of us and we had to give the store up. It was my pleasure to stock as many mysteries as I could find and we had a wonderful mystery section. It always gave me a thrill to hear that someone was coming in to talk to the "mystery lady" to consult about what to read next. Lately I have been introducing my granddaughter to children's mysteries in the hope she will come to love mysteries as I do. I also enjoy discussing mysteries and belong to several mystery book discussion groups.

Drewey Wayne Gunn
Drewey Wayne Gunn is professor emeritus of Texas A&M University-Kingsville. In August 2005 Scarecrow Press published his study THE GAY MALE SLEUTH IN PRINT AND FILM. He was one of the judges for the 2004 Lambda Literary Award for Best Gay Male Mystery. Wayne has already started work on a second edition of his book and welcomes comments and additions.

Carroll Johnson
Carroll Johnson read Nancy Drew and Tracy Belden in grade school and has been reading mysteries ever since. For many years Carroll worked in public health administration where she organized clinical services for San Francisco's diverse communities. Now she concentrates on reading and writing mystery fiction and provides volunteer fundraising support to several non-profit organizations including the Tibetan Nuns Project. She particularly loves mysteries that feature foreign settings environmental themes or bring attention to overlooked social issues.

Sharon Katz
Sharon was born in Brooklyn, New York , half a block from the beach and a mile from Coney Island. Some 22 years later she received a degree in English at Brooklyn College. For over 20 years she worked on Wall Street as an editor of Municipal Bond reports. Boring! She used to write articles for an online e-zine about health issues until that e-zine closed down. A couple of years ago Sharon found a job at a large woman's online site. At this job she interviews authors like Patricia Cornwell Frank McCourt Shirley MacLaine Deborah Norville Carolyn Hart Tamar Meyers Dana Stabenow Julie Smith Diane Mott Davidson Nevada Barr Lawrence Block and hundreds of others. You can find her at this same site wandering the chat rooms where she is in charge of a group of people who make sure the chat rooms are safe for everyone. Her first love is reading. At the age of 8 my mom found me reading EXODUS. She now loves mystery books and books by southern authors but that doesn't mean she won't read just about anything. She loves words and love seeing what can be done with them. There is such talent in this world. Sharon is also a freelance writer and I'm a freelance editor for a legal publication.

Yvonne Klein
Yvonne Klein is a retired college English professor and a professional translator and editor who reads an awful lot of crime fiction. She lives in Montreal with her cat Rosa.

Karen Meek
Karen has been a fan of crime fiction since she cut her teeth on Enid Blyton moving on to Nancy Drew and The Three Investigators. She is 30-something lives near Birmingham (UK) and is owned by 4 cats. Her collection of books to be read is in the four digits and shows no sign of diminishing. Her favourite authors include Elizabeth Peters Nevada Barr and Barbara Seranella. As well as RTE she reviews for overmydeadbody.com and Mystery Women. She is also currently working on a web site for European crime.

Rebecca Nesvet
Rebecca Nesvet is an AmericanÊplaywright.ÊRebecca'sÊtheatre and literary criticism has been published in The Western Mail (2003-4), Theatre in Wales (2000-4), and the journalsÊThe New Welsh Review, The Review of English Studies, Shakespeare International Yearbook, and Women's Writing. Her stage plays have been producedÊand stage-read in London, New York City, Washington DC, Chicago, and Montreal, andÊhave won severalÊ North AmericanÊawards, including the 2002 Arch and Bruce Brown Award for LGBT "history plays", for The Shape Shifter. Whilst not technically crimeÊdramas, someÊpresent shady charactersÊincludingÊthe master artÊforger HanÊvan Meegeren, mythical Sweeney Todd accomplice MargeryÊLovett,Êand currentÊU.S. Vice PresidentÊRichard B. Cheney.ÊHer website is at: www.geocities.com/upstart_crow2

