There was a Ravens game in Baltimore last night, but those of you who know me know that not only couldn’t I tell you who they were playing, but also that the only reason I even knew there was a game at all was because I headed into town for another reason entirely and noted the increased traffic and trouble parking. It was all worth it, though, because I was going to The Book Escape to take part in the latest stop on Jeff VanderMeer’s five-week book tour for Finch, for which he’d arranged a reading and discussion with mystery writer Sandra Ruttan.

Sandra started by reading from her novel Lullaby for the Nameless. I wasn’t at all familiar with her work, but she read a section from the beginning of the book which obviously moved her snd moved me as well. It was an intense piece of writing. Jeff read from Finch, of course, and if you’re in the mood to, you can download and listen to his 11-minute reading here.

After their reading, there was an hour-long discussion of noir, of what mysteries and thrillers can gain when set during wartime, of the recombination that occurs when fantasy and mystery mix, and more.

After the event, about a dozen of us headed off to the Double T Diner in Catonsville, where we compared the differences between mystery and SF conventions (who knew it was considered vulgar self-promotion to do readings at mystery cons, and frowned upon?), reconfigured the Geek hierarchy, and explained furries and bizarro fiction to the unenlightened who probably would have preferred to remain unenlightened.

That’s Jeff and me above. We’re not wearing our chipmunk suits, though based on last night’s conversation, that’s how you might see us next. Check here if you want to see other photos from the event.