Fault Lines: Stories by Northern California Crime Writers

It’s here! Sisters in Crime’s NorCal branch has published their (our) first-ever anthology — Fault Lines: Stories by Northern California Crime Writers — and I’m delighted that my story “Birdbrain” is in it. Brilliantly edited by Margaret Lucke, this short-fiction collection by 19 outstanding writers from all over the mystery-crime-thriller …

Thoughts on The Undoing Project and New Year’s Resolutions

With 2019 approaching, I’ve been immersed in a book about how people make decisions: The Undoing Project, by Michael Lewis. He’s the author of Moneyball. You remember the Oakland A’s, back in 2002, had a losing baseball team and no money. To improve how they chose their draft picks, they …

Bathtub Gin on Broadway: A Night in the Roaring ’20s at SF’s The Speakeasy

“You have a watch repair appointment tomorrow night.” That’s the first cryptic message slipped through my cyber-mail slot by The Speakeasy. It’s a reminder that this is Prohibition we’re stepping into. From 1920-1933, buying drinks in a nightclub wasn’t just breaking the law but the Constitution. Shh! If the feds …