MYSTERY LEADS MID-MONTH MONDAYS FROM SHANNON MUIR’S THE PULP AND MYSTERY SHELF put the magnifying glass the second Monday of each month on classic detective and crime fiction.

Shannon will take the time to talk about her own personal discoveries as she looks back at the masters and lesser known writers of the past and how it can inform us as writers and readers today.

This month’s column focuses on Shannon Muir talking about her passion for the works of Tony Hillerman and his daughter, Anne.

I’ve had interest in Native American culture and history for some time. When I was an undergraduate in college, my father introduced me to the adventures of Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. I love the stories and characterizations so much, I came to not even think of them as mysteries… so much so, Tony or Anne Hillerman didn’t even come to mind when I was asked at the California Crime Writers Conference who my favorite mystery author was. I guess to me, these books were stories about people that happened to be mysteries.

For my birthday, my gifts consisted of books 3, 4 and 5 that Anne has written to continue her father’s characters. I really love how she’s come to own Bernie Manuelito, whom her father introduced as a supporting character in the last few books he wrote, and now brings her in as an equal voice with a fresh perspective.

I highly recommend any of the books in this series. These characters do not disappoint.