Donald Bain

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• Read my blog on A Member of the Family at the Killer Nashville site.

May-June 2013

City Book Review has given EXPERIMENT IN MURDER a rave review in its April 16th issue. This excellent review service syndicates reviews to various city magazines and newspapers. To access it go to citybookreview.com. Type in Donald Bain in the small box on the upper right. Hit "Enter." Then click on the small book cover icon for the review. The novel has upset a few people, especially because of its ending, but the ending reflects reality. Being compared to "The Manchurian Candidate" is praise unto itself. Readers can come to their own conclusions after reading it. It has also generated controversy because the science behind the story might well have relevance to Sirhan Sirhan's assassination of RFK.

It's been a busy blogging time this spring. My latest,"Channeling Seth Hazlitt" is up on Dru's Book Musings for your enjoyment. Dru's blog asks writers to pose as one of their favorite characters and talk about their work. Jessica Fletcher already gets a lot of attention, so I thought Seth Hazlitt, Cabot Cove's favorite doctor, deserved a little of his own. Post a comment before the April 6th deadline and you'll be entered in a drawing to win Prescription for Murder which is just out. Dru's Book Musings is a popular landing site for avid readers, and we thank her for including us in her blog.

Lee Lofland is a crime writer's best friend. A former law enforcement officer, he's an acknowledged expert in the fields of police procedure and investigations, and he shares his deep knowledge with writers on his outstanding website, The Graveyard Shift. He also hosts a yearly academy for writers of thrillers and murder mysteries to make sure we get it right when writing about police procedures and investigatory tactics. His book, "Police Procedure and Investigation" is the Bible everyone in the field consults. I was pleased when Lee offered to host a blog I've written, "The Science Behind Experiment in Murder, the 26th novel in the Margaret Truman Capital Crime series, which I wrote and that was published last November. It takes the reader into the world of hypnosis and how this powerful tool can be used both as a useful medical tool, or for evil purposes.

Jungle Red Writers is one of the most widely read and prestigious blog sites in publishing. The eight top-notch writers who have launched and maintain the site all happen to be women. I was asked to contribute a blog about how to keep a long-running series fresh, and was delighted to do it. It's now up on their site and you can access what I've written, and the myriad comments the blog has generated here.

The Bethlehem Writers Group recently interviewed me for its March blog site. You can access the interview by googling the Bethlehem Writers Group, clicking on "Author Roundtable," and then clicking on "Interview." They asked some great questions.

Experiment in Murder, the 26th novel in Margaret Truman's Capital Crime Series, was published under my name in November. Margaret and I were very good friends and I worked closely with her throughout the series. This new novel takes the reader into the world of hypnosis, a powerful medical tool that can be used for good—or for evil as happens in the novel. I'd done considerable research into the power of medical hypnosis for a non-fiction book I wrote years ago, "The CIA's Control of Candy Jones," and used much of that knowledge in Experiment in Murder. The publisher expects considerable media attention because it sheds possible light on Sirhan Sirhan’s assassination of Robert Kennedy.

Thanks to Susan Kurtz for her positive comments about Experiment in Murder that appear on the Discussion Page.

And thanks to Ray Kiszely of Brown Summit, N.C. for his email: "I received Experiment in Murder as a Christmas gift. Just finished it this evening. I loved it . . . Thanks for a great and stimulating book."

The preceding book in the series, Monument to Murder, which was published in 2011, is widely available in all formats.
# # #When we turned in the last book on our "Murder, She Wrote" contract, #40, Close-Up on Murder, which was delivered to the publisher on October 1, we were delighted to learn that a new contract with our publisher Obsidian was in the offing. Naturally we’re excited to be continuing the series. Jessica Fletcher is now being called “today’s Miss Marple,” and there will be many more dead bodies for her to trip over, and murders to solve in her inimitable fashion.

