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Archives - September 2025

Last week was the first week back from Bouchercon in New Orleans. It also was Joe Hartlaub’s birthday. All three of those things --- Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention; New Orleans, the Crescent City of Jazz and Mardi Gras; and birthdays in general --- were beloved by my late and much-lamented friend. Joe was a reviewer for Bookreporter.com, and he was one of the best. He loved crime fiction. And as an entertainment lawyer who was part of the music scene for decades, he knew a lot about where the actual bodies were buried. With his porkpie hat, twinkle and cherubically “wise guy” smile, he could have stepped out of the pages of Damon Runyon or “The Sopranos” with equal verve.