Damsels & Daggers

[Peg Herring]

That's the name of my panel at Sleuthfest on Feb. 27, so the question today concerns historical mysteries. When (if) you read historicals, do you choose by time period, e.g. the Renaissance or ancient Rome, or by author, no matter what era he/she chooses as setting?

[P.J.]

It depends. If the jacket stuff catches my eye, piques my interest, it probably doesn't matter WHEN or where the story is set. There are writers, few and far between, who I'll read no matter what they write. Michael Allen Dymmoch is one of those writers. I think it has much more to do with the quality of the writing -- a good story is a good story, no matter where or when it takes place. I've been wrong before . . .