I think that I have written about how little time I now spend actually reading my favorite cozy mysteries. I find that I am spending more and more time researching for the site than I had expected. While trying to put together the past lists of the Edgar nominations and winners, I found myself smiling as I came across one after another familiar authors… some of whom I enjoy immensely, but simply haven’t read in a while.
I remember some of the authors from my mystery reading groups, some of them I remember from a time long ago when my children were young and went to bed at eight o’clock (giving me time to read books other than Grover Goes to School, or Oscar’s Rotten Birthday.) Some of the authors I actually remember from my college years… which, believe me, was an entire other lifetime ago.
Good grief! Ellis Peters won the Edgar’s Best Novel category for Death and the Joyful Woman in 1963! How can that be! I’m still enjoying her books!!!! And how about Ngaio Marsh being nominated in 1967 for Killer Dolphin!!! 1971…. no, it couldn’t have been…. Patricia Moyes was nominated for Many Deadly Returns. Tony Hillerman (The Fly on the Wall) and P. D. James (Shroud for a Nightingale) are from 1972!!! Tell me it ain’t so!
It’s the "déjà vu" syndrome………… the "I-can-remember-exactly-what-was-going-on-in-my-life-while-I-read-this-book" feelings that made me smile as I typed up some of these authors’ names. Some of the authors are people who I have never stopped enjoying, and who I still read. But there are others who I had almost forgotten about… like friends from my past who reappear…. and I can’t wait to read their books again.
