Comments for Booking Through Thursday: Favorite Unknown: Penny Warner

Booking Through Thursday: Favorite Unknown: Penny Warner: 01/21/10

Who's your favorite author that other people are NOT reading? The one you want to evangelize for, the one you would run popularity campaigns for? The author that, so far as you're concerned, everyone should be reading but that nobody seems to have heard of. You know, not JK Rowling, not Jane Austen, not Hemingway;everybody's heard of them. The author that you think should be that famous and can't understand why they're not.

For the record JK Rowling and Jane Austen are not my favorites. They both bore me to tears, though for different reasons. When I first read the question, I thought about recommending Clarence Budington Kelland but he was incredibly popular in his day and I've already recommended him. I wanted to highlight someone living and recently writing. The perfect answer for me is Penny Warner.

Penny Warner has a mystery series featuring Connor Westfal. She's a deaf reporter living in a former gold mining town in the Sierra Nevadas. She's a typical Californian and Skunk Flat, while not a real California mining town, might as well be. Its features are drawn from a number of real places and it's fun to see how the town is pieced together.

Connor's deafness isn't a typical mystery gimmick. It's better integrated into the plots and she takes time to explain the nuances of deaf culture and politics. These asides bring her to life for me.

The series:

• Dead Body Language (1997)
  
• Sign of Foul Play (1998)
  
• Right to Remain Silent (1999)
  
• A Quiet Undertaking (2000)
  
• Blind Side (2001)
  
• Silence is Golden (2003)
  
• Dead Man's Hand (2007)

booking through thursday

Comments (16)

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Comment #1: Thursday, January, 21, 2010 at 04:39:59

Novroz

I love the title of her books...I haven't heard of her yet and those titles really intrique me. I'll be sure to buy/borrow her works if I find them

Comment #2: Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 11:25:43

Pussreboots

They're pretty easy to find where I live but she's a local author. You can also buy them online. Good luck and happy reading!

Comment #3: Thursday, January, 21, 2010 at 09:27:41

Jennifer

I have not heard of her, but shall look into her works. My BTT.

Comment #4: Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 11:33:29

Pussreboots

I hope you do. Happy reading.

Comment #5: Thursday, January, 21, 2010 at 09:44:39

Alayne

What a unique answer! Thanks for sharing. Mine is at The Crowded Leaf.

Comment #6: Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 11:41:49

Pussreboots

Thanks. I wanted to pick someone I've read more than one of their books and was looking forward to reading more but wasn't someone I'd seen a lot of other people blogging about.

Comment #7: Thursday, January, 21, 2010 at 10:32:20

Susan B. Evans

Sounds intriguing! I've never heard of this author before, but I'll look her up at the library. My favorite relatively unknown author is Brian S. Matthews. Here's my full response.

Comment #8: Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 11:54:15

Pussreboots

I will keep Brian S. Matthews in mind for future reading. He'd be good for the Canada Reads challege.

Comment #9: Thursday, January, 21, 2010 at 11:37:31

Erin at Plottings

Thanks for this list - I love mysteries and this is a totally new author for me, and I like the mining town setting. That also will be really new for me!

Comment #10: Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 12:01:13

Pussreboots

I love the setting because it presents a typical view of what life in California is like outside of the big cities. California isn't one giant Los Angeles, San Diego or San Francisco.

Comment #11: Thursday, January, 21, 2010 at 11:42:22

Penny Warner

Thanks so much for mentioning my Connor Westphal series! You made my day. I have a new series coming out Feb 2 called HOW TO HOST A KILLER PARTY. Let me know if you'd like a copy for review.

Best,
Penny Warner

Comment #12: Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 12:03:14

Pussreboots

That's great news to hear you have a new series coming out. I would be delighted and honored to review it on my blog. Now you've made my day!

Comment #13: Thursday, January, 21, 2010 at 14:14:45

Mervi

This series seems very interesting and I'm always looking for more mystery series.

Comment #14: Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 12:06:20

Pussreboots

It is interesting and entertaining. It reminds me a little of the Sue Grafton ABC series but I find Connor a more likeable lead.

Comment #15: Thursday, January, 21, 2010 at 20:01:56

Phyllis

Thanks for your suggestions. I'm always looking for new mystery writers to try out, so I put Warner on my reading list and look forward to her first book.

Comment #16: Monday, January 25, 2010 at 16:52:00

Pussreboots

That's great! I love her books. Happy reading.