Friends of Montclair Library

East Bay mystery writers Terry Shames and Jonnie Jacobs will read from and discuss their latest work on Tuesday, June 17, at 6:30 pm at the Montclair Branch. This is the first in what is hoped to be an annual Mystery Night event. Books by each author will be available for sale and signing courtesy of A Great Good Place for Books.

Terry Shames is the best-selling author of mysteries featuring ex-chief of police Samuel Craddock. The setting is the small, fictional town of Jarrett Creek, Texas, loosely based on the area where she grew up. Ms. Shames will read from The Last Death of Jack Harbin, which Library Journal gave a starred review, noting that “The lead’s folksy tone belies astute detecting, and the plotting will dazzle readers.” She will also discuss what it’s like to write a mystery series — the joys and tribulations. The author currently resides in Berkeley and is the Vice-President of the Northern California chapter of Sisters in Crime.

Jonnie Jacobs is the author of fourteen mystery and suspense novels, including two series: the Kali O’Brien novels of legal suspense and the Kate Austen suburban mysteries. A former practicing attorney who writes crime fiction to “bring a sense of justice to the world,” Ms. Jacobs will be discussing her current release, Lying with Strangers — the provocative story of two very different women and the tragic event that brings them together. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, she is an active member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, and has served on the Edgar Awards Committee.

This free community event is being co-sponsored by the Friends of the Montclair Library and the Oakland Public Library. For more information, please call (510) 482-7810 or visit www.oaklandlibrary.org.