Ayo Onatade
The first crime novel that Ayo read was THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT STYLES by Agatha Christie while she was on a plane from London to Nigeria. It was her introduction to the genre that was to become her passion. Her love of the genre was part of the impetus that sent her back to University to obtain her Masters degree in Post-Colonial and Post-Modern English Literature. It gave her the opportunity to write her dissertation on crime fiction. Currently in between her day job as a clerk to a judge in the Court of Appeal in Central London she also helps Lizzie Hayes run Mystery Women (http://www.mysterywomen.co.uk)which was set up by Kate Charles and Michelle Spring as well as doing reviews and interviews for Shots magazine online (http://www.shotsmag.co.uk) andwriting articles for Jon Jordan's Crime Spree Magazine (http://www.crimespreemag.com). While she prefers to read dark /noir novels some of her favourite authors include Raymond Chandler Val McDermid Gary Phillips George Pelecanos Robert Crais Dennis Lehane Janet Evanovich J D Robb Mark Billingham Dana Stabenow Ian Rankin Lawrence Block Arturo Perez-Reverte Rick Riordan James Lee Burke and Michael Connelly. However she also has a weakness for historical crime novels especially those set in and around the Roman period. She always has at least one novel with her at all times and is seen as the family's library due to the amount of books that she has.

Jennifer Palmer
Jennifer has been reading mysteries since her early teens--in fact earlier if she includes children's mysteries. Reading has always been an obsession of hers--she seems to be the only person in the doctor and dentist's waiting room who brings a book to read while waiting! She lived abroad for a number of years and found that the solace of her books was a valuable part of settling into a new place. Those books that she took from place to place have suffered rather from their journeyings and are brittle and yellowed. She does collect out of print books by early authors as well as books by current authors so her library is constantly increasing! Living in the USA for six years in the late 80s enabled her to deepen further her interests in American authors. She still reads many of them now that she is back in the UK. There are a lot of US writers that she enjoys: Dana Stabenow Nevada Barr Joanne Dobson Laura Crum Emma Lathen Margaret Maron Jill Churchill etc. She likes the author who can take her into a different place or way of life and make her interested in it even when it might seem unappealing. Another major area of interest for her is the historical mystery--now an enormous field to cover. She is a historian and teacher so history mysteries are a natural area for her to enjoy. Historical detection writers that she currently enjoys include Fiona Buckley Dianne Day Robin Paige Kerry Greenwood Roberta Gellis Margaret Frazer and Laurie King. A number of writers of modern detective fiction have a strong historical element --Kate Ellis and Robert Barnard are good English examples. She finds that historical mysteries cover most of the other genres--legal procedural women PIs suspense spy police (of some sort) and soft or hard-boiled. While she enjoys these she does not like serial killers serious psychological investigations and stories involving extended torture. Reviewing books is opening new authors to her and she likes this even if the new writer is not really to her taste

Denise Wels Pickles
Denise Wels Pickles having tired of hunting the white whale with her digital camera bored with the monetary problems of the World Bank and generally wishing to enjoy her newly married status decided to withdraw to a desert island with her husband and son. Her son alas declined to accompany them but Denise and consort Chris set about building a hut complete with all the mod cons - electricity running water efficient garbage disposal - all from the raw materials to be found on the island. The power to construct the necessities was as a result of Denise and Chris' wide experience in their previous lives. They will remain in isolated splendour until the next impulse overtakes them which perhaps will impel them back to the teeming world to attempt once more to set right its ills. Denise may then resume her hobby of brain surgery although is more likely to return to pharmacy.

Bennett Piscitelli
Bennett Piscitelli will enter high school this fall. He is a surfer and maintains an A average in school. Bennett was born in Los Angeles and swears he will never live more than a mile from the beach. He is passionate about surfing, movies, and reading mysteries -- the funnier the better.

Rita Ratacheck
Rita has always enjoyed being around books and people that "talk" books. Friends and occasionally strangers are stopped so that she can hear what they are reading. Formerly (in her last life) she taught school and later worked in a bookshop. She cannot imagine our world without having this wonderful addiction of READING. Fortunate to be an avid reader most of her life Rita has recently started enjoying audio books as well as the written format. Even though she reads a wide mix of genres mystery is her favorite. Every person has a story to tell and Rita would like to read/hear them all. Rita and her husband have two adult "kids" and she says that each one of them is their favorite.

