A Reviewer’s Story
P.J. Coldren lives in northern lower Michigan with her husband. She owns a lab/pit bull mix named Bruno and is owned by a large feline named Mongo.  She reads widely in the mystery genre and selectively from almost any other book category.  She deals drugs professionally (works in a hospital pharmacy) to pay the bills.  She has been a judge for the Malice Domestic/St. Martin’s Press Best First Traditional Mystery Novel contest for over twenty years and has reviewed mystery novels for almost that long.
It’s all about friends.  I got “into reviewing” because I made a friend.  Decades ago, I worked in a hospital pharmacy.  They hired a new pharmacist, a woman who had relocated to Michigan from Texas because of her husband’s job.  Luci “The Poison Lady” Zahray was the first person who ever said to me, “Who do you read?”  Luci claims to be the Jimmy Buffet “blonde stranger who entered my life”, and she’s right; my life would be very different if she hadn’t asked me that question.  Because of Luci, I went to my first Malice Domestic convention, twenty-one years ago.  Because of Luci, I heard Ruth Cavin ask for volunteers to read for the “Malice Domestic/St. Martin’s Press Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Contest”; I thought, “I can do that!”
I’d heard of the Baker Street Irregulars before I met Luci.  I’d never met one.  After meeting Luci, I found myself driving to Chicago just about every month to meetings of the South Downers, a Scion Society of the BSI.  Eventually, I earned the right to have a “canonical designation” (V.R.) and the right to add the letters “S.O.B.” after my name (Sherlockian Order of Beekeepers).  I made more friends.
Because Luci and I attended conventions such as Malice and Bouchercon, I discovered fanzines.  I believe my first experience with reviewing was for Anne Williams’ fanzine.  I discovered that mystery writers are, by and large, a friendly and convivial bunch.  I made even more friends.
Today, I review for two on-line review sites (this one and www.reviewingtheevidence.com) and one print magazine (CrimeSpree).  I read for the Malice contest, for Poisoned Pen Press, and for another small press.  People I don’t know read my reviews and find them helpful.  People I never dreamed I’d meet greet me with smiles and hugs.  People I’d never have met without the warmth of the “mystery community” are now good friends.  I live in a very small town in a state with a foundering economy.  My abiding interests overlap very little with those of most of the people I know here. My “mystery” friends are a lifeline.  Whatever I’ve given to this wonderful group over the years is truly out-weighed by the gifts I’ve received.  I got “into reviewing”, at least in part, for the free books.  Books are wonderful; the people who read them and the people who write them are even more wonderful.
A note from blog-owner Lelia: One of the most gratifying things about being involved in the book industry is the people, whether they be readers, authors, publishers, editors, publicists, agents, booksellers, reviewers or anyone else with a love for books. I’ve never “met” P.J. in the true sense but it has been a real pleasure to have her be such an important part of this blog and to have her share her thoughts about the books she reads. Thank you, P.J.!
May 18, 2010
Posted in: Guest Blogs
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2 Responses
I love hearing about reviewing from reviewers, perhaps especially because when I try and describe why I did or didn’t like a book, I find myself saying words the equivalent of “uh, uh, uh, and also uh”
Reviewing is a pursuit requiring eloquence amidst self-reflection.
I was especially interested in PJ’s take because I’ve been wondering about entering the Malice contest with a manuscript that does fit the criteria but isn’t as traditional, let’s say, as some. PJ, would it be all right if I emailed you a little further about this? Or would you recommend entering and leaving questions about genre definitions up to the judges?
I’ve met some other judges over the course of 20+ years of reading for this contest. Some are more inclined to view the guidelines as “hard and fast”, some not so much. I’ve sent at least two to NY that I said weren’t contest material; the editors agreed and published them separately from the contest. So, as in most publishing stories, it’s a crapshoot. I’d enter it; what have you got to lose? And I’m open to discussing this privately.
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