Obituary Note: Bill Crider

Bill Crider, "someone who wore nearly every hat in the mystery field--author, critic, columnist, reviewer," died February 12. He was 76. In a tribute, Janet Hutchings, editor of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, wrote: "I've known Bill since 1990, when I bought the first book in his Truman Smith series (a book that went on to be nominated for the Shamus Award for best first P.I. novel) for the mystery line at Walker Books. When you consider Bill's incredible output--a half-dozen different mystery series (comprising more than 40 books), plus at least 16 standalones in genres outside the mystery, from horror to western to adventure, and five children's books--what stands out like a beacon is his modesty about it all. In a world in which self-promotion has become not only the norm but a necessity, I don't think I ever heard Bill, a multiple Anthony Award winner, offer an unsolicited word about his own work."

Crider's books include the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series, Carl Burns series, Stanley Waters series (co-authored with Willard Scott) and Sally Good series. He also contributed to three books in the Stone: M.I.A. Hunter series under the pseudonym Jack Buchanan.

Hutchings noted that Crider "knew about everyone else's work, though; he was a superfan, with one of the largest collections of mystery and crime fiction that's ever come to my attention.... Bill Crider's work has been so interwoven with my own career in mystery fiction that it will take time to process his absence."

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