Diana Sandberg
Diana was born in San Francisco and emigrated to Canada when she was 21. She has lived in and around Vancouver ever since. Previous occupations include clerk songwriter road crew flagperson waitress go-go dancer auto parts sales computer programmer and - her favourite of these - homeschooling mom. Now the kids are grown she has embarked on a new career as an actor and a singer and is enjoying herself no end. She has always been a voracious reader and particularly loves historical mysteries.

Andi Shechter
Once upon a time, Andi Shechter went to graduate school and received a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice. The closest she's ever come to actually using the degree has been as a reader of mystery and crime fiction. Sad, isn't it? She spent her working life primarily in administrative jobs in not-for-profit agencies. Since 1994, she's been the world's most intriguing orthopedic mystery. For over 25 years, Andi has worked on and attended science fiction and mystery conventions. In 1994, she was program chair for Bouchercon 25 (the World Mystery Convention) and in 1997, she chaired Left Coast Crime 7. She will chair Left Coast Crime 2007 in Seattle. In her spare time, she reads sixties history, collects hedgehogs and hot sauces, watches figure skating as often as possible, and does volunteer work at a shelter for battered women. Andi has hung out on DorothyL for at least 10 years. She also writes reviews for I Love A Mystery, Bookreporter.com and January Magazine. When it shut down a couple of years ago, Andi had finally achieved one of her life goals by having her own page at Ed's Internet Book Reviews, just like Maddy van Hertbubble. She has written a long essay entitled "The Perception Of Disabled People In Mystery Fiction: or 'Supercrip Solves a Mystery'" and "How To Run A Mystery Convention - A Practical Guide". In April, 2004, her article on mystery trends appeared in Library Journal. Andi's favorite writers include S.J. Rozan, Michael Allen Dymmoch, James Sallis, Jasper Fforde, Dana Stabenow, Charlaine Harris, Barbara Seranella and Kate Ross. Andi appears in both MANDARIN PLAID by S.J. Rozan (as a blonde runway fashion model "with an attitude") and VAMPIRE BYTES by Linda Grant. And she was on-beyond thrilled to be chosen as fan guest of honor for Left Coast Crime 2001, in Anchorage, Alaska. Andi is a member of the Sad Anoraks, the world's most famous unknown band.

Angel L. Soto
Angel L. Soto is a journals editor by day and, depending on what day it is, a graduate student or a writing instructor by night. He is an avid reader of all kinds of fiction from literary classics to contemporary mysteries. He is a straight-shooter when it comes to reviewing and is willing to try any new authors at any time. He considers himself an "equal-opportunity reader."

Eugene Aubrey
Eugene Aubrey Stratton (Gene) has had several careers, including 14 years as a CIA case officer. In his various positions, he has lived and traveled much abroad and in the US, having lived in or visited every one of the 50 U.S. states. He has had five books published, two non-fiction and three mystery novels . His special interests are history, literature, mystery novels, all aspects of England, classical Greece and Rome, Europe in general, drama, opera and classical music, travel, and genealogy. He and his wife, Ginger, share the same interests and are completely devoted to each other. They have five children, each living in a different part of the U.S. He has been the Historian General of the Society of Mayflower Descendants, a member of the British Crime Writer's Association, a member of the American Mensa Society, a Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists, a Fellow of the Pilgrim Society, and a member of Delta Tau Delta social fraternity. He has a bachelor's degree in Economics from George Washington University, and has taken numerous postgraduate courses, including a year in law school and much foreign language training, in universities in the Washington, DC, area and elsewhere. Gene has a web site at www.eugenestratton.com

Ginger K.W., Stratton
Ginger K. W. Stratton is married to Eugene Aubrey Stratton (see his biog) and has lived in numerous parts of the U.S. and Europe with him. Before marriage, she worked at the National Gallery of Art and for the U.S. Government in Washington, DC. She has worked the past eighteen years in several law firms on both the west and east coasts. She served on the Board of Directors for the Plymouth Antiquarian Society, where she was responsible for writing grant proposals and supervising the restoration of three historic houses. Her love of reading several different types of books has resulted in her becoming an authority of the works and life of Victorian author Anthony Trollope, and includes a year of research on him at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, England. In mysteries she loves novels with a legal, historical, or European background, and for fun she also enjoys the gentler ones, such as those by Alexander McCall Smith and M.C. Beaton.

