Author of the Month

Faye Kellerman [July 2007]
Chosen by columnist and reviewer Marcia Berneger, MyShelf.Com

I choose to highlight Faye Kellerman for July's Author of the Month for two reasons. First, she is an excellent author, and second, we were good friends in junior high and high school way back when.

Faye Kellerman, mystery writer extraordinaire, has entertained readers for over 20 years with her riveting novels. Beginning her writing career with short stories, eagerly snatched up by mystery magazines, she went on to pen her widely acclaimed series surrounding the lives of Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus in Ritual Bath, for which she won the Macavity Award for the Best First Novel from the Mystery Readers of American. Weaving the story of her detectives' courtship, marriage and family life with Decker's search for his own identity keeps the reader firmly attached to this detective duo as they work through the intricate mysteries Kellerman masterfully sets before her audience.

Throughout her successful career as a writer, Kellerman has delighted readers by deviating from the comfort of her established series to branch out into vastly different settings. She has given her readers two historical fiction mysteries: Quality of Mercy, a novel of intrigue set in Shakespeare's England, and Straight Into Darkness, a crime thriller set in Munich during the 1930s. Her latest release, Garden of Eden, delights readers with a personally annotated collection of her short stories, including two written just for this book.

Kellerman’s newest thriller, The Burnt House: A Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus Novel is set for release in August, 2007. If you love her novels, as I do, you can pre-order it from Amazon.com at this link: http://www.amazon.com/Burnt-House-Decker-Lazarus-Novels/dp/0061227323/

REVIEW

The Garden of Eden and Other Criminal Delights By Faye Kellerman Warner Books August 2006 0-446-53039-5 Hardcover Anthology-mystery/crime Reviewed: 2006 Buy it at Amazon Reviewed by Marcia Berneger, MyShelf.com

It was just a typical open house for a real estate agent and some prospective buyers. Typical, that is, until a dead body falls out of the broom closet. Thus begins "Open House", one of seventeen delectable short stories in Faye Kellerman's latest book, Garden of Eden and Other Criminal Delights. Master of the mystery/crime novel, Kellerman demonstrates her prowess with the short story as she assembles some of her best shorter creations for this engaging anthology. Included are "Mummy and Jack", a macabre tale depicting the twisted devotion of a son to his "Mummy," co-written with Kellerman's own son Jesse (who hopefully bares no resemblance to Jack) and "Luck of the Draw", a cute family story told in three viewpoints by Kellerman in collaboration with daughters Rachel and Ilana. Two brand new tales, "Open House", mentioned above, and "Garden of Eden", both featuring her well-loved detective, Peter Decker, are included among the seventeen as an added bonus.

Garden of Eden is an eclectic mix of stories that include crime/mystery, dysfunctional family dynamics and psychotic killers. Kellerman introduces each story with a delightful prologue that gives the reader an insight into each "story" behind the story. The collection ends with two tales drawn from Kellerman's own life: personal glimpses from her past that break down the wall between author and reader and allow us to get to know Faye Kellerman, the person behind the pen. A surprising and rather pleasant treat.

2007's Honorary List