From the Booking Desk:

Sarah Weinman has had so much influence on me; more than she even knows herself. Long before I ventured into this world of blogging, I was a fan of Sarah’s output – most especially her crime blog “Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind.”  While I can’t be positive, I am fairly confident that this was the first time I thought about the fact that i could start a blog and people might read it. Flash forward some years – when I was still tracking Sarah’s crime-related writings – along came her various works on the history of domestic suspense. Again, while I can’t be 100% positive, I think this was the moment I realized that the style of books I love most in the world had a name. And of course, I have since been blessed to talk with Sarah and see her give many speeches on topics near and dear to her heart. The crime fiction community is filled with many very intelligent people, but honestly, if asked to name the smartest, I am placing my money on Sarah Weinman. It is such an honor to have her here on BOLO Books to answer our Composite Sketch questionnaire. This blog feature never fails to surprise and inspire me!


Name: Sarah Weinman
Location: Brooklyn, NY

This person from my personal life is such an inspiration:

My mom, without a doubt. She’s the kind of woman who had hip replacement surgery on a local anesthetic and was up and around within days, a person whose current energy level puts most younger women, myself included, to shame. I love her — of course, she’s my mother — but I also genuinely admire her and hope I can be even a fraction of what she is when I grow up.

One of the people I admire most in the crime fiction community is:

Must I limit it to just one? Well, if I must, I’m going to pick Ayo Onatade, who is one of the best damn humans to grace this planet. That was my actual reaction when we finally met in person after years of online interaction and it remains so.

STALKER ALERT! If this fictional character were real, they would likely need to get a restraining order against me:

I’m finding it strangely difficult to answer this question! Maybe because I don’t read crime fiction to put myself in the shoes of the main character but to be alongside them as they embark on various misadventure. That said, if Whitney, Tess Monaghan’s best friend, existed IRL, I would totally want to hang out with her all the time.

People are always surprised that I am a fan of this individual (singer, actor, or artist):

Despite being open about it for the last two decades, there are still people who express surprise at my lifelong obsession with Shel Silverstein (who, late in life, did dabble in crime fiction, thanks to his friendship with Otto Penzler). This, I think, has more to do with the sheer breadth and depth of his output and less my own ability to rattle off knowledge.

My personal catch phrase is (or should be):

Credit my friend Lyz Lenz for coining this one recently: “Clear Decks. Write Books. Break Hearts.”

Find out more about Sarah here. (And if you are not subscribed to her The Crime Lady newsletter, you really must.)