It's not very often that I have the pleasant experience of discovering that one of my favorite authors - all of whose books I thought I had read long ago - actually wrote another book that I hadn't read yet.
That's what has happened to my relationship with Elizabeth Daly, a marvelous and now mostly forgotten writer, whose 16 books starring Henry Gamadge are starting to appear again. Most of her books are what are called "biblio mysteries," for they revolve around books and documents - Gamadge is an expert at antique documents and books, and he is frequently drawn into mysteries when consulted about the authenticity of some volume of ancient lore.
Felony & Mayhem Press has been republishing Daly's books, and they have just released "The Book of the Dead," which was the only one of her novels that I had never seen before. I have just bought a copy, and I have begun to read and savor this new - to me - mystery. Look for a review in several weeks.
I just discovered your blog and am delighted!! I love the Patricia Moyes and Elizabeth Daly books; have you done a blog on Emma Lathen and her/their John Putnam Thatcher? I will look back and see. Thank you for mentioning these wonderful authors.
Posted by: Julia Haggar | April 29, 2010 at 10:55 AM
I haven't done anything on Emma Lathen, mostly because everything of hers (theirs?) seems to be out of print. I enjoy the Thatcher books, however, and one of these days I should do a longer post about them - they really are excellent cozies and very much in the classic tradition. Thanks for the reminder!
Posted by: Les Blatt | April 29, 2010 at 12:19 PM