The Birmingham, Alabama chapter of Sisters In Crime is the local chapter of a national organization of mystery fans and writers. Originally founded by Sara Paretsky, Sisters In Crime has expanded to include writers and mystery enthusiasts, both male and female. Our mission is to combat discrimination against women writers in the mystery field. Our chapter also sponsors the annual mystery conference, Murder in the Magic City, as well as critique groups for mystery writers. Our reader's group, the SOUTHERN SISTERS, takes its name from Anne George's beloved characters. It is a joint venture of Jonathan Benton Booksellers in Mountain Brook and The Homewood Public Library. Our Southern Sisters meetings are held in each location. We meet on the third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. Dues for the reader's group are only $12 per year, and national dues are $40. New members are always welcome. Come join us! For more information, email us here.

Our Next Southern Sisters Event:

Date: Thursday, September 25, 2008 Location: Jonathan Benton Booksellers Time: 7:00 p.m. Guest/Topic: Mary Anna Evans

We will not be meeting on September 18, our usual date and time. Instead, we have these other events coming up:

On Thursday, September 25, we are delighted to have Mary Anna Evans, who will discuss her new book, FINDINGS, at 6PM at Jonathan Benton. Faye Longchamp is overjoyed to be back home, being paid to do archaeological work she would have done anyway--excavating a site once owned by her own family. That joy ends abruptly when intruders break into a dear friend’s palatial house and leave him dead among the scattered remains of Faye’s artifacts. None of the valuable artworks lining the walls of his home are taken. The open wall safe is untouched. Choice artifacts are left in their cases. There seems to be no motive at all for the vicious crime…unless the thieves were aware of the fabulous emerald he had been holding minutes before his death. But how could they have known? Faye had only uncovered it that very evening, and she had told no one. When his widow asks Faye to organize the relics left broken on the floor by the intruders, Faye realizes that there actually is something missing—not an emerald nor a valuable painting, but simply her own field notes. Faye’s professional curiosity leads her to seek the story behind the mysterious emerald, and her grief drives her to find out how her fieldwork was connected to her friend’s death. As she delves into these secrets, she comes to realize that the key to all her questions must be buried in the field notes now held by the killers…and those notes are written in her handwriting and signed with her initials on each page. The intruders have shown that they are more than willing to kill for that information. It is only a matter of time before they come for Faye.

On Tuesday, October 7, at 7PM at Jonathan Benton We welcome Mindy Starns Clark, who will discuss her two mystery series and:
Would You Like Fries with That and Other Important Questions Writers Ask While on the Road to Publication:
Follow the hilarious tale of how bestselling inspirational mystery author Mindy Starns Clark went from being an aspiring writer to an accomplished novelist. Ignited by the spark of the "storyteller's chair" in the first grade, Mindy pursued her lifelong dream with passion, encountering rejection, roadblocks, and more than her fair share of unusual experiences along the way. This fun and uplifting talk encourages everyone to pursue their biggest dreams, no matter what those dreams are, with persistence, dedication, and optimism.

We will meet as usual in October, on the 16th.

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Last updated September 17, 2008