Left Coast Crime 2025: Part One

Wendall -- every other Thursday

My first Left Coast Crime took place in Reno in 2018, where I was lucky enough to have Lost Luggage nominated for Best Debut Mystery. I can’t tell you how welcoming and kind and generous everyone was to me and James. I made so many friends there that I treasure to this day.

 

My first LCC in Reno with fellow nominees Susan Bickford, Nancy Tingley, and Kathleen Valenti. Always thrilled to see Susan at every conference and Nancy Tingley gave me a car. The friends you make!

 

Ever since then, the conference has been my favorite for its intimate feel, its kindness to authors and readers, and especially for Lucinda Surber, Stan Ulrich and all of the amazing volunteers. My heart leaps up when I spot Dotty Morefield at the registration desk, or Les and Leslie Blatt ringing the Speed Dating Bell. As Toastmaster John Copenhaver said at the Awards Banquet, it’s all about joy. 

Lucinda and Stan, the heart and soul.

This year, there seemed to be a special sense of camaraderie—we were all united by our love for books and libraries and other people who love both.

 

Today I’ll talk about my specific experience, but I want to think a bit about the conference as a whole, and conferences in general, before I write about that.

 

On route, my first glimpse of the Rockies.

Denver airport, terminal C

 

I flew from LAX to Denver and was delighted at how easy it was to hop onto the light rail train into Union Station. They have spruced it up considerably since I was last there in 1994. 

 

From the train platform.

 

A glimpse inside.

It was a brief walk up to the Westin (like my protagonist, Cyd Redondo, I do carry-on luggage only) and my room was ready.

 

View of the mountains from my room.

 

Looking the other way. I love hotels.

 

That night, I was so privileged to attend the Guest of Honor dinner as Grace Koshida’s “plus one.” Grace is one of my favorite people and a huge supporter of my writing and of so many other authors. I was thrilled to see her recognized as the Fan Guest of Honor this year. She is beloved in the mystery community.   

 

Grace's award.

 

 

 

Me and Grace.

At the dinner, in addition to sharing quips and stories with Les and Leslie Blatt, I loved meeting and speaking with Guest of Honor Manual Ramos and his wife, Flo. Sadly, I was too engaged to stop and take photos that night.

 

The next morning involved speed dating.  For any of you who don’t know how it works, there are 20 tables of 6 to 8 readers. Author partners travel from table to table pitching their work. We each have two minutes, then one minute to move and toss all our “swag” onto the tables. It’s exhausting for all concerned, but also exhilarating. 

 

My pal Matt Coyle and I (known as the “Screwball and Screwed Up” duo) have partnered almost every time, except for the year I did a stint with my husband when he was pitching The Alaskan Blonde. 

Me and Matt over the years...

...

Pitching "action shot" care of Grace Koshida.

 

I was also lucky enough to moderate this year’s Best Novel panel. Reading the books and reading and listening to interviews with these authors, then finally getting to hear them talk about their work, was a joy from start to finish. If you’ve missed any of the nominated books they’re in the graphics below. Congratulations to all of them and especially to James L’Etoile for the win.

 

The authors and their books.

On the day. They were all brilliant.

 

The “Been There, Wrote That” panel was a different matter, where Gar Anthony Haywood quizzed me, Matt Coyle, Tracy Clark, and Glen Erik Hamilton on our novels. I, apparently, knew the least about mine, since I lost. . . Still totally fun.

 

Apparently, I did not write my own novels.

 

I was also lucky to get a chance to have lunch with Annamaria Alfieri, as we were the only two MIE bloggers in attendance. We talked about life, politics, writing, and red meat, among other things.

 

I’ll write more about the panels, the dinners and drinks, and encounters with Guest of Honor and mystery goddess Sara Paretsky next time. 

In the meantime, be careful out there.

~ Wendall 

CULPRITS – the Heist Was Just the Beginning

Zoë Sharp

Four years ago, an email arrived from Richard J Brewer and Gary Phillips, asking me if I would be interested in contributing a short story – of sorts – to a rather unusual anthology they were putting together, entitled CULPRITS: The Heist Was Only The Beginning.

Richard and Gary had come up with the set-up and the opening chapter for a heist story. A crew is brought together to rob a rich Texas cattleman, he told me. They do the job, get the money, and then – as the subtitle suggests – things start to get interesting.

 

And this is where the contributors came in.

 

We were to choose one of the characters and let our imaginations run riot with what happens to them after the heist. Do they get away? Do they get caught? Do they keep the money? Or lose it along with their lives?

 

It was a fascinating idea with a great cast and opening – and an even better line-up of contributors.

 

How could I resist?

 

In fact, the exact words I used in response to Richard’s invitation were, ‘I don't need to think over your proposition. It's a terrific idea and I'm in. Hell yes.’

 

The jacket copy for CULPRITS runs:

 

Some stories are all about the crime. These stories are about the maelstrom of what happens after…

 

A hard-bitten crew of professional thieves pull off the score of their lives, coming away with seven million in cash. Like any heist there are some unforeseen complications, and unfortunately they don’t get away without a few bodies dropping. But despite this, they get away with the swag. Seven million. Enough to change their lives, make new identities, start fresh. But that’s when the real trouble begins…

 

In this unique, riveting, linked anthology, we follow each member of the crew of culprits as they go their separate ways after the heist, and watch as this perfect score ends up a perfect nightmare. Featuring stories penned by acclaimed writers Brett Battles, Gar Anthony Haywood, Zoë Sharp, Manuel Ramos, Jessica Kaye, Joe Clifford, and David Corbett, CULPRITS examines what happens next to these criminals once they take their cut and go their separate ways, only to find that the end of the heist was the beginning of their troubles.

 

The anthology came out from Polis Books in February of 2018 and picked up some great reviews.

 

As it turns out, that wasn’t all it picked up.

 

Yesterday, I got another of those out-of-the-blue emails that put a different perspective on your whole day. Richard wrote to us all to point us in the direction of an announcement in Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter that CULPRITS is on its way to the small screen as a series for Disney+UK.

 

“BAFTA-winning writer Sally Wainwright (‘Happy Valley’, ‘Gentleman Jack’), ‘Killing Eve’ producer Sally Woodward Gentle and producers Faith Penhale (‘Les Miserables’) and Stephen Garrett (‘The Night Manager’) are among the creatives behind Disney Plus’ first scripted slate out of the U.K.”

 

Culprits

“Star Original ‘Culprits’ is a dark comedy heist series from filmmaker J Blakeson (‘I Care A Lot’, ‘The Disappearance of Alice Creed’). The show follows what happens after a heist, when the crew have gone their separate ways, but are being targeted by a killer one-by-one. Created and directed by Blakeson, the series is executive produced by Garrett and produced by Morenike Williams (‘Killing Eve’). Culprits is a Character 7 production.

 

Noting that work began on ‘Culprits’ a couple of years ago, Garrett said, “We are immensely proud that Disney Plus have decided to make it one of their platform-defining shows. The additional thrill for me is that I’m working with a writer-director at the very top of his game.”

 

The Heist, it seems, really was only the beginning. I’ll be watching with interest to see what they make of our efforts.

 

This week’s Word of the Week is scurryfunge, meaning to hastily rush round tidying the house because company is on the way over.

OK, back to the edits...