May 2026

CRIME NOTES AND ANECDOTES
FROM ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS

Hi all,

As chores go, this was hardly the toughest job. But it took a toll. The pussy willow growing in the flower bed between our house and our neighbor’s had once again grown out of control—too tall, and too wide, with branches scraping windows and siding—and needed to be cut back. I hate trimming trees not because of the labor but because, especially in our urban neighborhood, every branch and leaf plays an important role in the life of bugs, bees, and birds.  

Trees have always been an important part of my life. I grew up on nine acres in western New York State, with a large pine forest at the rear, and our yard home to walnut trees, a plum tree, a plucky little apple tree, and a mulberry tree whose berries were feasted upon by starlings, who then showed signs of inebriation depending on how long the fruit had been sitting in the sun. I’d love to have a mulberry in our yard, but we simply don’t have the space.

Here on our much smaller city plot, we enjoyed for many years a giant ornamental honeysuckle, big enough for the kids to climb on and for me to build a tree house in. When that tree finally reached its end, we replaced it with a southern magnolia, which produces gorgeous (and big!) white blossoms every spring. Meanwhile, we have growing redbud, dogwood, and Japanese maple trees, along with our Serviceberry tree, whose fruit we’ve already pledged to the birds.

With trees and nature on my mind after giving the pussywillow a haircut, imagine my delight when, on the same day, we noticed a mulberry tree in the alley not fifteen feet from our garage, and already on the cusp of producing berries. My arboreal prayers were answered; let the feasting begin!

This month, I have an expanded events calendar, more recommended reads, and an interview that reveals my (not so) secret nickname. But first…

Speaking of trees, we’re fans of the greater Columbus system of Metro Parks, a growing necklace of green that preserves wild spaces as our region booms. After hiking nearly every park during the pandemic, we continue to venture onto the trails, including the Great Southern Metro Park, the newest on the far south side of Columbus.

And speaking of parks, we ventured outside our comfort zones for a beginning mountain biking class offered by Lost In the Woods bike shop near Alum Creek State Park. We had a blast learning the basics and then hitting a trail, and thanks to our rainy May, had plenty of mud to remember the adventure by.

And speaking of the pandemic, and speaking for myself, the streaming series The Mandalorian, featuring the impossibly cute baby Yoda, was one of the things that helped us weather those dark months. I’m not saying we were first in line to see the new movie based on those characters, but it was definitely fun being back in that universe — and that’s coming from someone who WAS first in line for Star Wars in 1977.

Finally, this month’s obligatory cat pictures find Stretch commandeering my book tote bag for more sedentary purposes…

… while Bubba and Neighbor Cat Sophia engage in a spirited debate about their favorite cat detectives.

SHORT FICTION

I’ve published many short stories, but this is one of my favorites, and also one I had the most fun writing: Jack and the Beanstalk, a re-imagining of the fairy tale as a modern crime story, included in Wish Upon a Crime: Crime Fiction Inspired by Fairy Tales, an anthology from Level Best Books and edited by two of my favorite editors, Michael Bracken and Stacy Woodson. The anthology is available for pre-orders now.

MERCURY CARTER

I always enjoy participating in Read for America’s Page 69 test, which explores what randomly opening a book on page 69 can tell you about the plot and characters. Here’s my take on The Delivery.

Meanwhile, Crimespree Magazine called The Delivery, “ … a refreshing twist on the ‘white knight syndrome’ so prevalent in the macho-driven world of stoic men meting out frontier justice so prevalent in crime fiction today." (Read all the way down for my email interview with more details about Mercury Carter and his genesis.)

One of my favorite new thriller series is James Byrne’s “Gatekeeper” books, featuring adventurer Desmond Aloysius Limerick (“Dez” to friends). What an honor for Lesa’s Book Critiques to include a Mercury Carter reference in her review of the newest Limerick book, Storm Warning. Please check out Byrne’s books and subscribe to Lesa’s newsletter, one of the best book blogs out there.

I had the privilege of talking about both Mercury Carter and Andy Hayes with the Columbus Dispatch, during which interview I also revealed my very first book, the Celtic language I was once semi-fluent in, and the name that not just my granddaughters but pretty much everyone in the family calls me. (If you can’t get past the paywall, it’s, shhh, “Grandrew.”)

ANDY HAYES

I’m looking forward to the formal launch of the my Andy Hayes novella, Rescue Me, on June 2, followed by several more events this summer and fall. Meanwhile, I’ve been working on the next Andy Hayes mystery, tentatively titled Burn Me Once, which finds Hayes facing a romantic crossroads in his personal life while on the job, he investigates the cold-case death of a man murdered as he walked his dog on a fitness trail.

