My “novelette” The Case of the Piss Poor Gold appears in the November issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, which is shipping to subscribers now and will be available at newsstands across the country next week. The story is an excerpt from my upcoming novel MR. MONK IN TROUBLE and is a “standalone” mystery featuring Adrian Monk’s ancestor Artemis Monk, an assayer in the California gold rush town of Trouble in the 1840s.
The book is set in the present day, but Adrian finds some startling similarities between the murder he’s solving now…and some of the cases Artemis investigated. The story in EQMM is about one of those cases.
I had a lot of fun writing the “Western Monk” stories in the book…but I couldn’t have pulled it off without help from western pros like Richard Wheeler and Ken Hodgson, who kindly answered my dumb questions and reviewed my rough draft. I hope you enjoy the story now and the book in December!
UPDATE: As if that wasn’t reason enough for me to pick up a dozen copies of the magazine, I just learned that there’s a rave review for MR. MONK AND THE DIRTY COP in the same issue. Jon Breen gives the book three out of four stars and says, in part: “As in the TV series, sharp character comedy combines with ingenious and fairly-clued puzzle-spinning. Don’t miss Lt. Disher’s hilariously non-sensical variation on Sherlock Holmes’ ‘eliminate the impossible’ dictum.”
My copy came yesterday, and I’m looking forward to reading your story.
Bill,
You, of all people, will probably spot most of the little western “in-jokes” I added to amuse myself. There are even more in the book.
Lee
Sounds like congratulations are in order. I’ll be sure to grab a copy and read the story.
Lee,
Congrats on the story–but what’s the difference between a “novelette” and a novella?
–Dave
Dave,
I have no idea. That is just what they are calling it in the magazine…so I did as well.
Lee
A novella is shorter than a novel, longer than a novelette, and not as tasty as an omelette.
I am a fan of all your monk books so I hope you keep them coming! Am reading Mr Monk is Miserable and loving it.
Please please write more!
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Patricia
http://forextradin-g.net