By Lookout Staff

November 6, 2014 -- The butler did it in the library with the candlestick.  Everyone likes a good mystery, but how do authors of mystery books work out the complexities of a good thriller?

The answer is in two back-to-back mystery author panel discussions at the Santa Monica Public Library on Wednesday, November 12 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium.

The first panel begins at 5 p.m. and features “The Men of Mystery.”  Heading up the panel is veteran British mystery author Peter James, who presents his 23rd and 24th thrillers “Want You Dead” and “A Twist of the Knife.” 

James has written dozens of books, including the international best-selling crime thriller series featuring Brighton-based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, which have sold 15 million copies worldwide.  He is also a New York Times best-selling author and his books have been translated into 36 languages.

Joining him are John Burley, author of the psychological suspense novel “The Absence of Mercy”; comedic author W. Bruce Cameron (“8 Simple Rules for Dating my Teenage Daughter,” “A Dog’s Purpose”) who will be debuting his first-ever mystery “The Midnight Plan of the Repo Man”; author of the debut espionage thriller Sabotage Matt Cook; and Tod Goldberg, author of the mafia noir hit Gangsterland.

A sale of the panelists’ books and a signing will follow the panel discussion.

The second panel immediately follows at 7 p.m. and features “The Women of Mystery + 1.”

Heading up the panel is veteran mother/son mystery writing duo Caroline and Charles Todd (the + 1 mentioned in the panel title), who collectively write under the Charles Todd pen name. They will share their latest Bess Crawford mystery set in World War I, “An Unwilling Accomplice.”

In addition to writing stories featuring WW I British army nurse Bess Crawford, the duo writes books that deal with the cases of Inspector Ian Rutledge, a veteran of the European campaigns who is attempting to pick up the pieces of his Scotland Yard career.

Joining them are Alison Gaylin, author of the psychological suspense novel “Stay With Me”; Wendy Corsi Staub, author of the thriller “The Perfect Stranger”; and Ovidia Yu, author of the Singaporean culinary mystery “Aunty Lee’s Deadly Specials.” 

As with the first panel, a sale of the panelists’ books and a signing will follow the discussion.

The panels mark the unofficial kickoff of a small, annual mystery author convention called Bouchercon, named after mystery writer and critic Anthony Boucher. It was founded in Santa Monica in 1970.

After years of exponential growth, the convention returns to Southern California for the first time in more than two decades to the Long Beach Hyatt Regency.

“With many authors arriving early in Southern California, the Santa Monica Public Library seized the opportunity to put together two amazing author panels, stocked with five authors each, on November 12, the night prior to Bouchercon’s official start,” said Public Services Librarian Robert Graves.

Both programs are free and open to all ages. Seating is first come, first served.

For more information on Santa Monica Public Library programs, visit smpl.org or contact the Santa Monica Public Library at (310) 458-8600.