I was really sad to hear of Evan Hunter's death. As Ed McBain, he finished the last Craig Rice novel, The April Robin Murders. Rice died before completing her last novel, and writing as McBain, he completed it almost seemlessly, considering that Rice had not left any notes or ideas for the ending.

We had a long talk at the Omaha B'con and he told me all about his meetings with Craig when she came to the Scott Meredith Agency. Fascinating stuff. He'll be missed.

I'm really sorry that so many of these wonderful writers who started in the 1940s and 1950s have passed away. We're losing out on a rich history in mystery.