Another Small Press

While attending DPI last summer, I had the honor of meeting Gladys Topkis, editor extraordinaire. Now, Gladys's daughter, Maggie, was a bookstore owner in NYC who got fed up with the number of requested titles that were falling out of print. She started Felony and Mayhem to revive some of these older mysteries and introduce new readers to some old favorites. She also imports titles from around the world that aren't available in the states, like Missing by Karin Alvtegen. Here's a bit about F&M's first hardcover release (synopsis from Amazon.uk):

In The Grand Hotel, a homeless woman charms a businessman into paying for dinner and a room. When his dead body is discovered the following morning she becomes the prime suspect. When a second person is killed in similar circumstances, Sybilla, having left her comfortable middle class upbringing for the anonymity of the streets, becomes the most wanted person in Sweden ...Missing is a totally compelling read and a classic thriller that confirms Alvtegen as a crime writer worth comparison with Henning Mankell. But at its core, the book also explores the terrifying isolation for a woman who has rejected the values of her background and intimacy of her family.

Felony and Mayhem titles can be found in regular bookstores, and you'll know them by their cover art - each book has the same solid swatch of color sweeping across the front and one of the signature icons on the spine. The icon reference appears again on the back of the book and lists comparison authors to help you make your choice.

Alvtegen's Missing has the globe icon which indicates that it is a foreign title. This particular book lists other F&M titles that readers who like Missing would enjoy. Peter Watson's Landscape of Lies has a magnifying glass on its spine - this represents the traditional category - and is recommended for "intelligent fans of The Da Vinci Code." I also have Elizabeth Ironside's The Accomplice. Ironside falls into the British category and is recommended for fans of Ruth Rendell and Minette Walters.

Buying a Felony and Mayhem book is like taking home a bookseller. Maggie Topkis really knows her stuff, she picks quality titles, and makes solid recommendations to readers.