Mystery Writer on Main Street

Archer Mayor, the author of a series of mystery novels featuring Detective Joe Gunther, will appear at the Mysteries On Main Street bookstore at 144 W. Main St. in Johnstown from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11.

I'm not a devoted fan of mystery/police fiction (or of any other particular genre, for that matter), but I've heard of Mayor in passing. Just now I checked out his Web site and read an excerpt from one of his novels. Perhaps I might drag myself over to Main Street and pick up a copy of one of his books on Thursday.

According to his promotional material, Mayor is a working sheriff's deputy and investigator in Vermont and has an incredibly diverse career background: He's been an editor, a researcher for TIME-LIFE Books, a political operative, a theater photographer, a newspaper journalist, a lab technician and a medical illustrator. So this guy's biography certainly backs up the notion that real-life experience can provide inspirational fuel for a fiction writer. Samuel Clemens was a riverboat pilot, Ernest Hemingway was an ambulance driver and John Steinbeck was a ranch hand. Maybe after I'm done in the newspaper business, I should try to land a gig as an emu wrangler or sushi chef, just to spice up my résumé.

On Thursday at Mysteries on Main, Mayor will read from his new novel, "The Catch," and sign copies. Copies of that book and Mayor's newest paperback release, "Chat," as well as the newly released audiobook edition of "Open Season," the first book in the series, will be available.

Have you thought about buying a book for someone in your family this year?

I already have about half of my Christmas shopping done, and I'll be giving several people books this year. (I'm not revealing any surprises here -- my relatives all know me as an inveterate bibliophile and book-gifter.) My wife and kids have asked Santa for technical gadgets and video games this Christmas, so it will be hard to break the news to them that due to the present economic recession, Mr. Claus had to shut down the high-tech division of his workshop and lay off all of his geek-elves. The book department at the North Pole is still going strong, however, so my kin can expect to find several flat, rectangular packages under the tree Dec. 25.