Coming up first will be Prescription for Murder, out this April, and a signed copy of the book will be going to Becky Lasson of Connecticut for coming up with the title. The book is set in Tampa, Florida, and involves intrigue within the Cuban-American community, as well as inserting Jessica and her friend, Dr. Seth Hazlitt, into the high-pressure world of medical research. Fans of the series will find it interesting that Seth, who is often critical of Jessica for "snooping," becomes quite a snoop himself into a murder that takes place, as he becomes Sherlock with Jessica as his trusted aide Dr. Watson.

Close-Up on Murder, which will be out in the fall, finds Jessica and Seth back home in Cabot Cove, and contending with the shenanigans of a motion picture company taking over the town. Mort is not happy, but his irritability quotient goes even higher when a body is discovered on the movie set. Since the publisher decided to stay with our working title, we're just going to throw all the readers' title suggestions into a hat and pick a winner for a signed copy of that book, too.

We're starting work on the first book in our new contract, tentatively titled Aloha Betrayed. It takes place on the Hawaiian island of Maui. We're excited about using all we learned on our trip there last fall.

Don't know yet if the title will stick, but if not, we know we'll get lots of good alternatives from our readers. Thanks for all your input and your enthusiasm about continuing the series.
# # #

Of the 115-plus books I’ve written, I’d never written one without having a contract in-place before I started. But earlier this year I went back to a novel I’d started in 2003 based upon an event that took place in the United States and Canada in that year. I’d never found the time to finish it, but earlier this year I made the time. Its title is Smythe's Franchise, and it’s a comic caper in the Donald Westlake vein, as well as the story of an average man suffering a monumental midlife crisis. My agent Bob Diforio of the D4EO agency has begun submitting it to major publishers, and I’m eagerly awaiting their responses.

More About Murder, She WroteTrouble at High Tide, set in Bermuda, was published last spring in hardcover and as an e-book. When a murder occurs on Bermuda's lovely pink beach, Jessica, who's in Bermuda for some R&R, is drawn into the case, along with her Scotland Yard friend, George Sutherland. This murder, as with others on the island paradise, smacks of London's Jack-the-Ripper murders, and Jessica wonders whether her week of relaxation might quickly turn into a week of dread. If you haven't read it yet, you can get a peek at the first chapter at the link in the left-hand column. It will be out in paperback in March.

Last fall saw the hardcover debut of Domestic Malice which finds a Cabot Cove family wrestling with the issue of domestic violence. It's a difficult subject matter, but an important one that needs attention. We hope you agree.

When the abuser is murdered, suspicion points to the family, but how many others in the community had bones to pick with the victim? Fans of mystery conferences will recognize that the working title is a play on one of our favorites, Malice Domestic, which takes place annually in the Washington, D.C.-area, and which we will be attending this year. Our publisher's artist did a great job on the cover.

For those who like armchair travel, The Fine Art of Murder is available everywhere. (Look for an excerpt in the lefthand column.) This one is an exciting tale of big-time art theft and forgery that takes Jessica to Italy where she almost loses her life, only to be drawn into a murder in Chicago when she returns home. A fascinating mix of suspects emerges, and while Jessica tries to solve that murder, she's called back to Italy to aid the Italian police with their case, another trip that places her in jeopardy.

The Queen's Jewels takes Jessica to London in preparation for a trans-Atlantic crossing back to the United States on the magnificent Queen Mary 2. After spending time with Scotland Yard Inspector George Sutherland (too little time as far as they're concerned), she sets sail. Little does she know that individuals connected with the theft of a huge diamond from its London owner are also onboard, and Jessica soon finds herself in the middle of a plot by international jewel thieves to fund terrorist organizations. The stakes are high, high enough to kill for, and it takes every ounce of her intellect and cunning to bring the bad guys to justice, and to see that she arrives safely. Two engaging characters from the TV show make an appearance in this, the 34th novel in the series.

If you're a figure skating fan, and even if you're not, there's a lot to enjoy in Skating on Thin Ice, now available in paperback. It takes place in the exciting world of competitive figure skating, a wonderful sport that has millions of devotées, including us. Renée is an avid fan and continues to take skating lessons at our local rink. The story is set in Cabot Cove and features many of our readers' favorite characters. Renée and I dedicated the book to Dick Button, the great skater and commentator who lives close enough to us to be considered a neighbor.

