The winners of a copy of Kathy Lynn Emerson's FACE DOWN BELOW THE BANQUETING HOUSE were Carol Hutton of Columbia Md, Rebecca Katzenmeyer of Fairlawn Ohio, and Bruce MacAlister of Richmond, Virginia. Congratulations and enjoy!!

MALICE was a blast as usual. About 800 attendees, almost 600 of whom attended the banquet, at which the guest of honor, Joan Hess, was royally roasted by her friends and family.Agatha winners were announced. In at least one case, Sharan Newman's comment about the Edgar's that it is usually everyone's second or third choice that wins the award, seems to have held true for at least one of the Agatha awards.

The MALICE board, as usual, was always present and always willing to accept comments from the attendees. The change of hotel back to the Marriott Crystal Gateway was much appreciated. The panels were stimulating. And the people, all of them, were friendly and unstressed.

I guess you can tell that this is my favorite con. I took the long weekend away from packing for the move and was very glad I did, although I came home to a big mess. Oh well, only a little more than a week to go. The used book dealer paid his second visit this afternoon, and will make a pickup from the shop tomorrow morning and from the house tomorrow afternoon. 20 boxes from the house alone. Maybe more by the time some of them are repacked. I am afraid to count how many we are having shipped to Los Angeles. And then there are the ones that will be shipped to London in the autumn. And then there are the ones I am still accumulating. Came home with more than a dozen from Malice.

Thanks to everyone who made Malice Domestic such a pleasure, committee, fans, and writers. Wait 'til next year!!!

See you at Bouchercon in Chicago?

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