[dropcap]W[/dropcap]e don’t want to let the boys have all the fun, so this week, there’s a special two-part quiz. Today’s topic: Tough Chicks. Some of these are gimmes, but a few, we think, will stump all but the mavens among you. 1. In Carol O’Connell’s series that begins with Mallory’s Oracle, what is Mallory’s first name? 2. In the Jane Whitefield series, by Thomas Perry, Jane offers a gift by way of thanks at the conclusion of every successful endeavor. What’s the gift? 3. PI work doesn’t always pay the rent, so sometimes Carlotta Carlyle – as penned by Linda...

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]e've been talking about cozies a lot, so we figured we'd change things up a bit. How well do you know your Tough Guys? 1. One of the best of the new breed of tough guys is Michael Connolly’s Harry Bosch. In the Edgar-winning The Black Echo, he has frequent memories of his time in Viet Nam. What did he do In Country? 2. Already Dead, by Charlie Huston, introduces Joe Pitt, a freelance fixer in lower Manhattan. Joe has one kind of physical challenge; his girlfriend, Evie, has another. What are they? 3. Neal Carey is a part-time sleuth...

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ouldn't it be nice if we had access to the sleuthing skills, wisdom, or just straight up handiness with a gun of our favorite fictional detectives? OK, so most of us are not going to be held up at gunpoint by drug lords, or find ourselves unjustly accused of murder. But say you found yourself in a spot of unexpected trouble, and not only that, but you could in fact call upon a fictional detective (or amateur sleuth, we're not being picky) for help? Who would you call? We asked some of the Bouchercon 2013 attendees that question, and we...

[dropcap]P[/dropcap]icking a favorite among the Dalziel and Pascoe novels is, for me, like trying to pick a favorite Cole Porter song. On lyrics alone, “You’re the Top” is pretty hard to beat, but how could I consign “Brush Up Your Shakespeare” to second place? And so it is with the Hills. Do I choose one of the books that showcases the glorious Andy Dalziel, easily one of the rudest and most spectacular characters in mystery fiction? Or do I opt instead to shine a spotlight on the less bumptious but no less interesting Peter Pascoe, who grows over the course...

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]e're still happily in the 1920s, with the fabulous Blotto and Twinks. We'd love to have you join us…but can you speak the lingo? Are you hep to the jive? 1. A Blind Pig is A) A visually challenged barnyard animal B) A second-rate tailor C) A speakeasy 2. A Dead Soldier is A) A half-smoked cigarette B) An empty bottle of booze C) A young man who failed to come home from the Great War 3. Indian Hop is A) A popular dance B) Reefer C) Homemade hooch 4. Horsefeathers are A) Nonsense B) Applesauce C) Baloney D) All...