Every book in the "Murder, She Wrote" series is still in print.

# # #Our venture into the world of book publishing got off to an auspicious start. In addition to the e-version of my autobiographyMurder, He Wrote, which I mentioned above, Hyphenates Books' first novel Taking Tennessee to Hart--a wonderful crime-caper novel by my former theater professor at Purdue University and dear friend Joe Stockdale--has been selling steadily and garnering great reader reviews. It is now available as a Kindle release on amazon.com for $3.99. We encourage you to read the rave reviews on Amazon, and learn more about this fanciful novel by clicking on "Hyphenates Books."

We're still hoping that Hollywood interest leads to a movie version. Learn more about the novel, the author, and how to buy the book by clicking on "Hyphenates Books" on the navigation bar at the top of this page. There's also a special note there for "Murder, She Wrote" fans.

# # #People who know me are aware of my passion for jazz and aviation. I've performed as a professional jazz musician for most of my adult life, and was with American Airlines for three years, and a consultant to Pan Am for 17 years. I have a private pilot's license but don't fly any more except as an airline passenger. My work for Pan Am involved many writing assignments from Jeff Kriendler, who was VP of Corporate Communications for nine years. I've worked with a lot of great people, but Jeff ranks at the very top of the list. Last year a terrific book, Pan American World Airways: Aviation History Through the Words of its People, was co-authored by Jeff. Reading it brought back many rich memories for me when I was associated with that iconic airline. Jeff wrote another book, this one on the history of Eastern Airlines, and he asked me to contribute a piece on how my book, Coffee, Tea or Me?, was linked to Eastern. Two of its stewardesses were the genesis of the book. I jumped at the chance to work with Jeff again. Thank you Jeff for keeping me in the loop.
# # #New agent: After more than 40 years with the same agent, I'm now represented by Bob Diforio and his D4EO Literary Agency. Bob was a major figure in publishing. He headed up New American Library for 17 years, purchased E.P. Dutton, and sold the combined company to Pearson PLC, which became Penguin USA whose Obsidian imprint publishes the "Murder, She Wrote" book series. We forged our agent-author relationship in February at the "Love is Murder" conference in Chicago, and I'm excited about what the future holds for me with this new representation.

Murder HE Wrote
The "Murder, She Wrote" series, the Veronica Lake autobiography, Veronica, Charlie and the Shawneetown DameCoffee, Tea or Me? are among the more than 100 books I've written over a long career (the actual number as of Winter 2013 is 118). The story behind these books and all the others, is contained in the new e-book from Macmillan, mentioned above, and in the previously published trade paperback edition of my autobiography, Murder HE Wrote: A Successful Writer's Life, still available from Purdue University Press. For reviews and endorsements from top publishing figures and fellow-writers, please click on the book's title, Murder HE Wrote to your right. Perfect gift for the writer in your family.

Charlie and the Shawneetown Dame
The Purdue University Press reissue of this book that I wrote more than 30 years ago continues to create a buzz in Hollywood. It's a dramatization of a true story from the Prohibition era, involving one of the more bizarre gang wars in the annals of crime in America, replete with tank wars, bombing from an aircraft, and chronicling the life of Charlie Birger, a flamboyant, slightly mad Al Capone wannabe. I've completed a screenplay based upon the book, and of the many books I've written, this has always been a particular favorite. Click on the title at the right for reviews, and an excerpt from the book.

The CIA's Control of Candy Jones
Often called a "cult classic," the reissue of this highly controversial book is difficult to find in stores, but used versions are available on amazon.com and at barnesandnoble.com. Twentieth-Century Fox bought the film rights many years ago as a vehicle for Jane Fonda but has never made the movie. I've tried to buy back the rights, as have a dozen Hollywood producers. For some reason, Fox won't let go. That's a shame because it would make a wonderful motion picture. Besides, the American public should know about the perverse CIA experiments that took place during the "Cold War."

Penguin Books' reissue of Coffee, Tea, Or Me? includes a new foreword by me, and all the original Bill Wenzel illustrations.

Stop back again soon.
Donald Bain