What is Mutual Admiration from the Asylum Department? Good question. Jaki and Lynne met in a writers critique group and discovered a mutual taste for homicidal humor. We're happy to share our MAADness in the form of newsletters to anyone who sends their snail mail address to murraymade@aol.com.

ISSUE #11 - SPRING-SUMMER 2000

Jaqueline Girdner and Lynne Murray met in a writer's critique group and found themselves laughing at each other's homicidal manuscripts. Over the years, this blend of fictional murder and laughter has brought them to their current status as MAADwomen, a fictional group, which welcomes anyone crazy enough to want to join.

MYSTERY GUILD HITS LARGE TARGET

Large Target (St. Martin's Minotaur hardcover, April 2000) has been selected by the Mystery Guild Book Club. (Yay!) In this, the second Josephine Fuller adventure, Jo heads for San Diego to help her philanthropist employer investigate a young woman who has fallen under the influence of a questionable band of do-gooders. Within 24 hours, Jo must deal with a slain defense contractor, a kidnapped admiral and a safe with Top Secret documents missing. She must answer the question -- was it espionage or a world-class dysfunctional family?

For those who missed Larger Than Death, the series opener, St. Martin's will be publishing it in paperback in April also. (It makes a thoughtful and inexpensive gift.) In this first Josephine Fuller book, her closest friend is slain in Seattle, possible victim of a serial killer who targets voluptuous victims -- or was the killer someone she knew? Can Josephine solve the mystery before she becomes the next victim?

BAD NEWS BAMBIS IN MURDER, MY DEER

In Jaki Girdner's Murder, My Deer (Berkley hardcover, March/April 2000), Kate and Wayne have finally gotten married. That's the good news. The bad news: they attend a support group for those whose gardens have been ravaged by deer and find out that roses aren't the only victims this season.

And for those of you who prefer some lighter hot tub reading, last year's hardback, Murder on the Astral Plane, will be simultaneously released as a Berkley paperback -- grab it before it levitates away!

Just to be on the safe side, watch for astral hoofprints. Wait -- are those astral deer munching on the floral ectoplasm?

SOBA NOODLE IMBROGLIO

12 ounces soba noodles or linguini
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1/4 tablespoon hot mustard
4 sliced green onions
1 pound marinated, diced tofu
1/2 cup shredded carrots
venison (extremely optional!)

Cook noodles according to package directions. Allow to cool. Combine soy sauce, maple syrup, sesame oil, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and mustard into a smooth dressing. Toss noodles, dressing, onions, tofu, and carrots. Refrigerate, and serve cold as revenge.

From Jaqueline Girdner's Murder, My Deer.

Previous Newsletter - Home - Next Newsletter