Maddy Van Hertbruggen
It was a dark and stormy night when Maddy Van Hertbruggen came roaring into the world. This formative event seems to have influenced her reading tastes as she loves hard-boiled noir PI and police procedural crime fiction. Rumor has it that she began reading in the womb when her mother would fall asleep with a book on her stomach. Originally a Jersey girl Maddy now lives in Texas where she has been working hard to achieve citizenship status. She is seriously mysteriously addicted collecting mystery first editions writing book reviews and serving as moderator for an on-line book discussion list. Her husband spends his spare time assembling bookshelves. Maddy is the epitome of the cozy reader curled on the couch under an afghan sipping a cup of tea stroking the cats while reading all the hard-boiled dark books that she can find. Favorite authors include S. J. Rozan Bill Pronzini Steve Hamilton Steven Booth and Stuart Pawson.

Mary V. Welk
Mary V. Welk is the author of the Caroline Rhodes mysteries winner of the 2002 Love Is Murder Readers' Choice Award for Best Series. Her upcoming novel is a Halloween mystery entitled The Scarecrow Murders. Other books include: A Deadly Little Christmas (2000 Readers' Choice Award Best First Mystery) Something Wicked in the Air (2002 Readers' Choice Award Best Traditional Mystery) and To Kill A King. Other credits: "Hickory Dickory Doc" Mayhem in the Midlands Anthology; "Murder Most Politic" Blondes in Trouble Anthology; Mystery Scene Magazine's "Small Press News and Reviews" column; Future Magazine's "Death Delivered" column. Mary is a member of the Board of Directors of the Midwest Chapter of Mystery Writers of America and a member of SinC. She is a life-long resident of Chicago works part time as an ERCN in a Level Two Trauma hospital's ER and is a Pediatric Advanced Life Support instructor. Her hobby is gardening and she's a rabid fan of the Chicago Cubs.

Sharon Wheeler
Sharon Wheeler is editor of Reviewingtheevidence.com, having taken over the hot seat from the very wonderful Barbara Franchi. Sharon has been a print journalist since 1985. After working as a sports reporter, she fled freezing rugby press boxes for the relative sanity of academia and now indoctrinates (oops, sorry, teaches) the young journalists of the future at the University of Gloucestershire. Her crime fiction addiction stems from spending far too long reading obscure feminist and gay and lesbian crime novels for her MPhil dissertation. She now spends far too long watching videos of 1970s cop shows such as The Professionals in the name of research. Her favourite crime writers include Patricia Highsmith, Reginald Hill, Dennis Lehane, Michael Nava, Sara Paretsky and John Morgan Wilson. Elizabeth George makes her foam at the mouth, and she pleads ignorance when it comes to cosies. Sharon is currently working on two books -- Feature Writing for Journalists and The Literary Journalists. She is also a member of the Sad Anoraks, a legend in their own lunchtime.

Lane Wright
Have you ever felt like you had died and gone to heaven? That is how Lane Wright feels living within walking distance of 5 major bookstores including one of the nation's top independent mystery bookstores. Lane has reviewed books for other internet sites and for a year took part in author chats on AOL. A retired health care administrator and now a professional volunteer Lane's interests range from the canonical teachings of Sherlock Holmes and Buddha to art and baseball.

Michelle L. Zafron
Michelle L. Zafron is a reference librarian at an academic library in Western New York. She has been reading mysteries for longer than she cares to remember and is glad finally to have a respectable reason to give to all those pesky people who can't understand why she always has her head in a book. She enjoys caper novels hard-boiled detective fiction police procedurals and is particularly fond of the traditional English country-house mystery

Contact: bf@reviewingtheevidence.com