Don’t have enough copies of Andy Hayes adventures? For the next week, all Ohio University Press books are discounted by 40% off the list price when using promo code SUN on the website shopping cart. Bonus: Orders $35 and up are eligible for free U.S. shipping!

UPCOMING EVENTS

This Tuesday (!), June 2, 6-7:30 p.m., Storyline Bookshop, Upper Arlington, Ohio. Rescue Me launch. Excited to be in conversation with NV Gay, author of The Queer Allies Bible! Register here for this free event.

Tuesday, June 9, 6:30 p.m., Gathering Volumes bookstore book club discussion of The Delivery, Perrysburg, Ohio (held at Earnest Brew Works in South Toledo). Copies of Rescue Me will also be available.

Wednesday, June 10, 6-7:30 p.m., Thurber House picnic series, Columbus, Ohio. Discussion of Rescue Me and The Delivery, and how I balance two series. I’ll be in conversation with one of my favorite writers, historical mystery novelist Sharon Short. Tickets available here.

Tuesday, June 16, 6-7:30 p.m., Birdie Books, Westerville, Ohio. Author talk and signing. Register here for this free event.

Thursday, June 18, 6-7:30 p.m., Morgenstern Books, Bloomington, Indiana. Author talk on The Delivery and Rescue Me. Register here for this free event.

Saturday, June 27, 2-4 p.m., Thunderwing Brewing, Columbus, Ohio. Rescue Me book signing with reappearance of specially brewed Private EYE PA!

Saturday, July 11, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Columbus Book Festival, downtown library. Find me at the Ohio University Press booth, where I’ll be signing copies of Rescue Me and other Andy Hayes books.

Thursday, Sept. 10, 6:30-8 p.m., Westerville Public Library. Join me for a humorous look at a serious subject as I teach a class titled: “Ten Tips to Ensure Your Novel Is Never Published.”

Monday, Sept. 21, 6-7:30 p.m., Dublin, Ohio, branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, discussion of Rescue Me followed by Q&A and book signing.

Thursday, Sept. 24, 6-8 p.m., Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, Authors! program. Author talk and book signing; Tickets available here.

Saturday, Oct. 10, 10-4 p.m., Ohio Author Festival, Crossroads Branch of the Guernsey County Public Library. Book signing and mystery writer panel.

Wednesday, Oct. 21-Sunday, Oct. 25, Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, Calgary, Canada.

Saturday, Nov. 7, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Buckeye Book Fair, Wooster, Ohio. Stop by one of Ohio’s oldest and biggest book fairs, held annually just in time for all your Christmas shopping needs!

FUTURE READS

(Recently purchased books high on my TBR pile)

RECOMMENDED READS

Faithful newsletter reader Stephanie Tresso recommended Judge Stone, the collaborative legal thriller by actor Viola Davis and writer James Patterson.

Meanwhile, here are several titles I read recently and warmly recommend…

_ The School for Good Mothers, by Jessamine Chan. Marketed as The Handmaid’s Tale for mothers, this dystopian novel explores the multiple ways that society punishes mothers. Also reminiscent of Celeste Ng’s equally chilling Our Missing Hearts.

_ That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America, by Amanda Jones. Jones’ powerful, and at times painful, memoir of the online and in-person abuse she suffered when taking a simple—and Democratic—stand against the book ban movement.

_ Not All Dead White Men: Classics and Misogyny in the Digital Age, by Donna Zuckerberg. As a college classics major and with a recent interest in the Stoics, I was dismayed to learn the degree to which Greek and Roman literature has been co-opted by the alt-right. Zuckerberg’s book is an insightful analysis of this trend and a reminder that the Classics, while flawed, can be read through a more inclusive lens.

_ The Wild One, by Nick Petrie. Not sure how I missed this gripping thriller series about ex-Marine Peter Ash, periodically called on to right wrongs around the world. Loved this installment’s Iceland setting.

_ The Queer Allies Bible: The Ultimate Guide to Being an Empowering LGBTQIA+ Ally, by NV Gay. Reading this excellent and educational introduction to ways to support queer friends and family members makes me even more excited for our conversation at Storyline Tuesday, June 2!

_ Ironwood, by Michael Connelly. The second outing of Sgt. Stilwell—no first name—the chief law enforcement officer on Catalina Island off the coast of California. Connelly, perhaps the premier police procedure writer of all time, loops his LAPD cold case investigator, Renee Ballard, into the action involving a possible serial killer. Another satisfying Connelly read.

What's the best book you've read recently?

Happy reading and writing!

Andrew

THE LAST WORD

(From Brooke Bourgeois via Instagram)